GameDay, Muskegon! Everything you need to know before regionals

MUSKEGON, MI – Three Muskegon-area football teams will have an opportunity to claim regional championships this weekend as Whitehall, Newaygo and North Muskegon will hit the gridiron for at least one more game.

The Vikings will host Grand Rapids South Christian on Friday night, while Newaygo will host Lansing Catholic on Saturday at 1 p.m. and North Muskegon will travel nearly 450 miles to Menominee on Saturday for a noon kickoff.

Before they line up for what should be a chaotic weekend of football, let's take a look at the Player of the Week award winner from the district championship round of the playoffs and take a glance at the full schedule for West Michigan-area teams, as well predictions and previews from the MLive high school sports staff.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

For the second week in a row, the North Muskegon football team showcased its lethal offensive attack in an impressive playoff victory. The Norsemen defeated McBain 27-7 to capture a Division 7 district championship and move one step closer to Ford Field.

One of the key playmakers in the victory was sophomore tailback Cullen Bartos, who doubles as a dangerous pass-catching weapon out of the backfield. The shifty ball carrier broke loose for 74 yards rushing and three touchdowns to lead the North Muskegon offense and added 10 tackles on defense to help keep McBain at bay.

On the season, Bartos has rushed for 408 yards and six touchdowns on 66 carries and added 10 receptions for 159 yards and one touchdown. He's also added 66 tackles on the defensive side of the ball for a North Muskegon defense that has allowed 87 total points all season.

Bartos' versatility and impact on both sides of the ball last week caught the attention of readers of MLive and the Muskegon Chronicle, as they flocked to our weekly poll in support of the sophomore standout for the Norsemen.

As the final results rolled in, Bartos gained more than 87 percent of the total votes cast to take home the MLive Muskegon Football Player of the Week award for the opening week of the postseason.

It's also the second week in a row that a North Muskegon offensive weapon has taken home the Player of the Week award as senior wideout TJ Byard hauled in the weekly honor last week following his impressive performance in the district opener against Evart.

RUNNER-UP: Hunter Osborne, Whitehall

The junior wideout for the Vikings hauled in three receptions for 84 yards and one touchdown and added an 11-yard touchdown run to pace his team's offense in a 17-7 win over Big Rapids in the Division 4 district championship game.

EDITOR'S CHOICE: Jonathan Pittman, Mona Shores

The senior quarterback for the Sailors finished 7-for-16 passing for 127 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions and rushed 20 times for 87 yards and two touchdowns to pace the Mona Shores offense in a narrow 30-23 loss to Byron Center in the Division 2 district championship game.

To see all the worthy candidates from this week's poll,.

Below are the full results for our Player of the Week fan vote.

REGIONAL SCHEDULE

Grand Rapids South Christian (7-4) at Whitehall (8-3), 7 p.m.

Portage Central (8-3) at Byron Center (10-1), 7 p.m.

Forest Hills Central (9-2) at Zeeland West (10-1), 7 p.m.

Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep (9-2) at Grand Rapids Catholic Central (7-4), 7 p.m.

North Muskegon (10-1) at Menominee (10-1), noon

Lansing Catholic (8-3) at Newaygo (9-2), 1 p.m.

Hudsonville (10-1) at Howell (11-0) 1 p.m.

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