Division 2 Semifinal Preview: TC Central vs Mona Shores

The MHSAA Playoffs are coming to a close with one last hurdle before the State Finals at Ford Field. In Division 2, Muskegon Mona Shores and Traverse City Central will square off to face the winner of Oak Park and Warren De La Salle. Mona Shores and Traverse City Central know each other very well, having played against one another in the Lake Michigan Athletic Conference in the 70s and 80s when Traverse City Central largely dominated the rivalry, winning 17 of 18 contests. Saturday’s game will be the first matchup between these historic programs since 1984 and a lot has changed since then. Mona Shores is seeking its third-straight state finals appearance and Traverse City Central looks to make it to the state finals for the first time since 1988. Below I’ll get into the top prospects for each team, keys to the game, and my prediction. <strong><em>Playoff Road</em></strong> Mona Shores (10-0 OK Green): Pre-District: Defeated Wyoming 54-6, District Semi: Defeated Forest Hills Central 28-25, District Final: Defeated Caledonia 43-35, Regional Final: Defeated East Lansing: 24-21. Traverse City Central (9-1 Big North Conference): Pre-District: Defeated Saginaw Heritage 60-6, District Semi: Defeated Swartz Creek 70-14, District Final: Defeated Midland 30-22, Regional Final: Defeated North Farmington 50-22. <strong><em>Top Prospects</em></strong> <h6>[player_tooltip player_id="29824" first="Brady" last="Rose"], QB, Mona Shores</h6> <h6>[player_tooltip player_id="80409" first="Mason" last="Klos"], OL, Mona Shores</h6> <h6>[player_tooltip player_id="80408" first="Bryce" last="Sikkenga"], OL, Mona Shores</h6> <h6>[player_tooltip player_id="85602" first="Gary" last="Humphrey"], DB, Mona Shores</h6> <h6>[player_tooltip player_id="29679" first="Keondre" last="Pierce"], DB, Mona Shores</h6> <h6>[player_tooltip player_id="29586" first="Carson" last="Briggs"], OL, Traverse City Central</h6> <h6>Josh Burnham, LB, Traverse City Central</h6> <h6>Carson Bourdo, DB, Traverse City Central</h6> <h6>[player_tooltip player_id="29755" first="Austin" last="Bills"], ATH, Traverse City Central</h6> <strong><em>Keys To The Game</em></strong> Both Mona Shores (43 ppg) and Traverse City Central (49 ppg) have dominant offenses led by All-State athletes. Mona Shores’ MLive Player of The Year, [player_tooltip player_id="29824" first="Brady" last="Rose"], has the talent to torch defenses with his arm and legs and makes his Impact felt on defense and special teams. Meanwhile, the Trojans have one of the top prospects in the state in the 2022 class in linebacker Josh Burnham. Josh, whose fielded offers from Michigan, Alabama, Ohio State, and others, stepped in at quarterback this season and has elevated this Traverse City offense to elite status. Burnham has thrown for 1,215 yards and 16 touchdowns and has run for 903 yards and 18 touchdowns. Limiting the damage from Burnham and Rose will be each defense’s top priority, with a huge emphasis put on winning the turnover battle. Given the uncertainty of the playing conditions, time of possession will be crucial to winning the game as well. I’m expecting this game to be one of, if not the best semi-final matchup across the state this weekend, with the game coming down to whoever has the ball last. <strong><em>Prediction: </em></strong><em>Traverse City Central 30, Mona Shores 26</em>