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Inside Selection Sunday: Mapnalysis '19
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 27, 2019
This will be the final MHSAA Football Playoffs under the format created in 1999, with significant changes coming beginning with the 2020 season.
But the soon-to-be old way isn’t going out without a bang.
From a record number of additional qualifiers, to a first-ever coin flip to determine the final team in the 11-player field, to a series of maps that arguably included the toughest to draw at least this decade, this year’s “Selection Sunday” was jammed with notable moments that will play out in 10 divisions over the next five weeks.
Below, we explain how we made many of the most difficult decisions – and follow with a few points of interest that immediately jump out from this season’s brackets.
This process actually begins in April, when we start collecting schedules for the upcoming season – this time for 607 teams, from which 531 ended up eligible for the 11-player playoffs and 71 were eligible in 8-player. And of course, now that the brackets are drawn the major lifting begins – assigning officials for every game, gathering potential Semifinal sites in 11-player and working with our Finals hosts to again create once-in-a-lifetime experiences (for most) when our 8-player finalists face off Nov. 23 at Northern Michigan University’s Superior Dome and our 11-player finalists play for titles Nov. 29-30 at Ford Field.
So let’s dive in. Those familiar with this “Selection Sunday” recap will recognize first a refresher on the playoff selection process, followed by “Observations & Answers: 2019.” That’s followed by thoughts after a glance at this year’s brackets, and be sure to visit MHSAA.com to see all of the pairings in full.
Ground Rules
Our past: The MHSAA 11-player playoff structure – with 256 teams in eight divisions, and six wins equaling an automatic berth (or five wins for teams playing eight or fewer games) – debuted in 1999. An 8-player tournament was added in 2011, and in 2017 a second division of 8-player football was introduced.
The first playoffs were conducted in 1975 with four champions. Four more football classes were added in 1990 for a total of eight champions each fall. Through 1998, only 128 teams made the postseason, based on their playoff point averages within regions (four for each class) that were drawn before the beginning of the season. The drawing of Districts and Regionals after the end of the regular season did not begin until the most recent 11-player playoff expansion.
In early years of the current process, lines were drawn by hand. Dots representing qualifying schools were pasted on maps, one map for each division, and those maps were then covered by plastic sheets. Districts and Regionals literally were drawn with dry-erase markers.
Our present: The last few scores of this regular season were added to MHSAA.com by 8 p.m. Saturday. Re-checking and triple-checking of enrollments, what schools played in co-ops and opted to play as a higher class start a week in advance, and more numbers are crunched Sunday morning as the fields are set.
This final season of 6-wins-and-in (or five wins playing eight games or fewer) produced 202 automatic qualifiers for the 11-player field with a record 54 additional qualifiers then selected by playoff point average – that group of additional qualifiers easily blowing past last year’s then-record total of 43. Additional qualifiers were selected from each class in order (A, B, C, D) until the field was filled. There were only two Class D additional qualifiers with 5-4 or 4-4 (playing eight games) records from which we could choose, and likewise there were 16 additional qualifiers available in Class C – so with those 18 spots filled, we added 18 teams from both Class A and B to fill out the field.
Here’s where the tie-breaker was forced into play. Among Class B teams, Durand and Imlay City tied for the 18th spot with playoff point averages of 42.667. They did not play each other during the regular season – so the first tie-breaker of head-to-head result couldn’t be used. The next tie-breaker is opponents’ winning percentage – and both teams’ opponents won 45.7 percent of their games this season. So we went to the coin flip, and Durand was awarded the final spot in the field.
Those 256 11-player teams were then split into eight equal divisions based on enrollment, and their locations were marked on digital maps then projected on wall-size screens and discussed by nearly half of the MHSAA staff plus two representatives from the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association. Only the locations themselves were marked (by red dots) – not records, playoff point averages or names of the schools or towns. In fact, mentions of those are strictly prohibited. Records and playoff points are not part of the criteria. Matchups, rivalries, previous playoff pairings, etc. also DO NOT come into play.
The 8-player process is different for team selection and similar for designation of Regionals. We take the top 32 teams in 8-player based on playoff point average as our field, then re-sort those 32 by enrollment – the 16 biggest make up Division 1, followed by the next 16 in Division 2. There are no automatic qualifiers by record for 8-player, and those fields remain in flux right through the last Week 9 games. For example: Colon as recently as after Week 7 was slated for Division 2. But the Magi after this weekend ended up in Division 1 with the second-highest playoff-point average but the 16th-highest enrollment – meaning Colon (160 students) and Cedarville (154) were the line between Divisions 1 and 2 this year.
Our future: 11-player divisions determined in March. More bonus points awarded in losses. Read all about it: Comparison of old and new playoff formats
Geography rules: This long has been rule number one for drawing MHSAA brackets in any sport. Travel distance and ease DO come into play. Jumping on a major highway clearly is easier than driving across county-wide back roads, and that’s taken into consideration. Also, remember there’s only one Mackinac Bridge and hence only one way to cross between peninsulas – and boats are not considered a possible form of transportation. When opponents from both peninsulas will be in the same District, distance to the bridge is far more important than as the bird flies.
Tradition doesn’t reign: Every group of 32 (or in 8-player, 16) dots is a new group – these 32 teams have not been placed in a bracket together before. How maps have been drawn in the past isn’t considered – it’s hard to say a division has been drawn in a certain way traditionally when this set of 32 teams is making up a division for the first time.
Observations & Answers: 2019
We always start with CONGRATULATIONS: Detroit Leadership Academy, Detroit Communication Media Arts, and Pellston will be making their debuts in the MHSAA Playoffs this week, taking the list of teams that have never qualified for the postseason down to 11. Beal City and Crystal Falls Forest Park will make their MHSAA-best 35th playoff appearances. Five teams will be playing in at least their 17th consecutive playoffs – Rockford (25), Forest Park (23), Jackson Lumen Christi (22), Macomb Dakota (20) and Climax-Scotts (17).
Head-to-head rules: As noted above, it’s the first tie-breaker and comes into play immediately this week. In Division 3, East Lansing and DeWitt have identical playoff point averages, and East Lansing will host their first-round game thanks to a 21-2 Week 5 win. If Portland and Lansing Catholic both advance to an 11-Player Division 5 District Final, Portland will host thanks to a 21-20 Week 5 win over the Cougars. Same in 8-player Division 2, where if Powers North Central and Pickford meet in a Regional Final, the Jets will host thanks to their 20-14 win when the teams met in Week 3.
Traverse City traveling: Many years, we have to pay special consideration to ease of travel when we have one of 32 teams from a division in the Upper Peninsula. This year, we spent a lot more time discussing Traverse City schools – notably how to position Traverse City West in Division 1 and Traverse City Central in Division 2. There are three main north-south highways in the Lower Peninsula, with U.S. 131 the thoroughfare out of Traverse City. We also used it as the defining line in Division 1, with West going west with Grand Haven, Grandville and Hudsonville instead of staying with a more northern group that would’ve included Rockford and split Grandville and Hudsonville – which are six miles apart down I-196. In Division 2, we brought U.S. 127 into the mix, figuring it made more sense for travel to use that and 131 in grouping Traverse City Central with Muskegon Mona Shores, Midland and Midland Dow instead of creating a western District stretching from Traverse City to south of Kalamazoo.
Avoid the crisscross: Sometimes Districts drawn on the maps look perfect – but we run into trouble putting them together for a logical Regional. Sometimes we know eight dots should be a Regional, but there’s no reasonable way to split them into two four-team Districts. We do everything possible to keep a team from driving past a different District (or in 8-player Regional) on the way to its first or second-round game. The 8-Player Division 1 map probably looks a little odd with Deckerville possibly playing Morrice in the second round and the Orioles driving past Mayville or Kingston from another Regional to get there. However, there is a distinct northeast-to-southwest line separating those four schools – and if the Regional had been drawn to keep Deckerville with Mayville and Kingston, it would’ve meant Regional champs “jumping” over each other for their Semifinal matchup.
North/South vs. East/West: There isn’t one guiding directional when creating these Districts and Regionals. The 11-player Division 7 map has a little bit of both, with a pair of Districts along I-94 on the south side of the Lower Peninsula, but then Madison Heights Bishop Foley grouped with three Thumb-area teams for a north-south grouping. The other option was sending Bishop Foley northwest toward Flint and Lansing, but that would’ve left the Thumb schools and Beaverton maneuvering around Saginaw Bay.
At the end of the day …
Here’s my annual reminder: We draw these maps not knowing which schools are represented by the dots. The Division 5 and 6 maps were so easy to draw, I had no idea which schools were matched up until checking out the brackets hours later to put together this report.
But with all of that in front of me, here’s a glance at what jumps off the page:
• The Division 1 District made up of unbeaten Belleville and Brownstown Woodhaven, Saline (8-1) and Ann Arbor Pioneer (5-4) is obviously loaded. Belleville and Saline both made the Semifinals last season, and Saline’s only loss this fall was to reigning Division 1 champion Clinton Township Chippewa Valley. Woodhaven finished the regular season unbeaten for the second time in six years and its seeking its first District title.
• Last season’s Division 4 champion Edwardsburg has won 23 straight games and is back in the Division 3 bracket – the Eddies played in Division 4 the last two seasons and most recently in Division 3 in 2016. A possible return to Ford Field starts this week with St. Joseph and could include a trip to Zeeland West and matchup with also-unbeaten Mason.
• Hudsonville Unity Christian is another reigning champion in a new division, moving into Division 4 after winning the championship in Division 5 last fall. Unity begins with Otsego and would play either Grand Rapids Christian or South Christian with a win.
• Make way for Division 7. Unbeaten New Lothrop is the reigning champion and shares a District with undefeated Beaverton and a Regional with also-undefeated Pewamo-Westphalia. Iron Mountain, Lawton, Jackson Lumen Christi and Clinton also have yet to lose a game this season. Lumen Christi has won the last three Division 6 championships and 31 straight games.
• Math can lead to some unpredictable situations, including the occasional undefeated road team during the first round. Almont defeated Richmond 28-10 in Week 7 on the way to the Blue Water Area Conference title and a perfect regular-season record. But the Raiders will travel this week back to Richmond because the Blue Devils finished with a better playoff point average – Almont’s two nonleague opponents finished a combined 1-17, and Richmond’s both made the playoffs with a combined 13-5 record. That difference made the difference in playoff point average by about nine-tenths of a point in Richmond’s favor.
• This year’s 8-player brackets are loaded with intrigue, especially with 2018 Division 2 champion Rapid River not in the field and last year’s Division 1 runner-up Pickford in Division 2 this time. Morrice is the reigning Division 1 champion and could see undefeated Deckerville in a Regional Final. Pickford has to get through another 8-1 team in Engadine this week but could see undefeated Powers North Central in a Division 2 Regional Final.
• And it should shock no one if a team entering the playoffs 4-5 makes it to NMU. Gaylord St. Mary had to forfeit four victories but still made the playoffs with that record. Undefeated Suttons Bay is a possible Regional Final opponent, and St. Mary won their Week 6 matchup on the field 48-47 before later forfeiting that game.
That’s the start of what we’re looking forward to over the next five weeks. The steps taken today were just a few along the way as memories are made for thousands of Michigan high school football players this November.
PHOTOS: (Top) The Division 5 map, with clear-cut Districts, received quick support from the selection committee. (Middle) The Division 1 map split Grand Rapids-area teams along U.S. 131.
![Detroit Central's quarterback attempts to launch a pass amid a Southeastern rush.](/sites/default/files/2022-10/221017_1st%26Goal_2H.png)
1st & Goal: 2022 Week 8 Review
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 17, 2022
Plenty of regular-season wheels were still in spin during football’s Week 8, including opportunities for a few more historic league championship claims and a few upsets to keep this season’s playoff field a little tougher to forecast.
Dexter and Durand are among the latest to celebrate league titles many years in the making. Spring Lake, Elk Rapids and East Grand Rapids kept us on our toes as well as we dug deeper into crunch time with only one week of regular-season matchups to play.
Here’s a look at how those teams and others continued to drive us forward as we draw nearer to playoff selection coming up this Sunday.
Bay & Thumb
HEADLINER Goodrich 21, Linden 0 The Martians (7-1) added the overall Flint Metro League championship to their Stars division title and also extended their winning streak that began after a season-opening defeat. Since that Week 1 loss, Goodrich has given up more than seven points in a game only once, with this its third shutout of the fall. The Martians have won all three meetings with Linden (5-3) since joining the Metro in 2019. Click for more from the Flint Journal.
Watch list North Branch 35, Croswell-Lexington 21 The must-follow Blue Water Area Conference race has reached a conclusion, with North Branch (7-1) clinching a share of the championship with this victory and Armada (7-1) clinching a share with its win over Richmond on Friday. The Broncos avenged a 28-7 defeat last year to the Pioneers (6-2), who went on to win the 2021 BWAC title.
On the move Harbor Beach 28, Bad Axe 7 The East’s Harbor Beach (7-1) won this matchup of Greater Thumb Conference division runners-up, avenging last year’s 42-33 loss to the Hatchets (5-3). Davison 49, Grand Blanc 14 The Cardinals (7-1) avenged last year’s 43-7 loss to the rival Bobcats to set up a winner-take-all Saginaw Valley League South title matchup this week against Lapeer. Freeland 40, Birch Run 6 The Falcons (7-1) have moved up in the Division 4 playoff-point rankings three straight weeks and now sit at No. 12 after sending Birch Run (4-4) one spot out of the Division 5 qualifier list to No. 33 heading into the regular-season finales.
Greater Detroit
HEADLINER Detroit Cass Tech 28, Detroit Martin Luther King 14 The Detroit Public School League Blue championship game was a rematch from Week 4, won by King 28-23. But this time, Cass Tech was able to shut down a Crusaders offense averaging 43 points per game and break a three-game losing streak against its biggest rival. Cass Tech (5-3) also received a nice boost to No. 29 in Division 1 playoff-point average after entering the weekend at No. 31. King, at 5-2, sits No. 12 on the Division 3 playoff-point list. Click for more from the Detroit News.
Watch list Farmington 39, Birmingham Seaholm 21 A two-point loss to Troy in Week 5 put the Falcons (6-2) in chase mode, but they earned a share of the Oakland Activities Association Blue title by handing Seaholm (7-1) its lone loss in the league finale. The next-best news for both is both were sub-.500 last year and have rebounded in big ways.
On the move Belleville 42, Livonia Franklin 14 The Tigers (8-0) clinched another Kensington Lakes Activities Association East title outright and ran their overall winning streak to 19, while dealing Franklin (7-1) its only defeat. Detroit Central 31, Detroit Southeastern 14 The Trail Blazers (8-0) ran their regular-season winning streak to 18 in finishing an outright PSL Gold championship run with a second win over Southeastern (5-3) this fall. Clarkston 48, Lapeer 13 The Wolves (6-2) have two good losses and some really solid wins this season, this one over the Lightning (7-1) just the latest and enough to push Clarkston up to No. 7 on the Division 1 playoff-point list.
Mid-Michigan
HEADLINER Durand 23, New Lothrop 21 The Railroaders’ season would have been considered a mighty success with just a shared championship in the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference. But Durand (8-0) continued to make its case as one of the most intriguing stories of this season statewide by edging the Hornets to claim the title outright, after two weeks ago earning a share of its first league championship since 1983. Even with the loss, New Lothrop (6-2) moved up a spot in Division 7 playoff-point ranking to No. 12, and its defeats this season are by a combined three points. Click for more from the Owosso Argus-Press.
Watch list Holt 16, East Lansing 13 The Rams actually ran their winning streak over East Lansing (6-2) to two, but this one spun the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue race on its side with Holt (5-3) clinching a share and East Lansing and Grand Ledge now set to decide the other half of the championship when they face off this week. The Trojans had entered the weekend in first alone.
On the move Portland 32, Cadillac 6 The Raiders (7-1) are shaping up as Division 5 contenders again, with this win over the Vikings (5-3) moving them up three spots to No. 6 on that playoff-point average list. Charlotte 44, Flint Hamady 34 The Orioles’ rise continues as they moved to 7-1 by handing Hamady (7-1) its lone defeat. Hastings 33, Jackson Northwest The Saxons (7-1) clinched a share of the Interstate 8 Athletic Conference title and can claim it outright this week against winless Battle Creek Pennfield.
Northern Lower Peninsula
HEADLINER Elk Rapids 26, St. Ignace 19 Add the Elks (6-2) to teams enjoying an unforgettable fall. They finished third in the Northern Michigan Football Conference Leaders, but earned their most notable win this season over a St. Ignace team that’s clinched a share of the NMFC Legacy title and will play for the outright championship this week. Elk Rapids (6-2) has put together its best season since 2018, while the Saints (6-2) are surging through their best showing since 2016.
Watch list Traverse City St. Francis 42, Lawton 7 We’ve been watching the Gladiators all season, and it feels like we’ll be watching them late into November again as they moved to 8-0 with a big win over last season’s Division 7 runner-up Blue Devils (6-2).
On the move Traverse City Central 21, Bay City Western 0 A four-game losing streak in September had the Trojans (4-4) solidly outside the Division 2 playoff field, but a three-game winning streak has moved them back up to No. 21 in Division 2. McBain 46, Manton 20 After a few weeks skating outside the top 32 in Division 8 playoff-point average, McBain (4-4) is up to a more comfortable No. 27 with winless Muskegon Heights Academy up next. Charlevoix 38, Kalkaska 0 The Rayders moved to 7-1 with their second-straight shutout and sixth in eight games this season.
Southeast & Border
HEADLINER Dexter 21, Saline 14 The Dreadnaughts (8-0) defeated eight-time reigning champion Saline to clinch the Southeastern Conference Red championship outright – that league title also Dexter’s first in 59 years. Cole Cabana scored all three touchdowns, while the Dreadnaughts’ defense stood strong again and is giving up only 10.4 points per game this season. Saline moved to 6-2. Click for more from the Ann Arbor News.
Here are the highlights of the Saline at Dexter game that aired on Football Fridays Overtime powered by STATE CHAMPS! on @BallySportsDET#MIFTBL | @DreadStrong | @colecabana pic.twitter.com/JndzfPoY2k
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Watch list Adrian 39, Sturgis 13 The Maples (4-4) finished fourth in the SEC White, but their four wins are the team’s most since 2016, and they are one spot outside making the Division 4 playoff field after moving up seven spots with this win over the Trojans (5-3).
On the move Napoleon 36, Addison 18 The Pirates (8-0) clinched the Cascades Conference championship outright with their first win over Addison (4-4) since 2018. Hudson 46, Dundee 17 The Tigers (8-0) guaranteed a winner-take-all Week 9 matchup with Clinton in the Lenawee County Athletic Association while taking Dundee (6-2) out of title consideration. Ottawa Lake Whiteford 50, Erie Mason 14 The Bobcats (8-0) finished a perfect run through the Tri-County Conference and sit No. 2 in Division 8 playoff-point average, while Erie Mason (5-3) is hanging in at No. 29 in Division 7.
Southwest Corridor
HEADLINER Buchanan 34, Benton Harbor 22 The Bucks (7-1) wrapped up the inaugural Lakeland Athletic Conference championship outright, and deservedly so after putting up the most points a tough Benton Harbor defense has given up this season. Similarly, the Tigers (4-4) tied the third-most Buchanan has allowed, and will hope to continue that trend this week as they sit two spots outside the Division 5 playoff field with a trip to Constantine next. This win moved Buchanan up three spots in Division 6 to No. 12. Click for more from the Niles Daily Star.
Watch list Homer 34, Reading 30 The Trojans (6-2) didn’t catch Union City in the Big 8 Conference but finished a solid second thanks to their first win over Reading (6-2) since 2016. They also guaranteed their best record since 2019 with the win.
On the move Edwardsburg 46, Chelsea 7 The Eddies (7-1) are making some noise, with this win over the reigning Division 4 champion Bulldogs (5-3) a good conversation starter. White Pigeon 44, Kent City 19 A three-game winning streak has White Pigeon (5-3) steadily moving up the Division 8 playoff-point list, and this win over Kent City (6-2) was their most impressive of the fall. Watervliet 32, Parchment 7 Watervliet (5-3) was in need of some added comfort in the Division 6 playoff field, and this win pushed it up six spots to No. 22. Parchment (4-4) fell five spots to a less comfortable No. 34, two out of making the postseason.
Upper Peninsula
HEADLINER Negaunee 48, Houghton 0 The Miners (8-0) not only experienced no letdown after a big Week 7 win over Gladstone, they put up their third-most points of the season and earned their second shutout in clinching a share of the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference Copper title. Negaunee will play for its first perfect regular season since 2016 against Ishpeming Westwood this week, while Houghton (5-3) is working to hold onto a playoff spot in Division 6 and could see the Miners again. Click for more from Upper Michigan Source.
Watch list Kingsford 46, Hopkins 7 The Flivvers (6-2) quietly have won five straight – with Hopkins (5-3) playing for a league title share this week. Kingsford has gone over 45 points three of the last four games and held its last four opponents to single digits.
On the move Gladstone 22, Gaylord 14 The Braves (6-2) quickly bounced back from that Negaunee loss, with a sixth win representing their most in a season since 2017 – and against a Gaylord team (5-3) enjoying its best since 2018. Iron Mountain 28, Ishpeming 8 The Mountaineers (7-1) are holding on to the top spot in Division 8 playoff-point average for the second-straight week after defeating a possible playoff opponent in the Hematites (4-4). Bark River-Harris 34, Ishpeming Westwood 6 The Broncos (6-2) may bring a little more momentum to this week’s West-PAC Iron title decider with Ishpeming after avenging last year’s 50-8 loss to Westwood (4-4).
West Michigan
HEADLINER Spring Lake 35, Hudsonville Unity Christian 32 The Lakers (3-5) have quite a bit to make up to have a shot at making the Division 4 playoffs. But they made a massive impact on the Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue race with this upset, denying Unity Christian (5-3) a chance to clinch a share of the league title and instead bringing Fruitport and Grand Rapids West Catholic back into the mix. Click for more from the Grand Haven Tribune.
Watch list East Grand Rapids 15, Lowell 14 The Pioneers (3-5) were coming off two losses, but in edging the Red Arrows (5-3) they pushed into a pretty solid No. 24 slot in Division 3 playoff-point average.
On the move Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central 30, Grand Rapids Christian 7 The Rangers (8-0) are one of two undefeated teams left in Division 2 and now own a share of the O-K White championship with the chance to repeat as outright winner this week. Muskegon Mona Shores 15, Muskegon Reeths-Puffer 0 With their second shutout of the season, the Sailors (7-1) clinched a share of the O-K Green title. Grand Rapids South Christian 37, Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills 7 These Sailors now own a share of the O-K Gold championship but with a tough opponent coming up in Forest Hills Eastern as they seek to win outright.
8-Player
HEADLINER Rogers City 42, Alcona 26 The North Star League Big Dipper championship belongs to Rogers City after this highly-anticipated matchup. The last three between these rivals had been decided by a score, but the Hurons broke away and are now one more win from a first perfect regular season since 1998. Alcona is 6-2. Click for more from MI Sports Now
Watch list Central Lake 26, Farwell 22 Early losses to Gaylord St. Mary and Indian River Inland Lakes are why Central Lake ended up third in the Ski Valley Conference. But the Trojans have won five straight (including a forfeit) and handing Farwell (7-1) its lone loss makes them a team to watch even more as we head into the postseason.
On the move Climax-Scotts 28, Adrian Lenawee Christian 21 The Panthers (7-1) are absolutely among the best teams in 8-player Division 2 with this win solidifying that reputation. Lenawee Christian (6-2) remains a favorite in Division 1. Gaylord St. Mary 38, Rudyard 14 The Snowbirds also are a Division 2 team to watch coming off a solid win over Division 1 Rudyard (5-3). Kingston 56, Mayville 26 The Cardinals (8-0) are a win away from a possible first perfect regular season since 1999, and this win over Mayville (5-3) was one of their best.
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PHOTOS (Top) Detroit Central's quarterback attempts to launch a pass amid a Southeastern rush during the PSL Gold final. (Middle) A Detroit Cass Tech ball carrier looks to break past a Martin Luther King defender during the PSL Blue championship game. (Photos by Chardonne’ U of Olivia B. Photography.)