LMCU High School Football Preview Show Week 3

LMCU High School Football Preview Show Week 3

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
They motion purchase now sending him back. Played fake fiss
fires across the middle. Touchdown has this man on a
little crossing route. Jack Dahn holds it in in traffick
this with a bullet deer in South Christian on the board.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Fourteen to six hand off from left to right, cutting
off Campaign us all more.

Speaker 3 (00:18):
Off to the races.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Twenty fifteen ten touchdown.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
He saw senior brother do it, he said I can
do it too. Campaign takes it from forty two yards
out and the Bulldogs extend their lead.

Speaker 4 (00:30):
It's almost game night, West Michigan. Time to hear from
the coaches and the guys who call the games in
the press box. Who's in this week's top ten and
what about the players of the week. No one covers
high school football like we do. This is the LMCU
High School Football Preview Show, exclusively.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
Here on ninety six.

Speaker 4 (00:48):
Won the Game and powered each week by Lake Michigan
Credit Union. We treat our members like neighbors and also
brought to you by Meyer Kids, Food Basket, jayin H
Family Stores, Vandr, Longholme Improvement, Trinity Health, Sporting, You Wing, Doozy,
Straight Line Fence, Rapid Radios Uptown, Cheapskate in Granville and Kenwood,

(01:10):
MKD Funeral Homes, Win Shoolers, Delicious Cheese Spreads, Halse Jepson
Physical Therapy, Discount Door and Montel Construction. And now here
are your hosts, Brett Pekina and Jason Hutton.

Speaker 2 (01:23):
Well.

Speaker 1 (01:23):
After some surprises in week two, it makes week three
that much more interesting in the high school football season.
Welcome in to another edition of the LMCU High School
Football Preview. We've got a great show for you tonight,
but let's start with our Touchdowns for Kids campaign to
benefit Kids Food Basket with LMCU twelve more touchdowns last week,
so that adds six hundred to the total. Member every

(01:45):
touchdown scored in our games of the week, LMCU makes
a fifty dollars donation, so six hundred dollars now makes
it twelve fifty for the season. You can certainly donate
if you want to go to kidsfood Basket dot org.
That's Kids food Basket dot org. Now we'll have our
top ten ranking coming up with Jay and I don't forget.
You can see all of the top ten rankings of
all of our crew West Michigan Oksports dot com Lever

(02:06):
Uptown Cheap Skates player of the Week. Towards the end
of the show, we got two great Coaches Corner segments
brought to you by Montel Construction with our guest tonight,
Unity Christian head coach Craig Tibby. It's also their victory
day coming up on Saturday. He'll join us and fresh
off they're winning our game of the week last Friday
night on the road at Forestills Northern. How about the
Jennison Wildcats start of the season at two and zero.

(02:27):
Their head coach Josh Lucas will join us as East
Kentwood comes to town for their Okay Red Conference opener
this Friday night. And let's welcome in right now, head
coach Josh Lucas. Coach, good to catch up with you
on Friday night and see your Wildcats in person. And
I know you're feeling good about it because you were
telling me, hey, if we can win this one. You
knew it's gonna be a tough one, two and zero

(02:48):
for Jennison. Last time that's happened to start a season
two thousand and seven.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
Coach.

Speaker 3 (02:52):
Yeah, that's pretty cool, man. Our kids are excited, Our
schools excited. But like I said, Friday night, you know,
we got the okay Reds turn us down in the
face and we open up with he's Kentwood. It was
an extremely talented, well coached team. So we can enjoy
that one. That one's already put. We put it to bed.
It's behind us and we're on to Kentwood. So we're
we're excited for the challenge because that's what's going to
be a great challenge for us Friday night here at home.

Speaker 2 (03:12):
Coach, how about your defense?

Speaker 3 (03:13):
Huh?

Speaker 5 (03:13):
Right, like the Calumb's the central game of you've up seven,
but I believe that was a that was a turnover.
I don't think your defense gave up Benny and then
you hold it really explosive force to the Northern offense
to seven. Just what's what's been the key for the defense?
And how good have they been?

Speaker 3 (03:25):
Yeah, they do a great job. So so my brothers.
The DC, he was a DC at Grandville back in
twenty nineteen, I believe, and he was actually a head
coach at Penvill when he took him to the playoffs
in twenty eighteen. So he just does a great job
with his staff on the defense side of the ball,
and you know, they put together a really good game
plan of you know, we're trying to just take out

(03:45):
their best player, and obviously that was last week was
a quarterback, and we had a lot of things that
we threw at him to try to shut him down.
And I thought we did a really good job with that.
Comparable to what he had week one against kind of
I think he ran for two thirty four touchdowns. They
kind of put it together a game plan to kind
of not take him out because you can't take him
out of the game, but try to swall him down
a little bit. I thought they did a great job,

(04:07):
and I thought our kids played should be hard, you know.
I think that's one thing with us is you're going
to see our guys play hard each every week. And
we preach forty eight minutes, not to score. We just
want to play as hard as you can't for forty
eight minutes. And then at the end of that thing,
take a look at a scoreboard and see what it says.

Speaker 2 (04:22):
Josh.

Speaker 1 (04:23):
I believe on any journey there are little milestones, right
that you can celebrate. You can rally kids around, they
can believe. And I look at last year, it was disappointed,
I know, to just miss the playoffs, but at four
and five, you guys had And we talked to Eric
Steel last week and he talked about how you guys
pushed them to the limit. You guys had knocked off Rockford.
We were just talking about the okay Red in general,

(04:43):
and he said how good it's going to be and
how good the coaches are, and he commented on what
you've done at Jennison, and that's so important. I think
for the kids that come back this year, like a
senior like Brody Scheideman, right to lead these guys is
the belief factor, knowing if they put in the work
that they will get results.

Speaker 3 (05:00):
Yeah, I mean I I think it touched on a
really good point. I think last year, obviously being year
one in the transition from Rob to myself, there was
a lot of learning curve for everybody. Right, you're going
from the veer to the spread. My coaching style is
different than Robs, and it wasn't just getting our kids
to believe. It was getting our coaches to believe too,
and having them understand how I want them to coach

(05:22):
versus maybe how they have coached before. Because I kept
probably eighty percent of rob staff. I kept them on
my staff and brought in my brother and brought in
John Fusco from kennwall Hill as the coach r D Line.
So just trying to get great people in front of
our kids and then have them understand that. You know,
even with the loss at Granville, I think it really
sparked us. And that was week four last year, and
we're still learning what kids can do and learning our

(05:44):
offense and it really just kind of catapulted us the
rest of the year. And that's the fun part of football.
And I tell our guys that all the time. Like
last week's Friday Night, you know, I wasn't bawling my
eyes out with a win, but I was emotional because
last year for those Northern came here and absolutely physically
beat us up. And so we made that a challenge

(06:04):
this week or last week to our guys, and they
stepped up to the challenge. And you know, with everything
right in year two, it's going to be better than
year one. But this league is extremely tough and everybody
in this league is committed to football. So you go
through our league, you know, with the openings that have
happened last year or four years they've gone out and
gotten people that have have won state championships. So it's

(06:25):
a great league. It's extremely challenging, and I'd say, honestly,
like from twenty ten to twenty twenty ish, I think
it was a good league, But I don't think it
was the okay red of like the early two thousands
when you had Rockford winning it going there, Hudsonville going there,
the Skeigan going there. You had a bunch of really
good teams, and now all of a sudden you're starting
to see you know, Hutsonville made their run, Caledonia made

(06:46):
their run, and now you're bringing in coaches who have
had some success. So the league is extremely talented, not
only with players, go with coaches as well. So we
know what's ahead of us. We know we got each
and every week. And I think when a team like
us last year being one and four is a Rockford
and Beast rockerd, I think that gets everybody else, not
only just the kids and Jennison, but other kids in
our league to believe that on each and every Friday night, anybody.

Speaker 6 (07:07):
Could be beat.

Speaker 5 (07:08):
Could you talk about the momentum that your team has
in your program?

Speaker 3 (07:11):
Right?

Speaker 5 (07:11):
I mean you're you're winning right now. I mean it's early,
but you're winning at all levels. Your lower levels are
having success. How big of videal is that as you
guys try to, you know, make steps here.

Speaker 3 (07:20):
It's a big deal. And I think the one thing
that gets lost on all this is the numbers, you know,
our numbers at the middle school. We get one hundred
and fifteen kids playing middle school football. We got two
seventh grade teams to eighth grade teams. Our freshmen are
undefeated or JV's undefeated, take that from what it's worth.
But the kids are excited, right The community is excited.

Speaker 7 (07:38):
You know.

Speaker 3 (07:38):
Football is still that one sport in high school that
brings your community together. And and a Friday night, this
place is packed. And I can't speak to what it
was before, but I don't think it is what it
is right now. So it's really fun for you know,
for our school and our administration to see people excited
about football and showing up on a Friday night and
staying through the whole game. So it's just really it's

(08:00):
been really awesome for me. You know, I have had
an opportunity to be in some really good places and
learn from some really good people, and I've kind of
taken a little bit from everywhere I've been and being
able to kind of build a program how I want
to build a program and have the same vision with
our coaches and our administration. And I think that matters,
especially at a place that needs to need some some rebuilding.

(08:21):
And I think we've done a pretty good job of that.
You know, last year, I think when we started the
year one and three or one of you know, two
and three at the one point, you know, I don't
think the playoffs were even still talked about. And then
as we as the season went on and we walked
out that field against our name, and I think we
all thought we were going to be in and submissed
by half a point kind of field. Some of these
seniors in the offseason and obviously the younger kids believing

(08:42):
that we can we can do those things.

Speaker 1 (08:43):
Jennis ned football coach Josh Lucas, in his second season
with the Wildcats, join us in the Montel Construction Coaches Corner.
It's brought to you by Montal Construction, Low Feed and
Windows Signing Decky. Whatever you need, They've got the September
fall off for going on fifteen percent off plus eighteen
months no interest. They'll throwing a new snowblower on alles
with a seventy five hundred dollars minimum project size. You
can find out more schedule your free and home estimate

(09:04):
at montel construction dot com. Josh, I got to go
back and talk about your coaching tree a little bit.
You mentioned starting with Zealand East head coach at Alagan,
then went over to Chelsea. Now coming back, I know
you want to come back to the West Side growing
up in Hudsonville, but that Chelsea State championship game crazy
WESTMSKIT fans know it because of the time.

Speaker 2 (09:23):
Of Unity Christian.

Speaker 1 (09:24):
How ironic you know, you grew up in Hudsonville and
you faced Craig Tibby and Uni Christian, who was just
world beaters that year. You pull it out fifty five
fifty two. You were down twenty eight points at one time,
you outscore the like thirty one to nothing or something
in the final six minutes. I mean, when you look
back at that and just that season and those kids
and that tape in that game, what's your thought process there?

Speaker 3 (09:48):
I think it's a perfect example of high school football.
I think one when you have a great team like
we had. We knew we had a really good team.
We had thirty four seniors on that team. That group
had lost one football game they're entire four years, and
that was a year before the River Rue we lost.
We were in Division three that year and we lost
by touchdown at home. The weird, weird covid Issu year

(10:08):
kind of I think it was in twenty so it
was just kind of a weird year. But we knew
we had a really good team. And the nice thing
is during that playoff run, we had faced some adversity
and we had a block field goal against Country Day,
who was a defending Division four state champs, and we
blocked a field goal, returned it for a touchdown, was
about forty seconds left, and then the next week we
had a goal line stand. So our kids had battled

(10:28):
some adversity that year, I mean, and I think that
really helped us in the championship game. You know, we
obviously went up fourteen to nothing in the blink of
an eye and then all of a sudden, I look
and we're down thirty one seventeen or thirty seven seventeen
at halftime, whatever the score was, And I remember making
a comment to one of my guys on a headsets
and I was like, Mark, if we if we can't
win it with this group, I don't think we're ever

(10:49):
going to win it. And you know, we just kind
of rallied the guys at halftime. You know, everyone wants
always ass at that time, Like was just that halftime.
I didn't really say anything like I didn't I didn't
treat it any different. I said, we got to try
to get a stop here on defense, and they went
down and scored about four plays. So whatever speech I
gave didn't really work and we just bowt.

Speaker 4 (11:08):
Man.

Speaker 3 (11:09):
That's the one thing that I'm trying to still hear
is get kids to believe that you got to play
forty eight minutes. You know, no matter what the score is,
you just got to keep playing. And I think we
stayed true to who we were. And it's funny listening
to broadcast on Fox Sports, Like we kicked a field
goal with I think a minute and a half to
go before halftime, and those guys were absolutely gutting me
on the broadcast, like what is he doing? Why he's

(11:30):
kicking a field goal? But that's what we did, Like
we didn't. We didn't. We weren't chasing anything. We were
just playing our game. And then obviously they had the
four turnovers, and then we had the turnovers and they
turned it back over to us. It was just a
wild finish. But at the end of the day, man,
you got eighteen seventeen year old kids who were playing
at four fields, playing for their community, playing for a
state championship, and anything can happen, and that's exactly what happened.

(11:54):
You know. It was an unbelievable moment. I mean, they
called two timeouts on Hunter, Shaw and Eman out there,
and very very the field goal, we had a terrible snap,
our quarterback picked it up off the ground, got on
the sea, and it's just all the little things that
we practiced and do all the time. It really came
to fruition in that game, and it was just a
great moment. I said it Friday night in that podcast.
You know that that thing is is I don't get

(12:15):
to see those people much anymore because I'm back over here.
So that's kind of sad because I don't see them,
but I still talk to a bunch of guys over there,
and I have a great relationship with a bunch of
people from over there still and they were awesome and
it was a great six years. But my kids were
getting older, and that's not how my wife and I
grew up. You know, our grandparents and aunts and uncles
and cousins came to everything. And you know, my son's
got a game Saturday morning last Saturday after we won,

(12:36):
and there's fifteen people there watching them. So like a
lot of a lot of this has been so rewarding
for me coming back here and knowing the challenges that
we face as a program, but to see us have
some success and then to be able to do the
things that I wanted for my family, it just trumps
all the other things for my personal accolades. So it's
just been really fun. It's been really cool. It's been

(12:57):
really really rewarding. But I think, you know, it's only
year two, but I think I think the kids and
our staff, you know, feel like we got a team
that if we can just keep getting better each and
every week, you know, we'll see where the thing is
at the end of week nine.

Speaker 5 (13:10):
Well, I don't have to tell you about the challenge
that will wait to Friday night, East Kentwood comes to town.
You know, they're kind of in a similar spot to
you guys. Right, you're two of a coach that came
from from the east side of the state. They had
a lot of success and they're feeling really good, just
like you are when you look across there and you've
had a chance to, you know, spend a couple of
days probably looking at this is what jumps out to
you about East kent Wood and what's going to be
important for you guys to have success in this game.

Speaker 3 (13:31):
Yeah, Tyrone's a great coach. So I got to know
Tyrone through a couple of Coach the Week things that
him and I both won a couple I think he
won Division three coach the year I won Division four.
So him and I have known each other and he's
a great coach. You know. One thing I'll say that
that to me stands out and I don't really think
it's See Kent Wood with coach kimbro But their kids

(13:51):
play extremely hard and they're well coached. They've always had
the talent, and I think now they're getting the coaches
and the kids that believe that they can achieve great things.
And it's a great challenge. You know, when you talk
about the athletes and then obviously throw. My brother and
I were talking about this, when you have a Division
one quarterback, I don't know the last time that West
Michigan has had a Division one quarterback that went on

(14:13):
to play football. Obviously South had the kid, but he's
playing basketball, so maybe you guys would know that better
than me. But I don't know the last time someone
on the West side has had a Division one quarterback,
especially at a power ford school like Michigan State. He
can make all the throws, he's extremely talented, and they
got a big, big old line up front and they
played really good defense. So it's a great challenge for us.

(14:34):
But like I told our guys yesterday at our meeting,
like this is this is what we want, Like this
is what you want. It doesn't matter who you're playing.
You want to be a part of these games. You know,
you don't get that in our sport. And we got
our kid cat game Friday night, so you're gonna have
every elementary kid is going to be here. It's going
to be a zoo. But it's just really cool for
our community and hopefully we can just compete and again

(14:55):
play forty eight minutes hard football and play the way
that the kids are starting to play, which is every
play not taking plays off. And you know, so we
got a great challenge and they're well coached and they
got a lot of really good players, and it's a
great challenge for us. But we're excited for that. You know,
win or lose it. You know, it doesn't make or
break our season. You know, that's the beauty of this
thing is we're just trying to get better twenty week three,

(15:16):
so we're still trying to figure out this group. But
this would be a great challenge for us, and it'll
be well, I like to see how you respond for
tonight when they come out and punch us in them
out at one point, and see how you responded that.

Speaker 1 (15:25):
I'm the old guy in the room. So I'll try
to answer that question. I don't know if this is right,
but two guys that I covered obviously Kirk Cousins and
Island Christian and then Keith Nichol at Lowell.

Speaker 2 (15:34):
Now Keith did end.

Speaker 3 (15:35):
Up playing lead the exact same thing. Yep, you know,
so what is that twenty years ago?

Speaker 1 (15:39):
Yeah, exactly. And obviously Keith didn't end up playing quarterback
really played wide receiver at Michigan State, so correct, that was.

Speaker 3 (15:46):
That was my junior year, my or my senior we
played that Lowell. That was one of the most intimidating
games ever because the Hustonville little rivalry. Oh yeah, they wanted,
they wanted the year before, and then we went there
and ran for four hundred and fifty yards. I think
it was. It was unbelievable.

Speaker 1 (16:00):
Coach before I let you go on that, because you
played quarterback and you've seen some good wins, whether it's
the East side of the state or whatever. What do
you like about what you see from Kid Kaufman right now?
Because I saw him when he was a sophomore and
still with South Christian and just a seven on seven
and at that point I could see how he can
spin it.

Speaker 2 (16:16):
I mean, it's different right when it comes off his hand.

Speaker 3 (16:18):
For sure, he can make all the throws. He does
a really good job of not taking any shots, which
is one thing you want to do the quarterback, right
You want to hit him and see how to responds.
He does a great job of managing their offense. And
he's just a really good football player. I mean, there's
a difference, Like I've said it for a lot of years,
especially on the East Side, he saw a lot of
kids in shorts and T shirts and they'd get all

(16:39):
these Division one offers, and then you see him in
a game and it doesn't really translate when you got
dudes trying to take you out and he can do
it all. You know, you can even run a little bit,
which I don't. They haven't shown it to him run
the ball, but he can run the ball. You know,
he'll run it when he has to, and he runs
to make the big play down the field. So you know,
he's a great challenge for us on defense to try
to slow him down because he can all the throws

(17:00):
and he and he runs that offense really well. Their
offensive coordinators are really good. Then all over the country
does a great job with the quarterbacks, and you know
it'll be it'll be a challenge for us. You know,
he's a really good player, you know, but that's that's
what you want if you want to challenge yourself and
see where you're at as a program. You know, we
got a great challenge this Friday night with Kent.

Speaker 1 (17:18):
Would welcome back home. I know it's a year later,
but we love to have you back here. On the
West side covering ye and I know what it is
about West Michigan and coming home and so enjoy that
with your family and best of luck. We really enjoyed
covering your coach last Friday. Best of luck against ek
this Friday.

Speaker 3 (17:34):
I appreciate you guys covering Jennison. Man, it's been a
while since I think we've had any positive coverage, So
I appreciate you guys doing everything you know only for
us in high school football. It's one of the things
I said up Friday night that it just didn't happen
really on the East side. So I appreciate that. I know
our kid do and and uh, you know, just keep
it up. Man, it's awesome.

Speaker 4 (17:55):
You're listening to the LMCU High School Football Preview Show,
which airs every Thursday day from six to seven pm
exclusively here on West Michigan's Home for high school football,
ninety six to one. The game.

Speaker 1 (18:11):
All right, let's bring everybody in round table for our
four pack segment. It's brought to you every week by
J and H's Family Stores, with now sixty plus locations
across Michigan to serve you. J and H's Family Stores
stopping on the way to your next game or on
your way home. And after the first two weeks, we've
got some good wins to just kind of preview for
week three. We'll start with you, Bunk Geno Northew at
Sparta and you and I together were listening to the

(18:32):
press box. What a comeback by Sparta last week to
win at Whalen Man.

Speaker 8 (18:37):
I mean, you talked about a team that a lot
of people counted out. Sparta was one of them. Coach
Chatman League after last season, Ryan Patterson coming in a
lot of thoughts about the program and where it was headed.
And I would say a signature win for him in
his second game around thirty five to sixteen with roughly

(19:00):
eight minutes to go, and they store them all the
way back, coming back to score twenty points in the
final quarter to beat Whyland thirty six. The thirty five
probably one of the best games yet. I don't know
who was there, but one of the best games that
a lot of people didn't see.

Speaker 2 (19:16):
You this year, Jay, let's go to you next.

Speaker 9 (19:19):
Yeah, I just look at this matchup and you look
at how these teams have been able to step up
on they have to. I mean, you look at what
Sparta did last week coming from way behind. I mean
North Few similar situation down twenty one to six to
West Cathocan week one, rally to win thirty two to
twenty one, and then last week, I mean they were
down in the final minute and had to rally. Got
We're able to kick a field goal on the last
play to be a really good Vicksburg team. So you know,

(19:41):
if this game comes down to the fourth court, you've
got two teams that already this year have shown they
can do it. But you know, we'll see what happens
a good quarterback play. You know, Braylen Jefferson and Warren
Geppart really.

Speaker 2 (19:51):
Like this matchup, all right, Tom Kendre, your thoughts.

Speaker 7 (19:54):
Well, I see Sparta. You know they're kind of playing
for the pride of the river city sometimes, okay, division
may be give a little more prestige in the river cities.
This would be a huge win and Sparta was able
to do it. But yeah, just talking about that comeback,
I mean, Warren Gebhart a pair of touchdown passes to
Jackson van Haldem in that comeback. Maybe they found a
little something there because I think they're going to have

(20:14):
to go to the air. Northview, very tough team, maybe
a little tougher upfront. Let's see if the magic continues
for the Spartans.

Speaker 2 (20:21):
I agree.

Speaker 1 (20:22):
I mean, Gebhart, you look at a school record Ford
in eighteen yards passing Air Sparta, I guess in this one,
and it was an impressive comeback. I think it's going
to be difficult for the athleticism and speed in the
matchup for the Spartans against Northview and coach Oshnock. And
that's one of the things I'll be looking at. You know,
Wes Cathock. Very talented team. I got a chance to
see them with my own eyes in that scrimmage. I
have not seen Vicksburg, but a great win like Jay

(20:44):
mentioned for Northfield just to kind of hang on at
that one. But it'll be interesting to see Norfew matching
up with Sparta and the athleticism and talent that the
Wildcats can throw at them. It's gonna be tough, I
think for the Spartans. All right, let's go next to Tom.
Kendra and Tom, you've got one and what is going
to be I think an interesting West Michigan Conference in
both the Lakes and Rivers divisions. This is in the

(21:04):
rivers divisions and maybe it's the year of the Pirate,
right the Heart Pirates two and l.

Speaker 7 (21:09):
Yeah, coming off a great win. That's the Heart at Shelby.
This is going to be our Lake Shore Spotlight game
of the week. Scott de Camp will be out there.
Both coming off impressive performances. Last week, Heart in a
victory sixteen to eight, an overtime win over Ravanna. They
completed a fourth and twelve in that overtime to get
the win. And then Shelby in a losing effort I

(21:31):
think maybe more impressive thirty three to thirty loss at
North Muskegan. That score turned a lot aheads. You know
Shelby has been struggling. It wasn't all that long ago.
Lorenzo Rodriguez was the coach there now an assistant with
Shane Fairfield at Muskegan. But in twenty twelve and twenty thirteen,
back to back years, Shelby went to the state semi finals. However,

(21:53):
since then they haven't won more than three games in
a single season. But you know that game last week
at North Muskegan said maybe d Shelby is back. Quarterback
Isaac Garcia very talented, duel, thereat guy running back Brady Fessenden,
dangerous Jalen Henderson as.

Speaker 3 (22:09):
The receiver they have.

Speaker 7 (22:10):
They have a lot of offensive weapons, and they went
toe to toe with North Muskegan.

Speaker 3 (22:14):
You know.

Speaker 7 (22:15):
Meanwhile, for Heart, it was just two years ago in
twenty twenty three they finally qualified for the playoffs, you know,
not counting the COVID year of twenty twenty, they were
the final Muskegan County team to ever make the playoffs.
You know, Joe Tannis has done a great job. That
was a huge win last week against Ravanna. You know,
they're two to zero, they're looking to they get this win,
looking very good to get back in the playoffs. So

(22:37):
you know, I really like this matchup should be a
great one.

Speaker 1 (22:40):
I'll comment on this before I head to Buck Gino,
who's from that area, being a Fremont Packer back in
the day.

Speaker 2 (22:45):
Guys, I think Heart. You saw an North Muskegan.

Speaker 1 (22:47):
I know it was against Poem West Phili in Week one,
but I think Heart is the team to beat this
year in the West Mischian Conference Rivers Division, and obviously
a win over their rival Shelby would pushed into three
and zero and they could further make that statement before
they faced North Muskegan down the road.

Speaker 8 (23:02):
But Gino, well, I saw Heart was good before it
was cool. I thought Joe Tamas was going to do
a great job, and I even said so when he
was starting to build that program up. And then they
get to the playoffs in twenty twenty three. As Tom mentioned,
they fall off a little bit last year, having a
rougher game with four and five, and people thought, okay,
well it was it just a flash? You know, where

(23:22):
is this program going? Well? I think they proved it
last week a tight ball game against the heated ravel
which is Revenna. I mean, Heart beat them a couple
of years ago in that playoff year, the first time
they beat Revenna since nineteen ninety two. Okay, so that's
a big game for them and a big win for
them last week. I think that's going to be a
huge springboard for them going into this week.

Speaker 1 (23:42):
Hutt and I purposely having you double up here so
last on the Heart showby comment and then lead into
your game, which I was excited. I was going to
pick it if you didn't Holland. Christian and Holland, this game.

Speaker 9 (23:51):
Has everything want it's a rivalry Crosstown blund Sweat and
Tears trophy, and you look at it, Brat, you talked
about it. I mean, is Heart the favorite twin the division?
I mean, I don't know, mas Konry Central North Mu
Skeegan's going to have something to say about it. I
don't think reven is done yet, Like this is going
to be a wild race. But Heart has an identity.
I mean they are a really good physical defense. Okay,

(24:12):
they leaned on that defense, and offensively they run the
single wing a lot of misdirection, but they run the football,
they possess, they work on time of possession, and they
keep their defense off the field. Like to me, I
was really impressed watching that game, the win over Revena
last week in overtime. So I think Heart has a
chance here. They have won conference championships since nineteen sixty eight.
I don't know if this could be the year. But

(24:32):
they're going to need to beat Shelby here to get
it done, and Shelby scoring over four to three points
a game, so offense first defense should be a good,
good matchup. And speaking of rivalry, Crosstown Holland Christian Holland
loved this game. There is college talent if you think
over the years of the tradition rich programs in this
area and you don't say Holland or Holland Christian, but
trust me, there are college players in this game. Watch
seventy eight for Holland Christian Hayden feet. The dude can play,

(24:56):
I promise you on the line, either side of the line,
and then and they've got to I mean, this is
a young Holland team. Okay, they got a kid named
Finn Galloway. He's number Five's the sophomore. They're also their quarterback,
Eli Walters is a sophomore. This is a young Dutch squad.
But Watchtin Galloway. Okay, kick return for a touchdown, inter
sid cert return for a touchdown, rushing touchdown, receiving touchdown.

(25:17):
I scored four different ways through two weeks this season.
He's a playmaker five in red. Love this matchup. It's
a big deal. You know, talk about Holland kids this
summer like they want to beat HD.

Speaker 1 (25:27):
Last year was thirty eight twelve in favorite Holland Christian
Griffin leu versus. As you mentioned Eli Walters. I think
it's gonna be a lot of fun. There's going to
be some points I think put up on the board.
I think this goes to the fourth quarter. I'm not
ready to say Holland's gonna win it and maybe pull
that mild upset, but.

Speaker 2 (25:43):
I think this rivalry is back.

Speaker 1 (25:45):
With what the Dutch have done the last couple of years,
They're going to build upon that. So I'm really excited
about this when both teams two and ze and by
the way, the last time that's happened for Holland was
two thousand and eighteen. Tom Kendrill, let's go to you next.

Speaker 7 (25:57):
Yeah, we need to break up the Holland Dutch. You
got they had lost twenty one games in a row
coming into last season, and they start off one in three,
which is I guess normal Holland behavior. Then they win
four of their last five games last year and now
they're two and oh. They've won six of their last
seven games. So will Siffin, you know, doing a great job.
They've also benefited from the change in the Okay going

(26:20):
from the ok Green to the ok Silver. But you know,
playing at home, can you imagine Holland getting off to
a three and zero start and beating their the rival Maroons.

Speaker 6 (26:29):
I think this is a huge game.

Speaker 7 (26:30):
For Holland and I think if they win this game,
they're looking at believe it or not qualifying for the playoffs.
I think this should be a great game. Dave Aberger
does a great job at that Holland Christian So yeah,
kind of like Harton Shelby, you know, always the rivalry,
but there's a little more to it this year.

Speaker 2 (26:47):
Mister g now Well.

Speaker 8 (26:49):
I mean, Holland Christian came on the scene last year,
but now Dave Aberger in his third year, the first
year he hasn't had his son Evan running the point
at quarterback. With boy, He's still got a very talented
offense as cutting men mister Fee up there up front.
That's a big piece for them. And I look at Howland.
I mean three years ago they didn't have a team,
they had to cut the season short, and ever since
then they've just been slowly building. They moved to the

(27:10):
ok Silver, which competitively for them, even though they're a
bigger school, is a much better fit. And I think
this is a measuring stick game for the Dutch because
they're going to come in and they're going to play
a Holland Christian team that arguably has held the upper
hand in this rivalry for a long time.

Speaker 2 (27:25):
All Right, last, but.

Speaker 1 (27:26):
Not least, guys, speaking of the Okay Silver, how about
an Okay Silver Division opener Belding at Hopkins and Jay,
I'm going to ask you this question as I kind
of lay it out for the audience. What happened to
the Black Knights? It was baffling last week. I can't
remember the last time they've been shut out.

Speaker 9 (27:42):
Well, Balley had been shut out since twenty fifteen, Monty
Price coach team hadn't been shut out since two thousand
and nins. I think we're all caught off guard by
that one, for sure. I watched the game and they
just lost the battle up front. And that's what happened
to him against sprink Cup, a really good Frankin Move
team in the districts last year. Is when you run
the offense, Belding Dove right the flat tee, you got

(28:02):
to win upfront, and they did not win upfront against
Reeed City bottom line. So you know, if they're gonna
have successfuin time. I mean, they're gonna play some physical,
tough team this week in Hopkins, So they're gonna to
be better up front. The one thing I will say
about Belding is, you know last year they lost Week
one to Ionia and all of us Belding people were
like the sky is falling, and all they did is
win nine straight games and that third straight Okay Silver title. Remember,

(28:24):
Belding is riding a thirty game conference winning street going
into this game. They haven't lost the league games since
Hopkins in twenty twenty one. But you know, I think
that Belding has a chance about back and play better here.
But Hopkins is off to a good start and we
know Cody Francis does a great job. So this should
be a great matchup.

Speaker 4 (28:45):
For your one stop site for up to date schedules, scores,
and standings for the ok Conference in River City's alliance,
go to West Michigan oksports dot com, powered by the
great winning flavor of Win Shueler's cheese spreads.

Speaker 1 (29:02):
Let's talk a little Uniti Christian football. It's not a
season without doing that and talking to this guy. Head
coach Craig Tibby joins us right now. Coach first and foremost,
I feel like out of sorts because we usually for
the Fox seventeen Blitz would visit you for training camp.
So I feel like I don't know this twenty twenty
five edition of Unity Christian as well as I should.
I do know that you're off to a two and
zero start. Talk about this team, because I believe you

(29:24):
had to replace like what eighteen starters from a year ago.

Speaker 2 (29:27):
Coach.

Speaker 6 (29:27):
Yeah, no, I know you didn't come out and check
out our tent camp this year. But we're working hard.
We do have a lot of learning to do, and
I know that probably after you know, Week one, I was,
you know, it was, it was good. I said, hey, listen,
here's your Week one. We got a lot to learn.
And then of course my expectations go up. And then

(29:47):
after week two, I had three three and a half
hours of writing notes and watching film and I was
actually felt worse then I did week one. And we
still played fine, but you know, you're expect pas are
like those little mistakes I hope you know are already
starting to leave us and I forget that we're so young, inexperienced,
and and these guys are working hard to get rid

(30:10):
of that stuff.

Speaker 5 (30:11):
So two weeks in, anything that surprised you about this team,
and any anything, maybe it didn't expect that you've seen
through two weeks from your team that's led you to
two nice wins.

Speaker 6 (30:21):
Yeah, no, you know that one of the things, one
of the key things that I that we really pushed
hard last year. I think that I've started to see
with this group kind of a little bit more on
their own than when we were last year. But they're
getting along, having fun together, being a little bit goofy
together even and that's I think is important because otherwise

(30:41):
it's everybody's all on edge all the time and stressed out.
You've got to have some fun. But we're not having
some fun while we're playing the game, then it's hard
to really give our best. And I think that too.
The another thing they've been doing this is they've been
I think, understanding what we want them to do. For
the most part, I'm really on both sides of the ball.

(31:02):
We're not always perfect, obviously, but I think I'm pleased
with where we are so far with that stuff.

Speaker 1 (31:08):
Fifty five fourteen winners over Whitehall Week one forty to
nineteen last Friday night against school Craft Division seven.

Speaker 2 (31:15):
Good program and coach. I look at last year.

Speaker 1 (31:18):
I just want to go back because I'm a big
believer as even if the kids weren't experienced, they're still practicing,
they're still learning, they're still seeing how it's done from
the kids ahead of them. And last year you guys
go out realignment Oka Gold. We both argued that that
probably was the deepest division there was. I mean, the
Okay Red was good, the okay Green was good, but

(31:38):
the Okay Cold with the way it was stacked up
with Zeeland West, yourself, South Christian, Forestville Central, Oh my goodness.
And you guys win ten in a row, you win
the division, which I know is important to you to start,
and you lose to South Christian in a district championship game.
But those seniors really set a nice standard for this
class coming in, right Yeah.

Speaker 6 (31:58):
I mean really, honestly, as coaching staff, we're looking kind
of the same the same thing, like, holy cow, how
how is this going to go? With when we added
and we had Whitehall, Forest Hills Eastern and the Notre
Dame Prep is non conference, and so we were wondering
can we survive this at the start of the season,
and they really stepped up and did kind of set

(32:20):
the tone, set a standard for kind of what's expected
you know, not that you have to win, but you
have to play hard each game, and you know, hopefully
that takes care of itself. So I know that these
kids that we have now saw that and carried that
with them this year.

Speaker 5 (32:36):
Craig Tibby joining us in the coaches corner is twenty
third season leading Unity Christian if you can believe that
he started coaching there when he was eighteen.

Speaker 6 (32:45):
Coach, thank you.

Speaker 5 (32:48):
Yeah. You look at this Forestills Eastern matchup this week.
Obviously new head coach, but I don't think much has
changed for them, and they're off to a hot start.
What do you see from the Hawks and what are
you kind of focusing on here to make sure you
have success on Friday?

Speaker 6 (33:01):
Yeah, they seem like they're a pretty good team both
sides of the ball. I mean last week they were
very efficient on offense scoring I think I don't know
if it was every drive, but they were very smooth,
you know, and they've got some really good athletes, some
kids that returned, some kids that filled in well up
front for them. So yeah, it's an interesting matchup. I

(33:22):
saw the Tim McGhee name, and you know, I was like,
wait a second, hold on a minute I remember him,
you know, right, and it sounds like that that's his
uncle that is coaching there with him. Actually, that was
started it way back in late seventies over there at
Northern and Central. So it's a pretty cool little story
for them.

Speaker 1 (33:42):
Craig Tibby joined us as Jason Mentioning coach because of
what Jay has laid out twenty three years with this
program that you built with a collection of guys that
I know about on your staff quite a bit. You've
had some turnover here and there, but I look at
this and now you get to add to the history
book a cool slight of unity Christian football with Isaac

(34:02):
Dislaw making it to the NFL, A kid who played
quarterback for you on that twenty eighteen Division five state
championship team first ever I can guess NFL player right
to ever come out of your program. And how cool
is that and how cool has it been for him
looking back at his Union Christian days and even his
family because I know they're in the area to kind
of bring it all together because I mean his school

(34:24):
didn't even play football until you came to town.

Speaker 6 (34:28):
Yeah, I know, it is so fun. It's hard to
explain like is you know, one of the things is
we've known Isaac since he was born basically, and and
you know, it's just it's quite amazing. It's hard to
imagine that he's where he is right now, you know,
and we got to work with you know, Mark taught

(34:50):
here and coach here for quite a while and just
you're I guess it's an extra piece of closeness to
this one. Then maybe sometimes could it could happen, you
know with that, but it is amazing. And like the
amount of Tesla gear that is in a can see
right now, Like all the middle school football kids are
all wearing it. I don't know if they know who

(35:12):
Unity Football is, but they certainly know who Isaac Sla is.

Speaker 1 (35:16):
Two quick follow up to that, I hope you get
some line tickets to go to a game this year.
That's part of the deal, right. And then the second
thing is tell tell a story to our audience that
you shared with us right before went on about Isaac
who played quarterback for you and what do he used
to do that kind of was special that people saw
in that touchdown catch with Green Bay on Sunday, Right,

(35:37):
that fit?

Speaker 6 (35:38):
Well, then we are we are going to this game
this week, his first home game, so I'm I'm hoping
to see good things from the Lions and him both.
But yeah, he pregame every day where they would be
tossing a football round and you know, one of his
as QB. I wanted those guys to get throws in
with guys and stuff, and so they would throw the
ball back to him. He would never he refused to

(35:59):
catch it with hands. He would always he didn't always
get him, but no matter where the guy threw it
back to him, whichever hand side it was on, he
would stick the hand out and he would he would
catch with one hand, and man, he got really pretty
good at it, and I think got paid off.

Speaker 5 (36:16):
I'm glad to hear you going down because I was
going to ask you how often you're going to get
a chance to see him, So that'd be awesome see
him against the Bears on Sunday or I want to
ask you about your offensive line. Obviously what you guys
do is so dependent on your offensive line.

Speaker 2 (36:27):
You got to block it well.

Speaker 5 (36:28):
And I watched the first half of the White holl game.
I haven't seen any of the school Craft game, but
I watched the first half of the White Hall game,
and it looked like you're playing a lot of guys
on the offensive line. Is that kind of a trying
to figure it out or is that just you've got
options there so you're trying to get different guys in.

Speaker 6 (36:42):
Yeah, I think it's probably both. I would prefer to
play kids, like, if we can find kids that can
handle it, that's what we love to do. They still
got to understand it and prove that they can do it.
But yeah, we're figuring it out a little and they
are so important to.

Speaker 3 (36:57):
What we do.

Speaker 6 (36:58):
I told the guys, I said, you know, part of
the problem for me is I expect perfection so often
from these kids with all the stuff that we do.
You know, I don't want to stress them out with
like I made a little mistake here, everybody's gonna be
mad at me, and that's not how I want it.
But we do kind of We're a detail oriented team
that has to play hard and physical, and when you

(37:19):
can combine those two it usually comes out pretty good.

Speaker 1 (37:22):
Coach, let's talk about some of the players that make
up this twenty twenty five squad. I know we're just
two weeks in, but you've been impressed with our guys
that you're going to have to rely upon. I know,
Jackson de Hoop was one who graduated at quarterback. Now
you have a guy who's waiting the wings. Justin Phoebus
had a five touchdown night against school Craft. I've seen
him play in the basketball court. Good little athlete that
kind of runs the offense for you. But talk about

(37:43):
him and his game and some other guys that have
stood out on either side of the football.

Speaker 6 (37:46):
Yeah, I know. When I was talking with the reporter
after the game at school Craft, I didn't realize at
that time that Justin had been part of five touchdowns
and he had had a few mistakes, and so I
was kind of sitting there and thinking. He said, did
you know that? And no, I guess I shouldn't be
so upset with him. And I said, I heard that,

(38:07):
But he is doing a phenomenal job. I talked to
him afterwards and I said, I wish I could have
played as good as you did when I was in
high school. I said, you're doing great. We got some
things to fix, but well done. You know. So he's
just a scrapper. He's you know, he's not as good,
probably as but He reminds you a little of that
Brady Rose playing at Ferris right now. Brady was bigger,

(38:27):
I think, and could do a little bit more stuff,
but he's kind of like that type of kid. It
would be awesome because he was that good. But I
think he's getting there. So enjoying having him. You know,
We've got some of these other seniors that are are
really kind of stepped. Johnny Huckers has done a great
job for us at tight end, and that's a difficult position.
We've we've moved him here for the first time this

(38:48):
year and he's done a great job with it so far,
learning a lot of things. And then a couple of
these other linemen and Max Berger and Levi Offering has
been just kind of leaders for us inside. They play
some guard for us, and Collie depend on him so
much on offense, and then they're also playing linebacker and
d line on the other side, you know, So that
happens a lot for us where kids are asked to

(39:11):
learn both things at kind of a high level, you know.

Speaker 3 (39:14):
For that.

Speaker 6 (39:14):
So Elliott, sorry, Luke Elliott, he's doing a nice job
for us on both sides as well. He's a running
back he's kind of one of our faster guys and
play in some corner. And then Jared DeVries is this
guy that's been with us for three years now and
had some injuries to deal with, and he plays middle
linebacker and half back for us, and we depend on
him a lot. He's like the cornerstone of the d.

(39:38):
When he's off the field, you can tell a difference,
and so he's really played a good leadership gole for US.

Speaker 5 (39:44):
Brett opened this interview asking about, you know, all those
starters that you graduated, just how much are you relying
on those guys like Berger and Offering and defrees. The
few guys you do have that you know, played a
ton last year, how important have they been and sort
of helping these less experienced varsity guys along.

Speaker 6 (40:00):
Yeah, it's they've and they've done a nice job. Every
everybody has to learn it, but they've been good at
like helping out these kids, like you know, say hey, no, no, no,
that's not what we have here, or whatever whatever it
takes in that situation, which is helpful because we don't
we don't see every detail all the time, and to
have kids that are willing to assist those on their team.

(40:21):
You know, sometimes in the same position that's not always easy,
but it really helps us and I think it takes
away the fear of making mistakes a little bit for
everybody when they do that.

Speaker 1 (40:32):
Coach, last but not least, it is a special weekend
coming up. I look forward to it. I had to
miss it last year because of family wedding, and I
was I was bummed because I love the reaction from people. Obviously,
I'm looking forward that the slot jerseys on Saturday, but
Victor Day has become a tradition for not only you
in the football program and the staff of Unity Christian,

(40:53):
the kids, but also your family. Talk about that a
little bit at what it means now and how many
it's been. I mean, we're what well over ten I think, right.

Speaker 6 (41:01):
Yeah, I think you. I think you said that last
year might have been you keep better track than I do,
but ten or eleven something like that, and uh yeah,
it is a blessing to be able to host this day.
I was just saying that lunch yesterday we were talking
and I had to look for volunteers to help with
our girl participants, and so I put it in the
announcements and within a day I had twenty girls just

(41:23):
come up to me and say, Hey, I want to help.
And it's like, how special is that? Like they just
they'll give them their their Saturday to come out and
just participate and be there to help some of these
guys that show up here. And so it is a
it's a really special day, a fun day. It's just
enjoyable to see the community come out and we're thankful again,

(41:43):
like to have you back and some of these other
folks that it takes so many volunteers to make it work.
And and so we're looking forward to We're hoping for
good weather and we're looking forward to having a lot
of fun with these guys that show up and just
give a couple hours of football in their life.

Speaker 1 (42:00):
I will tell people this too. It is a family
community event. It's right there at the backfield known as
maybe the soccer field. They use it a practice field
right on campus Unity Christian if you know what it
is in Hudsonville. So just drive all the way to
the back. You'll see the people come hungry. The Tibby
family will appreciate that because they always have about two
hundred hot dogs that they cook up with the volunteers.

Speaker 2 (42:19):
But just come with an open mind and.

Speaker 1 (42:22):
See how football touches people and touches these folks that
are participants and the people that help them. I'll get
my touchdown call voice ready as you know, Coach, I'm
ready on the PA. But it'll start around three o'clock.
It's usually done by what coach about four point thirty,
so it doesn't take a lot of time, but it's
just it'll take your breath away and it'll really touch you.

(42:43):
So I invite people to come on out now, and Craig,
I'm so thankful to you and your wife and your
family for inviting me the first time. And that's all
I needed, because Wow, it's really a cool day and
looking forward to a coach. Hey, just to reminder before

(43:14):
we get out of here this week, don't forget to
check out the West Miskin High School football page.

Speaker 2 (43:18):
It's powered by Trinity Hall.

Speaker 1 (43:20):
Three different places you can find it would Radio dot
com nine six one, the Game dot com one oh seven,
m us dot com. From our game of the week
schedules to this show, to game podcast, standing scores, and more,
don't forget with our friends at West Miskinokasports dot Com
powered by Win Shuelers. It's all right there. We love it.
It's just getting better. Don Patten and his staff do
a great job, so make sure you check that out.

Speaker 2 (43:41):
And this week for.

Speaker 1 (43:42):
Our Week three LMSU Games of the Week, we've got
Wes Catholic at South Christian East Ketwick High School, both
teams coming in at one and one.

Speaker 2 (43:48):
Jay Bucking I'll be out there for that.

Speaker 1 (43:50):
You guys had a switch in your Week three matchup
Miskegan Reese Puffer. Tough year for the Rockets so far,
going two but two and oh spring Lake hosting them
on the Bay you which is one of the best
places to watch a high school Footballah.

Speaker 5 (44:01):
Gravinski Fields a great place for high school football game.
And you talk about ree S Buffer being on and two,
they were owing two last year and they beat spring
Lake in a Week three so I think it'll be
a fun matchup. I'm really looking forward to seeing spring Lake.
They have a lot of new guys but playing some
really good football.

Speaker 1 (44:13):
Herely six o'clock starts the coverage on both one oh
seven m us the Moose in ninety six to one,
the game of the j and Ahs. Family Stores pregame
show with Rick Burkey and all of our game reporters.
We got six game reporters out East count w A
Jenison with Remy Monahan, you need Christian Forrest's Eastern with
Scott Moore, Bo Hobson back in the mix with Northview
at Sparta Caledonia, and Hudsonville with Dan Hasty. So we've
got unbelievable coverage for a week three and we're looking

(44:35):
forward to it because some of these teams are kind
of identifying themselves as hey keep an eye on us,
like an East count Wood against Jennison both two and zero.

Speaker 5 (44:42):
Well, let's just be honest here. I mean, the week
three schedule is not good. I mean it's just not
let's call it what it is. But then I said,
you know, we got spoil in week one because there
are so many great matchups, And I said, well, week
two schedules not as good as week ones. Not that
any other week is going to be as good as
week one, but look a week two deliver thirty six,
thirty five, Spart Overwheeling, Zealand, East over Flushing, fourteenth TK
over Hampleton, twenty eight, twenty seven, give her a shartot

(45:02):
over Mischigan, CALLC Central forty one to forty in overtime,
Northew Vicksburg two point game, kick on the last play
to win, cast Tech Granville three point game in overtime,
Zealand West West ottawahil Mary. At the end, Rockford has
a Miskeigan incredible comeback. I mean Week two was unbelievable,
So what's week three going to be. It's probably going
to be even better.

Speaker 2 (45:17):
Well, let's take a look.

Speaker 1 (45:18):
And I know you've got some things you want to
ask me about with my top ten rankings before you
get to you, so I'll start first. I've got my
original four still Hudsonville at one, East Kentwood two, Grahamville
at three. They lose an overtime at Detroit cast Tech
on Friday night, Zealand A West four at two to zero,
and then I dropped Byron Center going zero to two.

(45:38):
I know they played East Kentwood in Hudsonville tough two
games first two weeks, but they drop out of my
top ten so to Miskeigan at number ten, So then
everyone else kind of moves up. I've got Unity Christian
five this week, Mona Shores six, Rockford seven, North few eight.
I threw Ported Central in there for the first time.
Love the Mustangs and what they've done. Haven't given up
a point this year, and maybe one of the most

(46:00):
rest of teams Mick Anders has had. They had that
team that went to the semi finals and lost to Miskegan.
But I've got them at two and oh at nine,
and then I've got grun up. It's Catholic Central at
two and oh rounding out my top ten.

Speaker 5 (46:09):
All right, So if you go to West Michigan at
okay sports dot com, you can see all five of
us have our top tens there, just based on your
ranking Byron Center zero and two. And listen, I need
to preface this by saying you're always right. I'm always wrong,
and I'm sure that's the way it will play out. Also,
all the people on social media agree with you and
think I don't know what I'm talking about, but I
love to talk philosophy on this. So Byron Center's two

(46:31):
losses are to your number one team and your number
two team. Yep, So just by your rankings alone, you
expected Byron Centator to lose those two games, correct? Why
drop them out of top ten because you expected them
to lose those.

Speaker 1 (46:41):
They've got some injuries and that's one of the things
that factors in here, and they've got some things they've
got to work out Byron Center, and I knew that
going in, you know. But as we say that, look
at teams like a Unity Christian they have ever to
replace a lot of starters.

Speaker 2 (46:54):
Right.

Speaker 1 (46:54):
There were some great senior classes last year. I think
we can agree on that.

Speaker 2 (46:57):
And it's a.

Speaker 1 (46:58):
Matter of how quickly those kids get up to speed
with what they're doing. And certainly who you play. And
I'm not penalizing Mark Cisco and Byron Center, you are, no,
because I'm looking at this and what I saw from
those two games. They didn't just lose to Kentwood. They
got beat pretty good by kent Wood, Okay, and so
East kent Wood was a team last year and the
year before that that Byron Center had beaten. So I

(47:18):
look at this and say, Okay, where's this Byron Center
team at where's this East Kentwood team at East kunt
what's gotten better? I just don't think Byron Center is
the caliber.

Speaker 2 (47:26):
Of where they were the last two years.

Speaker 1 (47:28):
And so therefore I have to identify that It's not
like they can't get back into the top ten. We'll
see what happens. I don't think the OK Green is
as good as I thought it was going to be. Remember,
they've got what one win with all the teams combined
through two weeks one win.

Speaker 2 (47:42):
It was Mona Shores of their top three teams. Who's
got a bad loss of their top three teen?

Speaker 5 (47:47):
Miskee Mona Shores and Byron Center named the bad loss
in that group.

Speaker 2 (47:52):
That's tough, h it is. It's the schedule. It's just
it's the schedule. So let's go to Zealand last.

Speaker 5 (47:57):
You're the only one of us five that have Zealand
West in the top ten, and you have a way
up at four. I mean, let's be honest. They should
have lost to West Outawa. I mean, that was a miracle.
There's no other way to describe the last play of
the game and the hamlet, which by the way, probably
should have happened because to play before the receiver was
clearly down inbounds and they stopped the clock when he
got up ruanda bounce.

Speaker 2 (48:13):
That's not the point. The point is.

Speaker 5 (48:14):
I mean, Zealand West should have lost that football game.
So how can you steal that? How are they still
four in your mind? In West Ottawa is nowhere near
your top ten.

Speaker 2 (48:21):
I still look at it.

Speaker 1 (48:22):
They didn't lose that football game, okay. And Zealand West
is one that I think I've talked about on the
show that I went and watched them with my own
eyes in the scrimmage. I didn't think that I'd be
impressed a lot with Zealand West, and I have been.
And then in week one they were impressive. In Week two, yes,
did it take a deflection in the end zone for
them to win it, Okay, but they still won the game.

(48:44):
And programs find a way to win. And West Outawa,
I think from what people tell me this is other
coaches that have told us this. I didn't know if
this would be the case, but look at what Pat
has done there, and people said look out for West Ottawa.
Now they're zero and two, but they've had two tough
losses and they should knocked off Zeeland West.

Speaker 2 (49:01):
You're right, but they didn't.

Speaker 1 (49:02):
But my point is the Okay red I think is
totally up for grabs. Would you agree with that West
ottawis better? Jennison's better. It's going to be interesting. Eric
Stiegel told us that last week on the show. But
for Zealand West, considering they've replaced a legend in John Shilitou,
I know most of the staff has stayed, but it's still
different right when John's not there. And I've been mildly
impressed with them, so I can't They didn't lose the game,

(49:25):
so I'm not going to drop them at all.

Speaker 2 (49:28):
So what do you do with them? I dropped them
big time.

Speaker 5 (49:31):
I mean, I've never had them in my top ten,
but I do a state wide top fifty, and they
were in my top fifty. They are no longer in
my top fifty. Wow, those are both pretty fortunate for
the next win. And who knows, maybe they're just going
to run the table and defend estate champs because I'm
always wrong.

Speaker 1 (49:43):
But I don't want to rush you, but we are
short on time. Give me your top ten. Then we
got to get uptown cheap skate players.

Speaker 2 (49:48):
Almost no changes almost Now.

Speaker 5 (49:50):
All I did was I flipped Rockford and Byron Center,
so I'll have to go one Grandville two Heast coent
With three Motor Shores four Rockford five, Byron Center, six,
Muskegan seven, Northview eight, Calex Central nine, Kenawa Hills ten.
I'm just not gonna punish for going two cast at Tech,
having a chance to win in the final play, and
losing to what I think is the best team in
the state. So I'm not punishing Granville.

Speaker 1 (50:07):
All right, let's go to our uptown cheapskate layers of
the week. I'll start Guy Saw with my own eyes,
running back linebacker. He was a wrecking machine Brody Skidaman
for Jennison. Not only did he have as a workhorse
thirty five carries two hundred twenty and the outs two
touchdowns in their win twenty three to seven over for
Stills Northern on the road, he also led their defense
with twelve tackles in a sack.

Speaker 5 (50:29):
Yeah, dude's event. I mean he's amazing. Yes, and he's
playing He hardly leaves the field. I mean, yeah, he's
the kind of player you want to be when you
grow up, no question. All right, I'm going to go
with Timmy Railing, the senior running back linebacker from the
Skiing Kalak Central. Thirty nine carries three hundred one yards
five touchdowns.

Speaker 3 (50:44):
Wow.

Speaker 2 (50:44):
In the loss to.

Speaker 5 (50:45):
Gaboro shod and I remember every review Gabro Sharders in
the D eight State championship game last year. And by
the way, another amazing game from Week two, skin Kallak
Central goes for two in overtime to win it. Kind
of a trick play out of the swinging gate and
had a drop pass in the two point conversion. Otherwise
from skiing Kallack Central, what have won that game? But
Timmy Railing also forcing two fumbles from his linebacker position
on defense.

Speaker 2 (51:04):
Really good game. Congratulations.

Speaker 1 (51:05):
Both those players for Week three edition are Uptown Cheapskate
Players of the game brought to you by Uptown Chief
Skate with locations in Granville, Kent Win. Uptown Chieapskate they
buy what you love just Jay, so what you want today,
clean out your closet or and cast for your clothes.
Plus you can become an Uptown Insider and get monthly
deals at Uptown Chiefskate dot com. They each we get
a twenty five dollars gift card. Do some shopping on us.
We are out of time for Jasonton. My name is

(51:27):
Brett Paikieth. Thanks to both our coaches tonight. We'll see
you next Thursday night, six to seven. It's the LMCU
High School Football Preview right here on ninety six to
one the Game.

Speaker 4 (51:35):
We hope you enjoyed this edition of the LMCU High
School Football Preview Show and exclusive presentation of ninety six
one the Game and iHeartMedia powered by Lake Michigan Credit
Union sign out more at LMCU dot org and also
brought to you by Meyer Kids Food Basket, J and
H Family Stores, Van der Lonholm Improvement, Trinity Health, Sporting You,

(51:57):
Wing Doozy, Straight Line Fence, Rapid Radios, Uptown Cheapskate in
Granville and Kentwood, MKD Funeral Homes, Windsheelers, Delicious Cheese Spreads, Pulse,
Jepson Physical Therapy, Discount Door and Montel Construction. And just
a reminder that you can follow all of the high
school sports action this fall with conference schedules, scores, and

(52:19):
standings for your favorite teams by logging onto West Michigan
oksports dot com