Three Slept-On Division 4 Teams

Division 4 may be the most wide-open field there is this season. Seriously- most divisions have a few prime frontrunners to win the State Title, but I'd argue Division 4 does not. Sure, the two teams that made the State Title last season, South Christian and Goodrich, have a good shot at returning to Ford Field, but I see 1/2 dozen real contenders at least. Now, this article is about a few slept-on teams in this division. I normally would lean toward "no" for real state title contention from these teams, but this year could be different!   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Spring Lake</h2>   There's no doubt that Spring Lake is on the up and up after the hiring of ex-Cadillac Head Coach Cody Mallory. It's been a rougher few years for Spring Lake as they seemed to have been quickly improving, but fell hard after the late departure of a former head coach. Now, Spring Lake may not be a state championship contender, but they could have that type of ceiling in the future.   Strength   Passing Offense   I'm not used to saying "good passing offense" and "Spring Lake" in the same sentence, but the tide has really turned as of late. Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='602221' first='Reid' last='Grimmer'] is at the center of this change alongside the newer coaching staff. I saw Spring Lake have offensive ups and downs last season, but they seem to already be hitting their stride. This team, although a bit inconsistent, had some great moments at the Hope 7v7 Tournament, even defeating Mona Shores. I'm not too familiar with the weapons at Spring Lake, but I expect athletes like RB Bryce Collins, K/IOL [player_tooltip player_id='899644' first='Carson' last='Hein'], WR Jackson Lemmen, and others to shine.   Questions   Offensive & Defensive Trenches   Games are truly won and lost in the trenches. It's a super popular saying for a reason; because it's true. You see it at every level, but especially at the High School Level, you can embarrass a more talented team if you have big, disciplined linemen. I'm just not sure if Spring Lake can do toe to toe with some of the more physical teams in Division 4. Hopefully they have some guys in the pipeline, but for now, I see this as a weakness.   This Year's Ceiling   Although I firmly believe Spring Lake is being heavily overlooked, they still have a long way to go to compete for a State Title. Just in their league alone, they have historical powerhouses like West Catholic and Unity Christian to compete against. Although Spring Lake is no longer at the bottom of this league per se, they still have a lot of improving before they can compete against the best. Nevertheless, It will be super exciting to see the progression of this program with the new coaching staff and the upcoming OK-Conference realignment.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Unity Christian </h2>   Unity Christian had a pretty massive "down year" for their standards. They were still extremely respectable as they went 6-6 with a playoff win but nothing near their State-Championship Standards. Ever since their appearance in the 2021 State Championship, I've barely heard anything from this team. Still, this is the 2nd-best team in the OK-Blue on paper. They could win the league with just one upset.   Strengths   Coaching   As long as Craig Tibbe is coaching this team, I won't count them out of any game or season. He's instilled a consistent championship culture at UC, and I would not be surprised if this team took a major leap this season. Replacing 20 starters is unheard of, and for this team to still make the postseason and win pre-districts is impressive.   Top-End Talent   Per usual, UC has a few prospects that are massive game-changers. Specifically, TE/ATH [player_tooltip player_id='602178' first='Jake' last='Chapman'], RB [player_tooltip player_id='602179' first='Nolan' last='Vis'], and DB Isaiah Meyers, to name a few. There will be multiple other surprise players that will shine this season as well.   Questions   This Year's Ceiling   Like Spring Lake, my biggest question involves this team's ceiling. There's honestly a great chance this team is state championship-worthy with the way this program has played in the past. I also can't say they have any major areas of weakness- because my gut tells me they'll be pretty well-rounded.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Portland</h2>   I've been wanting to watch Portland for a while. They're a super fun team, as although they always seem underappreciated, they always give a team a great team a run for its money with the occasional massive upset. I love some of the pieces Portland has, and I hope they can finally make a big playoff run. I mean, this team defeated an awesome Corunna team in last year's postseason but ran into the buzzsaw that is GR Catholic Central. With GRCC in D5 now, this may open things up for Portland.   Strengths   Trenches   I don't have the best inside scoop for Portland, though they seem to be consistently good in the trenches. Against teams like DeWitt, you better bring it with physicality, or else you'll be put in the dirt quickly. Portland is able to hold its own against some great O/D lines, and it serves them extremely well.   Offensive Talent   Portland has some great offensive talent. Last season, this team averaged 34.4PPG. Against DeWitt, they put up an impressive 34-points with a few incredible standout performances. [player_tooltip player_id='899449' first='Christopher' last='Battley'] is a high-ceiling receiver who excels with his release and physical play. Portland has a few others that I feel could break out.   Question   Overall Defense   Although Portland had a phenomenal offense, they lacked on defense against their best opponents. They were able to hold it together well against the easier opponents, but against GRCC, Corunna, and DeWitt, they gave up 36.3PPG. These are all teams that like to spread the ball out and pass a bit more, so I suspect holes in the secondary.

Division 4 may be the most wide-open field there is this season. Seriously- most divisions have a few prime frontrunners to win the State Title, but I'd argue Division 4 does not. Sure, the two teams that made the State Title last season, South Christian and Goodrich, have a good shot at returning to Ford Field, but I see 1/2 dozen real contenders at least. Now, this article is about a few slept-on teams in this division. I normally would lean toward "no" for real state title contention from these teams, but this year could be different!