MUSKEGON – It’s been another good season – and also a challenging season – for the West Michigan Ironmen.

On the field, the Ironmen have continued their traditional success building a 3-o record in their first season in a new league.

Off the field, there has been some frustration as other teams in the new league have struggled with their schedules, keeping the Ironmen from playing as many games as they had hoped.

But there will still be an exciting climax over the next few weeks as the Ironmen head into the Great Lakes Arena Football league playoffs for the first time.

It all starts on Saturday, when the Ironmen host the Ohio Blitz at 7 p.m. at Muskegon’s Trinity Health Arena in a playoff semifinal game. The other semifinal game, between the Battle Creek Smoke and Southern Michigan Apex, will also be played at Trinity Health on Saturday at 3 p.m.

The winners of the two games will clash on May 20 in the league championship game in Muskegon.

The playoffs should bring a lot of excitement for the many die-hard Ironmen fans.

That may not come in the semifinals, because the Ironmen defeated the Ohio Blitz by an overwhelming 81-6 score in the season opener and will be prohibitive favorites going into the rematch.

But Ohio has improved since that first meeting, and the Ironmen will not be taking victory for granted, according to Coach Nate Smith.

“I think they will be better,” said Smith, who added that Ohio has played six games this season, including several games against non-league opponents. “They have added some players and will bring a fuller roster. They performed better in some of the other games they played.

“We’re going to try to beat whoever is in front of us, whether they are good, bad or great.”

The real fun could happen on May 20 in the league championship game. If everything goes as expected, the Ironmen will advance and play Battle Creek for the first league championship, and that rematch should be a dandy.

West Michigan and Battle Creek played a barnburner back on March 18, when the Ironmen came from behind and secured a thrilling 33-31 victory with a touchdown on the last play of the game.

“I think it’s going to be great,” Smith said about the likelihood of an Ironmen-Smoke title game. “That was one of the best games we’ve ever been part of as an organization. Talent-wise they are on par with us, and it’s hard to beat a good team twice. They are going to come in with a chip on their shoulders.”

One challenge for the Ironmen on Saturday will be knocking off the rust after a few weeks of inactivity.

The last time they played was back on April 1 in an 86-45 victory over the Apex.

“We had a few injuries coming out of the last game, so it has actually been a blessing,” Smith said about the break. “We’ve had a few guys get healthy and we’ve brought a few new guys in.

“It’s almost like the start of a new season for us. Our guys have been through this before, with lulls and times when we haven’t had a chance to play. They know how to take care of themselves and be ready.”

The league playoffs will include the four teams remaining in Great Lakes Arena Football. The original schedule had five teams, but the Chicago squad never materialized.

The Ironmen had hoped to play a few road games during thew regular season, but several teams had trouble securing home dates at their arenas or ran into other complications.

Despite those issues, the league is moving forward. A new team from Detroit has committed for next season, according to Smith, and all of the existing teams are expected to be back.

“It’s disappointing because (the new league) didn’t come together exactly the way we hoped, but it is coming together,” Smith said. “We have four teams that started the season and are going to finish. It feels like we are on the right path for 2024.”