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Balancing Football Playoffs
April 18, 2017
Every time the Michigan High School Athletic Association Football Playoffs have been expanded, two voices have been heard – one complaining that too many teams or divisions have watered down the tournament; the other advocating that every school should qualify for the tournament regardless of its regular-season performance.
The playoffs have expanded from 32 to 64 to 128 to 256 to 272 teams; and for 2017, with the addition of 16 more 8-player teams, to 288 of the 626 MHSAA member schools’ football teams in Michigan.
We have reached the point where 46 percent of the schools which sponsor football qualify for the Football Playoffs, and we are approaching closely the point of qualifying every team with winning records during the regular season.
Those stats sound about right for a collision sport conducted mostly outdoors in a cold climate for teenagers. A longer tournament is unwise; a larger tournament is unneeded.
What is needed and wise is more attention to the regular season, and especially to practices which occur at least five times more frequently than games. That’s where the teaching and learning of football skills and life lessons can be everyday occurrences for every team in Michigan.
Unforgettable 5ive: 2022 Football Week 2
By
Jon Ross
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
September 6, 2022
Here's a look at our Week 2 "Unforgettable 5ive" from MHSAA.tv and MHSAA media partner broadcasts:
► Rockford's Mac VandenHout finds Brady Thompson for a 59-yard touchdown in a 31-27 come-from-behind win over Muskegon Mona Shores.
► Clarkston's Desman Stephens intercepts a Southfield Arts & Technology last-chance pass, sealing a 62-56 victory.
► Saginaw Heritage's Braylon Isom scores on a 56-yard pass from Ethan Mason. Isom had 289 receiving yards and four TDs in a 69-26 win over Flushing.
► Mason beat Holt 35-12 thanks in part to Cason Carswell finding Tyler Baker for a 53-yard touchdown.
► DeWitt gets revenge on Portland, winning on a 22-yard touchdown pass from Elliott Larner to Bryce Kurncz with 14 seconds left. The Panthers won 39-34.