Division 7
Area Teams to Watch
Bath: Bath qualified for their 3rd straight postseason appearance after a 5-4 finish in the regular season. The Bees rattled off four straight wins in the second half of the season, including an impressive 22-8 victory over fellow playoff qualifiers Saranac in week seven. Bath features one of the top running backs in Mid-Michigan is Nolan Rowley who has rushed for 1,236 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. Bath will play Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett in the first round.
Burton Atherton: Burton Atherton’s first year back in 11-man football has been a resounding success as the Wolverines finished 7-2 to qualify for their first postseason (both 11 and 8-man) since 2014. The defense has been exceptional, shutting down opponents to just 13.8 ppg. The Wolverines will play fellow success story Leslie in the first round.
Evart: Evart will make it five straight playoff appearances after a 6-3 finish to the regular season. The Wildcats finished the season strong with wins over Houghton Lake and Harrison. Evart’s offense is high scoring, putting up 37.5 ppg and is sure to keep them competitive this postseason. Evart features a productive passing game led by quarterback Aidan Anderson who has passed for 2,416 yards and 28 touchdowns. Anderson has a trio of talented pass catchers to throw to in Lucas Johnson who has caught 52 passes for 867 yards and 10 touchdowns, Noah Vanderlinde who has caught 35 passes for 718 yards and 10 scores and Dryson Derscheid who has corralled 31 passes for 579 yards and six touchdowns. The Wildcats will play North Muskegon in the first round.
Harrison: Harrison makes their postseason return after going 7-2 in the regular season. The Hornets cruised through their first seven games before stumbling at the finish with loses to Ogemaw Heights and Evart to close the season. Harrison will play McBain in the first round of the playoffs.
Ithaca: Ithaca is back for their 16th straight postseason appearance after dominating in the regular season, going 9-0. The offense is scoring at a high 44 ppg clip while the defense has given up just 82 points all season making them a favorite in Division 7. Senior quarterback Jackson Conn has been putting up big numbers this season with 1,520 yards passing and 23 touchdowns. Conn has also rushed for 681 yards and scored 16 rushing touchdowns. Ithaca’s leading ground gainer is running back Nathan Mikesell who has rushed for 1,085 yards and 13 scores. Defensively, the Yellowjackets have been getting big years from Nathan Mikesell who has recorded 96 tackles, Roman Hurosky who has 61 tackles and Broghan Bupp who has totaled 60 tackles. Ithaca’s quest to return to Ford Field for the first time since 2017 starts against Saranac.
Leslie: Leslie is one of this year’s surprise teams going 8-1 for their first winning season since 2012. The Black Hawks impressed with wins over Manchester and Napoleon along with a 35-14 victory over previously unbeaten Hanover-Horton in the final game of the season. Leslie has been strong on both sides of the ball, scoring 40.8 ppg and limiting opponents to 18.4 ppg. Leslie features a potent passing game on offense as sophomore quarterback Joel Cranmore has passed for 2,092 yards and 29 touchdown passes. Cranmore has some talented targets to pass to led by Jaydn Colby who has 1,022 receiving yards and scored nine touchdowns and Braydin Johnson who has 478 receiving yards and seven scores. Their postseason begins against Burton Atherton.
Millington: Millington will be one of the favorites in their 21st straight postseason after a dominant 9-0 regular season that included wins over Reese and Elkton Pigeon-Bay Port Laker. The Cardinals allowed merely 52 points all season including three shutouts while their offense put up 40.4 ppg. The Cardinal offense is led by quarterback Truk TerBush who has passed for 865 yards and 11 touchdowns this season and has rushed for 253 yards and eight touchdowns. Running back Tevon Dallas-Walsh has added 956 yards rushing and scored 13 touchdowns. Ford Field has eluded Millington in the past, but this year is looking promising. Their path to Detroit starts with a rematch against Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker.
Montrose: Montrose is in the playoffs for the 15th straight season with a 6-3 record featuring wins over Durand, New Lothrop, and Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard. This year’s team is no stranger to hard fought and competitive games having won their last three games by a combined nine points making them a tough out in the postseason. The Rams will face fellow perennial power Pewamo-Westphalia in round one of the playoffs.
Pewamo-Westphalia: It is 21 straight postseason appearances for Pewamo-Westphalia after a 7-2 regular season that featured many close games. The Pirates won their season opener 8-7 against playoff qualifiers North Muskegon and had a 33-28 week eight win over Saranac. Their losses to Fowler and Lansing Catholic were by a combined four points. Pewamo has been stout on both sides of the ball, scoring 39.3 ppg while allowing just 10.6 ppg. The Pirates will have a tough opening round matchup against Montrose as they look to return to Ford Field.
Saginaw Valley Lutheran: Valley Lutheran has clinched their first playoff appearance since 2020 after finishing 5-4. The Chargers started the season strong with shutout victories over Rochester Lutheran Northwest and St. Louis and finished the season with a win over Pinconning to secure their spot. They will face Cass City in the first round.
Saranac: Saranac is in the playoffs for the 2nd straight year with a 6-3 finish. The offense has been a highlight for the Red Hawks, scoring 39.6 ppg which will keep them competitive against postseason opposition. Saranac will face a tough test in the first round against favorites Ithaca, but their five-point week eight loss to Pewamo proves that the Red Hawks are sure to put up a fight.
Top D7 Contenders: Ithaca (9-0), Monroe St Mary (9-0), Millington (8-0), Hudson (8-1), Menominee (8-1)
Preview: Division 7 is shaping up to be one of the most competitive brackets this year with title contenders littered throughout. The top half features a pair of undefeated area teams in Ithaca and Millington who will need to fend off a host of challengers that include Montrose, Pewamo-Westphalia, and Menominee who is a dark horse pick to reach the finals. The bottom half is highlighted by undefeated Monroe St Mary who will have to stave off tough competition from the likes of Hudson, Lawton, Schoolcraft, and Leslie if they want to return to Ford Field. Certainly, whoever wins the D7 title will be worthy champions this year.
HSSS Division 7 State Final Prediction: Monroe St Mary 26, Menominee 22
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