Division 1 District Finals Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Honestly, Pre-Districts weren't very surprising. Other than a few good games, all of the favorites won. The district finals, on the other hand, oh boy, this is going to be good. Nearly every district finals game is difficult to pick. Division 1 is absolutely stacked, and the field is wide open. Here's a preview of all 8 district final matchups!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Region 1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>District 1 </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Rockford vs. Caledonia: </span>This is the rematch of one of the most highly-anticipated regular season matchups in West Michigan. When these teams faced during the regular season, Caledonia was favored, but Rockford torched them 38-15. The key to this game will be the defenses because once either of these offenses starts to hear up, there's no cooling them down. If one team gets out to an early 14+ point lead, look out! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Players to watch - [player_tooltip player_id='232200' first='Mac' last='VandenHout'], [player_tooltip player_id='407081' first='Mason' last='Mckenzie'], [player_tooltip player_id='232201' first='Alex' last='McLean'], [player_tooltip player_id='407300' first='Jimmie' last='Floyd'], [player_tooltip player_id='394475' first='Rick' last='Beison'], Derek Pennington, Brock Townsend, [player_tooltip player_id='407088' first='Jacob' last='Oleneack']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>District 2</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Grand Ledge vs. Holt</span>: This past weekend, Grand Ledge defeated the KLAA West Champion Brighton, while Holt defeated 6-3 Hartland, also in the KLAA East. That being said, the Capital-Area Blue went 2-0 against the KLAA West, and these rivals will duke it out for a district title. During week 3, Holt impressively defeated Grandville 14-6, but Grand Ledge will be favored here. This should be an amazing game! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Players to Watch - [player_tooltip player_id='407334' first='Shawn' last='Foster'], [player_tooltip player_id='243467' first='Seneca' last='Moore'], JJ Moore, [player_tooltip player_id='268848' first='Teddy' last='Williams'] </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Region 2</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>District 1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Davison vs. Clarkston:</span> This is a game I am highly considering attending. With big names on both teams, this is a battle of two state-title contenders. In addition, these two teams' strengths clash very well. What I mean by this is that Davison has an elite defense, especially when it comes to stopping the run, while Clarkston has one of the best rushing attacks in the state. These are two teams I have been desperately wanting to see in person, and I may just have to. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Players to Watch - [player_tooltip player_id='243468' first='Ethan' last='Clark'], [player_tooltip player_id='30321' first='Cole' last='Dellinger'], [player_tooltip player_id='253268' first='Desman' last='Stephens II'], [player_tooltip player_id='80935' first='Tyler' last='Dosh'], [player_tooltip player_id='80934' first='Carter' last='Herriman'], [player_tooltip player_id='300323' first='Jackson' last='Rice']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>District 2 </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Adams vs. Rochester:</span> On paper, Adams should dominate this game. Though that's what I said when Rochester faced Stoney Creek a few days ago. Still, Adams earned a trip to Ford Field last season, and they run the Veer offense to near-perfection. For Rochester, this is an amazing opportunity for players like [player_tooltip player_id='216997' first='Alex' last='Bueno'] to make more of a name for themselves. I look forward to seeing the outcome of this rivalry matchup. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Players to Watch - [player_tooltip player_id='241265' first='Parker' last='Picot'], [player_tooltip player_id='216997' first='Alex' last='Bueno'], Noah Putrus, Jaiden Bolden, [player_tooltip player_id='248962' first='Brady' last='Prieskorn'], Tait Picot</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Region 3</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>District 1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Belleville vs. Saline:</span> This is a very interesting matchup. This is either going to be a Belleville blowout or a close Saline win. Without a doubt, the Quarterbacks headline this matchup. On one side, you have [player_tooltip player_id='77217' first='CJ' last='Carr'], a Notre Dame commit who has consistently been one of the best QBs in the state. On the other side is [player_tooltip player_id='247690' first='Bryce' last='Underwood'], a young star who may become a [player_tooltip player_id='30316' first='Dante' last='Moore']-esque recruit. What am I saying, with offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Tennessee, Notre Dame, and others, he's already one of the elite prospects in the country. With great talent on both sides, this will be a show, but Belleville will be the heavy favorite. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Players to Watch - [player_tooltip player_id='247690' first='Bryce' last='Underwood'], [player_tooltip player_id='77217' first='CJ' last='Carr'], Camden Pawlick, [player_tooltip player_id='188007' first='Dylan' last='Mesman'], [player_tooltip player_id='212359' first='Isaiah' last='Harris'], [player_tooltip player_id='187999' first='Jeremiah' last='Beasley'], [player_tooltip player_id='188011' first='Renzo' last='Jennings']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>District 2</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Northville vs. Detroit Catholic Central:</span> This is a very intriguing matchup that I expect Catholic Central to win. The Shamrocks are 7-2 with some elite wins, while Northville is 8-2, having down very well in the KLAA West, but are unproven otherwise. Catholic Central has had outstanding success against the bigger, more physical teams in the league but struggled against the more athletically-dominant teams. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Players to Watch - [player_tooltip player_id='300493' first='Luca' last='Prior'], [player_tooltip player_id='128898' first='Graham' last='Gilmartin'], Nathan Lee, [player_tooltip player_id='30334' first='Brayden' last='Courser'], Baechler Houser, Zion Tinnon</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Region 4</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>District 1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Cass Tech vs. Southfield A&amp;T</span>: Introducing a rematch of what was likely the best game of the regular season! During week 1, A&amp;T pulled off the dramatic 58-56 victory in overtime. This is a battle of the goliaths, as both teams are championship contenders and are itching for an opportunity. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Players to Watch - [player_tooltip player_id='162650' first='Jalen' last='Thompson'], [player_tooltip player_id='284285' first='Cashus' last='Shivers'], [player_tooltip player_id='212358' first='Corey' last='Sadler'], [player_tooltip player_id='77216' first='Isaiah' last='Marshall'], Josiah Williams, [player_tooltip player_id='247706' first='Tashi' last='Braceful']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>District 2</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Dakota vs. Romeo:</span> The MAC Red always meets back up in the playoffs, and this is for the unofficial (but in my eyes more important) MAC Red title. These are bitter rivals that are always atop the Red and have a near-split record against each other in the past decade. When these two teams met in the regular season, Dakota won 21-14. Without a doubt, this is going to be a thriller!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Players to Watch - [player_tooltip player_id='409670' first='Ethan' last='Hamby'], [player_tooltip player_id='409661' first='Owen' last='Colpaert'], Tyler Harper, [player_tooltip player_id='275079' first='Anthony' last='Lomakoski'], [player_tooltip player_id='248788' first='Ryan' last='Relyea'], <br>[player_tooltip player_id='248789' first='Victor' last='Earl']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->