Seaholm vs. Groves District Finals Preview

This game means a lot for the Birmingham community and Michigan High School Football as a whole. For decades, the annual Seaholm vs. Groves football game has been a cornerstone of OAA Football, and these teams have recently strengthened their rivalry, having met in the playoffs in 4 of the last five seasons. This article will detail both teams and discuss what they need to do to win.   Quick Stats   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td></td><td>Seaholm</td><td>Groves</td></tr><tr><td>Record</td><td>8-2, T1 OAA Blue</td><td>7-3, 3rd OAA White</td></tr><tr><td>Points Per Game</td><td>36.8</td><td>24.7</td></tr><tr><td>Points Against Per Game</td><td>15.1</td><td>16.7</td></tr><tr><td>Most Impressive Win</td><td>52-0 vs. Troy (Week 6)</td><td>14-7 vs. Seaholm (Week 9)</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   On paper, Seaholm has a slight edge. Although the OAA White is a tad stronger than the OAA Blue, The Maples dominated the Blue in a rare fashion, not to mention a higher PPG and lower PAPG than Groves. Seaholm also has the home-field advantage this time, as Groves had home-field during Week 9.   Although the Maples are slightly favored, Groves has all the tools to win. This coaching staff is incredibly experienced with defending Seaholm's Veer offense while they have the players to be consistent. Groves is now on a 3-game winning streak, and they have the confidence from the last time these two teams met.   Players to Watch   RB/LB | Joshua Woods | Groves   In week 9 against Seaholm, Woods ran all over the Maples. I was extremely impressed by his overall power and ability to keep his legs moving no matter what. He was all over the field, and you better bet this senior doesn't want to end his High School career on a loss to his rival. If Woods comes out of the blocks fast, it could spell bad news for Seaholm.   Seaholm's Entire O-Line   A bit of an unconventional move here, but I cannot stress how important the offensive line will be for this game. During week 9 against Groves, Seaholm put up a season-low 7 points, where the offensive line struggled with many more penalties and missed blocks than usual. This group needs to fight, and they need to put this game on their shoulders. After all, the Maple O-Line is a group of mostly seniors, and a loss to Groves is not a good way to end your High School career.   DT | Malachi Coleman | Groves   On the flip side, the Groves front 7 needs to play extremely well in order to win. Coleman, in particular, can do some massive damage if he plays well. The 5'10" 215lb lineman has great power and speed and is overall a much better defensive lineman than most of what Seaholm has faced all season. A great game from Coleman means the Veer doesn't work, which would cripple Seaholm.   DE/OT | [player_tooltip player_id='232205' first='John' last='Jokisch'] | Seaholm   Facing off against his rival in the playoffs and an elite offensive line, it's Jokisch's time to shine. The pressure and stakes have never been higher for Jokisch, especially on defense, and this will be a great gut check. Jokisch vs. #73 for Groves will be an awesome matchup to watch, and I believe Jokisch has the potential to make a huge difference in this game.   Keys to Victory   Seaholm   <ul><li>Come out strong, and never play from behind</li></ul>   If Seaholm falls behind by two touchdowns or more, it will be insanely difficult for them to claw back. Since Seaholm runs the Veer, they heavily rely on long, sustained drives that wear out a defense over the game while prioritizing time of possession. A few weeks ago, Seaholm surely had their worst game from an X's and O's standpoint, but they also shot themselves in the foot plenty of times with penalties. Eventually, they were forced to pass the ball often, which is something a Veer offense never wants to do, regardless of who you have at Quarterback.   <ul><li>Stay aggressive on defense</li></ul>   There were times during their last game against Groves when I thought the tackling and overall defensive aggressiveness could have been improved. The front 7 needs to fly to the ball and meet ball carriers with force rather than waiting for a ball carrier to run to them. They need to play like their season depends on it, which it does.   Groves   <ul><li>Score First</li></ul>   If Groves gets on the board first, that immediately puts pressure on Seaholm. Coming out of the gates strong will undoubtedly change this game. If I've learned anything from the Veer offense while watching Adams or Seaholm, it's that they thrive if they get out to an early lead but often crumble if they fall into an early hole. If I were Groves, I'd be drawing up some big plays to put immediate pressure on the Maples and to silence the crowd.   <ul><li>Win the turnover/field position battle</li></ul>   This is a 2 for 1, but these two points are extremely crucial for victory. Speaking on the turnover battle, Seaholm is great at not turning the ball over, but I've seen Veer teams collapse after a few turnovers. As for field position, both of these teams have demonstrated they know how to play defense against one another, and I'm confident in Groves's ability to stop Seaholm when faced with a long field.

This game means a lot for the Birmingham community and Michigan High School Football as a whole. For decades, the annual Seaholm vs. Groves football game has been a cornerstone of OAA Football, and these teams have recently strengthened their rivalry, having met in the playoffs in 4 of the last five seasons. This article will detail both teams and discuss what they need to do to win.