The Michigan High School Athletic Association on Sunday announced its playoff pairings for both the traditional eleven-man tournament and for the newer eight-man bracket. There are 256 teams being invited to play in eight, 32-team divisions, for eleven-man, along with 32 teams in two eight-man divisions.
There are 18 Upper Peninsula teams that will continue their seasons into the post-season next Friday and Saturday. The exact dates and times will be announced by the schools no later than noon on Monday, although some have already announced their schedules.
One U.P. team that did not make the playoffs is Sault Ste. Marie, which finished with a 6-3 record. What will be hard for the Blue Devils to take is that the team they beat this past Friday, Benzie Central, did make the playoffs, with a 3-6 record.
That’s because the Soo is in the large school Division Three, and seven of the nine opponents on their schedule were smaller than them, so the Blue Devils could not come up with enough playoff points. Benzie, by the way, is a Division Seven school which actually benefited from losing to the Blue Devils.
It’s the second straight year that Sault High has not made the playoffs despite finishing the season with a 6-3 record.
The Gladstone Braves, in Division Six, ended up with the second-most playoff points in the entire state, thanks to a schedule that included seven playoff teams. Gladstone won five of those games. The Braves also beat larger schools Marquette and Escanaba.
Gladstone will have three home playoff games should they keep winning.
Negaunee was the only U.P. eleven man team to win all nine regular season games, and the Miners will be at home for at least the first two playoff games.
In eight man ball, two-time defending state champion North Central mercied all nine opponents in the regular season, and will open against rival Stephenson in the first round. The Jets will have two playoff games at home, but unless there are upsets downstate, NCA will have to travel downstate for the state semifinals (possibly Marion or Colon, both had more points).
Munising also ran the table in dominating fashion in Division One, and will open against a Norway Knights team that started 5-0 and ended its season with a 6-3 record. Munising has home games as long as the Mustangs keep winning.
DIVISION FIVE, REGION 1, DISTRICT 1
(3) Kingsley (7-2) at (2) Kingsford (6-3)
(4) West Branch Ogemaw Heights (7-2) at (1) Gladwin (9-0)
DIVISION SIX, REGION 1, DISTRICT 1
(4) Houghton (6-3) at (1) Negaunee (9-0)
(3) Calumet (6-3) at (2) Menominee (5-4)
DIVISION SIX, REGION 1, DISTRICT 2
(4) Elk Rapids (6-3) at (1) Gladstone (7-2)
(3) Manistee (6-3) at (2) Boyne City (9-0)
DIVISION SEVEN, REGION 1, DISTRICT 1
(4) L’Anse (4-5) at (1) Traverse City St. Francis (9-0)
(3) Benzie Central (3-6) at (2) Charlevoix (8-1)
DIVISION EIGHT, REGION 1, DISTRICT 1
(4) Ishpeming (4-5) at (1) Iron Mountain (8-1)
(3) Bark River-Harris (7-2) at (2) St. Ignace (7-2)
EIGHT MAN DIVISION 1, REGION 1
(4) Norway (6-3) at (1) Munising (9-0)
(3) Newberry (8-1) at (2) Rogers City (9-0)
EIGHT MAN DIVISION 2, REGION 1
(4) Stephenson (6-3) at (1) North Central (9-0)
(3) Lake Linden-Hubbell (6-3) at (2) Forest Park (7-2)
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