Man, does it feel great to have high school football up and rolling across the state.
Already this year we’ve seen dozens of fantastic games and storylines.
And while it’s been a fun start, there’s plenty more football to be played, and plenty of storylines to unfold.
MuskegonSports.com will be onsite for two games this week, tracking some of our major early season storylines.
How will Fruitport respond after last week’s stunning comeback by Grand Rapids Christian? I’ll be at Hope College — Fruitport’s home away from home for the week — to cover the game and let you know.
Then there’s the annual Reeths-Puffer-Muskegon rivalry game. Reeths-Puffer enters the game with a better record so far under head coach Cody Kater, but the Big Reds have owned the series this millennium (more on that later). Steve Gunn will have coverage of that game.
We will also be keeping a close on the very promising Whitehall Vikings. Whitehall has toppled Unity Christian and Hastings already, and now has Alpena in its crosshairs.
In my mind, Week 3 is when we really start to learn what sorts of seasons our local teams are going to have. Not only do we see another game from our teams, but we continue to get insight into the teams they’ve played so far — did we overreact to an early season win or loss?
That said, making these picks gets a little easier, at least theoretically, as you go through the season and have more information to lean on. And now that I’ve said that, I’m almost guaranteed to fail to match Editor Steve Gunn’s 13-5 mark last week.
Here’s my best shot at predicting who wins and who comes up short. As always, make sure to visit us here at MuskegonSports.com Friday night and Saturday morning to see how I did.
[1]Ludington (2-0) at Fremont (2-0)
Both teams come in 2-0, which is a first for Fremont since 2007. Despite the nice start for the Packers, I like Ludington to be the team emerging 3-0 from this one.
Allendale (1-1) vs. Fruitport (1-1) at Hope College
After last week’s stunning loss against Grand Rapids Christian, this could be a big game for the Trojans. Coach Nate Smith thinks his guys will rally together and regroup, and so do I.
East Kentwood (1-1) at Grand Haven (1-1)
I could see this one going either way, but I’ll give the edge to the home team, especially after last week’s impressive win over Traverse City West.
Shelby (0-2) at Hart (1-1)
Last week, Hart beat White Cloud by 19 points. The week before, White Cloud beat Shelby by 20. The Pirates, who have won five of the last six in this rivalry, should win this conference opener/rivalry game.
Hesperia (1-1) at White Cloud (1-1)
The Panthers’ offense had a big game in Week 1, then the defense stepped up in Week 2. This week, both units will have strong games as Hesperia surpasses its 2021 win total, just three games into 2022.
Ravenna (1-1) at Holton (0-2)
Ravenna and Holton haven’t played each other since a playoff game in 2007. Before that, you have to go back to 1970. The schools will get to know each other quickly with Holton joining the WMC. Expect Ravenna to claim the first game in the renewed rivalry to improve to 2-1.
Watervliet (2-0) at Kent City (2-0)
Fun fact: I went to high school in White Pigeon with Kent City’s first-year head coach Zach Gropp, and we were teammates on the basketball and baseball teams. So, in my first picks effort of the season, I feel like I owe Coach Gropp some confidence in his team’s exciting 2-0 start.
Mason County Central (0-2) at North Muskegon (1-1)
The Norse showed what they are capable of last week in a big win over Orchard View. I don’t expect that to be the last explosive performance we see from sophomore QB James Young and company, and another could be coming this week.
Holland (0-2) at Mona Shores (1-1)
Mona Shores was another local team snakebitten by an incredible comeback last week, falling to Rockford on the road. The Sailors will take out some frustrations against Holland — which will end its varsity season after Week 4.
Orchard View (0-2) at Montague (1-1)
While it’s great the Cardinals are back on the varsity field this fall, there have been some growing pains early in the season. I don’t expect Montague to be all that welcoming to their new conference foe.
Reeths-Puffer (2-0) at Muskegon (1-1)
The Rockets are off to their best start since 2017 under new coach Cody Kater, while the Big Reds haven’t necessarily looked like their powerful selves the last two weeks. Still, this is Muskegon, and the Big Reds haven’t lost to Puffer since 1999. The Big Reds make it 20 wins in a row against the Rockets.
Benton Harbor (1-1) at Muskegon Catholic (1-1)
I like the Crusaders to bounce back from a narrow loss to Oakridge last week with a win. Muskegon Catholic has beaten Benton Harbor each of the last three seasons.
Detroit Edison (1-1) at Muskegon Heights (0-2)
It’s been a tough start to the year for the Tigers, who have given up 40-plus points in both games so far. Another tough day might be in store against Edison, which put up 46 points in a win last week.
Oakridge (2-0) at Manistee (2-0)
Both teams have started the season 2-0, but Oakridge has faced a pair of strong programs in Sparta and Muskegon Catholic. I like the Eagles to win, giving Manistee a rude welcome to the West Michigan Conference.
GR West Catholic (2-0) at Spring Lake (1-1)
Spring Lake has found itself in a pair of close games early this season, which could serve the Lakers well down the road. But the Falcons have looked strong early on, with a 12-point win over Edwardsburg, a D4 state semifinalist last year, and a 43-0 drubbing of Ferndale.
Alpena (1-1) at Whitehall (2-0)
What a start for the Vikings. Whitehall has beaten two very good programs to open the season, and I expect them to grab another win this week, building even more momentum heading into Week 4’s rivalry matchup with Montague.