Predicting Team MVPs in the OK-Red

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Ottawa-Kent Red league is consistently one of the best, if not the best, league in Michigan. Consisting of eight large-school programs and several state championship contenders, the talent in this league is consistently the best in West Michigan. This article will take a shot at predicting the 2024 Fall MVPs of all eight of these programs! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Caledonia - [player_tooltip player_id='551056' first='Brody' last='Betser'] - Quarterback</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>Twitter - <a href="https://x.com/BetserBrody">@BetserBrody</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Heading into the 2024 season, Caledonia is a very different-looking team. Two very notable departures include Central Michigan ATH Brock Townsend and Western Michigan LB Derek Pennington. What we're left with is still a pretty well-rounded and experienced team, with most of their well-down talent being on the younger side. That's where Brody comes in. Last season, Brody picked up right where Mason McKenzie left off. I really like Brody's film from last season and his stats back me up. I especially like his ability to make quick, well-calculated decisions. He's also not afraid to push the ball downfield, and his play-action game is near-elite. I fully expect Brody to eventually be a GLIAC Target and 100% Caledonia's team MVP in 2024. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>East Kentwood - Chris Murphy-Ware - WR/DB</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>Twitter - <a href="https://x.com/ware_murphyc">@ware_murphyc</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are a LOT of players who I'd expect to perform extremely well for this new-look East Kentwood program. Out of all of them, Chris is the one I'm most confident in. On a largely underperforming Grand Rapids Union team, Chris was one major bright spot in that rebuilding program. This season, Chris will be more in the limelight, and a lot of that is simply due to the fact that East Kentwood gets a whole lot more coverage than Union. My confidence in Chris comes from his demonstrated abilities on both sides of the ball. As a defensive back, I've seen him lock up some of the best athletes in West Michigan. He has great eyes, hip fluidity, and patience when defending in man-to-man coverage. Chris is also a proven receiver who runs very detailed routes, and is able to explode out of his release. I believe that Chris could both improve tremendously this season while at the same time being the #1 player on this year's East Kentwood roster. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Grand Haven - Connor VanBeek - LB/TE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>Twitter: <a href="https://x.com/connorvanbeekk">@connorvanbeekk</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fresh off of offers from Davenport and Hope, Connor is gearing up for another phenomenal season at Grand Haven. His tape at linebacker is great, and the offer from Davenport indicates to me that he probably tested extremely well too. Quickly, I love the play speed, IQ, and tenacity Connor brings to the linebacker position. His ability to line up on or off ball and attack the run is special when compared to others in his class. He also has a little experience playing a variety of offensive positions, which further increases his value to the team. All in all, Connor is a great player who I expect to be an all-region linebacker next season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Grandville - [player_tooltip player_id='206418' first='Jayden' last='Terry'] - Running Back</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>Twitter: <a href="https://x.com/JaydenTankTerry">@JaydenTankTerry</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As long as Grandville has [player_tooltip player_id='206418' first='Jayden' last='Terry'], they'll be one of the most feared offenses in Division 1. Plus, let's be real, there's little arguing that Jayden was the most valuable player to Grandville last season. Although he's in a Wing-T offense, that hasn't stopped him from receiving Division 1 offers. I find very few running backs who can explode, keep his feet moving, and hold top speed like Jayden does. He's been a rare talent since middle school and I have absolutely zero doubt that Jayden is going to have another phenomenal season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>West Ottawa - [player_tooltip player_id='471362' first='Kayden' last='Forbes'] - Running Back</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size">Twitter: <a href="https://x.com/kaydenforbes3">@kaydenforbes3</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's been a long time coming for [player_tooltip player_id='471362' first='Kayden' last='Forbes']. A soon to be 4-year varsity starter, Kayden comes in as one of the most experienced player in the OK Conference. This is a 3-down running back who excels in gaining tough yards between the tackles, and he's also good for a handful of explosive runs every season. Stats matter little to his ranking, but having over 1500 yards and 16 touchdowns paints a wonderful picture of how valuable Kayden is to his team. The offense has and will continue to run through [player_tooltip player_id='471362' first='Kayden' last='Forbes'], and he's an easy selection for West Ottawa's team MVP. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Hudsonville - [player_tooltip player_id='1298758' first='Brady' last='Van Leacke'] - Quarterback</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>Twitter: <a href="https://x.com/Brady_VanLaecke">@Brady_VanLaecke</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A week ago, I was able to watch Brady for the first time at a Westside QBs training. My main takeaway from that workout was that Brady was the most talented Quarterback in attendance. The ball absolutely explodes out of his hand, and he's able to drive the ball downfield with minimal effort. His quick flick-of-the-wrist release oftentimes leads to accuracy issues in younger QBs, and I saw that a bit in training. Still, if Brady can keep his turnovers and inaccuracies to a minimum, he could easily lead Hudsonville to a playoff berth. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Jenison - [player_tooltip player_id='1291334' first='A.J.' last='Park'] - Athlete</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>Twitter: <a href="https://x.com/AJ_Park9">@AJ_Park9</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's been a while since Jenison was a feared program in the OK Conference. Last season, Jenison went 1-8 while posting a -161 point differential. A bright spot with his program was 3-phase player [player_tooltip player_id='1291334' first='A.J.' last='Park']. Defensively, he as a great outside linebacker. He had the stamina and play speed to play fast every down, and he was probably the best tackler on the team. Offensively, he's a major jump ball threat and a solid blocker as a TE/WR. Better yet, he also serves as the team's kicker, and he's able to consistently convert short field goals. I hope to see A.J. on the field again next season and he's a major part of this rebuilding program. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Rockford - [player_tooltip player_id='602426' first='Isaac' last='Poot'] - DB</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>Twitter: </strong><a href="https://x.com/IsaacPoot10">@IsaacPoot10</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a major shot in the dark as just about anyone at any position can break out. He's an experienced Safety who has good range and instincts at the position. In 2022, he made a number of impressive plays on the football. Last season, more of that showed up with some kick-returning and offensive play sprinkled in there. An all-region player in 2023, a Ferris State offer a few weeks ago, and soon, an amazing senior season for [player_tooltip player_id='602426' first='Isaac' last='Poot']. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->