2021 MHSAA Division 3 Playoff Preview

Michigan’s Division III holds a bounty of talent and excellent teams, and I’m incredibly excited to be following this bracket. Let’s take a look at the bracket, and preview the first-round matchups, as well as look ahead to potential future matchups. Region 1 #2 DeWitt vs #32 Ionia - Dewitt begins their attempt to defend their state championship title, and I believe they have an excellent shot at doing so. Wisconsin commit [player_tooltip player_id="30211" first="Tommy" last="McIntosh"] leads the charge, and I fully expect DeWitt to perform incredibly well. In terms of Ionia, if they’re able to pull off the upset, it would be one for the history books. #4 Mount Pleasent vs #13 Marquette - A great early matchup, two teams that are no stranger to the postseason meet for an early test. Marquette made a bit of a run last season, and they look to pull off the upset here. If they were to do so, I would expect [player_tooltip player_id="99327" first="Justin" last="Jurmu"] to have a standout performance. For Mount Pleasent, they’ve been playing great football over the past few years but have failed to advance very far. I expect this to be a great game. #5 Muskegon vs #26 Lowell - Muskegon is surely one of the elite teams in the state. They’ve been to countless state championships, have some elite talent, coaching, etc. I expect <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/10486101">[player_tooltip player_id="30158" first="Myles" last="Walton"]</a> to play an awesome game, leading Muskegon to victory. As for Lowell, they’ve been playing good football lately and they always play many top teams. Although young, I know this stage won’t be too big for the Red Arrows. I expect this game to be close at first, then Muskegon will pull away late. #10 Cedar Springs vs #25 Coopersville - Both teams have had standout seasons up to this point. Cedar Springs comes in as the obvious favorite, having performed very well against top competition this year. Their biggest strength is the balance of the team, and I expect them to come out well-coached and ready to go. In terms of Coopersville, they’ve had a good season going 6-3, while losing 2 games by a possession or less. DE [player_tooltip player_id="206954" first="Timothy" last="Allen"] is going to be the X factor for this Coopersville team. Region 2 #11 Lakeshore vs #24 Zeeland East - Here’s a game that I could see going either way. Zeeland East has either gotten blown out or were the ones blowing teams out, with no in-between. [player_tooltip player_id="162660" first="Tag" last="Bonnema"] headlines the talent for East. As for Lakeshore, they’ve had a great season, though they’re on a 2-game losing streak against some elite teams. All in all, I expect this game to be good. #12 Zeeland West vs #22 St. Joseph - Zeeland West has been on a roll, with their only two losses being against Mona Shores and Muskegon. On the other end, St. Joseph is on a 4-game losing streak and it’s going to be tough not to make it 5 straight. My gut says the Dux win this one easily. #21 Harper Creek vs #31 Gull Lake - This is a matchup I expect to be quite good, as both teams head into the postseason with momentum. Harper Woods RB Chris Castle and Gull Lake QB <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11586288">Silas VanWormer</a> are two players to watch in this one. #27 Parma Western vs #29 Mattawan - Here’s a very unlikely matchup, as Western comes in at 6-3, while Mattawan sneaks into the postseason at 3-5. This should be a good matchup and a rare early matchup between two low seeds. Region 3 #15 Mason vs #30 South Lyon East - Mason comes into this one 7-2, while South Lyon East comes in 3-6. In general, South Lyon East only has 1 good win against a 6-3 Lakeland team, with the other 2 wins coming from bad teams. As for Mason, they’ve been looking great. On a 5-game winning streak, Mason looks like the heavy favorite. #17 Haslett vs #20 Pinckney - Haslett is the favorite here, and I don’t see it going the other way. At 7-2, Haslett comes in with the better resume and better talent, though Pinckney could make this game close. #8 Brother Rice vs #28 Avondale - Brother Rice is back in the postseason and they’re looking as good as they’ve been in years. With a grueling schedule, Brother Rice ended with a respectable 6-3, with their losses being against state championship contenders. WR <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11455712">[player_tooltip player_id="30262" first="Cole" last="Lacanaria"]</a> is the top talent to watch for the Warriors. As for Avondale, they’re 4-5 and they’ve been heating up as of late. I don’t think the Yellowjackets will back down, and I expect this game to be close for a while. Much of this team’s success will lie on the shoulders of Senior QB [player_tooltip player_id="93689" first="Jake" last="Herzog"]. #19 Kearsley vs #23 St. Mary’s - An interesting matchup, I see St. Mary’s having the edge due to their regular-season competition. [player_tooltip player_id="30146" first="Jordan" last="Cannon"] is the player to watch for St. Mary’s. As for Kearsley, they come in red hot and surely have a shot to win this game. I see Landon Watters as a crucial piece for this team’s success. Region 4 #1 Detroit MLK vs #18 Warren Fitzgerald - Detroit MLK is one of the premier teams in the state, and most definitely the most publicized team in Division 3. Of course, QB [player_tooltip player_id="30316" first="Dante" last="Moore"] is perhaps the most famous high school player in the state, and it’s for good reason. He’s dominant, and I just don’t see Warren Fitzgerland getting close to defeating this titan. #9 Harper Woods vs #14 River Rouge - Now here’s a great matchup. These two teams have elite talent, and both have the potential to go very far in this year’s postseason. If [player_tooltip player_id="30142" first="Tayshawn" last="Trent"], <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11028865">[player_tooltip player_id="30141" first="Christion" last="Stokes"]</a>, and [player_tooltip player_id="30188" first="Vinny" last="Booth"] can all have a great offensive performance, Harper Woods has an excellent shot to win. As for River Rouge, this is a team that advanced to the state championship last season, and they have similar talent. <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11401007">[player_tooltip player_id="30139" first="Davonte" last="Miles"]</a> and <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/14272518">Nicholas Marsh</a> headline the talent. Needless to say, this is an incredible first-round matchup that should be an offensive shootout. #3 Gibraltar Carlson vs #16 Trenton - These teams met earlier in the season, and Carlson came out on top 28-27. Overall, this matchup has the makings of another classic. Jason Marshall headlines the defensive talent for Trenton, and will surely make a big impact. On the other end, [player_tooltip player_id="30178" first="Jaishaun" last="Williams"] is Carlson’s best defensive player. This game could be a battle of the defenses and I expect it to be good. #6 Allen Park vs #7 Riverview - It’s impossible to predict this one, as Riverview comes in undefeated, though Allen Park with 2 losses against incredible teams. QB <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11129669">[player_tooltip player_id="164626" first="Preston" last="Thompson"]</a> is going to be the X-Factor for Riverview, while G <a class="uni-link--implied" href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/3073244">Gabe Craig</a> looks to anchor the line for Allen Park. I expect the winner of this one to face Detroit King in the regional finals.