East Kentwood Spoils West Ottawa’s Homecoming
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In a staunch defensive battle, East Kentwood defeated West Ottawa 14-6 on a frigid Friday Night. The game was played in a packed house with hundreds of fans from both sides, and rightfully so. This game had a lot on…
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Continue ReadingIn a staunch defensive battle, East Kentwood defeated West Ottawa 14-6 on a frigid Friday Night. The game was played in a packed house with hundreds of fans from both sides, and rightfully so. This game had a lot on the line. Most notably, both teams are fighting to make the postseason. Now, let’s explore how this game played out and preview the road ahead for both programs.
Pregame Observations
Being on the sidelines for pregame, I got to familiarize myself with many of the stars that would be performing.
On the East Kentwood side, I watched as Casey Joppie Casey Joppie 6'1" | 180 lbs | QB East Kentwood | 2024 State MI , and Ben Cash took their pregame throws, skill players such as Elisee Kanda Elisee Kanda 6'0" | 200 lbs | DB East Kentwood | 2024 State MI running drills, and the linemen practiced run fits. Sometimes you can gather whether a team is flat, energized, or something in between from their warmup, and East Kentwood looked well locked in.
West Ottawa had a few standouts. I kept a close eye on Kayden Forbes Kayden Forbes 5'8" | 180 lbs | RB West Ottawa | 2025 State MI , who is one of the most quickly-rising young RBs in Michigan, as well as Cooper Terpstra, a GVSU offensive line commit. What I saw was resemblant of a program on the rise, with a few stars that looked the part and an overall young team needing experience.
A 1st-Quarter Stalemate
Early in the game, it was obvious that Cooper Terpstra is a beast, both defenses are no joke, and Elisse Kanda means a lot for this East Kentwood team. The 1st quarter seemed to fly by, with both teams constantly trading possessions, not being able to get any offense going. In addition to stagnant offense, the penalty flags were flying high as both teams had their fair share of holding, false start, and offsides penalties. After several punts, time expired on the 1st-Quarter 0-0.
2nd-Quarter Opportunities
The 2nd-quarter began as slow as the 1st but ended with the most offense out of the entire game. With over ten minutes of no scoring, opportunity struck as East Kentwood muffed a punt in the RedZone, with West Ottawa recovering. Soon after that, Kayden Forbes Kayden Forbes 5'8" | 180 lbs | RB West Ottawa | 2025 State MI was able to score West Ottawa’s first and only touchdown with just under 4 minutes left in the quarter. On the next drive, East Kentwood kicked their offense into gear, sustaining a balanced drive capped off by a 13-yard Casey Joppie Casey Joppie 6'1" | 180 lbs | QB East Kentwood | 2024 State MI touchdown to Nathaniel Cobbs. Suddenly, the Falcons had a 7-6 lead going into the half.
3rd-Quarter Roadblocks
This was a frustrating quarter for both teams, especially West Ottawa. There was some sloppy special teams play on both sides, with many kicks going out of bounds and a few shanked punts leading to excellent field position- but ultimately, neither team took advantage of their opportunities. One aspect that started to become apparent was East Kentwood’s elite run defense, which had Forbes bottled up all night. Secondary QB Benjamin Cash capped off the quarter with a two-yard TD scramble, giving East Kentwood a 14-6 lead.
4th-Quarter Frustrations
The final quarter presented many opportunities for West Ottawa, but they could not take advantage of what was given to them. One of the defining moments was when East Kentwood shanked a punt deep in their own territory, giving West Ottawa an excellent field position in the RedZone. Despite this opportunity, the Panther defense stalled with a 4-and-out. At this point, you could feel the frustration from West Ottawa and the crowd, who began pointing fingers at the refs. During another drive, West Ottawa was doing well until being stalled and sacked, pushing them out of scoring range. When the close ultimately hit 0:00, East Kentwood stood victorious while West Ottawa ran out of time.
Postgame Scenes
Upon the final whistle, the West Ottawa faithful quickly exited the field while East Kentwood and their fans celebrated. It was a glorious moment for the Falcons, reinforcing their playoff chances.
Shortly after the game, I caught up with East Kentwood standout Elisee Kanda Elisee Kanda 6'0" | 200 lbs | DB East Kentwood | 2024 State MI . Here’s what he had to say about his team potentially earning a playoff spot after the win:
It was an anxious game. Both teams wanted to make it, and this was just a step up. We just gotta keep winning, and we’ll get there.
Overall, both teams had incredible defensive performances, and both teams played their hearts out.
Moving forward, East Kentwood is now ranked #24 in Division 1, with 52.8 Playoff Points. The #32 team least season had 53.6 points, so even if East Kentwood loses their final two matchups, they should make the postseason. East Kentwood is set to close out the season with two home games; This Friday against Hudsonville, then October 22 against Grandville.
West Ottawa drops to #36 in Divsion 1, and they have 41.3 Playoff Points. With upcoming games at Caledonia then home against Jenison, I expect playoffs to be unlikely, but if they can find a way to upset Caledonia, they’ll be in.