South Christian, East Kentwood preparing for football playoffs; see other area teams that advanced as well

Jenison lines up against a tough East Kentwood defense during a WKTV Game of the Week in September. The Falcons beat Jenison 16-0. (WKTV/Nathan Piers)

By Cris Greer, WKTV Managing Editor

Two teams in our WKTV viewing area, South Christian and East Kentwood, are playoff bound and in action on Friday night.

East Kentwood (5-4 overall, 4-3 in the OK Red) travels to Rockford for a 7 p.m. Friday game in Division 1. Rockford is tied for second in the state in D-1 with Macomb Dakota and boasts a 9-0 overall record. The Rams finished atop the OK Red at 7-0.

EK Coach Tony Kimbrough said he’s very proud of what his team accomplished with the strength of their conference and schedule.

In a 34-21 loss to Grandville last Friday, East Kentwood quarterback Ben Cash had 141 yards in the air and 93 on the ground. Stellan Bowman led with 17 tackles.

Getting back to the playoffs was a goal for the Falcons after a 2-7 season in 2021.

South Christian the team to beat

South Christian, No.1 in the state in Division 4, hosts Grand Rapids Christian (3-6 overall) at 7 p.m. Friday at East Kentwood.

The Sailors won the OK Gold Conference this year at 7-0, finishing one game ahead of rival Grand Rapids Catholic Central. Their last undefeated regular season was in 2004.

Check out our story on South Christian quarterback Jake DeHaan, who posted some incredible numbers this season, at wktvjournal.org

DeHaan has a total of 32 touchdowns this year; 22 through the air and 10 on the ground. He has completed 129 of 184 passes for 1,883 yards with six interceptions, and leads the team in rushing with 710 yards on 109 carries.

South Christian Quarterback Jake DeHaan. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)

“Statistically, he is having one of the best seasons any QB has ever had at South,” said Coach Danny Brown, in his fourth year as coach. “His leadership and drive to be great is the thing that has impressed me the most.”

As far as the playoffs go, Brown said their goal is pretty simple; “We want to win a state championship.”

WKTV is sending a cameraman and reporter to both games to get highlights and interviews with coaches and players. Look for our stories late Friday night and Saturday morning on wktvjournal.org