W2 Grand Rapids Area Games of the Week

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Onto Week 2! There were some fantastic games last week, and in general, the Grand Rapids area teams impressed against teams from all over the state. This week, we have four incredible matchups that you should have your eye on. From a great Green-Red matchup to Brother Rice coming to town, here are the top Grand Rapids area games this week! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mona Shores @ Rockford</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The undisputed Game of the Week in the Grand Rapids area, two top-10 West MI teams will square off. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='232200' first='Mac' last='VandenHout'] impressed me last week with his 324-yard and 6-TD performance against East Grand Rapids. He picked apart the defense with an elite receiving core, including [player_tooltip player_id='232201' first='Alex' last='McLean'], who had 11 receptions, 160 yards, and 1 TD. The Rams came out and performed wonderfully against a rebuilding EGR program, but Mona Shores will be a much tougher test. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Sailors faced Manitowoc Lincoln (WI) last week and handled them 48-20. [player_tooltip player_id='243093' first='KeWaun' last='Farnum'] will face a formidable challenge, while [player_tooltip player_id='243090' first='Sam' last='Wahlberg'] and the offensive line must perform well against Rockford's great front 7. I expect to see a massive amount of media at this one, and I'm excited to see how this one plays out. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Grandville @ Byron Center</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These are two extremely underrated teams that are both playoff teams in my eyes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Grandville came into Grand Blanc last week and halted any visions the Bobcats had of a magical 2021-like season. This is a strong, physical team that will find a way to win games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bryon Center won in OT against a great Battle Creek Central team. They return most of their starters from 2021 and look to be a dangerous team in the OK-White, and I expect them to be in the running for the league title towards the end of the season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Brother Rice @ East Kentwood</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is one of the best Friday matchups in the whole state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>East Kentwood impressed many last week, playing an elite Muskegon team extremely close. I'm excited to see [player_tooltip player_id='241629' first='Casey' last='Joppie'] face off against a nice Warrior Defense, while Corey Mitchell will be facing a great O-Line. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brother Rice fell to Dakota last week, and they were without star RB [player_tooltip player_id='186866' first='Nolan' last='Ray']. If Ray is back, that's a game-changer. I'm looking for a better performance from Blake Marrogy and a standout defensive performance against a slightly inferior EK offense when compared to Dakota. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Zeeland West @ Cedar Springs</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These are two teams that have been consistently strong for many seasons. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Zeeland West has speed, and they have experience. The Dux demolished Lakeshore 66-17 last week and they're a dark horse team to win the OK-Green. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cedar Springs played River Rouge very tough, shutting out the Panthers in the 1st-half before falling apart in the 4th-quarter. This is a disciplined team that is capable of big things this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->