D2 District Finals Recap + Regional Preview

Things are starting to get very, very interesting in Division 2. Only eight teams stand, and we have a phenomenal slate of Regional Finals matchups this weekend!   Now, here are my thoughts on all eight District Finals games, and a quick preview of all four upcoming Regional Finals matchups.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Region 1</h2>   Byron Center defeated Mona Shores, 30-23   I'm not saying that I called it... But I called it!   Most of the HSFB media world picked Mona Shores, and it's difficult to blame them. After all, Mona Shores won the in-season matchup, and Shores is a WAY more recognizable program.   But, when the dust settled, it was Byron Center advancing to the Regional Finals. From what I've seen, Byron Center did a much better job at taking care of the football this time around. The offense came to play- big shoutout to [player_tooltip player_id='899559' first='Landon' last='Tungate'] for performing when the lights were brightest. Also, [player_tooltip player_id='602273' first='Isaac' last='Lee'] had a couple of catches in addition to a big PBU.   Portage Central defeated Mattawan 22-0   An expected outcome, in my opinion. As the season has gone on, both of these teams seem to have improved. Portage Central started the season 0-2 with losses against East Lansing and Forest Hills Central (both of which are in the regional finals). Now, Central sits at 8-3, playing by far their best football of the season.   As for Mattawan, they played incredibly in the back half of the season. They beat great teams- St. Joseph, Kalamazoo Central, and Lansing Everett. I have yet to dive into the film, but I can tell that they started playing well-rounded football, and they started to win those close games- something that a lot of programs struggle with. I'm not sure how much talent Mattawan loses in the class of 2025, but I truly hope to see them make another postseason run next season.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Region 1 Final</h2>   Portage Central @ Byron Center   Both of these teams are playing excellent football. Though from the outside looking in, I'd call Byron Center heavy favorites.   Portage Central's best wins have come against Everett, Mattawan (x2), Portage Northern (x2), and Kalamazoo Central.   Byron Center's best wins have come against Mona Shores, Muskegon, Northview, East Kentwood, and Morris (IL).   It's notable that NONE of either team's season opponents have advanced to the Regional Finals.   I just listed quite a few random facts, but the point is that Byron Center has a better strength of schedule and better talent, plus they're the home team this Friday.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Region 2</h2>   Saginaw Heritage defeated Midland, 17-7   Hats off to Heritage for going into hostile territory and earning another week of practice! From what I've seen, Heritage did an excellent job of stopping the inside run and taking away the things that Midland is best at. [player_tooltip player_id='602288' first='Ethan' last='Kraatz'] had an excellent game on both sides of the ball, and even though the offense wasn't extremely hot, they did just enough to get the job done.   On the midland side, I know they have a few young stars, and they have a chance to finally make a true run sometime in these next few years. I hope to see a well-rounded team next season.   East Lansing defeated Dexter, 50-49   One of the games of the year. This was expected to be a shootout, and a shootout it was. I have yet to dive deep into this one, but I know that Darryle Geter had a phenomenal defensive game for East Lansing, while [player_tooltip player_id='604131' first='Ronny' last='Johnson'] had his fair share of big plays. This game was a coin flip from the jump, and now, East Lansing is a heavy favorite to advance again to the Semifinals.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Region 2 Final</h2>   Saginaw Heritage @ East Lansing   This is a super interesting matchup. On one hand, East Lansing has a super high-powered offense and a few stars on defense. On the other side, Heritage hasn't been as excellent on offense compared to years past, but they do seem to have upgraded the defense.   Heritage has a 1-point loss against Grand Blanc, and two close wins against Midland (last week) and Lapeer. East Lansing has wins against Dexter, Everett, and Portage Central.   So, neither team has an amazing resume compared to other regional finals teams. I think this game could go either way, but I'd definitely bet on East Lansing to secure this W.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Region 3</h2>   St. Mary's defeated Farmington, 51-0   Absolute dominance. [player_tooltip player_id='899556' first='Bryson' last='Williams'] and the rest of this OLSM team simply out-talented Farmington. This is where St Mary's strength of schedule comes into play- they've been amazing in these playoffs, and they'll be heavy favorites this week against Carlson.   Carlson defeated Livonia Franklin, 35-7   This is an excellent win for Carlson. As the regular season came to an end, I didn't quite know what to make of Carlson. Now, hopefully fully healthy, they've convincingly won two playoff games and will have their toughest test yet against a highly-favored opponent.   Franklin had a solid season, but at the end of the day, they couldn't get the job done against their best opponents. My expectation for Franklin is a step up next season, more on-par with how good they usually are.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Region 3 Final</h2>   St. Mary's @ Carlson   Even though Carlson is the home team, St. Mary's is the heavy favorite. In short, the reasoning behind this is St Mary's vastly superior strength of schedule and talent. Yes, Carlson has [player_tooltip player_id='563425' first='Izaiah' last='Wright'], and I really hope he's fully healthy for this one. If Carlson has any chance of advancing to the semis, Wright needs to put the team on his back. On the other side, I expect [player_tooltip player_id='899556' first='Bryson' last='Williams'], [player_tooltip player_id='1134355' first='Charles' last='White'], [player_tooltip player_id='284008' first='Camari' last='Patterson'], and the rest of the team to come out hot. This is an opportunity that both programs have waited a while for, and I hope to see a good game at the very least.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Region 4</h2>   Groves defeated Seaholm, 35-7   I attended the first half of this one. Plus, I know both teams very, very well.   Groves is a vastly improved team from last season. They still have the bulk of their 2024 roster, and it looks to me like ALL of their star players have taken significant steps forward. [player_tooltip player_id='899621' first='Chris' last='Little'] is an elite two-way player. [player_tooltip player_id='899493' first='Avery' last='Gach'] is one of the most dominant linemen I've ever watched. [player_tooltip player_id='913877' first='Dominic' last='Taylor'] is an absolute tone-setter and spark plug. Groves has several near-elite talents, plus SEVERAL vocal leaders. I've seen very few teams as special-looking as this one, and this very well could be Groves' year to win it all.   Seaholm had a nice season, considering what they lost in the Class of 2024. Watching them, it was apparent that this team had taken a step backward from last season. Last season, just on offense, they had senior stars at QB, RB, SB, and a better offensive line. When I watched them, I thought the defense had their moments, while the offense, especially the O-Line, was far too slow to get an inch against Groves. I'm confident that Seaholm will eventually rise to what they were in 2024 and 2019- it just might take a few years.   De La Salle defeated Grosse Pointe South, 35-21   I don't know what to read from this game. On the De La Salle side, they were able to score 35 against an inconsistent defense, while giving up only 21 to a very good offense. Really, all I can say is that I feel a lot more confident in the DLS defense than I do their offense.   This one has to hurt for GPS. Year after year, GPS plays great football during the regular season, then they run into Roseville and eventually De La Salle in the postseason. For a while now, they just haven't been able to get it done against a true state-championship contender. Hopefully they're able to take another step up next season!   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Region 4 Final</h2>   De La Salle @ Groves   Game of the Week in D2, no doubt about it.   Groves is one of the hottest teams in Football right now. They're 11-0, and they've outscored their opponents 413-85 this season. A ton of talent on offense. Two elite RBs. A great offensive line. Good receivers. Defensively, they fly around, they're confident, and hit extremely hard. I know that Groves doesn't have the same strength of schedule as De La Salle, but I almost promise you this game will be close. Groves has a much more difficult road to Ford Field than other teams in D2, but I truly think they can do it.   De La Salle has some advantages heading into the regional finals. The most obvious is their strength of schedule. They've played Davison, King, St Mary's, Toledo Central Catholic, Detroit Catholic Central, and Grosse Pointe South. They won all those games except Toledo CC and Detroit CC, both of which are still alive in the playoffs. I'm not too worried about the defense- I think this will be by far the best defense Groves has faced. What I am a bit worried about is their offense. De La Salle isn't quite as balanced as they'd like to be, and if they can't throw it downfield, Groves will stuff them in the run game.   Amazing, amazing matchup. If you live in metro Detroit, consider attending this one!

Things are starting to get very, very interesting in Division 2. Only eight teams stand, and we have a phenomenal slate of Regional Finals matchups this weekend!