Best Returners + Biggest Shoes to Fill in the OK Green

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I absolutely love the OK Green. In fact, I think it's the most underappreciated league in all of Michigan! All of the attention seems to be on the Detroit area leagues, and I've seen a bit more attention on leagues like the OK-Red. Though the premier league in Muskegon is where it's at. This article will highlight the best outgoing seniors, as well as the best returners. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Muskegon</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Biggest Shoes – [player_tooltip player_id='243094' first='Kingston' last='Blackmon'] (DB)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Best Returner – [player_tooltip player_id='253307' first='Miguel' last='Botello'] (IOL) </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Big Reds return a LOT of great players from last season. After going through the gauntlet of the OK-Green and defeating teams like DeWitt and Zeeland West in the postseason, Muskegon finds themselves in a prime position this offseason. Blackmon will be a huge loss, as he provided leadership and poise in big moments. But with the amount of talent Muskegon is returning, look out. [player_tooltip player_id='253307' first='Miguel' last='Botello'] has quickly emerged as one of the best offensive linemen in Michigan, and (spoiler alert) I have him as a top 3 lineman in this class. The offense should be as explosive as ever, while the defense will have a good amount of returners. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Mona Shores</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Biggest Shoes – [player_tooltip player_id='243089' first='Dahmir' last='Farnum'] (RB)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Best Returner – [player_tooltip player_id='602245' first='Jonathan' last='Pittman'] (QB)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Sailors, per usual, are set to reload quite well. Farnum was an incredible back for Mona Shores, and there were countless times where he straight-up took over games, or kept Mona Shores in the game. Though, Mona Shores has one of the best 2026 running backs in the class, so Farnum's position has a great replacement. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In terms of their best returner, I'm extremely excited to see what Pittman is able to do next season. [player_tooltip player_id='602245' first='Jonathan' last='Pittman'] was a player who was a bit inconsistent, but he played very well down the stretch. With a full season at QB under his belt, he'll be as comfortable and confident as he's ever been to lead Mona Shores to the promised land. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Zeeland West</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Biggest Shoes – Evan Walters (DT) </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Best Returner – [player_tooltip player_id='554672' first='Parker' last='Holman'] (RB) </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If Zeeland West had defeated Muskegon in the postseason, they would have made it to the State Championship. I have little doubt that the Dux would have defeated DeWitt. Considering how close they were to greatness, the program should remain confident heading into the spring. Even Walters will be a huge loss for the team, as very few programs have dominant defensive tackles, and it's extremely hard to simply develop a DT. Though among their best returners are a few good defensive ends.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The return of [player_tooltip player_id='554672' first='Parker' last='Holman'] is huge for this team. Parker is extremely fast and fits perfectly into the T-Wing offense. He exploded this season having achieved all-state status. His renowned ability on the track and on the gridiron makes him an elite high school athlete. Excited to see what Parker is able to do this coming season! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Reeths-Puffer</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Biggest Shoes – Brady Ross (QB)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Best Returner – [player_tooltip player_id='253315' first='Brody' last='Johnson'] (RB) </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>RP is a team that could shoot off into outer space in the next few seasons. What I saw this past season was a gritty, well-coached team, which is a testament to Cody Kater and his staff. Now, replacing a Senior QB is always going to be tough, but they seem to have a solid replacement. Still, not ideal to replace your QB.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brody is an extremely hard runner and will fight through every possible obstacle to gain maximum yardage. He's not the flashiest player in the world, but he sure is effective at what he does. All in all, RP has some good returning pieces. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Zeeland East</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Biggest Shoes – </strong>N/A</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Best Returner – </strong>Gabriel Amid</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>East needs to figure some things out. This past season was a bit of a mess, and they are a far cry from what they once were. They have some promising pieces such as Gabirel Amid, but overall, it's going to take some leaders to turn this around. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Union</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Biggest Shoes – [player_tooltip player_id='290737' first='Tommy' last='Stevens'] (QB)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Best Returner – [player_tooltip player_id='329551' first='Syncere' last='Hobson'] (OL/DL) </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Union is set to have one of the best 2027 QBs in the state with [player_tooltip player_id='572246' first='Grayson' last='Fellows'], but for next season, it might be rough at QB. [player_tooltip player_id='290737' first='Tommy' last='Stevens'] at his best was an incredibly electric athlete, and he'll be sorely missed for this program.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Syncere is a very promising big man, and he headlines a lot of great returners for Union. All in all, I see the direction of this program. The weight room is popping, players are buying in, and this will be a better all-around team next season. Though without a solid Quarterback, it's going to be very hard for Union to finally make the postseason. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->