Mona Shores Springs back into the State Title Conversation

Muskegon Mona Shores is consistently one of the most well-coached teams in the state, and they are almost always a State Championship contender. I mean, you know you’re a good program when an 8-3 season is a "down year." Heading into 2022, Mona Shores has an excellent mix of elite senior talent, emerging young stars, and some of the best coaches in the game. This team preview will outline Mona Shore’s recent history, discuss a few top players, list a few hurdles they have to jump, and outline critical regular-season games. <strong>Last 5 Seasons </strong> 2017: 9-2, 2nd-round L vs. Forest Hills Central 2018: 12-2, State Championship L vs. De La Salle 2019: 13-2, State Championship W vs. Detroit MLK 2020: 12-0, State Championship W vs. De La Salle 2021: 8-3, 2nd-Round L vs. Caledonia <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Players to Watch</strong></span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="243090" first="Sam" last="Wahlberg"] - C/LS</strong> The Sailor offensive line is insane, and it all starts with Wahlberg. The 5’10" 235lb center has excellent fundamentals, is insanely strong, and makes for an outstanding leader in the trenches. Wahlberg will play a massive role in the offense, and he’s one of the most valuable young men on this team. In addition to dominating the offensive line, Wahlberg works his tail off with the long snapping game. https://twitter.com/wahlberg_sam/status/1498053384003375112 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="243089" first="Dahmir" last="Farnum"] - RB</strong> What an athlete [player_tooltip player_id="243089" first="Dahmir" last="Farnum"] is. He’s fast, twitchy, and smart, following his elite offensive line to massive yardage. I cannot overstate how fast Farnum accelerates. Once he gets the ball, he’s quicker to 40 than a Tesla. Farnum is an explosive athlete that any championship-caliber team would love to have. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="243092" first="Jaylen" last="Vinton"] - WR</strong> Having just received an offer from Western Michigan, [player_tooltip player_id="243092" first="Jaylen" last="Vinton"] has proven to be an elite receiver. He can run the entire route tree, run after the catch, make people miss, and more. Vinton is one of the premier receivers in the state, and he’ll show off this season. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s an excellent DB. Other Players: <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/13244458">[player_tooltip player_id="243093" first="KeWaun" last="Farnum"]</a>, <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/2065480">Noah Dykstra</a>, <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/15029023">[player_tooltip player_id="253309" first="Luke" last="Emmons"]</a>, <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/15113623">[player_tooltip player_id="253310" first="Erik" last="Gould"]</a>, <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/15783158">Jonathan Pittman</a> <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Hurdles to Jump </span></strong> <strong>Getting back to Elite </strong> When you look at this team and compare it to the 2020 squad, the 2020 team looks much better. This isn’t to say there aren’t players on this team capable of giant leaps in their game, but at the same time, there isn’t a Brady Rose on this 2022 team. The higher the division, the more challenging it is to go far in the postseason. I expect this team to come together, and I even think they could get to Ford Field, but, more than likely, De La Salle, a team full of D1 senior talent, will be waiting for them. Besides getting back to Elite, I don’t see any glaring roadblocks. The coaching is there, the talent is there, and the leadership is likely good. Mona Shores needs to finish, and I think they could be a top-4 team in D2, but I don’t see any team regardless of size, defeating De La Salle. However, I would love to be proven wrong! <strong>Key Matchups</strong> Week 1 vs. Manitowoc (WI) The Sailors will kick off their season balling for Lake Michigan against Manitowoc. I don’t know of any connection between Manitowoc and Mona Shores, but on paper, Mona Shores is going to roll Manitowoc. Regardless, it’s always an event facing a team from out of state, let alone Wisconsin. Week 2 vs. Rockford A game I plan to attend, Mona Shores will be facing off against another State-Championship hopeful. Both programs will start some new talent, so this is the perfect measuring stick game for both programs. Week 9 vs. Muskegon This game will likely decide the OK-Green, and this game always holds significant bragging rights. Both teams are elite, have amazing offensive lines, and have comparable playbooks. This is a game I will consider attending, but I’ll surely be writing a game preview for this one.