Best Week 1 Matchups In The West Michigan Conference- Lakes

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The WMC-L is going to be pretty competitive once again, and I am super excited for it. I'm here today to highlight some of the tough matchups they are starting off with in week 1 that could be big come playoff time. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Whitehall vs Hudsonville Unity Christian-</strong> This might personally be my favorite game of the ones we talk about in this article. Last season, the Whitehall Vikings were flat out dominant. They wound up with an overall record of 11-1, outscoring their opponents 530-150. I was at the playoff game they lost on a cold snowy night at East Kentwood, and that weather just didn't compliment their offense well at all. They lost a close battle 28-21 to South Christian, who went on to win the D4 state title. I think that game was probably the real state championship game, and it's a shame it was somewhat hindered by weather. On the other side, you have Unity Christian who is coming off a somewhat disappointing 6-5 season, after making the state title game just a year prior to that and went 13-1. Unity Christian will look to get back to business as a dominant team itself, and Whitehall will have their hands full. Whoever wins this game will be making a huge statement, and I am pumped to see how it shakes out. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Muskegon Oakridge vs Sparta-</strong> In the past, this game may have been a bit of a foregone conclusion in favor of Oakridge, but I don't think that's the case in 2023. Sparta has been on the upswing lately, and I like what they have offensively. Last season, this game went in the favor of Oakridge 30-14, and I think it could be even closer this year. Oakridge does have the experience and pedigree, and I think they will be one of the top teams in the division, and definitely be in the fight for a conference championship, but Sparta could give them a battle. Keep an eye on this one, as Sparta has a solid defense with guys like [player_tooltip player_id='899638' first='Jayden' last='Cochrane'], and should have a good passing attack. This one will likely have some playoff implications as well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Montague vs Spring Lake-</strong> Montague is one of the most well respected programs in West Michigan, so their 3-7 season a year ago will not be acceptable. All I have seen so far this offseason and into practices is they have been working their butts off. Montague is hungry for another great season, and will stop at nothing to obtain it. They will start off against a Spring Lake squad that also had 3 wins last year. Spring Lake won't necessarily be a pushover, as QB [player_tooltip player_id='602221' first='Reid' last='Grimmer'] can sling it. This coaching staff seems to be working hard on their offense, and it could really pay off. Montague has some solid weapons of their own, as it will be a chore for Spring Lake to cover 6'8 WR [player_tooltip player_id='851875' first='Isaiah' last='Atchison']. This game could have some more points than last years matchup which Montague won 20-17. I expect another close battle this season, with some improvement on both sides. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Elsewhere in the conference, Fremont will look to get off on the right foot against a rising Hart team, Ludington will see Petoskey which is an interesting matchup, Manistee will try to build on their 7 wins from last year against Kalkaska, and Orchard View will look to get back in the win column against Holton, who also went winless in 2023. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This conference will have a lot of storylines, and some really good battles within the conference all season, and they are starting off against some tough competition this season. It will be a positive though, as they will see where they stack up against some really good teams, and will be battle tested early! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->