D1 Regions 1/2: Pre-District Recap + Finals Analysis

Regions 1 and 2 had a few surprises in the pre-district round. Grandville beat Rockford, Hudsonville escaped East Kentwood, and Oxford beat Davison in the game of the week.   Here, I share my take on each Pre-District matchup while also looking ahead to the later rounds.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Region 1</h2>   District 1   #5 Hudsonville defeated #24 East Kentwood, 25-23   East Kentwood was inches away from a monumental upset. Earlier this season, Hudsonville defeated EK 35-6, but this time around, it was apparent that EK made a ton of adjustments.   From what I can find on Twitter, it seems that EK's run game found some life. When I watched these two teams play a few weeks ago, EK wasn't able to establish the run.   Though, as the dust settled, it was Hudsonville that came away with a game-winning field goal. Credit Hudsonville for a gusty final drive!   #16 Grandville defeated #12 Rockford, 24-14   Grandville snaps their 9-year losing streak to Rockford!! [player_tooltip player_id='206418' first='Jayden' last='Terry'] led the way with 224 yards and 2TDs, while the defense limited Rockford to just 7 points through 3 quarters.   Did I think Rockford would win? Yes, but one could argue that the writing was on the wall here. Rockford hasn't looked on-point since mid-season, and now it's the Bulldogs who've earned the right to compete for a District Championship.   District Finals   #16 Grandville @ #5 Hudsonville   These two teams met during Week 7, where Hudsonville defeated Grandville 35-16. I don't think this rematch will be as lopsided, though.   Although both teams won, I'd argue Grandville comes into this one with far more momentum. They're going into hostile territory again and will face a familiar opponent that, on paper, underperformed last week. Another strong performance from the O/D line, [player_tooltip player_id='206418' first='Jayden' last='Terry'], and [player_tooltip player_id='899574' first='Ethan' last='Newville'] might result in a District Championship for Grandville!   Hudsonville earns another home game and has a chance to complement their already great season. [player_tooltip player_id='1291326' first='Connor' last='Brintnall'] and [player_tooltip player_id='247638' first='Ethan' last='Carter'] will be the keys in this game. Evade blocks, stop the wing-T, and earn a few early 3-and-outs, and Hudsonville has an excellent shot.   District 2   #2 Howell defeated #30 Kalamazoo Central, 35-12   No shock here. Howell is the hottest team in Michigan. Kalamazoo Central came into this game with a lot of confidence and seemingly played an OK game, but they didn't have enough juice to knock off the team that just won the KLAA.   #20 Brighton defeated #29 Grand Ledge, 53-28   Brighton puts up a fat 53 points on Grand Ledge. This result doesn't surprise me, as Brighton had a far better resume heading into this one.   District Finals   #20 Brighton @ #2 Howell   During Week 8, Howell defeated Brighton 36-14.   In order for Brighton to win, they need to play their best 3-phase game. Guys like Dyan Edgeworth will need to set the tone defensively, hopefully helping earn the Bulldog defense a few quick 3-and-outs.   Howell should be heading into this one with a ton of confidence. They're undefeated, run a super-efficient Wing-T offense, with a swarming defense. I expect Howell to win and earn their spot in the Regional Finals.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Region 2</h2>   District 1   #14 Grand Blanc defeated #28 Lapeer, 42-21   This was a very similar result to Grand Blanc's 35-21 victory over Lapeer during week 6. The expected outcome and the Bobcats will now host Oxford in what should be an incredible matchup.   #10 Oxford defeated #15 Davison, 21-14   This game was everything advertised and more. I had picked Davison to win, but it was Oxford that came away with the extremely gritty victory. For whatever reason, Davison couldn't get the offense going against the better defensive teams they've faced. Big credit to the Oxford coaching staff, alongside players like [player_tooltip player_id='1148730' first='Jack' last='Hendrix'] and [player_tooltip player_id='602107' first='Luke' last='Johnson'].   District Finals   #10 Oxford @ #14 Grand Blanc   I'll come right out and say that I expect Oxford to win this one.   It'll be close. Grand Blanc is used to putting up a ton of points, but I'd be surprised if they score more than 21 against a very good Oxford defense. For Grand Blanc to win, they need to tighten up their defense while also making the most of every single trip inside of Oxford territory. Every inch will be earned!   Oxford heads into another hostile environment, and they're tasked with stopping another high-flying offense. This isn't a super big, physically imposing team- this is a team with lights-out fundamentals and a team that will play extremely smart. As long as they can limit Grand Blanc like they've limited so many other teams, I think Oxford will earn a Regional Final bid against yet another familiar opponent.   District 2   #18 Rochester Adams defeated #22 Stoney Creek, 44-14   Adams left no question here. A few weeks ago, Stoney Creek made it a great game against Adams, but not here. Rochester Adams seems very accustomed to the loss of Rino, and they have a great, great shot at taking down #4 Clarkston, a team that they beat during the regular season.   #4 Clarkston defeated #11 Lake Orion, 34-16   The Wolves came into Lake Orion and squashed their rival. Big props to the Boman brothers and the Clarkston team for a physical win. I thought Clarkston would win, but I was also very confident that this game would be closer. A lot of momentum for Clarkston heading to Adams.   District Finals   #4 Clarkston @ #18 Rochester Adams   This game is a coin flip. Yes, I had Adams ranked #18 a week ago, but they'd have a good shot to beat any team remaining in these district finals. As a matter of fact, Adams handed Clarkston their largest loss of the season, beating them 28-10. I fully expect this to be a very close 1-score game.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Regional Finals Prediction</h2>   #2 Howell vs. #5 Hudsonville   #4 Clarkston vs. #10 Oxford   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Semifinal Prediction</h2>   #4 Clarkston vs. #2 Howell

Regions 1 and 2 had a few surprises in the pre-district round. Grandville beat Rockford, Hudsonville escaped East Kentwood, and Oxford beat Davison in the game of the week.