Division 1: Regions 3 and 4 Deep-Dive

D1 as a whole, is an extremely open field with many championship contenders. Only one team seems to rise slightly above the rest. Regions 3 and 4 are two extremely different regions, with Region 3 being the weakest region in D1, but housing Championship-Favorite Belleville, while Region 4 houses four state-championship contenders. So now, here's who's included in the regions, and here's a detailed breakdown of regions 3 and 4!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/10/Screen-Shot-2022-10-26-at-6.28.17-AM.png" alt="" class="wp-image-490330" width="351" height="460"/></figure>   Region 3   Favorite: Belleville   Belleville is the defending D1 state champion, and they are widely considered the #1 team in Michigan. Belleville towers over the majority of teams in this region, and honestly, this is the weakest region in D1. On paper, Belleville should have little problem making it out of this region, which is an outstanding compliment.   Contenders: Detroit Catholic Central   I firmly believe Catholic Central is the 2nd-best team in this Region and, honestly, the only team from this region that has a chance against Belleville. This team has an amazing defense and an amazing front 7, with an impressive offense. Though, it makes me nervous when I see their only two losses being against two of the most athletic teams in the state. Though they aren't in this category for nothing, as they've had one of the toughest schedules in Michigan and have amazing wins against Brother Rice, DeWitt, Davison, and La Salle (OH). CC is a contender, but barely.   Dark Horse: Saline   Saline is good, but they have yet to prove their regular-season hype in the postseason. Of course, [player_tooltip player_id='77217' first='CJ' last='Carr'] is one of the best QBs Michigan has had, and he was lights-out against Lake Orion last weekend. This team has some really great pieces, but I don't think they're balanced or as well-rounded as they need to be to beat a team like Belleville.   Longshots: Huron, Woodhaven, Northville, Novi, Dearborn   This boils down to one thing. I am very confident that Belleville would blow these teams out. It's a real shame because every single one of these teams has had a great season, and most would be Dark Horses at the very least in any other region. But we have Belleville in this region. Northville-Novi should be fun, and Huron has a great shot at upsetting Saline, but other than that, I don't see these teams doing anything. If you think I'm being too harsh, I sure hope you're proven right and I'm proven wrong.   Region 4   Favorite: None   Contenders: West Bloomfield, Cass Tech, Southfield A&T, Dakota   That's right, no favorites. Instead, four near-equal contenders.   If I was forced to choose one favorite, it would be West Bloomfield. They already handily defeated A&T; they're more consistent than Cass Tech and more talented than Dakota. They won a share of the OAA Red title and boast an amazing defense that seems to only be broken by the Veer offense and an amazing offense with major star power and few flaws. Still, there's a decent chance they get booted out in the first round. WB vs. Cass Tech will be legendary.   Cass Tech has had a strange season. From losing in the best game of the season to A&T, losing against King, then winning against King, then blowing out Brother Rice, this is a young, extremely talented team that I feel is still learning to play together. At this point of the season, it's obviously do-or-die time. At their best, they may be better than any team in this region. At their worst, the dark horses may have a good shot against them.   A&T were the clear winners of the OAA White, and they sport the most high-powered offense in Michigan. 58 points against Cass Tech, and 56 against Clarkston. Against the best teams and best defenses in the state, the offense proves to be the best out there. The defense, on the other hand, is this team's weak spot. All season, this team has been able to win shootouts, and they'll have to continue to do so if they want a semifinal bid. Honestly, I would love an A&T-Belleville semifinal.   Dakota is perhaps the most well-balanced team in the state. As the biggest school in the state, this team has the guys to get it done. Great O-Line, weapons at receiver, a great RB and QB, with a great defense. Oh yeah, they're the only team in this region that's undefeated. They crushed Eisenhower earlier this season, while Romeo and Chippewa Valley are rivals that will be tough games. Though I still expect to see them in the Regional Finals, and they have the best chance to get there out of the four contenders.   Dark Horse: Romeo, Chippewa Valley   I could easily see either one of these teams upsetting Dakota to get to the Regional Finals, but they fall into the Dark Horse category two main reasons. 1. These teams both lost against Dakota this season. 2. I don't think these two teams match up well against A&T, WB, or Cass Tech. Now, Romeo vs. CV in the 1st-round will be an amazing matchup (as it was a few weeks ago), but again, very hard to get past that.   Longshots: Eisenhower, Troy   These teams have an extremely low chance of winning this extremely strong region.   Eisenhower isn't completely out of it. They've had an amazing bounce-back season, they're familiar with Dakota, and they shockingly held WB to 16 points, losing to them 16-13. So, if they pull off the monumental upset of beating Dakota, then defeat either Romeo or CV, then meet WB again in the finals, it could happen. Although extremely unlikely.   Realy for some blunt honesty? Troy is the worst team in the Division 1 playoffs. This team got smoked against Seaholm, and lost against a bad North Farmington team. Also, the OAA Blue is a downgrade from the White, and a monumental downgrade from the OAA Red, which houses WB, Adams, and Clarkston. Last season, Troy came into the playoffs as a 1-loss team, then got destroyed at home (33-0) against Chippewa Valley.

D1 as a whole, is an extremely open field with many championship contenders. Only one team seems to rise slightly above the rest. Regions 3 and 4 are two extremely different regions, with Region 3 being the weakest region in D1, but housing Championship-Favorite Belleville, while Region 4 houses four state-championship contenders. So now, here's who's included in the regions, and here's a detailed breakdown of regions 3 and 4!