OK Conference Top Quarterbacks Through Three Weeks

It's hard to believe, but we're already a third of the way through the regular season. Through three weeks, we've been able to gather who the contenders are, and who needs to show a little more to be considered in that group. Below are the 10 quarterbacks who have stepped their games up the most in the first third of the regular season.

Zak Ahern, Rockford 2022”

Zak has made a habit of making defenses look foolish in their attempts to bring him down in the open field. His ability to extend plays and make guys miss with his legs are as good as anyone in the state and is a big reason why Rockford is ranked in the top 5 of the Dzone's Top 100 most recent poll. Through three weeks, Zak has racked up 409 passing yards, five passing touchdowns, 377 rushing yards, and eight rushing touchdowns. If he continues on this pace, the Rams will be considered one of the favorites in Division 1.

Joey Silveri, Grand Rapids Catholic Central 2022”

No one's stats have been as eye-opening as Joey Silveri's through three weeks. The Catholic Central senior has completed 54 of 73 passes for 804 yards and 13 touchdown passes in just three games. He's also rushed for two touchdowns. Joey has made outstanding plays week in and week out, running the Cougar offense with precision and scoring at will in the process.

Cameron Chandler, Unity Christian 2022”

Cameron has the number one offense in the state humming at over 58 points per game as the Crusaders look like one of the early favorites in Division 4. His dual-threat ability has been a key to Unity's 3-0 start as he's shown he can impact the game with both his arms and legs. Cameron's efficiency, to me, is the most impressive part of his game, which was no more evident than his game against Grand Rapids Christian where he went 7-of-7 for 186 yards and three touchdowns, and he rushed for 51 yards and two touchdowns.

Jackson Gates, Comstock Park 2022”

Jackson came out hot to start the season, completing 12 of 18 passes for 221 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for 82 yards and two touchdowns in the Panther's lopsided week one win over Grant. He's since then guided Comstock Park to their first 3-0 start since 2017, including a huge week-three win over Sparta in what figures to be a consequential game in the OK Silver title race.

Mark Konecny, Mona Shores 2022”

No one had bigger shoes to fill than Mark Konecny, who took over for two-time Player of The Year and back-to-back state champion Brady Rose. Mark has done so rather smoothly, guiding the Sailors to a 2-1 start. Mark is a physical presence who isn't afraid to lower his shoulder to get extra yards, and he can get the ball out to all parts of the field with his arm. Although Mona Shores dropped a marque matchup against King in week two, they'll have plenty of chances to shore up their playoff resume in the following weeks with matchups against Zeeland West and Muskegon.

Tommy Stevens, Grand Rapids Union 2023"

Tommy has received a toon of buzz in the first three weeks, thanks in large part to Union's 2-1 start. The junior quarterback started the season with a 219 rushing yard, 77 passing yards, and three touchdown performance against Ottawa Hills in a week one win. Last week his play continued to dazzle as Union got off to a big lead over Mona Shores before the Sailors rallied back to win. The Red Hawks should feel good about the short-term future of their program with Tommy Stevens under center.

Mason McKenzie, Caledonia 2023”

Another junior who has been as impressive as it gets is Caledonia's Mason McKenzie. Mason has guided the Fighting Scots to a 3-0 record and a chance to start 2-0 in the OK Red for the first time in program history with a win on Friday against East Kentwood. Mason looked calm, cool, and collected while scoring three touchdowns in last week's 24-14 win over Granville. In my opinion, Mason's ability to improvise on the run is as good as I've seen this year. Sign me up for week seven when Zak Ahern and Rockford clash with Mason and Caledonia in what could be the game of the year in the OK Red.

Justin Osterhouse, Forest Hills Central 2023”

Forest Hills Central entered the 2021 season as one of the most talked-about teams due to the way they ended last season and because of the play of senior quarterback Hunter Robinson. Unfortunately, Robinson went down with an injury prior to week one, leaving the opportunity for Ranger junior Justin Osterhouse to step up in his absence. Justin has Forest Hills Central sitting at 2-1 and looking like legit contenders in Division 2. The Rangers offense hasn't missed a beat due to Justin's accurate passes and timely runs.

Hunter Schichtel, Byron Center 2023"

Byron Center has faced more adversity through three weeks than the average team as they've had to deal with back-to-back opponents forfeiting games due to COVID. The Bulldogs had to travel to Indiana to find a game this past week and were able to escape with a double-overtime win to improve to 3-0 on the year. Byron Center junior quarterback Hunter Schichtel deserves a lot of credit for keeping Byron Center locked in amongst the uncertainties in the first three weeks of the season. His week one performance of 363 total yards and five touchdowns against Birmingham Seaholm show a glimpse of how dangerous the Bulldogs can be on offense this season.

Trey Carr, Hudsonville 2023”

Hudsonville played one of the toughest out of conference schedules in the state, facing Saline and Orchard Lake St. Mary's in back-to-back weeks. Despite losing both of those games late in the fourth quarter, Hudsonville has looked like a team that can play with anyone in the area. The Eagle's junior quarterback is a big reason why you shouldn't count Hudsonville out despite the 1-2 start. Trey has manufactured comebacks late in the 4th quarter and is willing to put his body on the line in crunch time. Expect big things out of Trey and Hudsonville as we enter the second third of the season.