OK Conference Games of The Week Rundown

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The end of the season is nearing and teams across the state are doing everything they can to grab a couple more wins in hopes of improving their playoff positioning. Let's take a look at the best games across each of the divisions in the OK Conference for week seven.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OK Red: East Kentwood (3-3) @ West Ottawa (3-3)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This game could very well determine one of the final playoff births in the Division One Playoffs. The Falcons come into tonight's game reeling after losing back-to-back games against two of the top teams in the state in Rockford and Caledonia. Meanwhile, West Ottawa has so far tripled its win total from the previous season and is just a couple of wins away from an improbable playoff appearance. West Ottawa running back Kayden Forbes has found the endzone consistently this season and will need another big night if the Panthers hope to upset East Kentwood. Keep an eye out for junior linebacker/runningback [player_tooltip player_id='253244' first='Stellan' last='Bowman']. Bowman has received a good amount of Division 1 interest and looks to be one of the top prospects from the greater Grand Rapids area in the 2024 class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Prediction: East Kentwood 17, West Ottawa 14</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OK Green: Reeths-Puffer (5-1) @ Zeeland West (5-1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a big one with league title implications. The winner stays in the hunt for the OK Green crown, while the loser will still have some work to do to qualify for the playoffs. Rocket running back [player_tooltip player_id='253315' first='Brody' last='Johnson'] has 13 rushing touchdowns on the season and looks to keep things rolling against a Zeeland West defense that got carved up by Mona Shores a week ago. The Dux rushing attack has a trio of dudes that can make plays, led by Parker Holman's 10 rushing touchdowns. This one might be the best matchup across the entire OK Conference for week seven, and I expect it to be decided in the 4th quarter,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Prediction: Zeeland West 35, Reeths-Puffer 21</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OK White Lowell (4-2) @ GR Christian (3-3)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a big test for Lowell, which is trying to bounce back following a tough 14-7 loss to Forest Hills Central to lose the top spot in the OK White. Red Arrow quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1122594' first='Jackson' last='Reisbig'] has been one of the more dynamic signal callers this season, rushing for seven touchdowns and passing for eight. I expect him to have a big game tonight against a Grand Rapids Christian defense that has struggled to hold teams to under 26 points per game. However, the Eagles have plenty of offensive weapons to keep up. Eagles' Alex Wickstrom and [player_tooltip player_id='1124513' first='Jude' last='Klunder'] have linked up for five touchdowns through the air this year and will need to find the end zone once again in order for GR Christian to get its fourth win of the year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Prediction: Lowell 28, GR Christian 25</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OK Gold: Cedar Springs (2-4) @ FH Eastern (5-1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Red Hawks had a worst-case scenario start to its season, going 0-4, albeit against four quality opponents. They'll need to win out in order to have a realistic chance at making the Division 3 state playoffs. Forest Hills Eastern, on the other hand, has beaten up on some bad opponents this season and will need a quality opponent on its resume come post-season placement. Eastern's Bryson Kuzdzal has 11 rushing and two receiving scores on the season, while quarterback Brendan Thompson has an impressive 11 scores through the air. Cedar will need a healthy dose of running back Ryan Mitchell if they hope to keep their season alive.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Prediction: Cedar Springs 31, FH Eastern 28</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OK Blue: West Catholic (6-0) @ Fruitport (3-3)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Falcons have been flying high all season long thanks to the dynamic duo of runningback [player_tooltip player_id='300689' first='Tim' last='Kloska'] and quarterback Bernie Varnesdeel. The duo has combined for 28 touchdowns this season. Meanwhile, Fruitport has found a groove in two straight wins, bringing their record back to .500 and just two wins away from a realistic chance at qualifying for the Division 4 state playoffs. Paschal and Collin Jolman have led the Trojan's offense to an impressive 39 points per game, tallying 30 combined touchdowns. Fruitport will need everything they can get from the Jolman brothers if they hope to pull off the upset.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Prediction: West Catholic 42, Fruitport 28</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OK Silver: Hopkins (5-1) @ Sparta (3-3)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Vikings share the lead in the OK Silver with a huge week 9 tilt against Belding looming in what might be a winner-takes-all game to win the league. They'll need to survive a hostile road environment at Sparta on Friday, which just happens to be the Spartan's homecoming. Hopkins' Jayden Prather leads the league with 8 rushing touchdowns and is joined by talented signal caller Zander Hitzler in the Viking backfield. I'll take Sparta in what might be the biggest upset of the week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Prediction: Sparta 26, Hopkins 24</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->