Team Preview: Unity Christian

<strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Overview</span></strong> Unity Christian has been on a tear lately producing some excellent talent and winning the OK-Blue last season before being forced to forfeit their 2nd-round playoff matchup. Unity Christian is led by their 19-year head coach Craig Tibbe who's been leading the team since its inception in 2003. Tibbe is approaching legend status with over 100 wins and a state championship in 2018. Unity Christian is a team that very well could have made a state championship bid last season if not for the forfeit due to covid, as they won every game by double digits. This season Unity Christian has the opportunity to complete some unfinished business, and they have the coach, and talent to do so. <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Schedule/Games to watch</span></strong> August 27 @ Hopkins September 2 vs Grand Rapids Christian September 10 @ Hamilton September 17 vs Allendale September 24 vs Holland Christian October 1 @ Spring Lake <strong>October 8 vs West Catholic </strong> Barring a major upset, West Catholic is the only team I can see coming close to beating Unity Christian this coming season. Think about this- Unity Christian and West Catholic account for 6 of the last 8 Division-5 state championships. This is a matchup of two true titans with two great senior classes. This matchup will very likely decide the OK-Blue as well. I'll defiantly be attending this game if the stakes prove as high as I think they will be. October 15 vs Coopersville October 22 @ Fruitport <strong>Playoffs</strong> Unity Christian is a must-watch playoff team as they've been consistently competing for state championships at both the D4 and D5 levels. Again, they have the needed talent and the coaching. The only question is how far will they go? <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Players to watch </span></strong> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/10050709/Drew-Chandler">Drew Chandler</a>, RB/SS - Chandler is a big play waiting to happen both on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. On the offensive end, Chandler shows the ability to be patient and follow his blocks only to turn on the gas for huge runs. In addition, he shows great ability, especially for his size, to break out of bad tackles and stay balanced. On the defensive end, Chandler is a hard-hitting ball hawk safety. On run plays, he wastes no time attacking the ball carrier and delivering big clean hits. During passes, he reads the offense well and often uses his prime acceleration to quickly jump routes leading to interceptions. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/10020341/Ryan-Shinabery">Ryan Shinabery</a>, DE - Shinabery anchors Unity Christians defensive line as a smart, powerful rusher consistently putting up great numbers. He and Chandler alone are going to cause opposing offenses headaches as they're two all-region type athletes. Shinabery posted 5 sacks and 47 tackles in a shortened 2020 and those numbers should only grow this season. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/10053349/Micah-Bush">Micah Bush</a>, LB - Lining up both on the inside and outside, Bush is a solid linebacker that's set to help lead the defense this season. Bush is smart, unselfish, and very calculated. I'm looking for Bush to make strides in his aggressiveness, in addition to his hit power. He's also unproven in pass overage. With that being said, Bush is surely set to have a great senior season. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>X-Factor: Offensive Line</strong></span> Unity Christian has the quarterback, receivers, and most importantly running backs to execute their run-heavy offense. Though I believe that especially late in the playoffs, the offensive line is going to have to be stellar. If Unity Chrisitan wants another ring, they're going to have to face some of the best defenses in the division. To succeed, it all starts and ends in the trenches. If Unity Christian's line dominates, the team will follow suit.