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Muskegon takes on Grandville in 2015 at Hackley Stadium in what would end as the program’s 800th victory.

Hackley Stadium Celebrating Century as Monument to Community Dedication, Football Glory

By Ron Pesch
MHSAA historian

September 4, 2026

Mounted on the brick wall of Hackley Stadium, facing Sanford Street in Muskegon, is a bronze plaque. In raised type, it details a successful “GoFundMe” effort – 1920s style.

The approach was a bit different then, but the fundraising efforts were successful and created an iconic landmark that still stands – now ready to celebrate its 100th year.

Seated, rectangularly, in the middle of a residential neighborhood, directly behind the high school, the site itself has served as home to Muskegon High School’s football team for 120 years. The sport dates to 1895 at MHS.

The wooded lot was gifted in 1902 by Muskegon’s greatest benefactor – lumber baron Charles H. Hackley – to the Board of Education. Hackley desired the space to be developed into an athletic field and playground for use by the school and area youth.

The proposed stadium plan from 1906 shows the football field, baseball diamond, track and tennis courts among other proposed features to the new athletic field.Quickly dubbed Hackley Field, it took four years before administration cleared trees from the lot. Initial plans for the parcel, laid out by a former coach and director of athletics, envisioned a site that would accommodate multiple sports, including a gridiron at the center of the property, surrounded by a track, with tennis courts placed at the site’s four corners.

Bob Zuppke – hired in August 1906 as the school’s newest coach and director – learned that the school board was ready to act on the design. He immediately spotted the planned layout showed a football field of just 50 yards. Recognizing the site could accommodate a full-sized gridiron, his redesign reduced the number of tennis courts to three and pushed them to one end of the site. He expanded the gridiron to regulation size and surrounded it with a 1/5-mile cinder track. His plan included space for a baseball diamond within the gridiron. An extensive wooden grandstand along the northeast side of the site would stretch the length of the football field to handle growing crowds at sporting events.

Zuppke’s modifications were promptly accepted, and Hackley Field was ready in mid-May 1907 for an initial track meet with Muskegon’s biggest rival, Grand Rapids Central. That fall, Muskegon played seven consecutive football home games at the new location. Recognizing the financial value of the annual clash with Central, that contest was moved to the last game of the year and staged on Thanksgiving Day. Crowds soared in size.

Dropping just a single game each season during his four years in town, Zuppke built Muskegon into a football powerhouse before moving on to even greater gridiron success over three years at Oak Park High School in Illinois. In 1913, he was named head football coach at the University of Illinois, earning national titles in 1914, 1919, 1923 – with a team that featured three-time All-American Harold ‘Red’ Grange – and 1927. Zuppke retired following the 1941 season. During his 35-year prep and college career, he introduced numerous innovations that remain hallmarks of the game today.

Muskegon takes on Grand Rapids Central in 1922.

Plans for a Cement Stadium

From a comfortable chair, stationed in his room at a retirement home in Kalamazoo, 85-year-old C. Leo Redmond, former coach at Muskegon, recalled the story behind the construction of Muskegon High School’s historic Hackley Stadium. The concrete structure, built in 1927, replaced greatly expanded wooden stands (tennis courts were never added) originally placed on the site by Zuppke’s design.

Born in 1900 in Kalamazoo, Redmond arrived at MHS in 1925. A recent graduate of Western State Normal School – today’s Western Michigan University – he wasn’t Muskegon’s first choice to replace his predecessor, the highly-successful J. Francis Jacks.

A 1912 graduate of Muskegon, Jacks had turned the team’s football games into a huge draw between 1920 and 1924. During the span, his teams earned three mythical state titles over five years and produced an array of talented athletes, including University of Michigan great Bennie Oosterbaan.

But in the spring of 1925, Jacks passed away unexpectedly. Gus Cohrs, another Muskegon alum, was experiencing success in basketball and football at Grand Haven High School. He’d accepted the Muskegon job to succeed Jacks, but an outcry by Grand Haven fans and an immediate pay raise kept him from moving.

Fortunately for all, Redmond’s teams went 7-1-2 in 1925, then repeated as Michigan’s mythical champion in 1926. Immediately after the completion of that season, however, the school faced its next challenge.

“We walked out to the bleachers at the football field and Joe Bicknell (the Hackley Manual Training School director and facility manager for athletics) pulled out his pocketknife,” said Redmond. “He then pushed the blade completely into one of the wooden beams supporting the bleachers and said, ‘They will fall down if they have to support another season.’ So, we started a fund drive for Hackley Field’s reconstruction by selling stadium bonds.”

Muskegon contacted The Osborn Engineering Company of Cleveland, Ohio, to discuss the task. Peter P. Evans, vice president of the firm, visited Muskegon to inspect possible sites. “Mr. Evans’ company planned and built Navin Field, Detroit, the Polo Grounds, New York, and is now building the new stadium for the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor,” noted the Muskegon Chronicle.

Visiting in December, Evans advised “it would be best if it could replace the present seating arrangements at Hackley Field,” noting “it would not be architecturally objectionable to anyone in the neighborhood nor spoil the landscape effects of the campus.”

Building a stadium made with cement had been pondered by Bicknell and administration as early as 1913, but cost – then estimated at $25,000 – was viewed as insurmountable.

Osborn Engineering works on the renovated stadium during the summer of 1927.It took until April 1927 for final approval of a plan, and Osborn Engineering was authorized to prepare specifications. Time was of the essence, as the existing bleachers were now condemned and needed to be removed and replaced by fall.

The design would include “two team rooms” and restrooms under the stands, with the project financed by sale of bonds. A total of 1,500 were issued, priced at $50, earning 4 percent interest. The structure would feature seating for 6,000, with a block of 1,100 seats located between the 35-yard lines reserved for bondholders. The $75,000 campaign launched the first week of May.

The district tapped into a young sales force to help execute the plan – the student body. The classes of '27, '28, '29 and '30 – over 2,000 strong – were asked to distribute pamphlets and sell bonds to the public.

Years later, Gont Miller remembered walking home with Bub Meier – both would serve as future captains of Big Reds football teams.

"Principal John Craig talked to us Thursday night after practice,” recalled Miller. “He said, 'We're going to ask you to get out and sell some bonds.'

The pair talked about their frustration at being assigned the unwanted task.

“Together, we decided we weren't going to do it. After I got home, I told my mother about the bonds.”

She reframed it for her son, highlighting the community that surrounded them.

"Boy, that will be easy,” she said. “After dinner, go on over and see Mr. Runzel across the street, and the Nelsons on the side of us. I'm sure they will be interested.

"Well, I guess she got me inspired. I went over and saw Mr. Runzel, and he bought four. And Lester Nelson bought three, and Otto Meeske bought six. Mr. Runzel said, 'Go down and see my son,' and I did, and he bought two. People really supported Big Red football. We sold all the bonds, and they built the stadium. It was quite an experience for a kid."

Construction contracts were awarded by June 1, and actual work on the site started on Wednesday, June 15. According to the files of Osborn Engineering, the concrete and brick structure itself was completed over just 24 days – July 20 to August 12. Final plumbing and electrical preparations were completed in time for the first game against Muskegon Heights on Saturday, September 17.

Dedication and the Birth of a Rivalry

"Impressive and colorful flag-raising ceremonies marked the dedication of the new stands," wrote Jimmy Henderson in the Muskegon Chronicle. "A massed assemblage of over 2,000 students who paraded on the field following the Heights and Muskegon high school bands, and close to 3,000 spectators in the stands stood at attention while the massed bands under the leadership of Ronald Hinchman played the national anthem, as the new flag was slowly raised to its position over the stadium."

The Big Reds posted a crushing 89-0 victory over the Heights and their new coach, Oscar E. "Okie" Johnson – a former teammate of Redmond’s at Western – in the season opener. It was the first of nine shutouts posted by Muskegon en route to a 10-0 campaign and another mythical state title. Outscoring opponents 445-6, the team remains among the greatest in school history.

The stands are filled for a game in 1942. Muskegon claimed a second-consecutive shutout over Johnson’s Tigers in 1928, this time 19-0, and finished the season with another state crown. In ’29, they again blanked the Tigers, but by just seven points. In 1930, Johnson’s squad tied Redmond’s Big Reds, 6-6, and established themselves as Muskegon’s chief rival. Come 1936, the game was moved to the season finale, replacing the matchup with Grand Rapids Central. Lights were added to Hackley in 1940, with most games shifted to Friday nights. Annual classic battles between the Big Reds and Tigers were all played at Hackley (until 1948) and still staged on Saturday afternoons (until 1953) to accommodate the massive crowds.

The 1945 season-ending contest between the schools – both undefeated – was a battle for the state title. A record crowd of 13,500 packed every square inch of the grounds. Heights opened a 7-0 lead early, but Muskegon responded with a touchdown midway through the second quarter. A missed extra point pinned the score at 7-6. It remained stuck there until an intense goal-line stand late in the fourth quarter would determine the game’s outcome. The Big Reds had advanced the ball to the Tigers’ 1 on second down. A charge at the center of the line on third down was stopped.

“The ball, three inches from the goal line when play started, still was an inch from the line when it was set down,” wrote Henderson, still covering the rivalry. “When (the defense) stopped the forward motion of (Muskegon’s quarterback), the air went dark with the applause of the Heights fans, and the groans of Muskegon’s.” The win capped the first of three consecutive state crowns won by the Tigers, and the loss was the first in 16 starts for the Big Reds, the defending state champion.

In 1946, Muskegon installed its first electronic scoreboard, retiring the one manually operated by the Boy Scouts. Redmond retired as coach following the season with a 156-29-13 record and seven state titles over 22 seasons. (His victory total remained tops in school history until recently surpassed by current head coach Shane Fairfield.) Most fittingly, the remarkable gridiron rivalry between coaches Redmond and Johnson ended dead even at 9-9-2.

Reduced revenue during the depression years forced default on bond payments. After a restructuring of obligations, a final payout distributed in 1950 to bondholders meant the stadium was now out of debt. That fall, $8,000 in repairs and waterproofing helped stabilize a structure starting to show wear and tear.

Coach Harry Potter – another Western teammate of Redmond’s, and his longtime assistant – took the reins in 1947 and guided the 1951 Big Reds to another gridiron state championship. That team featured future NFL quarterback Earl Morrall.

Over the years, Hackley Stadium has served the community with World War II events to sell war bonds, practice drill formations, events to honor local industries’ wartime outputs, and VFW Memorial Day gatherings. There have been countless halftime shows, marching band competitions, high school assemblies, and commencement exercises. It has hosted opera, concert performances, and music reviews. In 1951, evangelist Rev. Billy Graham and his music director Cliff Barrows visited. In 1957, a massive Water Follies show with a dive tank, stage, and swim tank – spanning 150 feet – filled Hackley Stadium, raising money for the local ‘Police and Fireman Benevolent Association’.

More than 10,000 fans packed the stands in the fall of 1971 to watch another pair of unbeatens as the Big Reds topped Traverse City on their way to another state championship. Members of the Lake Michigan Athletic Conference, the Trojans became firmly established as new primary rivals on Muskegon’s annual slate.

This display includes a photo of the 1928 state championship team and brochure for stadium bonds.After four uncharacteristic down years on the gridiron during the early 1980s, huge crowds returned to pack Hackley’s stands beginning in 1985, especially during Muskegon’s march to MHSAA playoff titles in 1986 and 1989.

Continued maintenance over the years ensured the stadium’s survival. In 1996, extensive renovations and rejuvenation of the concrete stadium ensured the safekeeping of the ‘Home of the Big Reds’. Concession stands were moved from beneath the seating to structures at the north and south ends of the stadium. Modern requirements meant removal of the track that once surrounded Hackley to expand the concourse that leads to seating. But proximity and sight lines to the playing surface – always a feature of Hackley for fans – were not sacrificed.

The Tunnel

Terry Foster, writing for the Detroit News, visited the stadium as part of his “Terry’s Tour” in 2006. Kicking off a series of articles where he visited high school football games across the state, Foster’s opening paragraphs focused on another unique feature of the stadium.

Postgame, the Big Red Band ends home game festivities by marching – shoulder-to-shoulder, students aligned three-or-four-or-five across, with instruments swinging up-and-down and side-to-side, beneath the stands.

“Fans lined both sides of the cramped corridor as the band paraded through the narrow human tunnel …

“‘Ok. You got to hang tight against the wall,’ Muskegon head coach Tony Annese told Foster. … You will get hit if you are not careful.’ … Like Annese, they wanted to feel the booming drums vibrate off the concrete walls as the band marched underneath the stadium. …

“The march that eventually took the musicians (down Sanford Street) to their music room has been going on for decades. So has winning football.”

A new video scoreboard was installed in 2015. Field turf replaced Hackley Field’s natural grass in 2020. Also added was a brick fence similar in placement to one that surrounded the site back in 1914 and was removed in phases between 1927 and 1946.

Muskegon continues to lead the state in all-time football victories, earning additional MHSAA titles in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2017 and 2023. Many feel that rich tradition, combined with the classic backdrop of Hackley Stadium packed with alumni and passionate football fans, has played a huge role in those wins.

For the Big Reds, Hackley has always been more than brick, concrete, and rebar.

PHOTOS (Top) Muskegon takes on Grandville in 2015 at Hackley Stadium in what would end as the program’s 800th victory. (2) The proposed stadium plan from 1906 shows the football field, baseball diamond, track and tennis courts among other proposed features to the new athletic field. (3) Muskegon takes on Grand Rapids Central in 1922. (4) Osborn Engineering works on the renovated stadium during the summer of 1927. (5) The stands are filled for a game in 1942. (6) This display includes a photo of the 1928 state championship team and brochure for stadium bonds. (Top photo by Tim Reilly. Other photos collected by Ron Pesch.)

Drive for Detroit: Week 7 in Review

October 14, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Shared, guaranteed, locked up and clinched outright are frequent and favorite verbs and phrases that begin appearing in "Drive for Detroit" this time of year. Automatic and additional qualifiers are regulars right now as well. 

You'll find all of them used a whole bunch in this week's review as the regular season continued to speed toward its conclusion.

A number of league championships were clinched, and many more teams claimed a first share of a title with the opportunity to win it outright over the next two weeks. And that playoff qualifier list is up to 110 teams in 11-player, with another 86 in with a win this week. 

"Drive for Detroit" is sponsored by MI Student Aid.

Bay & Thumb

HEADLINER Beaverton 20, Clare 0 With their first win over Clare since 1990, the Beavers (7-0) are guaranteed a share of their second-straight league title and sit one more victory from claiming the Jack Pine Conference outright for the first time since 1989. Beaverton actually ended its JPC drought a year ago sharing the league title with Clare and Roscommon, but missed out on the outright championship thanks to a 21-2 loss to the Pioneers. Clare (6-1) hadn’t been shut out since a 2014 District Final. Click for more from the Midland Daily News and see highlights below from MI Sports Now.

Watch list Port Huron Northern 29, Port Huron 26 League title shares were earned in five of six divisions on the Macomb Area Conference, including the Blue where the Huskies (6-1) won their third straight Crosstown Showdown to take a one-game lead on Port Huron (5-2) and St. Clair Shores Lakeview with a league game to play.  

Remember this one Almont 28, Richmond 10 The Raiders locked up a share of the Blue Water Area Conference title by handing a first loss to the rival Blue Devils (6-1). Almont (7-0) can close out a second-straight outright championship this week against Yale. Richmond may await again in the playoffs, however.

More shoutouts Marine City 35, St. Clair 10 The Mariners (7-0) locked up the MAC Silver and sent St. Clair (6-1) into a tie for second place with Marysville, Marine City’s opponent this week. Fenton 20, Flushing 7 After a season finishing third, Fenton clinched its eighth league title in nine seasons, winning outright the first-year Flint Metro League “Upper” division made up of the league’s larger schools.

Greater Detroit

HEADLINER Detroit Catholic Central 20, Orchard Lake St. Mary's 14 A Week 6 loss to Warren De La Salle Collegiate nearly knocked the Shamrocks (4-3) out of Detroit Catholic League Central contention. But they came back to hand Orchard Lake St. Mary’s its lone defeat and earn a share of the title – along with a likely rematch with the Eaglets in two weeks. DCC scored the game’s final 20 points and held St. Mary’s (6-1) scoreless during the second half. Click for more from the Oakland Press.

Watch list Detroit Mumford 18, Detroit Renaissance 14 Three of four teams in the Detroit Public School League Division 1 shared the championship, and Mumford made that happen in this game after previously falling to Cass Tech, which had lost to Renaissance. Mumford and Renaissance could see each other again in two weeks in the PSL 1/2 championship game.

Remember this one Dearborn Fordson 33, Livonia Franklin 21 After losing its claim to first place last week against Belleville, Fordson (6-1) kept its hopes alive for a shared Kensington Lakes Activities Association East title by dealing the Patriots (6-1) their first defeat. Franklin faces Belleville this week with a chance to create a three-way shared championship between those two and the Tractors.

More shoutouts Walled Lake Western 40, South Lyon 10 The Warriors (6-1) faces rivals Northern and Central down the stretch, but moved into first place alone in the Lakes Valley Conference with South Lyon (6-1) hoping for help to get back into the title mix. Detroit U-D Jesuit 26, Detroit Loyola 8 The Cubs (5-2) finished an outright Catholic League AA championship run for their first league title since 1989, while sending Loyola to 3-4 and needing to win out for a chance at making the playoffs as an additional qualifier. Warren De La Salle Collegiate 22, Davison 0 For the second straight season the Pilots (4-3) stunned an undefeated Davison team, this time to also keep their playoff hopes alive. 

Mid-Michigan

HEADLINER Breckenridge 32, Carson City-Crystal 0 Life for Breckenridge football changed drastically when the program moved to the Mid-State Activities Conference in 2016 (after going 0-9 overall in 2015). This win gave the Huskies their fourth straight outright league title and ran their league winning streak to 23. Breckenridge (6-1) outscored its four MSAC opponents this season by a combined 161-8 – and that’s with the Eagles (4-3) and Merrill both still pursuing automatic playoff bids. Click for more from the Mount Pleasant Morning Sun.

Watch list Beal City 14, Roscommon 12 The Aggies (7-0) won’t celebrate too much with surging McBain coming up this week, but they earned a share of the Highland Conference championship by edging Roscommon (1-6) in their closest game to date this fall.

Remember this one Mason 20, Williamston 9 The Bulldogs (7-0) have continued to march, now to their first league title since 2011, and with an opportunity to make another large statement this week against also-unbeaten Portland. Wiliamston (4-3) is another team now facing a must-win situation – but has undefeated Olivet and Pewamo-Westphalia left.

More shoutouts Howell 38, Canton 31 The Highlanders (4-3) still control their playoffs hopes, with rival Brighton up next, while Canton (3-4) will try to make the postseason for the 12th straight year but this time as an additional qualifier. Olivet 42, Lake Odessa Lakewood 0 The Eagles (7-0) also not only swept their league but dominated from start to finish, outscoring four Greater Lansing Activities Conference opponents by a combined 171-12.  

Northern Lower Peninsula

HEADLINER Johannesburg-Lewiston 37, Harbor Springs 18 The Cardinals (7-0) guaranteed extending their reign in the Northern Michigan Football League Legacy, earning a share of the division title with a chance to win outright in two weeks against winless Indian River Inland Lakes. Johannesburg-Lewiston also finished a game ahead of Harbor Springs (5-2) a year ago after winning their meeting 18-15, but left no doubt this time with running back Logan Finnerty leading the way in a big way. Click for more from the Gaylord Herald Times.

Watch list Kingsley 53, Maple City Glen Lake 14 The Stags (7-0) took a week off from their pursuit of the NMFL Legends title to take on Leaders co-leader Glen Lake (6-1) – and should have even more statewide eyes turning their way after a one-sided result.

Remember this one Traverse City Central 43, Alpena 7 The Trojans (6-1) are back on top in the Big North Conference after back-to-back second-place finishes, earning a share of the title while putting Alpena (3-4) in a must-win situation as it looks to make the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

More shoutouts Charlevoix 22, Mancelona 20 The Rayders (5-2) did their part to set up this week’s Leaders-deciding matchup with Glen Lake, avenging last season’s loss to the Ironmen (4-3). Ogemaw Heights 32, Tawas 8 The Falcons (5-2) pulled another win closer to what would be their first playoff berth since 2013, while no doubt hampering a potential postseason return for Tawas (3-4).

Southeast & Border

HEADLINER Addison 20, Grass Lake 16 Reigning Cascades Conference champion Grass Lake (6-1) rolled through most of its first six games but was brought nearly to a stop by Addison, which grabbed a share of the league title by shutting down a Warriors offense that was averaging 47 points per game. The Panthers (6-1) have bounced back well since losing opening night to Britton Deerfield and can finish an outright championship run this week against Napoleon. Click for more from the Jackson Citizen Patriot and see highlights below from JTV.

Watch list Clinton 44, Ottawa Lake Whiteford 20 Five of seven teams in the Tri-County Conference are still up for automatic playoff bids, and sitting on top is Clinton (7-0) with a share of the league title after beating three-time reigning TCC champion Whiteford (4-3).

Remember this one Reading 50, Jonesville 0 This shouldn’t put a damper on a great comeback season by Jonesville (5-2), but the Rangers (6-1) remain the force of the Big 8 Conference having clinched a share of a third-straight title and increased their overall league scoring margin this fall to 314-32.

More shoutouts Milan 22, New Boston Huron 21 The Big Reds (7-0) earned a share of the Huron League title with their closest win this fall, but face another tough opponent in Carleton Airport this week as they look to lock up the championship outright. Britton Deerfield 30, Royal Oak Shrine Catholic 14 The Patriots (4-3) kept their playoff hopes alive with a bit of a stunner, handing Catholic League Intersectional 2 co-leader Shrine (6-1) its lone defeat.

Southwest Corridor

HEADLINER Battle Creek Lakeview 14, St. Joseph 0 Both of these teams could end the regular season as outright champions of their respective Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference divisions. And that would make this win even sweeter for East leader Lakeview, which posted its first shutout of the fall by shutting down an offense that was averaging 38 points per game. The Spartans (7-0) already own a share of their league title and face Kalamazoo Loy Norrix this week in hopes of wrapping things up outright. St. Joseph (6-1) will try to bounce back against DeWitt this week before meeting Portage Northern for the SMAC West title in Week 9. See below for highlights from FOX 17.

Watch list Kalamazoo United 14, Delton Kellogg 6 The scene might’ve been a little bleak after Kalamazoo United (4-3) opened this season with three defeats after last year’s 11-1 run. But the Titans have set themselves up as well as possible for a memorable finish, downing Delton (4-3) and with Constantine and Schoolcraft to finish as league title and playoff hopes hang in the balance.

Remember this one Coldwater 14, Parma Western 13 (OT) Jackson Lumen Christi has all but locked up their Interstate 8 Athletic Conference title, but these former contenders may have provided a preview of a playoff matchup to come.

More shoutouts Paw Paw 35, Vicksburg 6 Both have one more game to play, but it appears the Wolverine Conference championship is almost sure to be decided between undefeated Paw Paw and Edwardsburg, as both have now gotten past a major obstacle in Vicksburg (5-2). Niles Brandywine 44, Gobles 0 The Bobcats (7-0) are two wins against teams both 2-5 from a first perfect regular season since 1995 and have outscored their first seven opponents by a combined 344-33.

Upper Peninsula

HEADLINER Marquette 28, Menominee 21 The Redmen (3-4) find themselves in a rare situation. They must win out to have a chance to make the playoffs as an additional qualifier. But with this victory over Menominee, they continue to sit alone atop the Great Northern Conference standings having beaten arguably the two other best teams in the league (Kingsford, like Menominee, is 4-3 and faces Marquette in Week 9). Click for more from FOX Sports Marquette and see a highlight below from the Marquette School Broadcast Program.

Watch list Ishpeming 28, West Iron County 0 The Hematites (5-2) moved into first place alone in the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference Iron with not only their third win over West Iron over the last two seasons, but also their third shutout of the Wykons (5-2) during that time.

Remember this one Ishpeming Westwood 30, L'Anse 6 With Week 9 opponent Negaunee also surging, getting past L’Anse was key as Westwood (5-2) works for a third consecutive playoff appearance. The Purple Hornets (4-3) find themselves in the opposite spot, needing to win out against Iron Mountain and Calumet to guarantee returning to the postseason for the first time since 2013.

More shoutouts Iron Mountain 42, Hancock 6 The Mountaineers (7-0) moved to within a win of clinching a share of the West PAC Copper title, all the more impressive considering six of eight teams in the league are still in the hunt for automatic playoff berths – Hancock (4-3) among them. St. Ignace 22, Indian River Inland Lakes 14 The Saints (4-3) are seeking their first playoff appearance since 2016 and look good to qualify automatically with their final two opponents a combined 2-12.

West Michigan

HEADLINER Rockford 17, Hudsonville 7 Just as there’s something impressive in winning every game by a large margin, there can be something impressive in stringing together close victories – and the Rams (7-0) are shining at the latter. This was Rockford’s fourth win by 10 points or fewer while taking on a schedule that could end up including champions from three other leagues in addition to the other contenders in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red. Rockford can clinch a share of its league’s title this week against Grandville, which is tied with Hudsonville (5-2) for second place. See below for highlights from State Champs Sports Network.

Watch list Byron Center 49, Zeeland East 7 The road doesn’t get easier this week with Hudsonville Unity Christian up next, but Byron Center is a step ahead after taking over the top spot alone in the O-K Green by handing this first league loss to the Chix (5-2).

Remember this one Reed City 34, Central Montcalm 6 The Coyotes got off to a rare start with their first league loss Week 3 since 2014. But they’ve stormed back into a tie for first in the Central State Activities Association Gold, this weekend handing co-leader Central Montcalm (6-1) its only defeat with one league game left for both teams.

More shoutouts Cedar Springs 44, Lowell 20 The Red Hawks (6-1) moved within a win of clinching the O-K White title by sending Lowell (4-3) out of first and into a tie for second place. Grand Rapids Christian 27, Grand Rapids South Christian 20 The Eagles (5-2) will face East Grand Rapids this week with a share of the O-K Gold title on the line after avenging last season’s lone league loss, to South Christian (3-4).

8-Player

HEADLINER Burr Oak 33, Tekonsha 18 The Bobcats (5-2) gave up their first points of this season in Southern Central Athletic Association B play – but also clinched the league title outright and guaranteed their winningest season since at least 2013. Burr Oak had lost six straight to Tekonsha (3-4), including 42-6 a year ago. Click for more from the Coldwater Daily Reporter.

Watch list Mesick 42, Brethren 12 The Bulldogs (6-1) claimed a share of the West Michigan D League championship with this victory over reigning champion Brethren (4-3), and with only winless Bear Lake left on the conference schedule.

Remember this one Hillman 38, Pellston 14 The Tigers (6-1) moved into first place alone in the Midwest Central Michigan Conference East by icing a Pellston offense that averaged 49 points per game during the team’s 6-0 start this fall.

More shoutouts Colon 55, Camden-Frontier 0 The Magi (7-0) made it 2-for-2 on league title runs since moving to 8-player, clinching the SCAA A with their ninth straight league win over two seasons. Pickford 46, Gaylord St. Mary 23 This game came together after both teams had an original opponent forfeit, and reigning Division 1 runner-up Pickford (6-1) appears revved for another long tournament run after slowing down a St. Mary offense that was averaging 59.9 points per game.

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PHOTO: A Port Huron Northern defender, right, pursues the ball carrier during a 29-26 win over rival Port Huron on Friday. (Photo by Delta Imaging.)