Five of the Biggest Questions heading into Semifinal Weekend
With the season rolling toward the end, we’re left with two more weeks of ultimate excitement. Semifinal week is filled with anticipation, and for those playing or coaching this weekend- nerves. Right now is the calmest it will be until…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWith the season rolling toward the end, we’re left with two more weeks of ultimate excitement. Semifinal week is filled with anticipation, and for those playing or coaching this weekend- nerves. Right now is the calmest it will be until the end of the season, and things are set to heat up extremely quickly. This article will discuss five questions heading into the two biggest weekends of the season!
Tap Tap?
Belleville is at their 5th-straight semifinals appearance, and they’re, of course, the defending Division 1 state champions. Belleville has a lot of good going for them; Immense talent up and down the board, the best Sophomore QB in the country, a proven coaching staff, and so on. But there are a few distractions Belleville is facing.
First, their next opponent in Cass Tech. The Technicians have quickly re-emerged as a state championship favorite, and the CT program has significantly improved over the course of the season. Having just handily beaten Dakota, Cass Tech will be by far the best opponent Belleville has faced all season.
The suspension of Head Coach Jermain Crowell is the biggest distraction for any team. This is the man who built this program from the ground up, and his suspension and the ongoing investigation mean everything to this Belleville program. The coaching staff is putting in multiple measures to limit distractions, which is a smart move.
How much of a chance do the underdogs have in D2?
Forest Hills Central and Groves come into this week the underdogs. Groves, especially, is a big underdog, but they were last week as well.
FHC remains much less talked about than Dexter. Admittedly, Dexter does have better talent on paper, but these are two extremely well-coached programs. The Ranger front seven will have to play well, and they’ll have to stop the run. Remember that one of last year’s cinderella teams, Grand Blanc, won against FHC only on a last-second miracle.
Groves is a team that came out of nowhere. Facing elimination late in the season, they beat their rivals, then beat them again in the postseason, then beat top-ranked Livonia Franklin. Still, they face De La Salle, who comes in as the defending state champion, and they’ve been destroying teams in the postseason. Frankly, I think many teams would be in the semifinals if they took De La Salle’s place in the weak Region 4, but still, the Pilots are very heavily favored. Groves must command this game from the jump and establish the run game early. DO they have a chance? Yes. How much of a chance? I’d say… 16%
Is GRCC going to run the table AGAIN?
Grand Rapids Catholic Central never slows down. Although their 40+ game win streak came to an end, they’ve been dominating the postseason with expected ease. Connor Wolf Connor Wolf 6'3" | 180 lbs | QB Grand Rapids Catholic Central | 2024 State MI has proven himself as a passer, and new names have been filling in for the 2022 class week after week. This CC team is better than they were during their regular-season loss, but Gladwin comes in 12-0, being the only Bay City area team in the semifinals. If I’m being honest, I think Gladwin has a better chance of any to beat Catholic Central ahead of the State Championship.
Is West Catholic back?
If there’s any team that’s back, it’s got to be West Catholic. 1st-year Falcon Head Coach Landon Grove has improved upon the last regime and has created a team that looks unstoppable in Division 6. Through 3 rounds, West Catholic has outscored their opponents 129-31, and they’ve faced little resistance all season. This team is well-trained and well-conditioned, and honestly, if they switched sports with De La Salle, they’d be in the D2 semis right now (sorry, L’Anse Creuse).
What are they feeding those kids in Traverse City?
This was the thought I had when I saw Traverse City Central play last season, and it was the thought I had when I dove deep into Traverse City St. Francis film.
It’s incredible what St. Francis is doing in Division 7. All of their guys look huge, strong, and well-conditioned, and overall they’re a dang good football team. I don’t know what it is about Traverse City and some big boys, but all I can say is I want whatever it is they’re feeding them. Let the 163 – 26 playoff point differential speak for itself.