When they split up the West Michigan Conference, I heard people say that the new big-school Lakes Division would be a cakewalk for traditional powers Whitehall, Oakridge and Montague.
Nobody thought any of the new teams in the division – Ludington, Fremont, Manistee or Orchard View – could hold a candle to those great programs.
But a couple of those teams have been quite competitive, making the 2022 season even more fun than expected.
On Friday we will have 5-1 Ludington visiting 6-0 Whitehall in a key conference matchup. Nobody is really expecting anyone to give Whitehall a fight this season, but the fact is that Ludington is having a great year and clearly belongs in the new division.
A really great matchup will be Fremont at Montague, which nobody thought would even be a game a few months ago. The resurgent Packers are 4-2 and should give the Wildcats all they can handle, and maybe more.
The conference split also worked out well in the lower-tier Rivers Division. We can tell because North Muskegon and Ravenna – who were always very good but had a hard time competing with the bigger schools in the traditional West Michigan Conference – will go head-to-head on Friday with a likely division championship on the line.
Those two teams have long deserved to be playing for regular season championships, and now they have the opportunity.
There will be some other great matchups on Friday, as well, including Reeths-Puffer at Zeeland West (with the winner staying alive in the O-K Green conference race); Grand Rapids West Catholic at Fruitport (same scenario in the O-K Blue conference race); and undefeated Kent City at one-loss Reed City.
MuskegonSports.com will have reporter-photographer coverage of North Muskegon-Ravenna, Reeths-Puffer-Zeeland West and Fruitport-GR West Catholic, as well as reports on all the other games. Be sure to check our website and social media pages for full results on Friday night and Saturday morning,
If you want to know who will win in advance, just take a look below:
[1]Fremont (4-2) at MONTAGUE (2-4) – This will probably be one of the best matchups of the week. Montague has been struggling with a two-game losing streak and Fremont is having more success than it’s hard in years. That being said, the Wildcats still have a lot of good players and a lot of pride that comes from years of winning. Montague by a nose.
GR West Catholic (6-0) at FRUITPORT (4-2) – I sense that something has changed with this Fruitport squad, and the Trojans have grown up a lot since two disappointing losses earlier in the season. Fruitport will officially arrive as a true power in the O-K Blue on Friday.
CALEDONIA (6-0) at Grand Haven (1-5) – The Fighting Scots are really, really good. Enough said.
Holton (0-6) at HART (4-2) – There will be a day when this game will be competitive between the two new conference foes – but that’s at least a year or two down the road.
Hesperia (1-5) at MASON COUNTY CENTRAL (1-5) – Both teams are obviously struggling, but the Spartans played Ravenna and Hart very tough the last two weeks, so they will get a well-earned victory over the Panthers.
KENT CITY (6-0) at Reed City (5-1) – This is obviously a great matchup that could go either way, but I will keep taking the Eagles until someone knocks them off. That Mason Westbrook kid is one tough runner.
Ludington (5-1) at WHITEHALL (6-0) – The Orioles have beaten everyone on their schedule except Oakridge, and Whitehall easily beat Oakridge. There’s no shame in losing to the Vikings. They are special this year.
Zeeland East (1-5) at MONA SHORES (5-1) – Zeeland East gave Reeths-Puffer a serious run for its money last week. This one won’t be so close. Mona Shores is playing with tons of confidence and may go the rest of the way – at least through the regular season – without being seriously challenged. I say that with full knowledge that the Sailors still have to play Reeths-Puffer and Muskegon.
Wyoming (0-6) at MUSKEGON (4-2) – The Big Reds had a scare for a while against Union last week, then got the job done. I think Muskegon has turned a corner and will start playing its best football of the season. How far will that take this talented but young team? We shall see…
Muskegon Heights (0-6) at MUSKEGON CATHOLIC (4-2) – There was a time, not so long ago, when this annual clash produced some exciting finishes. MCC has had its struggles this fall, but the Tigers are in heavy rebuilding mode. I see a running clock in my crystal ball.
Ravenna (5-1) at NORTH MUSKEGON (5-1) – Ravenna is very strong, but North Muskegon has iron-armed quarterback James Young and a bunch of good receivers. That will make all the difference in this West Michigan Conference Rivers Division showdown.
Reeths-Puffer (5-1) at ZEELAND WEST (5-1) – I am a Puffer grad and I’ve enjoyed the Rockets’ turnaround season as much as anyone. But ZW is really good and will be ornery after a tough loss to Mona Shores last week. I will give a slight edge to the hosts – and I hope the Rockets prove me wrong!
Shelby (2-4) at MANISTEE (2-4) – Shelby has won two games in a row! That hasn’t happened in quite some time, and I’m sure Tiger fans are excited. But I just can’t see a three-game win streak for Shelby quite yet…
Hamilton (2-4) at SPRING LAKE (1-5) – The Lakers have too much ability to be a one-win team, and they have a lot of pride. I think they will rise up and claim a victory at home, maybe by a surprisingly large margin.