Division 2 District Final Rundown

On to the Regional Finals! Unlike the D1 bracket, we have a few surprises on the D2 side. A significant upset in Muskegon, and another upset in Grosse Pointe. Today, I'll share my quick thoughts regarding all eight District Finals matchups.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Region 1</h2>   District 1   Traverse City Central 16 | 14 Muskegon   Watching this game is at the top of my priority list. I am frankly shocked that Traverse City Central came into Muskegon and pulled off this improbable upset. What a win for TCC. The defense from TCC was the huge shocker. Hats off to TCC for containing Muskegon's elite run game. TCC Is going to have another elite run game to stop next weekend, as they'll travel to Portage Central.   Muskegon falls short. The 2025 result was better than the 2024 result, as they at least made the postseason. Though, this is far short of their consistent state championship contention that we're used to. Throughout most of the season, Muskegon has looked like their usual self. Last night, they flat-out fell short.   District 2   Portage Central 34 | 7 Byron Center   It took a little longer than usual, but Portage Central eventually pulled away against the 2024 runner-up. Next week, Portage Central is going to be a heavy favorite against Traverse City Central. All signs point toward this Cam Noe led PC team to square off against Dow or OLSM for a ticket to Ford Field.   Byron Center is a team that had a tough draw this postseason. They absolutely weren't as strong as their 2024 team, but they still had a handful of key players from that championship roster. They had a chance in this one, and they kept it close for a bit. At the end of the day, Portage Central proved to be too strong.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Region 2</h2>     District 1   Midland Dow 21 | 12 East Lansing   Dow narrowly avoided the upset. Phew. First District Title for Dow in 10 years, and they accomplish it with a second-half push. I mentioned a few days ago that East Lansing usually has a pretty good secondary, and from this score, it seems that EL limited the Dow passing game, especially in the first half. Fortunately for Dow, this East Lansing squad has much less offensive firepower compared to last year. Can't wait to see what [player_tooltip player_id='1262603' first='Wynn' last='Diegel'] and this Dow offense can do against an excellent OLSM defense.   Dow will host St. Mary's in the Regional Finals, which is going to be by far the best team they've faced all season. For East Lansing, they'll be conducting exit interviews and beginning to prepare for the 2026 season.   District 2   OLSM 35 | 14 Brother Rice   No upset here. A few weeks ago, Brother Rice pulled off the improbable upset. I mentioned that there was nothing cheeky about Brother Rice this season; when they play at their best, they're capable of beating anyone. Unfortunately, they weren't able to play complete, mistake-free football last night. Brother Rice gets sent packing, but the future is incredibly bright.   The defending D2 champs return to the regional finals. This 21-point win against rival Brother Rice has to feel good. On paper, Dow is a way more one-dimensional team when compared to Brother Rice. Next week, it's elite passing offense (Dow) versus one of the better passing defenses in the state. I give St. Mary's excellent odds to advance to the semifinals, likely against Portage Central.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Region 3</h2>   District 1   Dexter 41 | 27 South Lyon   Dexter rides their early lead to victory. A few days ago, I said that this'll either be a close win for South Lyon, or a 2+ score win for Dexter. Turns out, it was the ladder. Awesome win for Dexter, who now has a legit path to Ford Field. This side of the bracket is incredibly favorable for Dexter! Excited to see what [player_tooltip player_id='1113047' first='Holden' last='Niemi'] and co are able to accomplish against an extremely tough Carlson squad.   South Lyon's special season comes to an end. They were able to get something going late in the game, but it was too little too late. The Lakes Valley conference was simply not very good this year, and I fear the inferior strength of schedule hurt South Lyon here. Hopefully, this program is able to use this momentum for further success in future years as conferences shuffle.   District 2   Carlson 33 | 14 Bedford   The expected outcome for Carlson. Headlined by future Purdue running back [player_tooltip player_id='563425' first='Izaiah' last='Wright'], Carlson rides their rushing attack into the regional finals. Not much else to say there. If Carlson wins against Dexter next week, I think they also win against Groves/Lakeview and advance to the State Championship.   Bedford put up a solid fight here. Considering their regular season, they came into this game as the heavy underdog. Hopefully, next season will produce better competitiveness in the postseason.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Region 4</h2>   District 1   Groves 36 | 22 Warren Cousino   Two super gritty teams.   Groves advances to yet another regional final, and they honestly have a great shot to get to Ford Field. Having watched Groves in person this year and last year, I can confidently say that last year's Groves team was far better than this year's team. That's more of a compliment to the talent last year than this year, because this 2025 Groves squad is still extremely strong. The offensive line in particular doing an incredible job, and the front 7 is as strong as ever. I like Groves' odds next week as they travel to Lakeview.   Cousino lost in the trenches, but won athletically. Cousino has some dang good athletes, and they were on full display last night. Class of 2027 ATH Julian Hayes is someone to watch next season; he's as good an open-field player as anyone in the state.   District 2   Grosse Pointe South 7 | 24 Lakeview   Wait, what?   Lakeview is on a tear. They're the definition of Dark Horse, as they've just won a district championship, and will host Groves for a chance to earn a semifinal matchup. An underdog in both games so far this postseason, Lakeview is consistently surpassing expectations. I absolutely need to do more homework on Lakeview. Best of luck to them in the Regional Championship!   Grosse Pointe South comes up short in what was another good, but not great, season. A lot to be proud of during the regular season, but this one has to sting pretty significantly.

On to the Regional Finals! Unlike the D1 bracket, we have a few surprises on the D2 side. A significant upset in Muskegon, and another upset in Grosse Pointe. Today, I'll share my quick thoughts regarding all eight District Finals matchups.