It’s the last week of the regular season for MHSAA High School Football. That means some teams in the CSAA-Gold Conference will see their seasons end, while others look forward to the excitement of playoff football.

But who is done? Who must win this week? Who gets a shot at Michigan High School Football history?

Let’s break down the standings and expected finishes:

Who plays in the CSAA Gold? (in order of 2023 standings)

1. Big Rapids Cardinals
2. Tri County Vikings
3. Reed City Coyotes
4. Central Montcalm Hornets
5. Newaygo Lions
6. Chippewa Hills Warriors
7. Grant Tigers

Who won the conference?

• Coach Mike Selzer’s Big Rapids Cardinals swept conference play (6-0) to win their 1^st outright conference championship since 2003.
  • The Cardinals outscored conference opponents 211 to 66 for an average score of 35-11.
  • Only Chip Hills scored more than 14 points on BR’s Defense, and they scored 19. The Big Rapids defense is by far the most dominant in the conference, averaging only 9.4 points a game. They even pitched a shutout at Central Montcalm.
  • The Big Rapids offense scored less than 30 points only once in Conference play. The Coyotes held BR to 25 points.
  • For only the 2nd time in CSAA-Gold history, Reed City did not win the conference. In 2019, Coach Scott Shankel’s 1^st season as HC, the Coyotes finished 4^th. Every other season since the CSAA-Gold was formed (2014), Reed City has won the conference.

Does the Conference Championship play into the MHSAA Playoffs?

• No. Playoff selection and seeding is based on 'Playoff Points'. These points are accumulated through a formula that weighs wins as well as strength of schedule. The strength of schedule uses your opponent's wins (minus any wins vs you) as well as an assigned number based on the opponents size or Division.
• Big Rapids currently leads all CSAA-Gold teams with 48.125pts. They are projected to finish with 49.444pts.
  • In 2022, Paw Paw had the fewest Playoff Points in D4 with 40.889. Grand Rapids South Christian had the most with 65.778.

Who is in the playoffs regardless of Friday?

• Big Rapids: The Cardinals are currently #22 out of 32 teams in D4. The biggest danger in losing Friday night is less that they won’t make the playoffs and more that they will drop in their predicted #3 seed to #4 (and play the #1 seed) or worse, it shakes up the Regionals so they have tougher opponents like Whitehall.
• Tri County: The Vikings are ranked 13 out of 32 in Division 5. They are actually predicted not to win at Belding Friday and would still be the #2 seed in Region 2, District 1. The #1 seed in that Region is… Belding! So while a win would be a nice boost to end the season, it would not cause any significant changes to the seedings as Belding holds a commanding 12pt lead in Playoff Points.
• Reed City: The Coyotes are ranked 11th in D6 out of 32. They are expected to down the Cadillac Vikings in Reed City Friday night. This would clinch them the #1 seed in Region 2. A loss would most likely keep them as the #1 seed in District 1 but would cap them at a predicted 41.420 points and potentially take homefield advantage away for Regional play. Clare and Chesaning, the #1 and #2 seeds from Region 2, District 2, are predicted to end with 44.667 and 42.000 points respectively giving either team home field in round 2.
• Central Montcalm: While a loss Friday at Lakeview would be unprecedented given the current state of the season, if the Hornets do loose, they risk falling out of the top 32 teams in Division 6. The risk is low as they’re currently ranked 25^th, but stranger things have happened in sports (reference The 2011 regular season concludes with an indescribable flourish - YouTube).

Who has to win Friday to make the playoffs?

• Chippewa Hills: The Warriors are currently ranked 34^th in Division 6. The top 32 teams get in. Chip hosts Pine River Friday; a 2-7 D7 team they have handled with ease in years past, but their week 7 loss vs Newaygo is looming large. Detroit Voyager Prep, Parchment, Olivet, Bullock Creek, and Ida all have to lose to give Chip a chance even with a win. The ladder 3 are currently in as the 30, 31, and 32 teams. Again, stranger things have happened in sports (reference 9/28/2011 again), but a loss Friday vs the Bucks would ensure the Warrior season ends.

What do the Playoffs look like as of 10/19/23?

• Regions could shake up and only the MHSAA experts on the Selection Show Sunday will know, but the following are the predicted playoff setups for all eligible CSAA-Gold teams. The format is the #1 Seed hosts the #4 Seed, #2 hosts the #3. Higher seeds host until the Semi's when a neutral site is chosen:

BIG RAPIDS: DIVISION 4

TRI COUNTY: DIVISION 5

REED CITY & CENTRAL MONTCALM: DIVISION 6

 

Once Friday's games conclude, the MHSAA will make their Playoff selections on Sunday during their Selection Show at 6:00pm. The actual selections have deviated in the Regional makeups from predictions. Last year Big Rapids was predicted to play Freeland until Selection Sunday sent them to Whitehall.

We'll update you on Big Rapids Daily News as well as on Big Country's 'The Rundown' with predictions and selections: The RunDown Week 1 - YouTube

 

You can listen to all Big Rapids Cardinal games on Big Country 100.9fm, WWBR.com, and on the WWBR mobile app.

You can listen to all Reed City Coyotes games on Y-102 102.3fm, WYBR.com, and on the WYBR mobile app.