By Rob Gee
WKTV sports volunteer/news@wktv.org
What a start for Wyoming-Kentwood area high school football as four teams start the season 3-0 and two others start 2-1.
Lots of winning going on in the area right now and when was the last time East Kentwood, Kelloggsville, Godwin and South Christian all started the season 3-0? How about never.
One would need to go all the way back to 1960 when East Kentwood, Godwin and Kelloggsville all started 3-0 to find the last time three of these teams did it, but that would be five years before South Christian would begin fielding a team.
And WKTV’s high school football broadcast coverage crew will be at East Kentwood for the next two Fridays, first for a home game for South Christian and then for a home game for East Kentwood.
East Kentwood, who has started the season 3-0 for the fifteenth time, narrowly defeated Hudsonville, in Week 3. Defense in the first two weeks of the season only allowed 6 points but Hudsonville was able to almost triple that in their scoring 17 points. MLive had East Kentwood at No. 10 in the state prior to the game but after this last weeks performance, East Kentwood dropped to No. 13. East Kentwood is the only area team in MLive top 50.
South Christian did not have an easy time with Benton Harbor in Week 2 Forest Hills Eastern in the first half but the Sailors widened the gap in the second half to cruise to a 36-20 win and open the season 3-0 for the 15th time in school history. That is equal to the number of times East Kentwood has started the season 3-0, despite South Christian starting its football program five years after East Kentwood.
Kelloggsville looks to repeat as OK Conference Silver champs as they start the season 3-0. The Rockets were averaging 41 points a game in their first two games and only increased that average by scoring 51 at home against Buchanan. The Rockets defense was averaging 22 points a game given up and dropped that average to 17 points given up per game by holding Buchanan to just 8 points. Weeks 2 and 3 have seen Kelloggsville outscore their opponents 107-29. This is the eighth season in school history that the Rockets have started 3-0. This is the twelfth season Kelloggsville has started undefeated as they have had three seasons start at 2-0-1 and another season start 1-0-2.
Godwin Heights are no strangers to starting 3-0 as this is the third in the last five years that the Wolverines have begun 3-0 and the 11th overall. Last Friday’s game was a huge win for Godwin and Coach Carlton Brewster as they defeated Calvinm Christian by 49 points. Godwin had been 2-12 against Calvin Christian in their last 14 meetings. When Godwin has beaten the Squires, its not been by a whopping total. You would have to go all the way back to 1996 to find a similar result, Godwin won 53-13 that year. There is reason for pause in getting too excited to this 3-0 start as the opponents combined record is 0-9.
Tri-Unity Christian’s 8-man football tam started the season with an upset loss to Battle Creek St. Philips but have rebounded to win their last two. The Defenders seem to be only getting better as in Week 2 they beat Suttons Bay by 9 and Week 3 saw them easily defeat Atlanta by 26 points, 34-8.
Wyoming continues to struggle adjusting to Coach Irvin Sigler schemes as the Wolves start the season 0-3. Wyoming was outmatched by Grand Rapids Christian 65-8 in Week 3 and led to the worst loss in school history. Like Godwin’s record can’t be given too much credit however, Wyoming’s record can’t be criticized too much as their opponents combined record is 9-0. Make no mistake, when Coach Sigler’s philosophies are grasped by his players this trend will not only stop but reverse.
Lee High school started off red hot at 2-0 but ran into a buzz saw in Northpointe Christian and their workhorse Jalen Shaffer. Surprising most everyone in the universe, its seems, Lee moved to 2-0 in Week 2 defeating White Cloud 48-0 and we would need to go back to 2005 to find that level of domination by the Rebels. Week 3 would not be a good one for the young upstarts as Northpointe was the dominant force in a 42-0 game. Lee’s lifetime record against Northpointe is 0-8 with a combined score of 330-46 and marks the third time Coach Tim Swore’s team has held the Rebels scoreless.
Currently, WKTV’s football games will be broadcast the night of the game on Comcast Channel 25, usually at 11 p.m., and repeated on Saturday at 11 a.m. on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood.
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and features on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/
