Zeeland West edged by Muskegon in OK Green first-place showdown
ZEELAND - Trenten Bolhouse was soaking wet when he walked back to the locker room after the game.
The Zeeland West quarterback and his team played in a torrential downpour in an exciting game between two football powerhouses. But the Dux fell short as they lost to Muskegon High School 22-16 on Friday night.
“It’s always tough to lose,” Bolhouse said. “But they’re a good team. We respect them.”
It is the first loss of the season for the Dux, who fell to 6-1 (3-1 OK Green). Muskegon improved to 5-2 (4-0 OK Green).
Muskegon’s team speed was impressive to watch on offense, especially on a wet field.
“That’s the fastest football team I’ve ever coached against,” Zeeland West coach John Shillito said. “It’s the third year they’ve been that way. M’Khi Guy is fast, (Destin) Piggee is fast, (Jakob) Price is fast and so is No. 5 (Da’Carion Taylor).”
Guy, the Big Reds quarterback, had three rushing touchdowns.
The Dux rallied to take a 16-14 lead with 6:07 in the third quarter when Bolhouse ran the ball in from the 1-yard line. Isaac VanderZwaag’s two-point conversion run gave them the lead.
But Muskegon’s Guy scored on an 8-yard run with 10:05 let in the game. Piggee’s two-point conversion run made it 22-16.
Zeeland West had one last shot to score in the fourth quarter, but Muskegon picked off a pass with one minute remaining in the game to seal it.
“It was nice to get another shot,” Bolhouse said. “Anytime we can put ourselves in position to win, we’ll do it.”
With 4:40 left in the game with the Dux trailing by a touchdown, they were at the Muskegon 28-yard line. But they fumbled the ball and Muskegon recovered.
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VanderZwaag scored on a 1-yard run with 1:04 to go in the first half for the Dux first score. They trailed 14-8 at halftime.
Injured Holman named homecoming king
Parker Holman was bundled up in a wheelchair while rooting on his team from the sidelines. It was tough for the senior running back after a season-ending injury.
“I tore my ACL against (Zeeland) East,” Holman said. “I had surgery two days ago. Everything went good.”
There was a silver lining however. Holman was named homecoming king before the game.
“I’m just trying to find the best in everything right now,” he said. “It kinda took my mind off things for a while.”
The loss of Holman has been tough on the team, too.
“His injury is absolutely heartbreaking for both him and the team,” Shillito said. “What a high-quality individual he is. Parker Holman is the best. How he goes about his work, how he leads … just the best.”
Rain, rain go away
A heavy thunderstorm rumbled above Zeeland Stadium just as the game ended. It was kind of fitting since the entire game was played in a heavy downpour. The game was delayed for more than 30 minutes just after halftime.
“I think it affected both teams,” Shillito said. “It may have affected us throwing the ball a little bit on the last drive.”
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Zeeland West edged by Muskegon in OK Green first-place showdown
