COOPERSVILLE, MI – There was a quiet confidence amongst the Ludington football team earlier this summer when they attended our annual MLive Muskegon high school football media day event.

There was nothing quiet about their season-opening performance on Thursday night, however, as the Orioles traveled to defending River Cities Alliance league champion Coopersville and rolled past the Broncos for a convincing 40-13 win.

Ludington senior quarterback Cam Gunsell rushed for 246 yards and five touchdowns on 34 carries, was 8-for-11 passing for 116 yards and one touchdown to fuel the Orioles on offense.

Taj Williams caught four passes for 51 yards, while Messiah Himes added three receptions for 31 yards and one touchdown. Michael Wilson added 21 yards rushing on three carries, Cooper Holmes added 14 yards on two carries and Mikey Himes added 13 yards on seven carries.

Gunsell was also a game-changer on defense, as he registered a team-high six tackles. Wilson added five tackles, Messiah Himes added four tackles, Walt Autrey had four tackles, including one sack, Colin Shelton had three tackles, including one sack, and JT Keith had one interception in his career varsity game.

“This was a great win for our team and program,” said Ludington head coach Charlie Gunsell. “Coming down to Coopersville and playing in this environment against a very good football team speaks volumes about our kids. We are excited to get back to work next week as we prepare for Mason County Central.”

Ludington (1-0) will travel to Mason County Central (1-0) next week.

Below is a recap of how all the Muskegon-area high school football teams fared on Thursday night.

NOTE: Games will be updated as stats become available from area coaches.

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Forest Hills Central 18, Reeths-Puffer 12

The Rockets fell behind 18-0 in the second half and mounted a furious rally in the fourth quarter, but a pair of late turnovers proved costly as they fell to the Rangers in their season opener.

Braylon Swain connected with Mason Darke for a 33-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to get the Rockets on the board. Swain added a 19-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Ja’Michael Williams on the next drive to bring Reeths-Puffer within one possession but an interception and a fumble on the ensuing possessions ended their valiant comeback effort.

Swain finished 11-for-18 passing for 154 yards with two touchdowns and one interception to pace the Reeths-Puffer offense, while Williams added three receptions for 67 yards and one touchdown.

Cal Millis registered eight tackles to lead the Reeths-Puffer defense, while Connort McManus added seven stops.

Reeths-Puffer (0-1) travels to Caledonia (1-0) in Week 2.

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Forest Hills Eastern 26, Montague 14

The Wildcats trailed 20-7 at halftime and couldn’t complete a second-half comeback in a narrow loss to the Hawks.

Eli Petersen rushed for 77 yards and one touchdown on 11 carries to pace the Montague offense, while Cooper Bradley added 40 yards on five carries and Fletcher Thommen had 10 yards rushing and one touchdown on four carries.

Dylan Bailey registered nine tackles to lead the Montague defense, while Maverick Osborne added seven tackles, including two for a loss, Cooper Bradley had seven tackles and Dane Roesler had six.

Montague (0-1) will travel to Oakridge (1-0) in West Michigan Conference Lakes Division action next week.

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Grand Blanc 35, Mona Shores 20

The Bobcats used big plays and a stingy defense to take a 28-7 lead over the Sailors in the first half of Thursday night’s game at Mona Shores High School.

The host Sailors drew within two scores at 28-14 in the third quarter but Grand Blanc answered back with a score of its own on the next drive and continued to fend off Mona Shores to pick up an impressive road win in its season opener.

Mona Shores senior standout Tomarion Steward finished with a game-high 174 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries to pace the Sailors, while quarterback Joe Thole was 5-for-11 passing for 43 yards, including a 23-yard touchdown pass to Dominic Piggue.

Mona Shores (0-1) will host River Rouge (1-0) in Week 2.

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Grand Haven 38, Stevensville Lakeshore 0

The Buccaneers used an explosive first half and a dominant defensive effort to cruise past Stevensville Lakeshore on Thursday night.

Amani Frierson opened the scoring with a 24-yard touchdown run for Grand Haven, while quarterback Easton Hintz added a 73-yard touchdown scramble to help Grand Haven take an early 14-0 lead.

Will Plummer added a 33-yard field goal, followed by a two-yard touchdown run by Tanner Wolf and a 19-yard touchdown pass from Hintz to Luke Ratke pushed the Buccaneers ahead by a score of 31-0 at halftime.

Wolf added a four-yard touchdown run in the second half to extend the Grand Haven lead to 38-0.

The Grand Haven defense was relentless from the start, as they limited the Lancers to 106 total yards of total offense and forced four turnovers.

Hintz finished with 86 yards rushing and completed 11-of-13 passes for 104 yards, while Wolf added 40 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 11 carries. Frierson tacked on 35 yards rushing and one touchdown on five carries and caught three passes for 36 yards, while Devon King caught three passes for 26 yards and Luke Ratke added a 19-yard touchdown reception.

Carson Tithof led the Grand Haven defense with seven tackles, while Levi Tubergan added six stops.

Grand Haven (1-0) will travel to Traverse City West (0-1) in Week 2.

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Grandville 44, Muskegon 40

The Big Reds found themselves in an offensive shootout Thursday night at Grandville, as the two teams combined for 84 points and 907 yards of total offense.

Grandville senior standout Jayden Terry stole the show, rushing for 273 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 19 carries to power the Bulldogs to a wild 44-40 home win.

For Muskegon, Lamar Bradford rushed 22 times for 137 yards and one touchdown and was 6-for-8 passing for 53 yards and another score.

Petty finished with 104 yards rushing and one touchdown on six carries and added a 96-yard kickoff return for a score, while Keshawn Drummer added 12 carries for 118 yards and one touchdown.

Amiere Chandler rushed three times for 41 yards and one touchdown, Jamir Mathews-Foster had five carries for 24 yards and Demetrius Rainey-Brown had three receptions for 40 yards and one touchdown.

Ja’Mier Jefferson led the Muskegon defense with 11 tackles, while Jacob Watkins and Dacari Johnson each added seven tackles, Amiere Chandler and Charles Chatman each had six tackles and Recarder Kitchen had five.

Muskegon (0-1) will host Rockford (0-1) next week in another non-conference showdown.

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MORE: Jayden Terry runs wild as Grandville football outlasts Muskegon in Week 1 showdown

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Hopkins 29, Fremont 14

The Packers fell behind 20-0 in the first quarter and couldn’t complete a second-half comeback, as they fell to the Vikings in non-conference action.

Brayden Crosley was 18-for-30 passing for 235 yards and added 61 yards rushing to pace the Fremont offense, while Gabe Hulst added 134 yards receiving on seven receptions and Aiden Hunt had seven catches for 71 yards.

Karter Frens (3 yards) and Cayden Vincent (4 yards) each scored rushing touchdowns to cap off scoring drives for the Packers.

Crosley also led the Fremont defense with 12 tackles, while Kayden Sternberg added five tackles, including one for a loss. Vincent and Hulst each recorded four tackles, while Diego Diaz and Eli Hertel each added three tackles.

Fremont (0-1) travels to Manistee (1-0) for a West Michigan Conference Lakes Division battle in Week 2.

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Hudsonville Unity Christian 55, Whitehall 14

The Vikings fell behind 40-14 at halftime and couldn’t find any answers against the Crusaders on Thursday night.

Cole Essebaggers was 10-for-13 passing for 128 yards and one touchdown and added 50 yards rushing on 16 carries to pace the Whitehall offense, while Liam Leeke added 109 yards and one touchdown on 19 carries.

Corde Anderson registered 64 yards receiving on six receptions and one touchdown, while Hunter Osborne added three receptions for 64 yards.

Whitehall (0-1) hosts Orchard View (0-1) in West Michigan Conference Lakes Division action in Week 2.

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Kent City 42, Newaygo 22

Logan Thompson finished with 142 yards rushing and three touchdowns, including scores of 39 and 46 yards, to pace the Kent City offense, while Andre Meade added 66 yards rushing and two touchdowns and Cooper Stinson had 40 yards rushing and one score.

Sammy Anderson added 44 yards rushing, Harrison Smith had 30 yards rushing, Blake Peterson had 24 yards rushing and Levi Thompson had 22 yards rushing.

Jayden Loomis-Sandison registered 13 tackles, including two for a loss, to anchor the Kent City defense, while Stinson added six tackles and Keegan Zunun-Chappell had five stops.

Trevor Garbrecht recorded a two-yard touchdown run in the first half for Newaygo, while Damone Moore added a 15-yard touchdown run and Ryan Pickard tacked on a 10-yard touchdown run in the second half.

Kent City (1-0) travels to Wyoming Godwin Heights (1-0) in Week 2, while Newaygo (0-1) hosts Central Montcalm (1-0).

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Manistee 42, Remus Chippewa Hills 15

Landin Sowa rushed for 116 yards and one touchdown on 11 carries to pace the Manistee offense, while Wyatt Protasiewicz added 92 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries and Chaos Davis added 68 yards rushing and one touchdown.

Dayvion Neal-Berry was 5-for-8 passing for 79 yards and three passing touchdowns and added 10 carries for 54 yards, while Josh Weiss added 43 yards rushing on nine carries.

Ean Guenthardt caught two passes for 36 yards and two touchdowns, while Braylen Zimmerman added a 33-yard touchdown reception.

Guenthardt registered 12 tackles, including one sack, to anchor the Manistee defense, while Sowa and Zimmerman each added eight tackles and Travis Newenhouse had five tackles and one interception.

Manistee (1-0) hosts Fremont (0-1) next week in West Michigan Conference Lakes Division action.

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Mason County Central 35, Lakeview 0

Tyler Norton rushed for 166 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries to pace the Spartans on Thursday night, while Kaden Ruiz added 65 yards and one touchdown on 12 carries.

Pierce Bladzik was 6-for-14 passing for 91 yards and two touchdowns with one interception, while Eli Smith recorded three receptions for 50 yards and one touchdown, Brandon Peters had two receptions for 31 yards and Mason Maidens hauled in a 10-yard touchdown reception

Peters led the Mason County Central defense with five tackles, while Michael Chye added four tackles.

Mason County Central (1-0) will host Ludington (1-0) next week in a West Michigan Conference crossover matchup.

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New Lothrop 35, Muskegon Catholic Central 7

The Crusaders fell behind 14-0 in the first half and couldn’t keep pace with the Hornets down the stretch, as they fell in a non-conference home showdown Thursday night.

Timmy Railling finished with 149 yards rushing on 14 carries, including an 81-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, to pace the Muskegon Catholic Central offense.

Bode Zygmuntowski was 2-for-4 passing for 18 yards, with both receptions going to Nathan Rowan.

Zygmuntowski led the Crusader defense with seven tackles and one fumble recovery, while Railling added six tackles, and Rowan and Harrison Scharmer each recorded five stops.

Muskegon Catholic Central (0-1) will travel to Riverview Gabriel Richard (0-1) in Week 2.

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Oakridge 29, Orchard View 14

The Eagles held a narrow 22-14 lead at halftime and held the Cardinals scoreless in the second half to secure a hard-fought win in West Michigan Conference Lakes Division action Thursday night.

Jordan Guerrero-McGrady finished with 128 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 30 carries to pace the Oakridge offense, while Jayden Dailey added 53 yards on 12 carries and Parker Williamsen had 44 yards on five carries.

Logen Huston was 4-for-6 passing for 78 yards and one touchdown. Rodrick Parks Jr. hauled in a 36-yard touchdown reception, and Preston Six added a 30-yard reception.

Tremane Stevenson registered seven tackles to lead the Oakridge defense, while Guerrero-McGrady added six tackles and Six had five stops.

Peyton Babbitt was 4-for-10 passing for 66 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 162 yards and one touchdown on eight carries to pace Orchard View.

Kenyon McCauley was 2-for-3 passing for 54 yards, while Damari Wright added three receptions for 61 yards and Ca’Mari Reese had two receptions for 44 yards and one touchdown.

Corey McCain and Thomas Klein each registered eight tackles to lead the Orchard View defense, while Damari Wright added seven tackles, and Jaden Ross, Kobe Spann and Kenyon McCauley each had five stops.

Oakridge (1-0) hosts Montague (0-1) next week in West Michigan Conference Lakes Division action, while Orchard View (0-1) travels to Whitehall (0-1) in another league battle.

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Pewamo-Westphalia 35, North Muskegon 6

Bryce Colbert was 11-for-28 passing for 136 yards and one touchdown with three interceptions for North Muskegon, while Cullen Bartos caught six passes for 71 yards and one touchdown and Beckett Hoppa added two receptions for 36 yards.

Hunter Wilder rushed for 33 yards on eight carries, while Carlton Williamson hauled in a 21-yard reception.

Bartos registered 10 tackles to lead the North Muskegon defense, while Wilder added eight tackles and Clint Villalpando had six stops.

North Muskegon (0-1) will host Shelby (1-0) next week in West Michigan Conference Rivers Division action.

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Shelby 57, White Cloud 0

The Tigers jumped out to a 50-0 lead in the first half and rolled to a convincing win in non-conference action Thursday night.

Jaylin Henderson opened the scoring for Shelby with a 70-yard punt return for a score, followed by a 12-yard touchdown pass from Isaac Garcia to Trevor Weiss and a 72-yard punt return for a touchdown from Henderson.

Brody Fessenden added a 2-yard and 3-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter, followed by a 58-yard touchdown pass from Isaac Garcia to Jaylin Henderson and a 34-yard touchdown pass from Garcia to Trevor Weiss.

Fessenden added a 47-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to cap the scoring for Shelby.

Cam Smith led the Shelby defense with 10 tackles, including two for a loss, while Max Hagstrom added eight tackles, Chance Oakes had a fumble recovery and Trevor Weiss had one interception.

Vincent Savile was 4-for-7 passing for 56 yards to lead White Cloud, while JaMario Roberts hauled in a 35-yard reception and Riley Borgman had three receptions for 21 yards.

Trysten Tancock recorded four tackles and one fumble recovery to lead the White Cloud defense, while Logan Stamp added four tackles, Steven Zook had one interception and Mick Penland had a fumble recovery and Cameron Ragon had one forced fumble.

Shelby (1-0) travels to North Muskegon (0-1) next week in West Michigan Conference Rivers Division action, while White Cloud (0-1) hosts Harrison (1-0).

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Spring Lake 42, Fruitport 14

The Lakers continued their local dominance over rival Fruitport on Thursday, as they rolled to their seventh win in eight meetings in the annual Bayou Battle.

Jack Nash finished with 118 yards rushing and two touchdowns on five carries to pace the Spring Lake offense, while Landon O’Donnell added 113 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries, Mason Herrema recorded 74 yards and one touchdown on 13 carries and Owen Smies added 18 yards and one touchdown on two carries.

Charlie Recor registered an interception to pace the Spring Lake defense.

Carsen Crow finished with 88 yards rushing on six carries to pace the Fruitport offense, while Josh Eppard added 35 yards on 10 attempts and Brady Hanson was 7-for-12 passing for 64 yards and one interception.

Spring Lake (1-0) hosts Gladwin (0-1) next week, while Fruitport (0-1) travels to Big Rapids (1-0).

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Wyoming Kelloggsville 43, Grant 14

Eddie Beight and Paul Bonney each registered rushing touchdowns for the Tigers, while Jack Swanson added a 2-point conversion.

Kohen Obenauf led the Grant defense with 10 tackles, while Beight added six tackles, including two for a loss and Swanson had four stops.

Grant (0-1) travels to Hesperia (0-1) in Week 2.

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8-PLAYER

Brethren 34, Muskegon Heights Academy 14

The Tigers fell behind 28-6 in the first half and couldn’t mount a second-half rally, as they fell to the Bobcats in their season opener.

Cartiyeah Harris finished with 75 yards rushing on eight carries and added a 65-yard kickoff return for a score to pace Muskegon Heights. Dalvin Day added a 60-yard touchdown reception.

Gakari Wilson-Moore and Kevion Norris each recorded nine tackles to lead the Muskegon Heights defense, while Jeff Banks forced two fumbles.

Muskegon Heights (0-1) will travel to Lawrence (0-1) in Week 2.

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FINAL SCORES

Hart 38, Lake City 6

Beal City 15, Ravenna 2

Farwell 42, Hesperia 21

Colon 39, Holton 28

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