Winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask East Grand Rapids). They blew past the Ottawa Hills Bengals 61-14 on Friday. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Pioneers' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Michigan football rankings (they are ranked 43rd, while the Bengals are ranked 469th).
East Grand Rapids got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Tripp Hoekstra out in front who rushed for 29 yards and two scores. Liam Ondras was another key rusher, rushing for 53 yards and one TD.
Pioneers
| 10/17/25 vs Ottawa Hills | 287 |
| 10/10/25 @ Thornapple Kellogg | 168 |
| 10/03/25 vs Holland Christian | 284 |
| 09/26/25 @ Northview | 255 |
| 09/19/25 @ Catholic Central | 91 |
| + 10 more games |
They were just one part of a punishing run game: East Grand Rapids was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 287 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in September of 2024.
East Grand Rapids didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Jacob Goossens and Abe Iakiri. East Grand Rapids received some extra help from Grant Adloff, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
The win (which was East Grand Rapids' fourth in a row) raised their record to 6-2. Those victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 11.3 points on average over those games. As for Ottawa Hills, they are on an eight-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 0-8.
East Grand Rapids didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next matchup, a 34-6 win against Forest Hills Central on the 24th. As for Ottawa Hills, they also wasted no time getting back out on the field and have already played their next game, a 12-6 loss against Benton Harbor on the 24th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
