D1 District Finals Recap + Regional Preview

The D1 District Finals are all wrapped up, and now we're left with an elite 8 teams remaining. Some of these teams, such as Cass Tech and Belleville, are no strangers to the Regional Championship. In contrast, teams like Hudsonville and Howell are brand-new to this state-championship hopefulness. The playoffs have been a treat thus far, and I'm excited to share my full recap of Districts and preview of Regionals!   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Region 1</h2>   Hudsonville defeated Grandville, 19-16   Unsuspecting close games were the theme of these district finals.   On the Grandville side, the defense stood firm, while guys like [player_tooltip player_id='206418' first='Jayden' last='Terry'], Gibson Connley, and [player_tooltip player_id='899574' first='Ethan' last='Newville'] had their fair share of big plays. This season turned out to be an extremely successful one for Grandville, and I hope they're able to build off of this year's success.   Hudsonville survives yet another scare. Though, at the end of the day, they're the last ones standing in the OK-Red, just as the regular-season standings would suggest. For them to win against Howell, the offense needs to be a bit better.   Howell defeated Brighton, 35-33   Howell, just like Hudsonville, avoids the upset and finds themselves in the Regional Finals.   I'm really interested in diving into this one. Brighton's offensive seemingly woke up for one of the first times this season (vs a good defense). I'll definitely dive into this one after the season to see how [player_tooltip player_id='1298663' first='Lawrence' last='Wells'], [player_tooltip player_id='1181660' first='Brady' last='Shelton'] and company put up 33 on Howell.   The Wing-T Howell offense keeps on producing. Honestly, I see Wing-T offenses fail at critical moments way too often. Not Howell. Heck, they put up 30 against Belleville a few weeks ago.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Region 1 Final</h2>   Hudsonville @ Howell   This is rematch of week 1, where Howell defeated Hudsonville 20-17   There are a few interesting factors at play here. For one, Hudsonville held Howell to their lowest score of the season. On the other hand, teams almost always transform throughout the season. Finally, this will be the 4th time Hudsonville has faced a Wing-T offense this season.   BOTH of these teams are in uncharted territory here. It's been a long time since either team has made it this far. I don't have much more insight other than this game is a coin flip for me.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Region 2</h2>   Grand Blanc defeated Oxford, 29-7   Grand Blanc just did what Davison couldn't. Davison's offense struggled to do anything against Oxford, but Grand Blanc, with a similar offense, put up 29. From what I've seen, [player_tooltip player_id='909904' first='Jake' last='Morrow'] was dishing out all-you-can-eat dimes to whoever was open. I'm especially impressed by Grand Blanc's offense, considering how good the Oxford defense has been.   Oxford's season comes to an end. Man, they beat some really, really good teams but also had a few moments of struggle. Hats off to [player_tooltip player_id='602107' first='Luke' last='Johnson'] and the entire Oxford team for really turning things around this season, winning the extremely difficult OAA Red.   Rochester Adams defeated Clarkston, 41-0   Well, I need to take an L here.   I bet against Adams ever since Rino's injury. This is my 1000th time referencing it at this point. Also, at this point, Adams has proven they can win without him. But wow. This win was a massive statement. Defeating Clarkston, a team I had winning the State Championship by 41, is nothing short of shocking. Truly, hats off to Rochester Adams!   This is a tough, tough loss for Clarkston. Not only to lose but to lose by 41 points in rival territory to end the season. All I can say is that I expect Clarkston to be a really, really good team again next season. This is a very well-coached team with a ton of talent. It just seems that Adams has their number.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Region 2 Final</h2>   Grand Blanc @ Rochester Adams   These are two teams that I was really, really wrong about earlier this season.   Also- this is a rematch of the 2021 Semifinals, where Adams defeated Grand Blanc 40-20 to punch their ticket to Ford Field.   I know exactly what to expect from Adams. A great run defense, alongside a super well-coached zone pass D. On offense, its ground, pound, and run the dang clock. Adams has the guys and the confidence to get another playoff win at their home field.   I don't know as much about Grand Blanc as I'd like to, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Can Grand Blanc stop the Adams veer offense? We'll see. I'm especially intertwined with how [player_tooltip player_id='909904' first='Jake' last='Morrow'] performs against an Adams defense that shut down some good passing offenses.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Region 3</h2>   Belleville defeated Saline, 42-7   Another year, another dominant Belleville win against Saline. Having watched both of these teams at one point or another this season, I suspect that Belleville's size was absolutely overwhelming for Saline. Belleville is huge, physical, and will squash any team that isn't used to ultra-physical football. Big win for [player_tooltip player_id='247690' first='Bryce' last='Underwood'] and they boys, and now, they've got Catholic Central.   Detroit Catholic Central defeated West Bloomfield, 41-14   This game was pretty close throughout the first half from what I saw! At the end of the day, I suspect that the DCC coaching made some adjustments and that's when they pulled away. For Catholic Central, the dream lives on, and they face a monumental test with Belleville coming to town. West Bloomfield had a largely disappointing season, considering the boatload of D1 talent. I'm highly interested to see what they look like next season.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Region 3 Final</h2>   Belleville @ Detroit Catholic Central   If I'm a casual fan choosing which game to attend next week, I'm 100% going to Belleville @ DCC. We knew these teams were on a crash course, and it'll finally happen next week.   Catholic Central has been dominant all season. The Catholic League is already the most difficult league in Michigan, and DCC swept it. On top of that, I don't think they're the most well-rounded team of superstars, at least not in the same way as Belleville. DCC knows what's ahead of them, and they'll need guys like [player_tooltip player_id='1113037' first='Danilo' last='Guberinich'] to play well against an incredibly physical Belleville team. In talent, Belleville wins. But in coaching? Give me DCC any day.   Belleville has been the boogeyman of Michigan High School Football for a few years now. Adrian Walker Jr, [player_tooltip player_id='247690' first='Bryce' last='Underwood'], [player_tooltip player_id='1174252' first='Deshaun' last='Murray'], and [player_tooltip player_id='603743' first='Elijah' last='Dotson'] are just a few of Belleville's elite talents. The offense is incredibly high-powered and can attack you in any way. They have the offensive line + RB to run it down your throat, and the weapons + QB to attack you through the air however they want. I'm confident that Belleville will play their best football in this one, and I'm excited to see it!   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Region 4</h2>   Cass Tech defeated Dearborn, 42-7   This game went as predicted. Dearborn had a phenomenal run, even steamrolling their crosstown rival last week. Cass Tech just has too much talent, too much momentum, and they're peaking at the right time. Great job to Cass Tech!   Dakota defeated Eisenhower, 41-14   Wow. Dakota got their revenge on IKE in a massive way. When I saw these two teams play during the regular season, Dakota wasn't able to do much of anything on offense. They kept trying to establish he run, but it never worked. This time around, Dakota's offense kicked into gear while the defense minimized the explosive plays. Great job to [player_tooltip player_id='1157440' first='Elijah' last='Goins'] and the whole Dakota team for defending their home turf!   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Region 4 Final</h2>   Cass Tech @ Dakota   This is an absolute classic regional finals matchup. These are two teams with a ton of momentum and two teams that always seem to peak at the right time. Back in 2022, Cass Tech defeated Dakota 35-21 in this same regional round. So, there's a fair amount of players on both teams that remember or even played in that 2022 matchup.   This game will come down to Dakota's ability to run the football. I honestly think Dakota will hold the Cass Tech offense below 28, but that's only if the offense does its job in controlling the clock and controlling the line of scrimmage.   I'm interested to see how the Cass Tech offense attacks the Dakota defense. I'm pretty impressed with what I saw from Dakota's defense earlier this season, especially against the inside run.

The D1 District Finals are all wrapped up, and now we're left with an elite 8 teams remaining. Some of these teams, such as Cass Tech and Belleville, are no strangers to the Regional Championship. In contrast, teams like Hudsonville and Howell are brand-new to this state-championship hopefulness. The playoffs have been a treat thus far, and I'm excited to share my full recap of Districts and preview of Regionals!