BRACKET BUSTERS: Four Programs looking to play spoiler

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Happy Halloween! Since it's Halloween, that also means we're a day away from postseason kickoff. We have eight intriguing brackets in 11-player football to analyze endlessly, and I've done a lot of that on Twitter and Twitch. Continuing the coverage, I'll be sharing my thoughts on four teams who could pull off some upsets this postseason. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Grand Blanc (D1)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Next Game: vs. Lapeer</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's a legitimate path for Grand Blanc to make the state semifinals. Yes, they're in a stacked region, but if the cards fall in just the right way, they'll be able to do something special.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Round 1, they face a familiar Lapeer team. This is a program that they beat by two scores earlier this year, and I frankly expect an even more lopsided affair this time around. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In Districts, The Bobcats will either face Oxford or Davison. Whoever they face, they'll still have home-field advantage. Remember that last week, Grand Blanc defeated Davison 55-49 in an absolute track meet. Needless to say, they have what it takes to defeat Lapeer and Davison to reach regionals. If it's against Oxford, I still think the Bobcats have a great chance. Oxford is a sound team, but I could see them struggling against a pass-heavy Grand Blanc offense. If they reach Regionals, they'll probably face Lake Orion or Clarkston. Both teams sport incredible defenses but if anyone can break through, it's a hot Grand Blanc team. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As I said, there's a legit path for Grand Blanc to reach the semifinals. If that happens, a LOT of brackets are bound to be busted. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Impact Players: [player_tooltip player_id='909904' first='Jake' last='Morrow'], [player_tooltip player_id='602300' first='Malachi' last='Evans'], [player_tooltip player_id='602292' first='Matthew' last='Evans'], [player_tooltip player_id='916913' first='Caseton' last='Sendry'], Aleijah Wells</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Saline (D1)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Next Game: vs. Northville</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Saline has one of the more difficult paths to the finals. They first need to beat a solid Northville team, then likely Belleville and Catholic Central. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The thing is, Saline has looked great all season, and they technically haven't lost a game this season (they had to forfeit 3 wins). Yes, their strength of schedule isn't great, but I know this team has the talent to go far. Play good football, and they're going to beat Northville. Then, anything can happen against Belleville.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's my case for a potential Belleville upset...</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>First, Tommy is a top 3 Quarterback in Michigan. Belleville has yet to face such an elite QB, and the last time they did was during their state championship loss last year. Second, Saline has a <em>fast </em>defense. They aren't the most physical, but they are quick and fly to the football. Their safeties, in particular, are great, giving Saline an edge in defending those downfield bombs. I know that Saline has yet to pull off the grand upset, but this may just be their year! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Impact Players: [player_tooltip player_id='568192' first='Tommy' last='Carr'], [player_tooltip player_id='568193' first='Austin' last='Abbate'], [player_tooltip player_id='212359' first='Isaiah' last='Harris'], [player_tooltip player_id='563429' first='James' last='Rush']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Livonia Franklin (D2)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Next Game: vs. Allen Park</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Franklin has played close games against solid competition. During Week 1, they nearly pulled off a huge upset against Dexter. Week 2, a great win against Fordson. Week 9, a 1-point loss to Brighton. Heading into this postseason, Franklin is set up extremely well to earn two road wins on the way to the Regional Finals. Allen Park has been a solid team all season, but they've struggled mightily against the best teams in their own league. I think Franklin will beat Allen Park; then they'll have an opportunity to defeat a streaky Carlson team. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Some of the teams on this list are longshots, but I strongly believe Franklin has the best shot of anyone here to make the Regional Finals. If they reach that round, they'll likely run into a hot Orchard Lake St. Mary's team</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Impact Players: [player_tooltip player_id='601082' first='Owen' last='Phail'], [player_tooltip player_id='601088' first='Jayden' last='Dotson'], [player_tooltip player_id='899484' first='Derek' last='Hetu'], Brendan Bache, [player_tooltip player_id='899507' first='Julian' last='Castillo']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Forest Hills Eastern (D4)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>FHE has an incredibly tough road ahead, but I firmly believe they're the 2nd-best team in the STACKED Region 1. Eastern has two losses; those two came against Unity Christian and West Catholic- Two teams I expect to win a State Championship. At full health, Eastern has an elite run game. Both their offensive line and RB room are among the best in all of Michigan. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Like I said, Eastern has zero gimmies this postseason. Round 1 against Whitehall is going to be <em>tough</em>. Whitehall is another team with a great run game and a rock-solid defense. Then, in round 2, Eastern will probably meet Big Rapids, who only has one loss (Paw Paw). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the regional finals, they'll very likely rematch Unity Christian, who they actually played very tough earlier this season. If FHE can make it to the regional finals healthy, they have a shot of bringing down the favorite. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Impact Players: [player_tooltip player_id='1127769' first='Ace' last='Simonson'], [player_tooltip player_id='1118669' first='Edem' last='Denoo'], [player_tooltip player_id='1615750' first='Jordan' last='Shabazz'], Nolan Hostetler </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->