Division 4
Area Teams to Watch
Big Rapids: Big Rapids posted an 8-1 for a second consecutive year and secured their sixth straight postseason appearance. The lone loss Big Raids suffered was a 38-28 decision against Coopersville out of the rugged River Cities Alliance. Big Rapids features a potent offense that is putting up 41.7 points per game while the defense is surrendering 8.7 points per game. The Cardinals opened the season with a solid 19-7 win against D4 playoff team Paw Paw. The Cardinals have a rugged playoff opener at 9-0 Ludington.
Freeland: Freeland is back for their 18th straight playoff appearance after finishing the regular season with a 7-2 record. The two blemishes on Freeland’s record came against Swan Valley and Frankenmuth, a pair of 8-1 teams. Freeland has been potent on offense putting up 37.3 points per game while the defense is allowing 14.2 points per game. The Falcons are solid in the trenches led by Michigan State recruit Tristan Comer (6-6, 262). Freeland will be road warriors to open the playoffs as it travels across the bridge to face 8-1 Escanaba.
Haslett: The Vikings turned in a 7-2 mark during the regular season with the lone losses being a 21-3 setback against unbeaten D3 power DeWitt and a 20-14 league loss in a showdown with undefeated Williamston. Led by University of Kansas bound running back Kory Amachree, Haslett is putting up 24.1 points per game on offense. The Vikings also play solid defense allowing 12.4 points per game. Haslett defeated Mason 21-14 in an overtime thriller this season and also took out league rival Fowlerville 20-12. The Vikings are big-game tested and poised to make a postseason run. The Vikings open the playoffs hosting St. Johns with the winner facing the winner of Williamston/Lansing Sexton.
Lansing Sexton: The J-Dubbs are returning to the postseason for a third straight season after turning in a 6-3 regular-season record. Sexton can score points in bunches as it averaged 31.7 ppg. The J-Dubbs enter postseason play on a roll having won five straight games after starting the season 1-3. Sexton opens the playoffs by traveling to 9-0 Williamston.
Portland: Portland cruised to a 9-0 regular-season record for the third straight season and are making their 11th straight playoff appearance. The Raiders reached the state semifinals last year before dropping a three-point decision to Niles. This season the Raiders are putting up 38.1 points per game while the defense is especially stingy, allowing just five points per game. The Raiders feature a powerful ground game led by Kayden Dickerson who rushed for over 900 yards in the first eight games of the season and Nolan Zbytowski who has close to 500 yards rushing. Defensively, only one team has reached double figures on the Portland defense and that was when Sexton scored 12 points. In non-league action, the Raiders have impressive wins over Detroit Country Day and Whitehall. The Raider’s push for a return to Ford Field will begin with a tricky home game against a dangerous Grand Rapids South Christian team in round one. While the Sailors have a 4-5 record, the losses have come against unbeatens Grand Rapids Catholic Central and Grand Rapids West Catholic, once-beaten Unity Christian, 7-2 East Grand Rapids and 6-3 defending D4 champion Zeeland West.
St. Johns: St. Johns returns to the playoffs for a second straight season after turning in a 5-4 record. The Redwings opened the season with a 22-14 win against Hamilton and ended the season by knocking off 6-3 Division 3 Ypsilanti Lincoln 28-23. Two of the four losses came against 9-0 teams in DeWitt and Gaylord with the Gaylord loss being a 32-28 struggle. The Redwings also fell to Mason and Haslett and won a close contest with playoff-bound Fowlerville so St. Johns enters the postseason well tested. That experience will be valuable as the Redwings open the playoffs at Haslett.
Top D4 Contenders: Harper Woods (9-0), Portland (9-0), Goodrich (9-0), Williamston (9-0), Ludington (9-0), Hudsonville Unity Christian (8-1), Chelsea (8-1), Dearborn Divine Child (8-1).
Preview: Division 4 is stocked with solid teams up and down the bracket. In the upper half of the bracket, Ludington, Big Rapids and Unity Christian are part of a rugged regional while Portland is also looking like a regional favorite. The lower half of the bracket has unbeatens Williamston and Goodrich in a bracket that includes an 8-1 Chelsea team coached by savvy playoff veteran coach Noel Dean. In the other lower regional unbeaten Harper Woods has as much skill as any team in the state and has defeated D1 powerhouses while Aidan Hutchinson’s alma mater Dearborn Divine Child has one of its strongest teams in year.
HSSS Division 4 State Final Prediction: Harper Woods 40, Portland 20