As recently as five years ago, Mattawan finished just inside the Top 100 in the state, ranked 98th overall with a 4-11-2 record. While a COVID-shortened season may not have produced a full 25-game resume, the Wildcats did have a proven track record of finishing in ‘the middle of the pack’ for the better part of a decade. In fact, they had never ranked higher than 49th and even dropped as low as 104th in ‘18-19. That is until last winter, when a senior-heavy class propelled Mattawan into the Top 25 for the first time. 

Can coach Ben Miller’s program continue to climb the state ranks, similar to Jeffers’ rise to prominence last winter? He’ll certainly have some pieces to build around with returners like Ben Edington and Gavin Weich. Plus, the South Central Hockey League (SCHL) feels like the Wildcats’ to lose, now that their biggest threat — Cap City — has left the league. 

Portage (56th), Kalamazoo (66th) and Eastside (70th) all finished within 15 spots of each other in the statewide rankings by MyHockeyRankings last season. It is quite possible one of, or all three of these programs follow in the path that Mattawan has forged up the rankings. There’s a possibility for someone to overtake the Wildcats for supremacy in the league, especially with key figures like Eastside’s Becket Fast and Caden Olger, Ethan Rule and Evan Kakabeeke from Portage, or even Kalamazoo United, with arguably the best player in the SCHL, Brady Penny.

CONFERENCE FAST FACTS:

The SCHL is the largest league in the state by surface area, with more than 80 miles separating Eastside schools from Kalamazoo and Portage programs. 

At least one league member has won an MHSAA regional title six of the last seven seasons.

This is the second year in a row the league has lost a former member (Lumen Christi, ‘24-25 and Cap City, ‘25-26).

Every team in the SCHL last season won at least 12 games, with a combined 59-31-3 record against non-league opponents. 

Four of the five programs could return their primary starting goalies from a season ago, with a combined 70 starts between Zane Zwolensky (Eastside), Gavin Weich (Mattawan), Lee LaPorte (Portage) and Brady Taylor (Kalamazoo United). 

Last Season’s Champion: Mattawan

The Wildcats dominated in league-play last winter, going 9-1-0 and out-scoring opponents 46-18 in those games. Gavin Weich should return between the pipes for Mattawan; he went 14-5-1 last season and faced four Top-25 opponents as a sophomore. There’s potential for him to take a big step in ‘25-26, and same for the rest of the Mattawan squad that could return as many as 16 skaters from a season ago.

Portage is a tough bunch too, though. And let’s not forget, Kalamazoo was the one team from this league to win a regional championship after stunning a Top-25 team in Forest Hills Central last season. If one thing’s for certain, we’ve come to expect well coached, tight games with plenty of strategy involved when it comes to the SCHL.

Returning Players to Watch

Beckett Fast, Eastside Forward

You’re going to see ‘Fast from Olger’ on the scoresheet a lot this season. Caden Olger has good vision and finds passing lanes, which is good for Fast, who can flat out finish when he gets an open look. 

Brady Penny, Kalamazoo United Senior Forward

KU’s do-it-all forward. Penny is a bonafide goal scorer who also backchecks his ass off, blocks shots and distributes the puck to get others involved as well. Don’t sleep on KU, because Penny alone is good enough to make them a dark horse.

Ethan Rule, Portage Junior Forward

Rule may have the best shot in the league, with a very quick release. He scored 12 goals and 27 points in his first season of varsity hockey last winter; which was good enough to lead Portage in both categories. 

Ben Edington, Mattawan Junior Defenseman

Edington is really coming together as a complete high school player on the back end. He scored nine goals and 19 points as a sophomore last season, and is capable of going coast to coast producing offense off the rush.

Evan Kakabeeke, Portage Senior Defenseman

A good skater who shows excellent patience with the puck and processes the game as it unfolds. Kakabeeke was a point-per-game guy for the Muskies as a junior, and his role should only get bigger as Portage leans on him even more this winter.

Lee LaPorte, Portage Senior Goalie

He’s played in 65 career games over the past three seasons, and legitimately gives the Muskies a chance every time he’s in net. LaPorte had a .930 save percentage as a junior and made 30 or more saves 11 times last season. 

Petey’s Prediction: Mattawan

They graduated their top four scorers from a season ago, and I don’t know that they can reach the heights of the Top 25 again this winter, but I do believe Mattawan is the team to beat in the SCHL. I’m buying in on what coach Miller is building, and I think they continue expanding on their non-con footprint that featured the likes of Livonia Stevenson, Alpena and Byron Center. In fact, four opponents from ‘24-25 went on to win regional titles later on in the year. That’s a pretty tough slate. Expect the Wildcats to continue pushing the envelope and challenging themselves against the best the state has to offer, and rounding out into a real threat come season’s end.

Portage in particular presents a bit of a problem, though. The Muskies have key returners at all three levels of the lineup, with their leading scorer (Ethan Rule), top defenseman (Evan Kakabeeke) and starting goalie (Lee LaPorte) from last winter. 

Check out Petey’s Picks on Instagram for complete conference standings projections!