Top Games of Week Two: OK Red, White, Green

Heading into week two of the regular season, teams across the Ottawa-Kent Conferences have the opportunity to separate and solidify themselves as legit conference champion contenders. In the OK Green, what might be the game of the year will take place between rivals Muskegon and Muskegon Mona Shores. In the OK Red, the winner of the Caledonia-Rockford game will be in the drivers-seat of the areas toughest conference. Meanwhile, the OK White’s game of the week pegs two of the most talented teams in the area against each other in Grand Rapids Christian and Byron Center. Below I’ll break down the top prospects, key matchups, and predictions for each game. &nbsp; <h5><strong>OK Red: Rockford (1-0) @ Caledonia (1-0)</strong></h5> <strong><em>Top Prospects</em></strong> <h6>[player_tooltip player_id="29634" first="Carson" last="VanderHoff"], RB, Caledonia 2021"</h6> [player_tooltip player_id="54002" first="Alex" last="Karas"], DL, Rockford 2021" Sam Watts, LB, Rockford 2021" Ben Tadych, LB, Rockford 2021" <strong><em>Key Matchup</em></strong> This game is going to be won in the trenches. Caledonia’s rushing attack spearheaded by arguably the best back in the area, [player_tooltip player_id="29634" first="Carson" last="VanderHoff"], is going to be tough to slow down. If Rockford can win the battle on first and second down and force Caledonia into long third downs, I like Rockford’s chances of winning this game. That being said, it’ll be a long night for the Rams if VanderHoff gets going. He’s the type of back that can single-handedly carry a team to a win. <strong><em>Prediction: </em></strong>Rockford 17, Caledonia 14 &nbsp; <h5><strong>OK White: Byron Center (1-0) @ Grand Rapids Christian (0-1)</strong></h5> <strong><em>Top Prospects</em></strong> [player_tooltip player_id="29563" first="Austin" last="Roon"], LB, Byron Center 2021" [player_tooltip player_id="29653" first="Mason" last="Breit"], DB, Byron Center 2021" Aiden Bremer, LB, Grand Rapids Christian 2021" [player_tooltip player_id="29669" first="Brian" last="Hunter III"], WR, Grand Rapids Christian 2021" <strong><em>Key Matchups</em></strong> Byron Center breezed to a week-one win over Forest Hills Northern, while Grand Rapids Christian struggled to get its offense going in a 21-13 loss to Forest Hills Central. The Eagles have the weapons to be one of the higher-powered units in the area, however, it may take a few weeks to find their rhythm. One thing that Byron Center has been able to rely on in the past two seasons is its impenetrable defense, led by star linebacker [player_tooltip player_id="29563" first="Austin" last="Roon"]. If Christian can get out of the gates and score on its first possession, the Eagles have a solid chance of earning their first win. That, however, might prove to be too tough of a task against this Bulldog defense. <strong><em>Prediction: </em></strong>Byron Center 30, Grand Rapids Christian 21 &nbsp; <h5><strong>OK Green: Mona Shores (1-0) @ Muskegon (1-0)</strong></h5> <em><strong>Top Prospects</strong></em> <h6>[player_tooltip player_id="29610" first="Amari" last="Crowley"], QB, Muskegon 21"</h6> <h6>Jacarri Kitchen RB, Muskegon 21"</h6> <h6>Tyreese Oaks, DB, Muskegon 21"</h6> <h6>[player_tooltip player_id="29605" first="Julius" last="Sims"], DB, Muskegon 21"</h6> <h6>[player_tooltip player_id="30158" first="Myles" last="Walton"], DB, Muskegon 22"</h6> <h6>Demetrius Walker, DL, Muskegon 22"</h6> <h6>[player_tooltip player_id="29824" first="Brady" last="Rose"], ATH, Mona Shores 21"</h6> <h6>Mark Konecny, QB, Mona Shores 21"</h6> <h6>Elijah Farnum, WR, Mona Shores 21"</h6> <em><strong>Key Matchups</strong></em> Muskegon has owned this rivalry in the last four years, winning each game by an average of 26 points, with the biggest blowout occurring in 2019 in a 55-0 beatdown by the Big Reds. It’s without question that Muskegon has the deepest and most talented roster in the area, filled with future Division I collegiate athletes. With that being said, I wouldn’t look past [player_tooltip player_id="29824" first="Brady" last="Rose"] and this group of Sailors who went on an unprecedented run a year ago, capturing the Division II State Championship. Expect this game to be filled with big plays on both sides of the ball. In my opinion, whoever comes out and sets the tone will have the opportunity to control the outcome. <em><strong>Prediction: </strong></em>Muskegon 35, Mona Shores 27