Friday Night Kickoff

We know that St. Joe*, Lakeshore, Portage Central*, Cassopolis, Mendon*, White Pigeon, Decatur, Hartford*, Three Rivers, Dowagiac and Paw Paw are in the playoffs.  (undefeated teams with the asterisk[*]).

Jackson Lumen Christi, Coloma, Centreville, and Saugatuck all need one win over these next two games to clinch a spot.

Now there are a number of teams that need to win BOTH of their last two games to clinch a playoff spot.  They are Portage Northern, Kalamazoo Central, Marshall, Battle Creek Lakeview, Berrien Springs, Buchanan, Edwardsburg, Lake Michigan Catholic, Marcellus, Fennville, Gobles, Bloomingdale, South Haven, Otsego, and Vicksburg.      Not all of these will make it, some of them are playing each other in these last two weeks.

Now these are the teams that have 4 losses, while not impossible, there is a chance that some teams with a 5-4 record can make it to the playoffs.   Based on playoff points and teams already meeting the minimum wins, the MHSAA usually has 10-12 5-4 teams that make the playoffs.  Battle Creek Central, Niles, Battle Creek Harper Creek, Eau Claire, Bronson, Bangor, Lawton, and Plainwell still have a chance, albeit slim.   In face St. Joe did in 2006, and beat Gull Lake 14-0 in the first round, so it does happen.

Now as for possible playoff matchups.

In Division 3.  The problem for Division three is that there aren't any real "local" teams for St. Joe and Lakeshore as in previous years.  A few years ago, division 3 qualifiers included teams like Sturgis, Niles, Mattawan, Gull Lake, and Harper Creek, but none of those teams are expected to make the playoffs.  That skews the district a bit and you have to go more north towards the Grand Rapids/Holland area.   If the MHSAA moves the district north towards Grand Rapids, you might find Holland Christian, Zeeland East, Hamilton, and Grand Rapids Christian down in this district.   Or the MHSAA could move the pairing to the east, which means you could have Three Rivers and Charlotte.  However, Three Rivers and Holland Christian could end up in division 4..   The Grand Rapids option is probably going to be the end result, because that would make it a Grand Rapids "Region",    The GR Area has maybe 6 teams that could find their way in to the matchup with St. Joe and Lakeshore.    There is a possiblity that Charlotte and Mason could be in the District with St. Joe and Lakeshore.... sound confused yet???  BTW, Mason and Charlotte are near Lansing.