Reeths-Puffer-Mona Shores gridiron showdown highlights Week 3 football matchups

By Tom Kendra
LocalSportsJournal.com

MUSKEGON–Rusty is really not a strong enough word to describe my high school football prognosticating skills.

More like downright atrophy.

It’s been about 20 years since I attempted to pick the winners of high school football games on a regular-season Friday night, which explains why I look like Mitch McConnell in front of my computer trying to make a pick.

It also doesn’t help that, like the Duke Ellington classic suggests, I “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” – spending more time setting up financial plans than I do talking with coaches about game plans – leaving me to pick games based on internet blather and rumors that I hear on the Coconut Telegraph.

But all of my excuses have fallen on deaf ears, and my bosses at the Local Sports Journal have ordered me to write this column.

So here goes nothing.

Full disclosure: Writing the football picks column was my favorite thing to do during my tenure at The Muskegon Chronicle. It was a perfect chance to tell a few jokes, poke fun at some different municipalities, clear out tidbits from an overstuffed reporter’s notebook, spout off on pop culture (I still can’t believe Jimmy Buffett died) and occasionally talk a little football.

In other words, a little bit of levity before the intensity of Friday night takes over.

My picks are in ALL CAPS:

NON-CONFERENCE

Hastings (1-1) at WHITEHALL (2-0) – Hastings has a great football program, which has reached at least the Division 4 District championship game the past three years in a row. Whitehall, however, is a different breed of cat.

MUSKEGON CATHOLIC (0-2) at Benton Harbor (1-1) – I am fascinated by the House of David, which fielded incredible, bearded baseball teams in the 1920s. Benton Harbor then became known for basketball. Football? Not so much. MCC circles the wagons and gets its season back on track.

DETROIT LEADERSHIP ACADEMY (0-1) at Muskegon Heights (0-1) – Both of these teams have struggled to field a team this fall with limited numbers. I really hope they are able to play this game, as it should be a very even, fun matchup.

WHITE CLOUD (1-1) at Hesperia (1-1) – Confession: Instead of researching this game, I watched “Johnny Football” on Netflix.

KENT CITY (2-0) at Buchanan (1-1) – We drove through Buchanan last month on our way home from Nashville. I ordered a double cheeseburger from McDonald’s and it was burnt – certainly no cheeseburger in paradise. Gotta go with Kent City.

CENTRAL STATES

Morley-Stanwood (0-2) at NEWAYGO (0-2) – Why did Ralph Munger come out of retirement to coach Newaygo? Because football is in his blood. The ‘ole ball coach will be cackling Friday after picking up his 336th career coaching win – and his first at Newaygo.

Grant (1-1) at HOWARD CITY TRI-COUNTY (2-0) –    I don’t know … I don’t know … I don’t know where I’m a gonna go when the scoreboard blows (from Tri-County touchdowns).

WMC-RIVERS

NORTH MUSKEGON (2-0) at Mason County Central (1-1) – For the second-straight week, the Norse take on MCC. Item: The two MCCs have combined for 12 state football championships since the MHSAA playoffs began in 1975.

HART (2-0) at Shelby (0-2) – I won six apple pies, courtesy of the Hart girls basketball program, at the LSJ Golf Outing this summer. I don’t need six, but if you see Hart girls basketball coach Travis Rosema, tell him I need two pies – one for me and one for my buddy Charlie Fritz (who I promised a pie if I won).

Holton (0-2) at RAVENNA (0-2) – OK, OK, both teams are winless, but Ravenna’s losses are to state powers Beal City and Montague. The ‘Dogs get back on track this week at home.

WMC-LAKES

Manistee (2-0) at OAKRIDGE (1-1) – Watch out for Oakridge. Trever Jones is one of the toughest runners I’ve seen in a long time, and as soon as defenses start keying on him, Evan Miller and Bryson Stephenson can burn you with their speed.

MONTAGUE (1-1) at Orchard View (2-0) – It’s hard to imagine a more bipolar football program than OV, which went from an unbeaten regular season in 2019 to no varsity team 2 years ago, to a 2-0 start this season. Montague, meanwhile, is consistently solid and predictable.

Fremont (1-1) at LUDINGTON (1-1) – Writing for a newspaper is easy compared to songwriting. I once wrote a song about Tony Annese entitled, “He Went to Ferris” (to the tune of “He Went to Paris”). Outside of the catchy title, it was terrible.

O-K RED

GRANDVILLE (1-1) at Grand Haven (1-1) – Coming off a win at Traverse City West, this is a huge opportunity at home for the Bucs. But those changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes – it’s a whole different level of football down here in the O-K Red.

O-K BLUE

Hamilton (2-0) at FRUITPORT (0-2) – My buddy Mick McCabe at the Detroit Free Press has become known as the “Son of Swami” (an ode to the great Hal Schram, the blind sportswriter who first printed state football and basketball rankings). I tried to dub myself, “Son of Mart” after Chronicle legend Mart Tardani, but it never caught on. Here’s a line from one of Mart’s old columns – Confucious say: He who bets bushel of apples on Fruitport, eats lotsa apple pie next month!

HUDSONVILLE UNITY CHRISTIAN (1-1) at Spring Lake (2-0) – Cody Mallory’s biggest win in his first year as Spring Lake’s coach last fall was a 35-32 upset of host Unity Christian. The Lakers are off to a great start, but I saw the Crusaders in person last week and I saw a bunch of tall, chiseled athletes with no discernible body fat.

O-K GREEN

Holland (0-2) at MUSKEGON (0-2) – Muskegon is 0-2 for the first time since 1999, so look for the Big Reds to take out some frustration on the visiting Dutch before huge rivalry games against Mona Shores and Reeths-Puffer. Speaking of internet blather, I heard that in order to make this game more interesting, M’Khi Guy, Jakob Price and Destin Piggee will play in wooden shoes.

Reeths-Puffer (2-0) at MONA SHORES (1-1) – Like Vanessa Williams, I saved the best for last. These two schools, which do not like each other, have met 29 straight years on the gridiron, with Puffer winning 15 and Shores 14. However, Shores has won six in a row and eight of the last nine. Puffer has the players and the coaches and the confidence to pull off this “signature win,” but something tells me that on this night of Sailor Salute – honoring all military and first responders – the Sailors will pull out this game in the trenches.