Division 1 Semifinal Preview

The field has been cut from 8 to 4. Now, only the truly elite contenders remain. Saturday brought four solid matchups and four decisive winners. This week, we have two clear favorites, but two other teams that have looked excellent down the stretch. Let's preview the semifinals!   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Detroit Catholic Central vs. East Kentwood</h2>   (SAT 1PM @ Jackson High School)   Detroit Catholic Central is rolling. Last week, most thought their game against Clarkston was a coin flip. Instead, they forced a running clock on them. 42-13 against Clarkston is incredibly impressive. Honestly, that's the type of talent DCC has. Elite talent at every single position on the field, with their biggest strengths being at DL, OL, WR, DB. East Kentwood has been incredibly impressive this season. Though on paper, Detroit Catholic Central is the much better team.   East Kentwood had a sensational second half against rival Hudsonville. 28-28 at the half, and 52-28 final. They've got to play this entire game like Saturday's second half. EK has the quarterback and receivers to go toe-to-toe with DCC. Though I'm not sure if they have the offensive line needed to establish the run or pass protect. Likewise, EK has some great players on defense, and they've got a great chance to force a few stops.   Key Players   QB | [player_tooltip player_id='1157439' first='Duke' last='Banta'] | DCC   QBs tend to show their true colors late in the postseason. Regrading Rankings, he's clearly a top 2 QB in the class of 2027 (IMO). He's the perfect QB for this system and has made wonderful decisions with the football all season. Though EK's defense is amazing at keeping you guessing. I strongly feel that EK will attack Duke with some blitz packages/coverages that Duke hasn't seen. Not looking for Duke to throw for 400 yards and rush for 2 TDs- just looking for another consistent, steady game.   DT/TE | [player_tooltip player_id='566981' first='Jack' last='Janda'] | DCC   I haven't watched the tape from yesterday, but I've heard that Janda dominated against Clarkston. Before this season, much of his publicity has come from his time as a TE. This season, he's been absolutely incredible as an interior defensive lineman. Elite anchor, with the explosiveness and size of an elite TE. Janda has a chance to be a game-wrecker.   WR | [player_tooltip player_id='1225707' first='Owen' last='Van Der Veen'] | East Kentwood   A huge X-Factor for the EK offense. We've seen it all season- Owen is an elite redzone target. A much-needed big body against a talented DCC defense. Usually, Owen is a vertical threat. This weekend, Owen may need to be more of a possession receiver, and he'll absolutely need to block well.   DC/ATH | [player_tooltip player_id='466870' first='Dallas' last='Moody'] | East Kentwood   One of many EK defenders who need to be on point. Dallas is having himself a nice season, being equally productive in run and pass defense. I'm extremely interested in seeing how Dallas does against the elite talent at DCC.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cass Tech vs. Rochester Adams</h2>   (SAT 1PM @ Troy Athens High School)   An interesting matchup with a clear favorite. Yes, Cass Tech is the heavy favorite, and it's clear to see why. To this point, they've bulldozed their way through the postseason and are once again playing their best football at the most important time of the season. The defending D1 champions are coming into this game after a confident 42-28 victory against Saline. Sometimes, we see good teams have an "off day" in the postseason. However, I've frankly never seen it with Cass Tech. Too competitive, too talented to do anything but play their best ball.   Let's not count Adams out. If they're able to play their brand of football, they've got a chance. Maybe a point of optimism- Cass Tech struggled mightily against Grandville earlier in the season, which is another super run-heavy team. Defensively, I'd be happy if Adams earned a pair of stops. Offensively, they've got to control the football. They either have to match Cass Tech in a shootout, or hold the ball for so long that Cass has little chance to earn offensive momentum.   Key Players   QB | [player_tooltip player_id='566987' first='Ryland' last='Watters'] | Adams   It's hard not to mention Rino every time I write about Rochester Adams. He'll have to carry the offense this weekend and make sure Cass Tech gets as few possessions as possible. Control the clock, bulldoze through tacklers, and he's got to hit his throws.   ATH | Cam Dawood | Adams   Really impressive athlete who has had a great postseason. Vertical threat, and a threat on outside runs. Can do a lot on the offensive side of the football, and needs to make the most of his opportunities this weekend.   LB | [player_tooltip player_id='1157446' first='Collin' last='Sumpter'] | Cass Tech   Got to stop the run this weekend! Collin is a super well-rounded linebacker, and has shown flashes of elite run-stopping ability. He's got to consistently make tough, downhill stops.   DT | [player_tooltip player_id='1158862' first='Gavin' last='Fernandez'] | Cass Tech   Gavin has quietly had an excellent career at Cass Tech. The DT has shown upside in stopping the run, and he'll have to have a great game this weekend. Don't get pushed off the ball, defend your gaps, and anchor down.

The field has been cut from 8 to 4. Now, only the truly elite contenders remain. Saturday brought four solid matchups and four decisive winners. This week, we have two clear favorites, but two other teams that have looked excellent down the stretch. Let's preview the semifinals!