We are starting something new this year. All three of our experts went division by division to pick the semifinal games, final game, and Champion in each division.
Division One
Division One is one of the toughest to predict, but we did. Last year’s champion, Southfield A&T, failed to make the playoffs, so we will have a new winner this season. Could it be Belleville finishing out a phenomenal four-year run, or will we have someone else?
In the final four, the Bear has Howell vs. Davison in one and Detroit Catholic Central vs. Macomb Dakota in the other. Bear has Howell beating Davison and Catholic Central, overtaking Dakota to make it a Howell vs. Catholic Central State Champion. In the State Final, he has Catholic Central winning their first title since 2009.
Nat has the same final four as the Bear, with Howell vs. Davison and Detroit Catholic Central taking on Macomb Dakota. In the State Title game, she has Howell matching up with Catholic Central, but instead of Catholic Central winning their tenth state title, she has Howell walking away victorious for the first time in school history.
Kirby has Rockford vs Lake Orion in one game, and Belleville is taking on Macomb Dakota in the other. He has Lake Orion and Belleville winning both games to set up a Belleville vs Lake Orion State Final game. In the State Final game, Kirby has Belleville winning their third title in the last four years.
Division Two
Division two is wide open this year as the reigning state champion Muskegon failed to make the Playoffs.
For the Bear, he has Mona Shores facing off with Dexter in one semifinal while he sees Carlson taking on De La Salle in the other. He does think that Mona Shores taking down Dexter and De La Salle overpowering Carlson will set up a Mona Shores vs. De La Salle in the State Title game. In the State Final, he has De La Salle coming out on top for a sixth time in school history.
Nat comes in with Mona Shores taking on Dexter in one semifinal game and Livonia Franklin taking on Grosse Pointe South in the other. She has Dexter overcoming Mona Shores and Grosse Pointe South beating Franklin to set up a Dexter vs. Grosse Pointe South Championship game. In that Final game, she has Dexter coming out on top, winning their first State Title in football.
Kirby comes in with a Mona Shores vs. Milford semifinal game, and in the other semifinal game, he has Livonia Franklin taking on De La Salle. For the state title game, he has it being a clash of titans as Mona Shores takes on De La Salle. Instead of following in the path of Bear, he has Mona Shores winning their third championship and first since the 2020 season.
Division Three
This is the first division in which the reigning state title winner made it back to the playoffs, with Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central looking to defend its title from a year ago. Will any of our experts pick it to make it back to Ford Field?
For the Bear, he has DeWitt taking on the defending State Title winner Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central in one, and in the other, he has Mason taking on Detroit Martin Luther King. He has DeWitt making it back to Ford Field, beating the defending State Title winner, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, and he has them meeting up with rival Mason. In the rematch from week two, he has Mason coming out on top to win their first state title.
Nat has DeWitt taking on St. Joseph in one semifinal, while Mason takes on River Rouge in the other. While Nat has the same final as Bear, with Mason facing off against DeWitt, she says it will be DeWitt coming out on top.
Kirby thinks you’ll see DeWitt taking on St. Joseph in one semifinal while Walled Lake Western will face off against Detroit Martin Luther King in the other. In the Finals, he follows suit, with DeWitt making it back to Ford Field, but he has them facing off against Walled Lake Western, with Walled Lake Western coming out on top.
Division Four
Division Four has both finalists from a year ago back in the field this year. Will any of our three experts have them returning to Ford Field this year, or will it be a brand new matchup?
Bear starts with a bang, having Grand Rapids South Christian taking on Paw Paw in one semifinal, and he has Harper Woods facing off against Chelsea in the other. He thinks South Christian will make it back to Ford Field for a third straight year and has Harper Woods beating Chelsea, setting up a rematch of last year’s Final game in Division Four. In the rematch, he has Harper Woods coming out on top once again to make it two straight for the school.
Nat doesn’t think we will see either team from a year ago make it back to Ford Field. She has Hudsonville Unity taking on Hastings in one semifinal and Goodrich vs. Redford Union in the other. She then has Hudsonville Unity facing off against Redford Union in the finals, with Hudsonville Unity winning it all.
In Division Four, Kirby has Hudsonville Unity facing off against Paw Paw in one semifinal and Chelsea taking on Redford Union in the other. In his state final matchup, Hudsonville Unity faces off against Chelsea, and like Nat, he has Hudsonville Unity coming out on top.
Division Five
The Division Five playoffs have been a west side of the state affair in recent years. Will our trio of experts pick another team from the West to win it this year, or will the East find a way to come out on top?
Bear sticks close to home in one semifinal as he has Flat Rock taking on Armada in one game, and he thinks Frankenmuth will face off with Grand Rapids West Catholic in the other. Making it to the final, he has Flat Rock taking on Frankenmuth, with Frankenmuth coming out on top.
Nat sees things a bit differently. While she has Frankenmuth matching up with Grand Rapids West Catholic in one semifinal, she has Notre Dame Prep taking on Detroit Lincoln-King in the other. Her final sends Grand Rapids West Catholic to face off with Notre Dame Prep, and she has Notre Dame Prep coming out on top.
Kirby marks three in a row of our experts, seeing one semifinal between Frankenmuth and Grand Rapids West Catholic. In the other semifinal game, he has Notre Dame Prep facing off against Romulus. In the finals, he has Frankenmuth and Notre Dame Prep, with Frankenmuth coming out on top.
Division Six
Division Six is home to one of the best programs in the state, Jackson Lumen Christi. Will they win their record-breaking 14th state title, or will our experts pick a new winner?
Bear has Kingsley vs Almont in one semifinal and Lumen Christi vs Warren Michigan Collegiate in the other. In his championship game, Almont will face Lumen Christi and Lumen Christi will win its 14th state title.
Nat must have looked at Bear’s bracket and said it looked pretty good, as she has the same matchups: Lumen Christi faces off against Warren Michigan Collegiate, and Almont takes on Kingsley. Her final will see Lumen Christi take on Almont, but she has Almont taking it.
Ok, it must just be a good wavelength between our three experts. Kirby has three of the four teams as the other two. His lone change-up is Reed City playing Almont, but he does have Lumen Christi facing off against Warren Michigan Collegiate. His final is the same as the other two as he sees it being a Lumen Christi vs Almont final, and he, like Nat has Almont taking it
home this year.
Division Seven
Now we start the divisions, which are wide open. This and division eight will be wide open, and our experts all think that is the case also.
Bear has Traverse City St. Francis taking on Ithaca in one semifinal and Schoolcraft playing SMCC in the other. He sees Ithaca and SMCC meeting at Ford Field, where SMCC won it all.
Nat sees Menominee facing Millington in one semifinal and Hudson matching up with SMCC in the other. In her final, Menominee will take on Hudson, with Hudson coming out on top.
Kirby has North Muskegon taking on Ithaca in a semifinal and Hudson facing off with SMCC in the other. In his final, Ithaca and Hudson will go toe to toe, with Ithaca coming out on top.
Division Eight
In the last division our experts are picking, as eight-man football is not being accounted for; it’s more wide open.
Bear has Iron Mountain going against defending state champion Ubly and White Pigeon vs Riverview Gabriel Richard in his semifinal games. In his state title game, he sees Ubly and Gabriel Richard in the final, with Gabriel Richard taking the crown.
Nat has Iron Mountain playing Fowler in one semifinal and Decatur facing Detroit Loyola in the other. In her state final, Fowler and Decatur clash on the field, with Fowler coming out on top.
Kirby also has Iron Mountain facing defending state champion Ubly in one game, Decatur facing off against Riverview Gabriel Richard in the second semifinal, and Ubly and Gabriel Richard in the finals, with Ubly going back-to-back.
Conner Ensign