Muskegon-area football roundup: Mason County Central sets school record

The Mason County Central football program sealed up a historic run through the 2024 regular season with a thrilling 36-22 win over Manistee on Friday night.

The West Michigan Conference Rivers Division home win for the Spartans clinched a school-record eight wins on the season and put the program in a position to host a first-round playoff game for the first time since 2015.

Senior tailback Peyton Merz added to his own legacy with 240 yards rushing and three touchdowns to pace the Mason County Central offense, as he extended his season totals to 2,013 yards rushing and 25 touchdowns, which are both new program records as well.

Tyler Norton added a 46-yard blocked kick return for a score on special teams for the Spartans, while quarterback Pierce Bladzik added a 2-yard rushing score.

Drake McKay and Colter Kirchner each added eight tackles to lead the Mason County Central defense, while Kyle Peters added seven stops and Merz had five tackles.

Mason County Central improves to 8-1 overall and will await its seeding in the Division 6 playoffs on Sunday evening. Manistee closes out the regular season 5-4 overall and will likely hit the road for the opening round of the postseason.

Below is a look at how all the Muskegon-area football teams fared during the final week of the 2024 regular season.

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Toledo Central Catholic (OH) 14, Mona Shores 13

The Sailors took a 7-0 lead into halftime thanks to a 5-yard touchdown pass from Jonathan Pittman to Micah Carefell with 14 seconds remaining in the half.

Toledo Central Catholic bounced back in the second half with a 2-yard touchdown run by junior tailback Anthony Sylvester on fourth-and-goal with 6:12 left in the third quarter and took a 14-7 lead midway through the fourth quarter on a 2-yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Isaiah Fox on another fourth-and-goal conversion.

Pittman answered on the next drive, as he powered his way into the endzone from 6 yards out to cut the deficit to 14-13 with 2:25 left in the game. The ensuing 2-point conversion pass attempt from Carefelle to George Duggins fell incomplete, however, as the late-game gamble didn’t pay off for the Sailors.

Mona Shores recovered an onside kick attempt on the following kickoff but failed to convert on fourth down on the next possession and the Irish took home an impressive road win in non-conference action.

Mona Shores finishes the regular season with an 8-1 record.

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Cincinnati Moeller 52, Muskegon 27

The Big Reds fell behind 38-21 in the first half and couldn’t mount a comeback down the stretch in a home loss to the Crusaders.

James Young was 14-for-23 passing for 318 yards and two touchdowns with one interception to pace the Muskegon offense, while Danelle Lawrence caught four passes for 156 yards and one touchdown and Keshawn Drummer caught four passes for 65 yards and rushed 11 times for 27 yards and two touchdowns.

Michael Piggee Jr. hauled in a 27-yard touchdown reception, Demetrius Rainey-Brown caught two passes for 45 yards and Lyn Wilson III rushed for 37 yards on four carries.

Darekeo Speech registered nine tackles to lead the Muskegon defense, while La’Rue Phillips added six stops, and Lyn Wilson III, Keyshawn Hinkle, Recarder Kitchen, and Robert Mills each had five tackles.

Matt Ponatoski was 22-for-37 passing for 341 yards and five touchdowns to lead Moeller, while Dante Ware rushed for 98 yards and one touchdown on 11 carries and Ryan Kreutz added 20 yards rushing and one touchdown on six carries.

Jovan Love caught six passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns, Cooper McCutchen added 76 yards on two receptions, Carson Khayo had two receptions for 64 yards and one touchdown and Roman Mason had 55 yards and one touchdown on two receptions.

Muskegon finishes the 2024 season with a 3-5 record.

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Forest Hills Eastern 35, Reeths-Puffer 28

The Rockets fell behind 21-0 early on in the first half but battled back to cut the deficit to just one possession with 40 seconds remaining in the game. The Hawks recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock to preserve the non-conference home win.

Sage Secrest led the way for Reeths-Puffer, as he rushed for 199 yards and two touchdowns on the night, while Mason Darke was 21-of-31 passing for 182 yards and one touchdown. Luke Johnson caught seven passes for 62 yards, Conner McManus added six catches for 57 yards and Shaun Haley had seven receptions for 54 yards.

Reeths-Puffer finishes the 2024 season with a 2-7 record overall.

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Jenison 34, Grand Haven 14

The Buccaneers fell behind 27-7 in the first half and couldn’t slow down the Wildcats the rest of the way in their sixth consecutive loss in O-K Red Conference action.

Sophomore tailback Andrew Willemsen finished with 242 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 26 carries to pace the Grand Haven offense, while senior wideout Will Korenstra caught five passes for 62 yards and senior quarterback Luke Berry was 7-for-19 passing for 95 yards and three interceptions.

Connor VanBeek registered 12 tackles to lead the Grand Haven defense, while Sawyer Harrison added nine tackles, and Luke Ratke and Ethan Wisenbaugh each had 3.5 stops.

Grand Haven finishes the 2024 season with a 2-7 overall record.

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Spring Lake 46, Allendale 16

The Lakers held a 28-16 advantage at halftime and pulled away from the Falcons in the final two quarters of play for an impressive win in O-K White Conference action.

Darrel Lawrence rushed for 97 yards and four touchdowns on 13 carries to fuel the Spring Lake rushing attack, while Landon O’Donnell added 82 yards rushing and one touchdown on 14 carries, Owen Smies had 67 yards on nine carries and Nick St. George added a 1-yard touchdown run.

Oliver Smies also added a 95-yard kick return for a score to spark the Spring Lake special teams unit.

Owen Smies led the Spring Lake defense with 5.5 tackles, while Tag Kelly added five stops, and Oliver Smies had four.

Spring Lake finishes the 2024 season with a 3-6 overall record.

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Fruitport 48, Wyoming Kelloggsville 14

The Trojans jumped out to a 35-0 lead in the first half and continued to roll to a convincing win in O-K Silver Conference action.

Frankie Kotecki rushed for 164 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries to pace the Fruitport offense, while Bradon Dornbos rushed for 149 yards and two touchdowns on six carries, Liam Campbell rushed for 50 yards on six carries, Landen Bourque had a 10-yard touchdown run and Kalen Teeter added an 8-yard touchdown run.

Brady Hanson compiled 63 yards passing, including a 43-yard touchdown pass to DayDay Williams.

Easton Fett and Caden Carrillo each recorded nine tackles to lead the Fruitport defense, while Teeter added eight stops and Ethan Riggs and Donavan Bondurant each had seven tackles.

Fruitport finishes the 2024 season 3-6 overall.

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Portland 49, Whitehall 7

The Red Raiders built a 42-0 lead over the Vikings through the first three quarters of play and cruised to an impressive home win in non-conference action.

Senior quarterback Cam Thompson was 13-for-20 passing for 147 yards and one interception to pace the Whitehall offense, while Blake English caught six passes for 74 yards, Corde Anderson added 55 yards receiving on two receptions and Hunter Osborne rushed for 36 yards and one touchdown on three carries.

Thompson registered eight tackles to lead the Whitehall defense, while Cole Essebaggers added six stops, English had five stops and Brock Morningstar had one interception.

Nolan Zbytowski rushed for 144 yards and four touchdowns on 15 carries to power the Portland offense, while Mason McGregor added an 80-yard touchdown run.

Whitehall finishes the regular season with a 6-3 overall record.

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Schoolcraft 36, Muskegon Catholic Central 14

The Eagles held a narrow 14-8 advantage at halftime but pulled away in the second half for a convincing win over the Crusaders in non-conference action.

Bryan Convertini finished 13-for-23 passing for 219 yards and one touchdown and added a 5-yard rushing touchdown to pace the Muskegon Catholic Central offense, while Vince Szymanski added four receptions for 89 yards and one touchdown, and Bode Zygmuntowski added five receptions for 70 yards.

Timothy Railling registered 12 tackles to lead the Muskegon Catholic defense, while Convertini and Henry Rosema each added 9.5 stops and Szymanski had 6.5 tackles.

Muskegon Catholic Central finishes the 2024 season with a 1-7 overall record.

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Newaygo 21, Fremont 14

The Packers jumped out to a 14-7 lead in the first half but the Lions roared back down the stretch to pick up a hard-fought comeback win in non-conference action.

Porter Slominski finished with 178 yards rushing and two touchdowns and caught two passes for 72 yards to pace the Newaygo offense, while Blake Kerr was 4-for-5 passing for 104 yards and one touchdown.

Ethan Reyburn rushed for 55 yards on 15 carries, and Wesley Manning hauled in a 21-yard touchdown reception.

Luis Alvarez registered seven tackles to lead the Newaygo defense, while Konner Bisel added 5.5 stops, Hunter Yearsovich had 4.5 stops and Reyburn had four tackles.

Braydey Crosley was 7-for-15 passing for 172 yards and one touchdown to pace the Fremont offense, while Karter Frens rushed for 84 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries and Khai Noordyk added 43 yards rushing on 11 carries.

Asa Barnhard caught three passes for 73 yards and one touchdown, Cuyler Cook-Hansen caught two passes for 51 yards and Jacob Burns had a 50-yard reception.

Diego Diaz registered 12 tackles to lead the Fremont defense, while Barnhard added 10 stops, Graison Hoppa and Gavin LaMadline each had nine tackles and Austin Sparks had six stops.

Newaygo finishes the 2024 regular season with a 7-2 record, while Fremont closes out its season with a 2-7 record.

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Montague 42, Ravenna 7

The Wildcats jumped out to a 20-0 lead in the first half and held down the Bulldogs the rest of the way for a convincing win to close out the regular season.

Ryver Jarka rushed for a pair of first-half touchdowns to give the Montague offense an early jolt, while Cooper Bradley registered an 86-yard interception return for a score to further distance the Wildcats on the scoreboard.

In the second half, Eli Petersen connected with Talen Degan for a 10-yard touchdown pass, while Dane Rosler added a 1-yard touchdown run and Fletcher Thommen added a 3-yard touchdown run to cap the scoring for Montague.

Montague finishes the regular season with a 4-5 record and will likely find a spot in the Division 6 field based on MHSAA playoff points. Ravenna closes out the season with a 4-5 record and is projected to miss the Division 7 playoff field.

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North Muskegon 34, Oakridge 17

The Norsemen outscored the Eagles 20-3 in the second half as they pulled away for the program’s first win over Oakridge since 2006.

Bryce Colbert was 9-for-18 passing for 151 yards and two touchdowns and rushed three times for 23 yards and one score to pace the North Muskegon offense, while TJ Byard added three receptions for 89 yards and two touchdowns.

Landen Grimm caught four passes for 37 yards, Jaden Villalpando added a 6-yard touchdown reception from Cullen Bartos, who also rushed for 25 yards on 12 carries.

Charlie Meyers registered 21 tackles to lead the North Muskegon defense, while Henry Husmann added 13 tackles and one blocked punt, Drew Bartos had 12 tackles and three pass breakups, Cullen Bartos had 10 tackles, including one sack, and Byard hauled in one interception.

North Muskegon finishes the regular season with an 8-1 overall record, while Oakridge finishes with a 4-5 record.

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Ludington 51, Howard City Tri-County 31

Cam Gunsell was 10-for-12 passing for 246 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 201 yards and two touchdowns to pace the Ludington offense, while Taj Williams caught two passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns, Zac Graham had two receptions for 30 yards and one touchdown, and Andre Waldon had three catches for 33 yards and one score.

Gunsell registered eight solo tackles to lead the Ludington defense, while Andrew Waldon added six tackles, including two sacks, Cole Hackert had six tackles, including one sack, and Logan Sloan had five tackles, including one sack.

Ludington finishes the regular season with a 7-2 overall record.

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Kent City 34, Grant 14

The Eagles used a 22-point effort in the second quarter to pull away from the Tigers and secure a convincing home win.

Andre Mead rushed for 150 yards and three touchdowns on eight carries and was 2-for-4 passing for 62 yards and one touchdown to lead the Kent City offense, while Harrison Smith rushed for 36 yards and added a 46-yard reception.

Logan Thompson rushed for 34 yards and one touchdown on eight carries, Cooper Houtman rushed for 29 yards and one touchdown on eight carries, Sammy Anderson rushed for 21 yards on six carries and Kayden Kamanu hauled in a 16-yard touchdown reception.

Houtman led the Kent City defense with seven tackles, while Kale Freeland added six tackles, two interceptions and one pass breakup. Meade had six tackles, including two for loss, Sammy Gomez had six tackles, Andrew Klotz, Thompson Tyson VanderLind and Jaden Loomis each had four tackles and Grayson Preston had four tackles and one interception.

Kent City finishes the regular season with a 6-3 record, while Grant closes out the 2024 season with a 3-6 record.

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Central Montcalm 40, Hart 16

The Pirates trailed 16-8 at halftime and couldn’t slow down a powerful Hornets attack down the stretch in a non-conference loss.

Kyle Greiner rushed for 67 yards and one touchdown on 13 carries to pace the Hart rushing attack, while Julian Vazquez added 57 yards on 15 carries, Keaghan Monroe had 52 yards and one touchdown on seven carries, and Kolton Rockwell had 38 yards on four carries.

Eric Hannan caught two passes for 32 yards, while Ty Schlukebir added a 22-yard reception.

Greiner registered seven tackles to lead the Hart defense, while Alex Hicks added 4.5 stops, and Halen Boos had 3.5 stops.

Hart finishes the 2024 season with a 4-5 record.

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Muskegon Heights 34, Fennville 30

The Tigers used a 22-point second quarter to create some separation and fend off the Blackhawks for a narrow win to close out the regular season.

Ja’Marion Taylor caught three passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns and added a 95-yard interception return for a score to spark Muskegon Heights, while Robert Wallace threw three touchdowns, including a 46-yard score to Cartiyah Harris.

Muskegon Heights finishes the 2024 season with a 4-5 record.

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White Cloud 42, Holton 6

Jayden Robinson threw for 171 yards and two touchdowns, rushed for two more scores and returned the opening kickoff of the game 80 yards for a special teams score to spark the White Cloud scoring in a convincing win over the Red Devils.

Bryson Knight and David Higgs each hauled in touchdown receptions for the Indians, while Reece Johnson rushed for 95 yards and one touchdown and Jayden Graves added a 70-yard kick return for a score on special teams.

Conner Stockwell led the White Cloud defense with 13 tackles, including 1.5 sacks, while Johnson added 12 stops, including 2.5 sacks, and Jacob Anibal had eight tackles, including one sack.

White Cloud finishes the 2024 season with a 2-7 record, while Holton closes out the season with a 0-7 record.

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Orchard View 34, Shelby 29

Orchard View finishes the 2024 season with a 2-7 record, while Shelby finishes with a 3-6 record.

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St. Louis 6, Hesperia 0

Hesperia finishes the season with a 2-7 record.

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