Week 4: Grandville vs Hudsonville Game and Prospect Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Week 4 brings us the battle of the Ville's in the OK Red Conference. We are in the early stages of conference play as Hudsonville is 1-0 while Grandville sits at 0-1. We are also a third of the way through the season, so playoff implications are beginning to ramp up. Best believe this one will be a blood bath in a battle of OK Red blue bloods.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":1} --> <h1 class="wp-block-heading">Prospect Preview</h1> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Grandville</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Grandville Bulldogs are known for running the old school offense-Straight T- and they are known for running it well. Under Center this year is Senior QB [player_tooltip player_id='2365709' first='Alex' last='Highland'], who has done a great job being the ultimate game manager. He's had some success moving the ball and finishing drives with points through the air. Something that Grandville teams traditionally have not always been able to do. Junior RB [player_tooltip player_id='2365712' first='Jayce' last='Hopewell'] has been a huge bright spot for the Grandville offense this season. He's shown the ability to attack defenses with a handoff while also showcasing his ball skills with multiple receiving TDs as well. This Bulldogs squad can take a deep sigh of relief as Senior RB DJ Hardiman is slated to make his return this week. DJ is an absolute workhorse coming out of the backfield with and without the ball in his hands. Grandville's offense should see a great improvement this week with their best playmaker coming back into the lineup.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Hudsonville</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the other hand, offensively, the Eagles like to play out in space a little bit which is where Senior RB/Slot [player_tooltip player_id='1159014' first='Wyatt' last='VanAssen'] fits in. The shifty Senior is lethal with the ball in his hands and already has multiple highlight reel type plays this season. Senior offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1701193' first='Nehemiah' last='Collier'] plays a large part in that by opening holes and pass setting. Giving his QB some extra time to get the ball out of his hands. The first line of defense is anchored by Senior defensive tackles [player_tooltip player_id='1529533' first='Luke' last='Brodnicki'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1613826' first='Hank' last='VanderWal']. They work together in unison to wreak havoc for opposing offenses. Senior outside linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1682911' first='Parks' last='Vugteveen'] highlights the second level of the Eagles defense. He has been on a tear this first third of the season, blitzing off the edge with an unmatched vengeance and motor. Senior defensive backs [player_tooltip player_id='1613779' first='Sawyer' last='Stuyfzand'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1049451' first='Tyler' last='Strick'] hold down Hudsonville's secondary where they have rarely let anything past them so far this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":1} --> <h1 class="wp-block-heading">Game Overview</h1> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Playing against old school under center offenses has always been tough, even with the emergence of different defensive schemes and techniques. I do believe Hudsonville has enough beef and movement on the defensive line to challenge the excellent run game of Grandville. With that being said, the improved QB play coming out of Grandville's Straight T is just another element added to this sneaky offense that the Eagles will have to be aware of. The Eagles are more versatile offensively, running different concepts to get the ball in the hands of playmakers. Hudsonville might be better suited turning this game into a shootout as they are currently averaging 37 ppg, while Grandville is at 28 ppg.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Be sure to follow me on Twitter for access to all of my coverage on the Michigan High School football scene!</em></strong>&nbsp;<strong><em>Essa Kellah, @ CoachKNoDuke</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->