Week 8 League Championships from around Michigan

<p>We're on the doorstep of week 8 which means a ton of leagues will be decided this weekend! Here are 10 leagues that are going to be decided tomorrow night. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Capital-Area White</h2>   <p><strong>(7-0) Portland @ (7-0) Lansing Sexton </strong></p>   <p>First up we have a matchup between two under-appreciated teams. </p>   <p>Portland has dominated the season thus far, outscoring their opponents 317-47. You can definitely take shots at their strength of schedule though, as they've only faced 1 team over .500. I don't know much about Portland's defense, but I know they've got some playmakers on offense. I also know they're a disciplined team with a sound scheme and a good offensive line. This is a team that won 10 games last season and got knocked out of last year's postseason against the then-defending state champion. </p>   <p>Sexton is one of the most improved teams in the entire state. They've already nearly doubled their win total from last season. Winning 4 last season and 7 so far this year, there's a lot to like about this program. Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='249753' first='Joseph' last='Pizzo'] has looked especially good through 7 weeks, and he needs to play a mistake-free game this week. They have a few other players I've heard of, such as 4-year varsity starter [player_tooltip player_id='814544' first='Van' last='Norman']. I'd still say that Sexton is the underdog heading into this one, but I would not be shocked if they pulled off the upset to win the league! </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Downriver</h2>   <p><strong>(7-0) Allen Park @ (6-1) Gibraltar Carlson </strong></p>   <p>Carlson has won six straight, while Allen Park has won seven straight and are undefeated. Both teams have looked great this season and I expect this to be a phenomenal matchup. </p>   <p>I had the opportunity to watch Allen Park at the Xenith Kickoff Classic during week 1 of the season, and they were extremely impressive. The defense, especially the front 7 looked physical and fast. The offense made big play after big play with a few players having a monster game. RB [player_tooltip player_id='1124353' first='Josh' last='Rempert'] was the biggest standout from that game. </p>   <p>Carlson always seems to be a great team especially in interleague play, but they've yet to ascend to the next level. After losing to Airport during Week 1, Carlson has stormed through league play led by some great offensive play. RB [player_tooltip player_id='563425' first='Izaiah' last='Wright'] is a special kind of player only in his sophomore year. If he maximizes his potential, he could be a future Division 1 college athlete. Mike LB Antonio Burrell seems to be a leader on the defense which has looked solid this season. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Jack Pine</h2>   <p><strong>(5-2) Beaverton @ (6-1) Gladwin</strong></p>   <p>If Beaverton can pull off the upset, they'll earn a share of the Jack Pine title. </p>   <p>Gladwin was one of the best stories of last season, going undefeated on their way to a historic State Title. This season, they still look good, but there are signs of potential regression. Last week's big loss against ND prep I think says more about how good ND is, though. Gladwin still has way more playmakers than the average D5 program. The big boys up front on both sides of the ball are particularly better than most teams, and Trace Corlew III continues to be a playmaker on both sides of the ball. </p>   <p>Beaverton heads into this matchup as a heavy underdog, yet it's an accomplishment for any team to have an opportunity to win their league during Week 7. I know next to nothing about Beaverton but being 5-2 and in playoff contention is impressive. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">KLAA East</h2>   <p><strong>(6-0) Belleville @ (5-2) Fordson</strong></p>   <p>If Fordson were to pull off the upset, there'd be a lot of teams in the running for a the KLAA East (league-record wise). </p>   <p>Let's talk about Fordson for a moment. This is a consistently great program that had an extremely underwhelming 3-6 season in 2022. This season, they've bounced back in a huge way. Fordson doesn't look like a championship program like they've been in the past, but I would not be surprised if they re-entered the conversation in a few short years. [player_tooltip player_id='253271' first='Ali' last='Hammoud'] is one player that has consistently impressed me over the years. I love some of the routes he's ran so far this season. </p>   <p>Belleville needs to introduction. The 2x defending state champion, the Tigers house some of the biggest names in the midwest while dominating all three phases of football. Every position is covered. An elite QB, great OL, great run game, phenomenal receivers, an incredibly underappreciated special teams unit, and a smothering defense. Belleville is the heavy favorite in this one. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">KLAA West</h2>   <p><strong>(7-0) Northville @ (6-1) Novi</strong></p>   <p>Northville has been one of the biggest surprises of the season. This is a special team with a high ceiling- and depending on how the bracket shapes up, this team could make a major run. For now, they need to look ahead at a good Novi team. [player_tooltip player_id='265646' first='Drew' last='Rankin'] has been working extremely hard for a few seasons now, and this is proving to be his breakout season. [player_tooltip player_id='128898' first='Graham' last='Gilmartin'] is another defender with high upside. These next few weeks with Novi, Belleville, then the playoffs are going to be fun to watch. </p>   <p>Novi is no pushover, as they've ran the table in league play. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1122565' first='Caleb' last='Walker'] looks like a consistent game manager for the wildcats, and the rest of the team has no-doubt stepped it up this season. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Northern MI -Legacy</h2>   <p><strong>(6-1) Frankfort @ (6-1) East Jordan</strong></p>   <p>I don't know much about either team here. Just know that that this should be a great matchup!</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">OK Gold</h2>   <p><strong>(6-1) South Christian @ (6-1) GR Catholic Central</strong></p>   <p>Both teams are heading into this one 6-1, though Catholic Central is the heavy favorite. </p>   <p>South Christian is in great position for the postseason though there have been moments of concern this season that did not arise in last year's championship run. Their one and only loss was to a greatly improved East Grand Rapids team, while they have a strangely close game against Thornapple Kellogg while giving up 42pts against GR Christian. This team still has plenty of star talent like [player_tooltip player_id='610770' first='Jake' last='Vermaas'], [player_tooltip player_id='1290463' first='Carson' last='Vis'], and others, but maybe the 2023 class was too hard to replace. </p>   <p>Catholic Central has one of the best teams they've had in recent memory; and that's saying something. Their only loss is to an Illinois powerhouse that out enrolls any school in Michigan. Their week 2 agaisnt River Rouge is an A-tier win, while blowing through the OK Gold is no Suprise at all. The offense is one of the best in the state with their great O-Line, [player_tooltip player_id='188030' first='Connor' last='Wolf'] at QB, [player_tooltip player_id='533709' first='Kellen' last='Russell-Dixon'] at RB, multiple stars at receiver. I expect CC to score a lot of points on their way to victory. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">OK Red</h2>   <p><strong>(7-0) Rockford @ (6-1) Grandville</strong></p>   <p>This is the biggest game in all of Michigan. </p>   <p>Grandville's only loss is against 7-0 Davison, and the bulldogs just pulled off a huge upset win against Caledonia. This is a deep team without many weak links. Defensively they swarm to the ball, and they have a deceptively good secondary. The LB group is good. On offense, they have a three-headed monster in the backfield with [player_tooltip player_id='206418' first='Jayden' last='Terry'] leading the charge. As long as Grandville keeps their heads high, they have a shot at winning this one at home.</p>   <p>Every year Rockford graduates a massive amount of talent, and every year they seamlessly reload the roster. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1122536' first='Drake' last='Irwin'] is yet another QB that comes in and takes over the offense seamlessly. Ryan Ahern is a certified beast. [player_tooltip player_id='618833' first='Alex' last='McPhee'] is a great offensive tackle. [player_tooltip player_id='899577' first='Zane' last='Panchula'] is a D1-offered D-Lineman with an insanely fast getoff. I could go on and on. On paper Rockford is the better team here, and they are a state championship contender. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">OK White</h2>   <p><strong>(6-1) East Grand Rapids @ (6-1) Byron Center</strong></p>   <p>EGR, Byron Center, and Forest Hills Central are all still in the running for the league title. </p>   <p>East Grand Rapids are in the middle of a transformation. This is a vastly different team from one or two years ago. Although lacking a lot of standout upperclassmen stars, this is a very disciplined team that runs a tight scheme. </p>   <p>Byron Center and EGR have a lot of similarities. Mainly, both teams are teams with a ton of grit and discipline. Byron Center defeated FHC not because they were more talented, but because they made fewer mistakes and they stuck to their gameplan to a T. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Saginaw South</h2>   <p><strong>(7-0) Davison @ (5-2) Grand Blanc</strong></p>   <p>Both teams are undefeated in league play, making this a league title game. </p>   <p>Davison comes in at 7-0 and they're regarded as one of the top teams in Division 1. As you may expect, this is a deep team with playmakers all over the field. Offensively, RB [player_tooltip player_id='602282' first='AJ' last='Hill'] is a weapon as a between the tackles runner, in the pass game, and more. He's a D1 talent that can and will take over a game. Tackle [player_tooltip player_id='212356' first='Ben' last='Nichols'] has solidified himself as one of Michigan's top O-Line prospects and is one of the best Sophomores out there. The defense is a swarming unit, headed by vocal leader [player_tooltip player_id='80934' first='Carter' last='Herriman']. This team has all the tools needed to compete for a state championship, and I expect them to win the Saginaw South!</p>   <p>Grand Blanc has had an up and down season. In their wins, they average 44.8 points. They only average 10 points per game. This is an offense that is a proven unit, especially through the air. [player_tooltip player_id='909904' first='Jake' last='Morrow'] is an extremely exciting young QB, the Evans Twins are great deep threats, while [player_tooltip player_id='926295' first='JT' last='Webber'] is an insanely skilled slot receiver. I'm not too familiar with their defense, but they've had a few promising performances so far. </p>

We're on the doorstep of week 8 which means a ton of leagues will be decided this weekend! Here are 10 leagues that are going to be decided tomorrow night.