Well, we’re back — another round of Criminally Early Looks. This time, we’re diving into the OK Green Conference.
Full disclosure: a few of these squads fall outside our usual coverage area, so we might not have the same deep-dive intel on them as we do for our local teams. Still, that didn’t make this any less fun to put together. In fact, this might be my favorite ranking so far.
The OK Green is stacked again this year — loads of talent, and a few teams that could make things very interesting. August 28th can’t get here fast enough.
6) Grand Rapids Union
Union’s been stuck in a tough stretch. Over the last three seasons, they’ve gone 9-19, and last year’s conference realignment hit them hard — they finished 1-8. I’m not seeing much sign of a turnaround. They only had one All-Conference player last year and he graduated, and I haven’t heard much buzz about any new standout talent coming through. Could they surprise me? Sure. But for now, they’re a solid pick for the bottom spot.
5) Reeths-Puffer
RP is young this year — like, “most of the roster hasn’t scored a varsity touchdown” young. That inexperience will show, but I think they beat GR Union, which keeps them out of last place. The upside? That youth means there’s only room to grow, and they’ve already been steadily improving over the last few years despite tougher competition. They do have a bit of returning varsity talent in Mason Darke, who’s making the move from QB to WR, which might end up being a better fit for him.
4) Forest Hills Northern
This one’s a little bit of a shot in the dark, but graduation losses hit them hard — Ike DeHaan (LB), Evan Ostipow (DB), and Cooper Clark (DB) are all gone. Their defense already struggled in 2024, giving up double-digit margins in three of their five losses, and it’s unclear who steps up to fill those gaps. They could prove me wrong, but the defensive concerns are enough to keep them here for now.
3) Muskegon
This feels weird to type. The Big Reds hadn’t missed the playoffs in over 20 years until last season — their streak was older than I am by four years. Last year brought big changes, including moving away from their signature run-heavy offense to adapt to transfer QB James Young’s passing game. Young delivered, but the offense struggled to consistently score. Now, Young, WR Danelle Lawrence, and LB Darekeo Speech are gone, plus a few more seniors. Whether they return to that ground-and-pound style is the big question. They’ll still be competitive, but with a tough schedule — including two Ohio teams — it won’t be an easy climb.
2) Byron Center
BC lost some big names — QB Landon Tungate, WR Isaac Lee, OL Jackson Bovia, and multiple defensive standouts — yet Byron Center has a history of reloading fast. Their raw athleticism, coaching, and program culture keep them dangerous no matter who graduates. I’ve already circled Mona Shores @ Byron Center in late September as my game of the year.
1) Mona Shores
The top three could go in any order, but Shores gets my nod right now. They’re loaded again, led by senior Tomarion Steward, who’s already claimed Detroit Free Press Preseason Running Back of the Year honors. Yes, they lost QB Jonathan Pittman, WR Micah Carefelle, and some key defensive linemen, but head coach Koziak has a proven ability to reload in an unprecedented way. If the new starters settle in early, this team could be dangerous from Day 1 and make a serious run at another conference title.
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