8-Man Division 1
Area Teams to Watch
Bay City All Saints: All Saints is back in the playoffs after turning in a 7-2 record for a second straight season. The Cougars are putting up 39.6 points per game while the defense is allowing 7.9 ppg. After a week five loss to Onekama, All Saints closed the season strong with four straight wins where it eclipsed the 60-point mark three times. All Saints does have a tough first-round hurdle to clear in an 8-1 Kingston team that can light up a scoreboard as well.
Blanchard Montabella: Blanchard Montabella turned in a memorable season as it went 8-1 and qualified for the playoffs for the second straight season. The Mustangs feature a high-powered offense that is putting up a whopping 49.1 points per game. Quarterback Gabriel Kauffman is a big part of the offense along with running backs Brady Kieff who has over 1,000 yards rushing and fellow running back Austin Jensen. Montabella is solid on defense allowing 14 points per game. The Mustangs open the playoffs hosting Breckenridge.
Breckenridge: The Huskies are back in the playoffs after missing out the past two seasons. Breckenridge turned in a 6-3 record this season behind an offense that put up 25.7 points per game. Quarterback Gavin Corbat is one of the most prolific passers in the state as he threw for 1,836 yards and 20 touchdowns. Corbat also rushed for over 600 yards. Wideout Trey Most had a big season racking up over 1,000 receiving yards and hauling in 11 touchdowns.
Merrill: The Vandals are back in the playoffs after a one-year absence. After falling to D2 powerhouse Portland St. Patrick in the season opener, Merrill reeled off six straight wins before dropping a 36-26 decision to Montabella in week eight. The Vandals feature a high-scoring offense that is putting up 38.4 points per game. Quarterback Robert Kral has passed for over 1,000 yards this season and has also rushed for over 1,000 yards. Merrill opens the playoffs by hosting 6-3 Central Lake.
Top 8-Man D1 Contenders: Norway (9-0), Indian River Inland Lakes (9-0), Martin (9-0), Blanchard Montabella (8-1), Kingston (8-1), Pickford (7-1).
Preview: The top half of the bracket has 9-0 teams Norway and Indian River Inland Lakes in the same regional. Both of those teams have been putting up huge numbers. The winner of that regional could get either Montabella or Merrill. Martin looks to be the team to beat in the lower part of the bracket with Kingston also capable of getting to the finals.
HSSS 8-Man Division 2 State Final Prediction: Martin 40, Indian River Inland Lakes 34
Menu