2021 MHSAA Division 2 Playoff Preview

It's time for some postseason football and I couldn't be more excited. Here I go over game-by-game of round 1 and offer some insight into top players, and predictions. Without further ado, here is the official DII playoff preview. Region 1 #4 Traverse City Central vs #28 Saginaw Heritage - TC Central heads into the postseason 8-1 with their only loss being against the #2 division 3 team, DeWitt. QB/MLB [player_tooltip player_id="30131" first="Joshua" last="Burnham"] comes in as a top candidate for Michigan High School Football Player of the Year, and I fully expect him to lead the Trojans deep into the postseason. As for Saginaw Heritage, they’ve played some elite teams over the past few weeks and one can only hope they can find a way to win here. MLB Darien Gumm is going to have to play amazing in order for Heritage to win. #13 Midland Dow vs #22 Bay City Western - Dow is a team that faced some great teams, and they’ve ultimately won the games they were expected to win, and lost the games they weren’t favored in. It’s worth noting that these teams met during week 5 where Dow came away victors 45-44. Bay City Western played a similar schedule with similar results. This game will undoubtedly be close. It’s going to be a battle of running backs as Dow’s <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11284695">Evan Chronowski</a> competes against Logan O’Hare. #3 Caledonia vs #17 Byron Center - It’s a battle of the OK-Red vs OK-White, where I believe one team is heavily favored over the other. Byron Center won the White last season but has fallen flat in the big-time games this season. They’re a very young team and I expect them to greatly improve next season. Caledonia on the other hand is a team that has greatly impressed this season, with their only loss being against the #1 ranked team in division 1, Rockford. Caledonia G [player_tooltip player_id="30184" first="Andrew" last="DeVries"] is the biggest name to watch in this one. #5 Forest Hills Central vs #16 Mona Shores - What a matchup for the first round! Mona Shores is one of the most elite, experienced programs in the state having dominated the playoffs in recent memory. On the other end, Forest Hills Central won the OK-White, going undefeated in league play, with their only loss being against #4 ranked D1 team, Grand Blanc in a thriller. This is an honest toss-up and the absolute best game to watch in the Grand Rapids area this week. Mona Shores CB [player_tooltip player_id="93664" first="Mark" last="Konecny"] and FHC MLB [player_tooltip player_id="30202" first="Tyler" last="Weaver"] headline the talent in this one. Region 2 #11 Portage Central vs #30 Jackson - Coming from the Southwestern league, Portage Central comes in as the heavy favorite against Jackson. Central MLB <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/13105071">[player_tooltip player_id="30300" first="Tyler" last="Stolsky"]</a> headlines talent in this game, and I frankly expect him to be making plays all over the field. #20 Lakeview vs #21 Dexter - Here’s an interesting matchup that Dexter is favored in. Dexter, headlined by Michigan State commit [player_tooltip player_id="162655" first="Cole" last="Cabana"], is in a good position to make the most of their talent. Lakeview needs to play a great game in order to win this one, and the home-field advantage will certainly help. #2 South Lyon vs #32 Swartz Creek - South Lyon is in a good position as any to win a state championship as they’ve earned the #2 rank in DII. Averaging 40PPG with an undefeated record and winning all games by at least 2 scores, South Lyon is the heavy favorite against the last team in. WR [player_tooltip player_id="99356" first="Quinn" last="Fracassi"] headlines the talent in this matchup. #9 Milford vs #10 East Lansing - Two highly ranked teams will face off at the bottom of region 2. East Lansing is the favorite because of the strength of schedule, with their losses being against Grand Blanc, DeWitt, and Holt. Region 3 #8 Berkley vs #24 Waterford Mott - Berkley has taken a huge step up over these past few years, and they came awfully close to winning the OAA Blue. The Bears defense is great, having held a team like Bloomfield Hills to just 13 points. Mott on the other hand is back in the postseason with a better team than the #24 ranking would suggest. 3/4 of their losses came under one possession, and they played good teams this season. Overall I find this matchup to be incredibly intriguing. #15 Lakeland vs #19 Walled Lake Western - These two teams were supposed to meet during the regular season but a Covid case called it off. This should be a great matchup, as they offer similar results against common opponents. Lakeland’s <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11628018">Reed Jabiro</a> and Western’s [player_tooltip player_id="30322" first="Drew" last="Viotto"] headline talent in this matchup. Expect a shootout. #6 Livonia Churchill vs #31 Crestwood - Having defeated Belleville this season, Churchill comes in as a heavy favorite against Crestwood. This matchup is headlined by Churchill QB [player_tooltip player_id="93666" first="Taj" last="Williams"] and Crestwood OLB <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11502933">[player_tooltip player_id="30311" first="Tronice" last="Hammond"]</a>. #7 Bedford vs #25 Livonia Franklin - This matchup is very interesting, as Bedford has been playing great football, while Franklin stands at 4-5, though they’ve played some of the best teams in the state, even coming very close to defeating Fordson. I’m looking forward to seeing who comes out on top in this one. Region 4 #12 L’Anse Creuse vs #27 Roseville - During the regular season, Roseville got the best of Creuse 48-14. I overall think that Roseville matches up favorably with Creuse, though this game should prove to be more competitive than last time. #14 Port Huron Northern vs #18 Port Huron - It’s always fun to see two rivals face off in the postseason, and that’s exactly what we’re getting here. When these two teams faced off during week 7, Port Huron came out on top 14-7. I expect this matchup to be just as good as the last time they faced off. #1 De La Salle vs #19 U-D Jesuit - These teams faced off against one another just last week, and De La Salle came out on top 49-14, and I don’t see this one playing out any differently. De La Salle stands undefeated having played a grueling schedule, and they’re the consensus favorite to win the DII State Championship. OLB <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11276094">[player_tooltip player_id="30205" first="Will" last="Beesley"]</a> is a great name to watch for De La Salle in this one. #23 Grosse Pointe South vs #26 Lakeview - These two teams met during week 2, and GP South came away with the victory 41-0. Frankly, I don’t see this matchup playing out any differently. One of the best defensive backs in the country [player_tooltip player_id="80918" first="William" last="Johnson"] will be showcasing his talents for GP South. Scout's notes Region 1 This region is STACKED with 4 teams I think could make a state championship run. West Michigan has produced some amazing DII squads and here's where it all pays off. If you're in West Michigan, I would undoubtedly go see FHC face Mona Shores this week. Region 2 Here's more of a balanced region with South Lyon really standing out. Dexter I find interesting and a possible dark horse to win this region. Overall I'm am excited to get to know this region better, as I have seldom covered these teams. Region 3 I believe this region to be very competitive without a clear-cut favorite. I could see just about anyone from this region finding a way to win, where they'll likely face De La Salle in the semifinals. Region 4 De La Salle is the team to beat, and they come in as the heavy favorite to win this region. If there was a team from this region that shocks the world, I believe that team to be #27 Roseville.