Midseason Division 2 Rankings & Tiers

Division 2 was extremely difficult to rank. I'll say up front- I am decently confident in the top 26, but the last five was extremely difficult. In any case, aside from the top few, Division 2 is incredibly close and competitive. Here are my rankings, and my thoughts on every ranked team!   1. De La Salle (3-2)   De La Salle has arguably the most difficult schedule in the state. Just a few hours ago, they lost against the #2 team in Division 1, Detroit Catholic Central. Last week, they fell to one of the best teams in Ohio, Toledo Central Catholic. Still, they have three very impressive wins against Davison, Detroit MLK, and #3 St. Mary's. I really shouldn't have to defend DLS' position here- they're still the team to beat in D2.   2. Birmingham Groves (5-0)   As I predicted, Groves is phenomenal this season. In the very difficult OAA White, they are 3-0, plus they've got another win against West Bloomfield (OAA Red). [player_tooltip player_id='1298776' first='Noah' last='Sanders'] is emerging as one of the best backs in Michigan alongside much more consistent QB play and a very well-rounded defense. This is a team with little to no holes on the roster and a team that could easily make a run at Ford Field this season.   3. Orchard Lake St. Mary's (3-2)   Another team with a grueling schedule, St. Mary's looks much improved compared to last season. They only have one win against a "ranked" opponent (#20 Portage Northern), a one-possession loss against #2 (D1) Detroit Catholic Central, and a 10-point loss to #1 De La Salle. A ton of big-time names are leading the way for this group, including [player_tooltip player_id='489263' first='Jabin' last='Gonzales'], [player_tooltip player_id='899556' first='Bryson' last='Williams'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1134355' first='Charles' last='White']. They are a no-doubt top-3 team!   4. Mona Shores (5-0)   Mona Shores has earned this #4 ranking through some tough-fought wins. Better yet, they've only had one home game thus far. During weeks 1 and 2, they defeated two great teams in Grand Blanc and River Rouge. In Week 4, they defeated #6 Byron Center at home, then defeated their rival #9 Muskegon this past week. Senior QB [player_tooltip player_id='602245' first='Jonathan' last='Pittman'] is leading the way, playing mistake-free football. On the defensive side, [player_tooltip player_id='602240' first='Micah' last='Carefelle'], [player_tooltip player_id='1529458' first='Dominic' last='Piggue'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1290877' first='Ja'Mari' last='Taylor'] are all playing very well. This is another very well-rounded and deep team that can realistically beat anyone in the state.   5. Dexter (4-1)   Dexter has had some bumps in the road, and I'm a tad nervous ranking them as high as #5. To start the season, they barely escaped #26 Livonia Franklin. During Week 2, they were utterly outmatched against Saline. Since then, they've played three OK programs and dominated them all. Listen, the talent is there to make a state title run. [player_tooltip player_id='604131' first='Ronny' last='Johnson'] is as explosive as they come at the running back position, and he's got [player_tooltip player_id='899494' first='Cameron' last='Clark'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1080316' first='Owen' last='Winder'] to run behind. The defense has some stars as well, with [player_tooltip player_id='566881' first='Nathan' last='Gersh'] leading the unit. It doesn't look like Dexter will be tested much for the rest of the season, so we'll just have to see if they live up to expectations come playoff time.   6. Byron Center (4-1)   BC has emerged as one of the best teams not only in West Michigan but also in the entire state. The offense has dominated this season, scoring 40+ points in all but one game. On top of that, they have an above-average strength of schedule and currently have a point differential of +125. Their only loss has been to #4 Mona Shores, where they fell short during several redzone opportunities. Offensively, [player_tooltip player_id='602273' first='Isaac' last='Lee'] is a true superstar. Defensively, they're incredibly strong at linebacker and DB, with some super high-effort guys up front. Since they'll probably be on the opposite side of the bracket as Dexter, OLSM, Groves, and De La Salle, Byron Center has a fantastic chance at reaching Ford Field this season.   7. East Lansing (3-2)   Although East Lansing is 3-2, their two losses are against two championship-level teams. In addition, they only lost those games by one score each. The rest, they've dominated. If I'm worried about one thing, it's their passing game. However, they have an elite run game led by Michigan State commit [player_tooltip player_id='587870' first='Jace' last='Clarizio']. East Lansing has won big against a few solid teams, and they've fell just short against a few elite ones. I'm expecting a big playoff run for EL.   8. Grosse Pointe South (5-0)   Grosse Pointe South has done everything right this season. During week 2, they handled business against Romeo. This past week, they decisively defeated #12 Roseville. This is obviously a well-rounded team that is capable of hanging with the big boys. Though, from this point forward, their strength of schedule is not great. They should win out and complete an undefeated regular season, and they'll probably have a crack at De La Salle again in the postseason.   9. Muskegon (1-3)   Muskegon is the only 1-3 ranked team and one of two ranked teams with a losing record. Although they're 1-3, Muskegon has faced four state-championship hopeful teams. If you know West Michigan football, you know that a schedule of Zeeland West, Rockford, Forest Hills Northern, and Mona Shores is grueling. In all three of their losses, they were right in it until the end. Their transfer QB is still getting used to more competitive play, while the Muskegon defense almost always improves throughout the season. They'll be ok, and considering their side of the bracket, Muskegon could see Ford Field.   10. Carlson (5-0)   This team looks fantastic. After five weeks, they're 5-0 with a point differential of +207. Plus, they've been doing most of it without their star RB. The Downriver league is very weak, and Carlson should coast to an undefeated regular season. That's the only and only huge knock to Carlson. They'll very likely remain in the top 10 throughout the rest of the season, but can they beat a team like Dexter again in the postseason? Only time will tell.   11. Forest Hills Northern (3-2)   It's been a good season for FHN, but they have a tough road ahead to hold their #11 ranking. During week 4, they were right with #9 Muskegon until the very end. As the weeks go by, their win against Jenison looks better and better. They also have a 3-point loss to rival Forest Hills Central, who has been very inconsistent but still a great team, depending on the week. Moving forward, they will play #4 Mona Shores, #6 Byron Center, then #19 Northview for their final regular-season game.   12. Roseville (3-2)   Roseville is a very talented team, and they'll very likely have a rematch against #9 Grosse Pointe South in the postseason before taking on #1 De La Salle. If not for close losses against Anchor Bay and GPS, they'd be ranked in the top 10. They have the talent to hang with anyone in the state, headlined by Illinois commit [player_tooltip player_id='437969' first='Desmond' last='Straughton'] and GVSU commit [player_tooltip player_id='602070' first='Michael' last='Chude']. If they want to reach an elite level, they need to play mistake-free team football.   13. Caledonia (4-1)   Caledonia is a very interesting team at the midseason mark. On one hand, this offense is averaging 39PPG. On the other hand, the defense hasn't looked stellar these past three weeks, and they allowed East Kentwood to earn their first upset win of the season. That said, I am not completely sold on this team quite yet. They had some big talent graduate in the Class of 2024, and I'm unsure how much those losses are affecting them today. By any account, we'll find out how good Caledonia is as they face four ranked D1 programs to end the season: #14 Rockford, #21 Jenison, #12 Hudsonville, and #15 Grandville.   14. Seaholm (5-0)   The Maples are outperforming the preseason expectations. From a glance, they haven't seemed to regress at all since last season. Digging deeper, it's a fact that they've replaced a ton of impact players and the OAA Blue isn't particularly strong this season. By any account, Seaholm is still by far the most consistent team in the OAA Blue / White next to Groves. They've beaten up on a few decent teams, and just beat #27 Farmington despite a few turnovers. They should 100% beat Troy next week. Then, they have a difficult final 3 weeks against #25 North Farmington, #13 (D1) West Bloomfield, and #2 Groves. I'm not sure if they can knock Groves out of the playoffs again, but anything is possible when crosstown rivals are playing. In terms of players, DE Max Krueger is playing very well in his first year on Varsity. In addition, guys like [player_tooltip player_id='1529753' first='Penn' last='Roberts'] and Finn Rouland are playing well. As long as Seaholm can play turnover-free football, they could make another deep postseason run.   15. Saginaw Heritage (3-2)   I struggled with the placement of Saginaw Heritage. They just defeated a very good Lapeer team, and lost by a point to Grand Blanc, but only won by 1 against 2-3 Midland Dow. I don't know too much about the current edition of Heritage Football, but I do know this is usually a very high-octane pass-heavy offense. They have a pretty easy schedule moving forward aside from #32 Midland. This team should win out and win at least one playoff game.   16. White Lake Lakeland (3-2)   Lakeland looks about on par with what they were last season. So far this season, their 3-2 with the losses coming against Lapeer and the unstoppable-looking Walled Lake Western. This team lives and breathes offense, and their led by Senior [player_tooltip player_id='602019' first='Trevor' last='Tschudin'] on that front. Defensively, they just need to hold their opponents to under 28 per game. Moving forward I expect Lakeland to win against Waterford Mott, #22 South Lyon, and #18 Milford. If they can win out, they'll be a dangerous postseason team.   17. Lansing Everett (4-1)   Everett is such an interesting team. Through four weeks, I didn't quite know what to make of them. Their best win is still against a struggling UofD Jesuit program but they were able to hold their own against Grand Blanc, which is a major plus.   This team plays backyard football. Are they going to make mistakes? Oh, yeah. Are they well-rounded? I wouldn't say so. But they have some true stars in [player_tooltip player_id='567890' first='Javari' last='Funches'], [player_tooltip player_id='603746' first='Mason' last='Chadwell'], [player_tooltip player_id='603752' first='Kharon' last='Turnley'], and a few others. If anything, this is an extremely fun team. They have their hands full over the next four weeks as they face Grand Ledge, #7 East Lansing, Holt, and DeWitt. There's a chance they lose all four of these games, but there's also a great chance they split. I really hope this team makes the postseason because I'd LOVE to see them play some of these other ranked programs.   18. Milford (4-1)   Milford is 4-1 and there's a good argument to be made that they deserve a higher ranking. So far, they've beaten down on #21 South Lyon East and #22 South Lyon but lost against 3-2 Divine Child. The final three weeks of the regular season will say a lot about this team, particularly the last two weeks against Waterford Mott and #16 Lakeland.   19. Grand Rapids Northview (5-0)   Northview has come out of the blocks extremely fast, and I'm excited to see if they can keep up the hot streak. The thing is, the strength of schedule isn't great besides a decent win over East Grand Rapids. How good is Northview? It's honestly very hard to tell. Weeks 7-9 will say a lot about this team as they face GR Catholic Central, Holland Christian, and #11 FHN.   20. Portage Northern (4-1)   Portage Northern is another difficult team to rank. They very well could be better than this #20 ranking, but I'll say this- I doubt they're worse.   Over the past four weeks, they've beaten up on #32 Midland, Mattawan, Lakeview, and Gull Lake. Their loss game against #3 St. Mary's which isn't surprising. Yes, the win against Midland looks pretty solid, but even they aren't a "great" football team right now. They should win out, and they should face a team like #13 Caledonia or #6 Byron Center in the first round.   21. Livonia Franklin (2-3)   Although Franklin has a losing record, their losses are against #5 Dexter, #1 (D1) Belleville, and Dearborn. Granted, the loss against Dearborn looks pretty awful now, but coming within 1 of Dexter is impressive. On top of that, the win against Fordson is solid. So, it was difficult to place Livonia Franklin, but I've settled at #21. Next week against Stevenson should tell us a bit more about Franklin.   22. Allen Park (5-0)   Allen Park is a perfect 5-0 on the season. Though, there's reason why I have them ranked #22 and Carlson #10 even though they're both undefeated teams in the same league. That is, Carlson has dominated every game they've played, while Allen Park hasn't been quite as dominant against the same competition. The 20-19 win against Southgate Anderson comes to mind, as Carlson beat that team by 50. Is Allen Park a good team? Probably. Though they'll probably hover in the 20's until they either upset Carlson or make a run in the playoffs.   23. Flushing (4-1)   Flushing is another team with a great record but poor strength of schedule. They've dominated their wins, and nearly won against a good Linden team. It's just a bit early to tell. Week 7 against Fenton should tell us a lot more.   24. North Farmington (3-2)   Inconsistent but talented. That's what North Farmington has been for the past couple of seasons. I know this team has talent, and I know they can make noise in the playoffs. The two-score win against rival Farmington is impressive, but losing to #28 Ferndale and barely winning against Athens is concerning. At best, this is a top-15 team. I'll feel more comfortable if they can take care of Oak Park this coming week.   25. Farmington (3-2)   Yet another team that I can't get a great read for. Unlike North Farmington, they dominated Athens. In addition, they nearly won against #14 Seaholm. Though, they lost to North Farmington. This team has been a bit inconsistent but still solid. The OAA Blue isn't the best league but it's not the worst. This should be a playoff team.   26. Portage Central (3-2)   A 7-0 win against Mattawan last week, and a 7-0 loss against Forest Hills Central during week 2. This defense looks great, but the offense has to do something against good teams for me to have confidence.   27. South Lyon East (3-2)   It's extremely difficult to rank South Lyon East. They won decisively against Waterford Mott, who has taken a nosedive since last season. Otherwise, they lost by 2+ possessions to #18 Milford and #16 Lakeland. Where I struggle is reading the Lakes Valley conference as a whole. Walled Lake Western has dominated, where Mott used to be #2, but they look awful. Is East a solid team? I just don't know.   28. Ferndale (3-2)   Like a lot of these teams, Ferndale has upside but have played inconsistently this season. I love the win against North Farmington, but the loss to Avondale and the only 10-pt win against Berkley is concerning. On top of that, the OAA Gold is a bad league.   29. South Lyon (3-2)   South Lyon is on the same boat as East. They have a winning record, but a beatdown loss against #18 Milford. The win against Mott is OK, but other than that, it's layups. Next week they play #2 Groves, and I expect a blowout. Week 7 against Lakeland is where we'll really be able to tell if South Lyon deserves a ranking or not.   30. Warren Mott (4-1)   Another team with a good record but poor strength of schedule. You could argue that Warren Mott should be ranked anywhere from #23 - #32.   31. Midland (4-1)   Midland has looked solid through five weeks. Though like other teams, not an excellent strength of schedule. A solid 14-13 win last week against Traverse City West.   32. Marquette (4-1)   The Sentinels have been solid, and they'll probably earn a playoff spot when it's all said and done. The thing is their schedule is absolutely awful. I saw them in-person when they got crushed by Lowell, and I know they have a good amount of talent.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tiers</h2>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tier 1 - State Championship Favorites</h2>   De La Salle, Groves, Orchard Lake St. Mary's   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tier 2 - Ford Field Hopefuls</h2>   Mona Shores, Dexter, Byron Center, East Lansing, Grosse Pointe South, Muskegon, Carlson   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tier 3 - Still a bit to prove</h2>   Forest Hills Northern, Roseville, Caledonia, Seaholm, Saginaw Heritage, Lakeland, Lansing Everett, Milford, Northview, Portage Northern, Livonia Franklin, Allen Park   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tier 4 - Feisty but inconsistent</h2>   Flushing, North Farmington, Farmington, Portage Central, South Lyon East, Ferndale, South Lyon   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tier 5 - Bad Schedule but Successful</h2>   Warren Mott, Midland, Marquette

Division 2 was extremely difficult to rank. I'll say up front- I am decently confident in the top 26, but the last five was extremely difficult. In any case, aside from the top few, Division 2 is incredibly close and competitive. Here are my rankings, and my thoughts on every ranked team!