Division 1
Area Teams to Watch
Davison: The Cardinals had another fine season, finishing 7-2 with their only blemishes coming at the hands of Grand Blanc and D2 powerhouse Warren De La Salle. Davison overcame a strong schedule with wins over Grandville, East Lansing, Saginaw Heritage, and Lapeer. The Cardinals have an electric offense that is scoring 43.3 points per game. The Davison offense is led by quarterback Jaxson Dosh who has passed for 1,755 yards this season and 22 touchdowns. Dosh is also a dangerous runner who has rushed for nine touchdowns. Dosh has a pair of talented targets to throw to in Wesley Hughes who has caught 36 passes for 562 receiving yards and seven touchdowns and Braylon Naves who has caught 28 passes for 576 yards and seven touchdowns. The Cardinals also have a productive ground threat in running back AJ Hill who has rushed for 1,079 yards and 11 touchdowns. Davison’s playoff journey begins with a match against Oxford in round one.
Grand Blanc: Grand Blanc improved on last season’s performance with a strong 7-2 finish that saw their losses to Muskegon Mona Shores and Romeo come by a combined three points. The Bobcats posted plenty of wins over the likes of Saginaw Heritage, Traverse City West, and Lansing Everett but their most impressive victory was a 55-49 win over Davison in week seven. Grand Blanc features a balanced offense led by quarterback Jake Morrow who has passed for 1,421 yards and 17 touchdowns this season. A rematch against Lapeer, who they beat 35-21 in week six, awaits in the first round.
Grand Ledge: Grand Ledge is back in the postseason after going 5-4 in the regular season. The Comets were off to a strong start, going 4-1 with wins over West Ottawa and Holt but stumbled in the second half where they lost three straight before winning their season finale against Okemos. Grand Ledge will play Brighton in round one of the playoffs.
Top D1 Contenders: Detroit Catholic Central (9-0), Howell (9-0), Belleville (8-1), Hudsonville (8-1), Macomb Dakota (8-1)
Preview: Belleville, led by star quarterback Bryce Underwood, will be the popular pick to take home the D1 title this year, but will have stiff competition in the bottom half of the bracket where Saline, Macomb Dakota, and undefeated Detroit Catholic Central pose significant threats. The top half of the bracket features top seed Howell, who beat Belleville in a thrilling season finale, favored against a field of title hopefuls that include area teams Davison and Grand Blanc along with West Michigan power Hudsonville.
HSSS Division 1 State Final Prediction: Detroit Catholic Central 27, Howell 23