Davison vs. Clarkston Divisional Preview

It's a battle to decide who goes to Regionals! This is a major matchup in the D1 playoffs, and I consider both of these teams to be top-5 in Division 1. In others words, both of these teams have the skill to win a state championship this year, but only one will move on to face either Rochester Adams or Rochester. These are two very different teams; one known for a dominant run game, and one known for a dominant front 7. Furthermore, I will be at this matchup and I couldn't be more excited!   Quick Stats   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td></td><td>Clarkston</td><td>Davison</td></tr><tr><td>Record</td><td>8-2</td><td>9-1</td></tr><tr><td>Points Per Game</td><td>39.2</td><td>43</td></tr><tr><td>Points Against Per Game</td><td>28</td><td>14</td></tr><tr><td>Most Impressive Win</td><td>45-35 over Adams (W3)</td><td>28-21 W over Clarkston (W1)</td></tr><tr><td>Strength of Schedule </td><td>A+</td><td>B+</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   Considering the information above and their close 28-21 Week 1 game at The Big House, this game is going to be close. You could disagree with me and say "Davison has to be favored! They have more PPG, less PAPG, and an earlier victory over Clarkston". Fair. I think if there were a betting line, it would slightly favor Davison. Still, Clarkston undoubtably faced a more difficult schedule this season, playing in the OAA Red and has multiple elite high school football players. I expect this game to be extremely physical, and this will likely be decided by field position and turnovers. Not saying this will be a low-scoring game, but big plays will be limited.   Players to Watch   RB | [player_tooltip player_id='243468' first='Ethan' last='Clark'] | Clarkston | 2023   Ethan has broke many records this season, and has arguably been the #1 RB in Michigan. With all the effort he's put in throughout his life, this is the biggest moment and grandest stage, and it's only going to go up from here. Davison is scary-good when it comes to the D-Line and Linebackers, and if any team can shut down [player_tooltip player_id='243468' first='Ethan' last='Clark'], it's Davison. Though with Clark's talent, I'm confident he can pull off some great runs, but it's going to be tough.   LB | [player_tooltip player_id='80934' first='Carter' last='Herriman'] | Davison | 2024   When I talk about Davison's elite front 7, I'm talking about [player_tooltip player_id='80934' first='Carter' last='Herriman']. Alongside [player_tooltip player_id='80935' first='Tyler' last='Dosh'], [player_tooltip player_id='80934' first='Carter' last='Herriman'] is an elite player. Herriman is extremely quick to react, a great tackler, and as aggressive as they come. I'm excited to see what he can do against a top-tier offensive line and elite RB.   OL | [player_tooltip player_id='30321' first='Cole' last='Dellinger'] | Clarkston | 2023   If you couldn't already tell, this game will be won in the trenches. Dellinger will be tasked with, again, an elite front 7. The Michigan State Commit will have his work cut out for him in both the run and pass game, and I'm expecting plenty of runs to his side of the line.   QB | Braylen Himmelein | Davison | 2023   Himmelein has had an incredible season, and he's garnered a ton of attention during his senior season. The offense runs through Himmelein, and he'll have to be sharp against a Clarkston defense that has some guys. I'm confident that if Himmelein takes care of the football and plays a great game for his standards, Davison will win this game.   Keys to Victory   Win in the trenches   This game will be won and lost in the trenches. Both teams have incredible line groups, but whoever plays best in this area will win the game. I can't tell you how many times I've seen two teams play, but one team dominate the trenches, and they subsequently blow out the other team. I've seen underdogs win and safe-favorites lose mostly because they had a on/off day on the line of scrimmage. You get the point.   Field Position & Turnover Battle   It's one of those games where you have two evenly-matched teams, and it's going to come down to the little things. Just like the trenches, I've seen teams lay an egg when it comes to special teams, therefore committing too many turnovers and giving the opposition the ball past midfield. Last year's D1 State Championship is a great example of this. Early in that game, Belleville blocked a Rochester Adams punt, which served as the turning point. Perhaps one team will scheme a spectacular special teams play or force a crucial turnover to turn the tide!

It's a battle to decide who goes to Regionals! This is a major matchup in the D1 playoffs, and I consider both of these teams to be top-5 in Division 1. In others words, both of these teams have the skill to win a state championship this year, but only one will move on to face either Rochester Adams or Rochester. These are two very different teams; one known for a dominant run game, and one known for a dominant front 7. Furthermore, I will be at this matchup and I couldn't be more excited!