It's playoff time in the Mitten!

288 teams in the state made the playoffs, six of them coming from the Central State Activities Association and four from the Highland Conference. Representing the CSAA is Big Rapids, Tri County, Kent City, Reed City, Central Montcalm, and Morley Stanwood. The Highland will feature McBain, Pine River, Manton, and Beal City. The next step to Ford Field for these squads will begin this coming Friday and Saturday. Here’s a look at each district’s breakdown:

 

BIG RAPIDS (DIVISION 4, DISTRICT 25)

The Cardinals enter the postseason with an 8-1 record and 52.667 playoff points, which ranks 15th in Division 4. The Cardinals will be on the road to start the playoffs versus undefeated Ludington. Big Rapids this season is 3-1 away from Cardinal Stadium, while Ludington is 4-0 at home. Three of those Oriole home wins came against fellow playoff teams Tri County, Whitehall and Muskegon Oakridge. This top-10 matchup in Division 4 is a playoff rematch from last year’s district semifinals, in which the Cardinals were able to outlast the Orioles 28-21 at home. The winner of this matchup will go on to face the winner of Freeland (7-2) at Escanaba (8-1). The winner of this district would go on to face the district winner of Hudsonville Unity Christian (8-1), Wyoming Godwin Heights (7-2), Spring Lake (6-3) and Holland Christian (5-4).

 

TRI COUNTY (DIVISION 5, DISTRICT 34)

The Vikings take their 5-4 battle-tested record to the postseason for the sixth straight season under head coach Phil Butler. Tri County will be on the road at the Whitehall Vikings from the West Michigan Lakes Conference. Whitehall comes in with a 5-4 record and a 2-3 record at home this season. Tri County hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2022 pre-district, while Whitehall won two playoff games last season before falling 28-21 to Grand Rapids South Christian in the regional championship. The winner of this battle of the Vikings will face the winner of Clare (6-3) at Saginaw Swan Valley (8-1) the following Friday. The winner of that will have a chance to play against the district winner of Ogemaw Heights (8-1), Kingsford (6-3), Gladwin (5-4) or Negaunee (6-3) for a regional championship.

 

REED CITY & CENTRAL MONTCALM (DIVISION 6, DISTRICT 42)

Three teams will be representing the CSAA in the Division 6 playoffs: Kent City, Reed City and Central Montcalm. Two of these teams share a district bracket: the Coyotes and the Hornets. Nothing says Michigan high school playoffs like the Wing-T offense, which is what Reed City’s offense brings versus the Central Montcalm spread offense. Both teams will have to win their first-round matchups to face each other for the first ime in the postseason. The Coyotes bring their 7-2 record into play and the streak of winning five straight opening-round matchups in the postseason versus Sanford Meridian (6-3), who hasn’t won a playoff game since 2019 against Hemlock for a district title. Central Montcalm will have the Montague Wildcats first, who are riding a four-game winning streak. The Hornets showed offensive firepower in a 60-24 win last week against Hart, which is the most points in a nonconference game in school history and the fifth time they’ve scored over 60 points in a game. The winner of this district would face the bracket winner of Kingsley (7-2), Traverse City St. Francis (6-3), Boyne City (6-3) or Calumet (7-2) for a regional championship.

 

KENT CITY (DIVISION 6, DISTRICT 43)

The Kent City Eagles’ perfect regular-season record of 9-0 and their No. 4 ranking in Division 6 by MHSAA will be put to the test. For just the second time in school history, Kent City has finished the regular season undefeated; in 2017, the undefeated Eagles lost to Montague in the district championship. This year, they look to get over that hump and will have to get past the 8-1 Olivet Eagles. Whichever Eagle prevails will have the honor of taking on Belding (8-1) or Ovid-Elsie (7-2). The winner of the district will take on the winner of the opposing district, which consists of Montrose (9-0), the No. 3-ranked team in Division 6 by MHSAA, Flint Hamady (6-3), Durand (7-2) and Flint New Standard Academy (8-1).

 

MORLEY STANWOOD & PINE RIVER (DIVISION 7, DISTRICT 50)

The final CSAA team in the playoffs is Morley Stanwood. The Mohawks, who finished 3-6, barely clinched a spot with 25.556 playoff points—good for the final playoff spot in Division 7 playoffs. They’ll share a district with a Highland Conference foe, Pine River, which earned its first postseason berth since 2018 (excluding the 2020 COVID-19 season). Morley Stanwood is one of just two teams statewide to reach the playoffs with a 3-6 record, joining Warren De La Salle in Division 3. The Mohawks, who might have thought their season was over after falling to the Bucks last week, had some chips fall into place and will now go on the road to face Harrison (7-2). This is the first time the Mohawks have made the playoffs since 2019. For the last Mohawk playoff win, you’d have to go all the way back to the 2016 season when they defeated Beaverton 19-0. Morley Stanwood will look for its seventh playoff win in school history against the Hornets, who haven’t won a playoff game since 2019. The winner will go on to play the winner of Shelby (5-4) at Pine River (6-3) for a district title. Both Pine River and Shelby will be looking for their third football district title in school history. Pine River’s last district title came in 2016 and Shelby’s last came in 2013.

 

MCBAIN & MANTON (DIVISION 7, DISTRICT 49)

The Highland Conference was able to produce two other Division 7 playoff teams: McBain and Manton. Both teams share a district and look to continue their hot streaks. Manton has scored 30 or more points in all but one game this season while McBain has won five in a row, including a school record 71-28 win versus Evart. The McBain Ramblers have won their last 13 of 19 opening round games of the playoffs, but only have one regional championship to show for it. For the Manton Rangers, you have to go all the way back to the 1994 season, when they beat Bark-River Harris 33-6 in the class DD pre-regional for their 2nd ever football playoff win in school history. Since the 1994 season the Rangers have only made the playoffs twice, in 2020 and 2014. This season marks only the sixth time in school history Manton has made the postseason. Both teams will be on the road in the pre-district round. McBain (7-2) will be at Charlevoix (8-1), while Manton (6-3) will be at No. 1 ranked Menominee (9-0). The winner of this district will face the winner of District 50 mentioned earlier.

 

BEAL CITY (DIVISION 8, DISTRICT 59)

The Beal City Aggies, who have only allowed 31 points all season long, begin their title defense Friday versus a team 12 miles down the road in Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (5-4). Beal City has a 38-17 lead all-time in the matchup and have won the last 10 straight games. You’d have to go all the way back to the 2010 district finals for the last Irish victory over Beal City, where they won 37-0 and went on to beat Saugatuck in the Division 8 state championship game. Sacred Heart hasn’t made it past the regional title game since that magical year. The winner of this game will take on Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary (6-3) at Saginaw Nouvel Christian (7-2) for a district title. The district champion will have the honor of taking on one of Harbor Beach (9-0), Unionville-Sebewaing (6-3), Genesee (4-5) or Reese (5-4) for a regional championship. Beal City has won 16 regional championships since 1993. 

 

Will Beal City be able to repeat as champion? Will the CSAA have a state champion? We’ll just have to let it all unfold on the gridiron. We’re just 33 days from the state championships at Ford Field.