District Championship Preview: Caledonia @ Mona Shores

We’re three weeks into the MHSAA playoffs and tonight, District Championships are on the line. Muskegon Mona Shores survived a scare from Forest Hills Central last week, while Caledonia has ripped off back-to-back upsets over Jenison and Lowell to advance to their first district championship appearance since 2012. Two of the biggest playmakers from the west side of the state in [player_tooltip player_id="29824" first="Brady" last="Rose"] and [player_tooltip player_id="29634" first="Carson" last="VanderHoff"] will look to send their teams to the Regionals. Below I’ll break down the top prospects, keys to the game, and my prediction. <em><strong>Top Prospects</strong></em> <h6>[player_tooltip player_id="29824" first="Brady" last="Rose"], QB/DB/ATH, Mona Shores</h6> Brady has been nothing short of amazing this season, continuing to make an impact in just about every facet of the game. In Mona Shores’ district semifinal win over Forest Hills Central, the senior quarterback rushed 27 times for 255 yards and three touchdowns. He’s the type of athlete that needs to be accounted for whenever he’s on the field, which is usually from kickoff until the clock hits zero. Expect Caledonia to shadow/spy Brady all night. <h6>Elijah Johnson, RB, Mona Shores</h6> Elijah is often the benefactor of the defense pinning their ears back on [player_tooltip player_id="29824" first="Brady" last="Rose"], yet that isn’t a slight in the least bit to Elijah’s ability. Johnson has explosive speed and can run through contact as well as any back in the area. In any other offense, Elijah would undoubtedly be the focal point, which ultimately is what makes this Mona Shores offense arguably the hardest unit to stop in the area. <h6>[player_tooltip player_id="29634" first="Carson" last="VanderHoff"], RB, Caledonia</h6> In Caledonia’s first two playoff games, Carson has rushed the ball 81 times for 756 yards and six touchdowns. No other back in the state has put up remotely close numbers to what Carson has produced in the past two weeks. He’s a great mix of speed and strength that wears down the defense for four quarters. In order for Caledonia to pull off the upset, they’ll need Carson to continue to be a dominant workhorse. <h6>Justice Reed, ATH, Caledonia</h6> The dark horse game-breaker for the Fighting Scots is no other than return specialist, Justice Reed. Reed has a quick burst and explosive speed who can pop off big gains on any given play. Several of his touchdowns this year have been over 40+ yards. If Caledonia can get a big day out of Justice, the Scots have a real chance to make this game uncomfortable for Mona Shores and have a chance at pulling off the upset. <em><strong>Keys To The Game</strong></em> After losing four-straight games in the regular season, Caledonia has rattled off three straight wins to find themselves in a district championship with Division 2 favorite, Mona Shores. Meanwhile, the Sailors are honestly fortunate to be in this game given how their district semifinal game against Forest Hills Central came down to the wire. Both teams are riding on the proverbial emotional rollercoaster that the playoffs always seem to provide, albeit at differing levels of elation. Mona Shores will look to get back to business, using [player_tooltip player_id="29824" first="Brady" last="Rose"] in as many conceivable ways as possible, while Caledonia will look to feed [player_tooltip player_id="29634" first="Carson" last="VanderHoff"] early and often. If VanderHoff can provide consistent yardage and a few scoring drives for the Scots in the first half, I can see this game coming down to the wire. However, at times this season, Caledonia has struggled with quicker, more potent offensive attacks. I’m expecting Mona Shores to look the part and take care of Caledonia, heading into a Division 2 Regional Final. <em><strong>Prediction: Mona Shores 42, Caledonia 20</strong></em>