By Tom Kendra
LocalSportsJournal.com

This is the final week of the regular season, and it’s a bit of the bizarro world.

The in-state battles will take place on Saturday, in college football, with Ferris at Grand Valley and then Michigan State at Michigan.

It’s on Friday night, when neighboring high schools are supposed to clash, that we have state vs. state competition, which is why I am writing this column while listening to “Interstate Love Song” by the Stone Temple Pilots – without question the best song of the 1990s (go ahead, try and change my mind).

Muskegon County will be invaded by two college-esque programs from Ohio (think Rockford on ‘roids) when Muskegon hosts Cincinnati Moeller and Mona Shores welcomes Toledo Central Catholic … by the way, every Catholic high school I have ever covered was always Catholic Central, but this one insists on Central Catholic?

How did we get here? Why are Muskegon and Shores playing out-of-state powerhouse schools from 368 miles and 226 miles away, respectively, when they should be healing up a bit (mentally and physically) before the playoffs?

The first reason is that when seven schools bolted from the O-K Conference to form the new River Cities Alliance, it reduced most of the remaining conference divisions, including the O-K Green, from eight schools down to six – which means instead of Muskegon and Shores playing seven league games and only needing to fill two weeks, they only played five league games and needed to fill four weeks.

It’s tough to fill four non-league games when NOBODY wants to play you – which is why Muskegon ended up with only eight games and Moeller rolling in this week and Shores scrambled to add Grand Blanc in the opener and Toledo CC in this finale.

It’s far from an ideal situation, but the silver lining is that it should make for two great games for area football fans.

All games kickoff at 7 p.m. Friday, unless noted, and my picks are in all caps.

Last week: 14-4 (78 percent)

Best pick: Spring Lake over GR Christian. The Lakers certainly did take out their frustrations, rolling up 41 points in the first half and 62 overall. Talk about releasing the Kraken.

Worst pick: Remus-Chippewa Hills over Grant. I had this one coming. Give credit to Aiden Booth, Sincere Hatch and the rest of the Tigers’ seniors, who have shaken off back-to-back 1-8 seasons and now have a shot at a playoff berth with a win this week.

Overall: 115-33 (78 percent)

O-K Red

Grand Haven (2-6, 1-5) at JENISON (3-5, 2-4) – Josh Lucas has done a great job in his first year, rejuvenating the Jenison program. To paraphrase Indiana coach Curt Cignetti: “It’s pretty simple. He wins. Google him.”

HUDSONVILLE (7-1, 6-0) at Holland-West Ottawa (1-7, 1-5) – All these years, I’ve known Arnold Palmer as a great gentleman golfer who liked to mix his lemonade and iced tea after the round.

O-K Silver

Kelloggsville (1-7, 0-5) at FRUITPORT (2-6, 1-4) – How about the Trojans end their football season Friday night with a victory and then extend their soccer season Saturday morning with a regional championship!

NON-CONFERENCE

TOLEDO CENTRAL CATHOLIC (7-1) at Mona Shores (8-0) – I’ve flip-flopped more on this one than my pick in the Michigan-MSU game. Something tells me a special teams play is going to be the difference. Better to lose a tough one here than in the playoffs.

CINCINNATI MOELLER (7-1) at Muskegon (3-4) – I will remember this Muskegon team just as fondly as the 2023 team. These Big Reds are a group of warriors.

Reeths-Puffer (2-6) at GR FOREST HILLS EASTERN (6-2) – The Rockets are certainly tough & gritty, but just didn’t have the firepower to launch this season.

SCHOOLCRAFT (7-1) at Muskegon Catholic (1-6) – Bryan Convertini is one of the area’s top players and will close out the golden “Convertini Era” at MCC tonight. The problem this fall was not enough bodies and too many freshmen in the starting lineup.

Muskegon Heights (3-5) at FENNVILLE (3-5) – All I want for my birthday on Friday is a Muskegon Heights victory.

Whitehall (6-2) at PORTLAND (8-0) – The brutal non-conference schedule for Whitehall, which is by design, continues this week at No. 3 Portland. Don’t sweat it, Cam Thompson & the boys will be ready for the playoffs.

Oakridge (4-4) at NORTH MUSKEGON (7-1) – Oakridge has absolutely dominated this rivalry, and don’t discount Eagle pride and the desire to keep its 21-year streak of consecutive playoff appearances alive. But the Norse just have too many, and too varied, offensive weapons.

MONTAGUE (3-5) at Ravenna (4-4) – Ravenna can’t move the ball and Montague can’t stop anybody. Call it the immovable force vs. the unstoppable object.

Orchard View (1-7) at SHELBY (3-5) – I won’t lie, I never worked at McDonald’s a day, or even a shift, in my life. But I was a dishwasher at Bill Knapp’s and a busboy at Doo Drop Inn. 

LUDINGTON (6-2) at Tri-County (5-3) – The University of Michigan could use a quarterback like Ludington’s Cam Gunsell.

CENTRAL MONTCALM (7-1) at Hart (4-4) – The Pirates are at home and a win gives them their second consecutive berth in the playoffs (cue the Jim Mora clip …). Unfortunately, Central Montcalm is rolling.

Grant (3-5) at KENT CITY (5-3) – The Eagles will be doing the “Bring the Boom” dance Friday night, made famous in Michigan last Sunday by Lions’ kicker Jake Bates.

NEWAYGO (6-2) at Fremont (2-6) – Now this is the type of backyard brawl which should be played on the final night of the regular season, not games against Cincinnati and Toledo.

Hesperia (2-6) at ST. LOUIS (2-6) – Perhaps Hesperia should hire Coach Tim Walz to coach the defense.

MANISTEE (5-3) at Mason County Central (7-1) – Great matchup of two of the area’s best running backs with MCC’s Peyton Merz vs. Manistee’s Kaden Kott. This is one of those situations where these teams could turn around and play again next week in the Division 6 playoffs.

Allendale (1-7) at SPRING LAKE (2-6) – Sing it with me: “And it’s getting very hard to stay-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay … And we’re living here in Allendale.”