Division 1
Area Teams to Watch
Davison: The Cardinals have turned in a strong season going 8-1 with the lone loss coming against undefeated Grand Blanc. Davison started the season strong with a 23-23 win against Warren De La Salle and have gained momentum since. The Cardinals have an explosive offense that is putting up 43.6 points per game. The Davison offense is led by senior quarterback and Western Michigan recruit Jaxson Dosh who has passed for 1,315 yards this season and 18 touchdowns. Dosh is also a dangerous runner who has rushed for over 400 yards and score 14 touchdowns. Cortez Porter is the primary target in the passing game. Porter has 668 yards receiving and has scored eight touchdowns. The Cardinal ground game is keyed by Tyanthony Lewis who is averaging close to 10 yards per carry and has scored nine touchdowns this season. Davison boasts a strong offensive line anchored by senior Ben Nichols (6-5, 315) who is a Notre Dame recruit. On defense, the Cardinals are allowing 19.7 points per game. Senior linebacker Brayden Bundy is a three-year starter who has totaled 81 tackles while fellow linebacker Ayden Seybert has 71 tackles. Davison’s playoff journey begins with a tough matchup at 8-1 Clarkston.
Grand Blanc: Grand Blanc started the season with an impressive 35-20 win at Muskegon Mona Shores and has been on a roll since. The Bobcats finished the regular season with a perfect 9-0 record after outscoring Romeo 40-36 in the finale. In between the Bobcats posted an impressive 57-29 victory over Davison. Grand Blanc features a balanced offense led by quarterback Jake Morrow who has passed for 1,925 yards and 29 touchdowns this season. Micah Kemp and Caseton Sendry are a pair of productive receivers who have over 1,000 yards and 19 touchdown catches between them. The Bobcats are also dangerous running the ball led by Jeremiah Coleman who averaged 11.4 yards per carry and has scored 12 touchdowns. Grand Blanc opens the playoffs by hosting Oxford.
Grand Ledge: Grand Ledge finished the regular season with a 7-2 record. The Comets reeled off six straight wins to begin the season before falling to DeWitt in week seven and Detroit Catholic Central in week eight. The Comets have a potent offense that is putting up 34.7 points per game and is led by quarterback Nick Terranova who has passed for over 1,000 yards this season. On the defensive side of the ball the Comets are allowing 22.2 points per game. The Comets face a tall task in the opening round of the playoffs traveling to East Kentwood to face a high-powered Kentwood team led by quarterback Kayd Coffman who is a Michigan State recruit.
Rockford brings a 7-2 record into the playoffs and has faced as challenging a schedule as any team in the state. The Rams opened the season falling to Saline 37-28 and saw a furious comeback fall just short in a 35-28 loss to unbeaten Hudsonville. The Rams, who are putting up 31 points per game, have impressive wins against Muskegon, East Kentwood and Grandville. Senior quarterback Brayden Daniels leads the offense that includes an excellent core of receivers in Jax Eichbauer and Jackson Cummings. Rockford has a solid ground game featuring running backs Hayden People and Kobe Belcher while Luke Ahern can come in and provide strong running as well. Ahern, a safety on defense and senior linebacker Sam Cummings, lead the stout Ram defense. The Rams open the playoffs by hosting Grandville and would likely face unbeaten Hudsonville in a possible rematch in round two.
Top D1 Contenders: Detroit Cass Tech (9-0), Detroit Catholic Central (9-0), Hudsonville (9-0), Grand Blanc (9-0), Clarkston (8-1), Howell (8-1), Saline (8-1), Rockford (7-2), East Kentwood (7-2).
Preview: Detroit Cass Tech is the team to beat in the bottom half of the bracket. The Technicians are tested-tough and have a load of college talent on the roster. The top half of the bracket will be a slugfest between the powerhouses from the west side of the state along with Detroit Catholic Central, Grand Blanc, Howell and Clarkston from the east side. Catholic Central is loaded with talent as well and navigated a rugged schedule of its own.
HSSS Division 1 State Final Prediction: Detroit Cass Tech 28, Detroit Catholic Central 27
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