Offenses explode as King defends their D3 Title (Standouts)
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The Division 3 Championship produced the most fireworks of any game this past weekend. In fact, the King offense in particular had one of the most efficient games you’ll ever see. King produced a touchdown in 8 of their 9…
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Continue ReadingThe Division 3 Championship produced the most fireworks of any game this past weekend. In fact, the King offense in particular had one of the most efficient games you’ll ever see. King produced a touchdown in 8 of their 9 possessions, while Muskegon converted on 4 of 10 drives. Sure, it was a slaughter, but we have MANY offensive standouts for both teams. This article will focus on the standouts and will briefly explore the future of both programs.
Box Score
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | FINAL | |
King | 21 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 56 |
Muskegon | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 27 |
Standouts – Full Stats
RB | #3 Sterling Anderson Jr. | King | 2023
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been hearing a lot of buzz around Anderson’s name, and now I know why. The Senior RB rushed for 207 yards and 2TDs against a solid defense. Muskegon is an extremely athletic team, and Sterling outran and out-athleted Muskegon. With his obvious talent, I’m shocked he doesn’t have more offers besides Eastern Kentucky and Tuskegee.
QB | Dante Moore Dante Moore 6'2" | 210 lbs | QB Detroit King | 2023 State MI | King | 2023
Moore was having so much fun out there, and he threw a nearly perfect game. He looked better, looser, and more accurate than last season. Dante was a league above anyone on the field. It was as if Matthew Stafford played a game for Central Michigan. It’s obvious that Moore is ready for college, and I can’t wait to see him play in the Green and Yellow!
Stats: 21/26 (8/8 in Q1), 275 yds, 4TDs
G | #77 Miguel Botello Miguel Botello 6'4" | 300 lbs | OL Muskegon | 2024 State MI | Muskegon | 2024
This is a player I’ve wanted to watch for over a year, and I finally got to see him last night. I need to review the full film, but I was extremely impressed with Miguel every time I focused on him. In all plays I watched, Miguel dominated his opposing D lineman, oftentimes driving him back 5-10 yards. In addition, I never saw Miguel take a single play off. Even on runs designed far away from Miguel, he always put in maximum effort. In addition, there was a mentality that Miguel (and much of the Muskegon O-Line) possessed that I’ve very rarely seen. He played much better than some very highly regarded offensive linemen that I’ve watched, and I’ll be diving deep into Miguel once I get rolling on rankings. The only questions about Miguel would be pass blocking and the fact he wasn’t named to any all-state or all-region team. I’m confused as to why he wasn’t named to those teams, but I’ll be sure to do my full research soon.
ATH/QB | #3 M’khi Guy M’khi Guy 5'7" | 165 lbs | ATH Muskegon | 2024 State MI | Muskegon | 2024
I’ve also been waiting to see Guy play, and he was the athlete I expected him to be and more. He played well when asked to throw (only threw four passes), but his performance was highlighted by what he was able to do running the ball. Rushing, he totaled 135 yards and 2 TDs, including an electric 60-yard scamper. He also completed 2 passes for 97 yards and 1 touchdown. His passes went for 71 yards and 26 yards. Guy still has one season remaining, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do.
I’m looking forward to diving deeper into this game soon!
Looking Ahead
Muskegon has an excellent shot at returning to the State Championship next season. Of course, they’ll face some formidable foes. The OK-Green is always an incredibly difficult league to play in, but they’re still a playoff lock. In next year’s playoffs, Muskegon could face off against rival Zeeland West again, which is not going to be an easy task. In addition, DeWitt was a young team this season, and I have no doubt they’ll be vastly improved by next season.
King is in a weird spot. Although they’ve won two state championships in a row, I think it’s reasonable to expect a “down year” for them next season. Is King going to miss the playoffs? Very unlikely, but I don’t think they’ll win a third championship in a row (at least not in D3). Of course, this is because of the departure of generational QB Dante Moore Dante Moore 6'2" | 210 lbs | QB Detroit King | 2023 State MI and other D1 recruits such as Jameel Croft Jameel Croft 6'1" | 165 lbs | DB Detroit King | 2023 State MI . I surely expect King to remain a powerhouse.