Enquirer crystal ball predicts which teams make high school football playoffs
Is your team in?
Is your team close?
Is your season over after this week?
Those are the questions every high school football team in Michigan faces heading into the final game of the regular season.
And the answer to that question isn't as easy as it used to be. You probably have to be getting an A in algebr – or remember taking algebra for some of the older folks – to follow the MHSAA high school football playoff points system. A few years ago, getting six wins in the regular season was an automatic qualifier, with a simplified points system figuring out the rest of the field.
Starting last year, the entire playoff invitation list was determined by a points system based mainly on strength of schedule. And that is true again this year as the tournament pairings will be announced Sunday evening by the MHSAA. Six wins doesn't necessarily get you in. Not getting six wins doesn't necessarily leave you out.
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So the Enquirer will bring back its playoff crystal ball and predict the area teams that will be in the playoffs and, in some cases, who they might play.
Safely in, but who will they play?
There are the easy picks – teams we could use a plastic ball to predict they were getting in – but we will grab our good crystal out of the cabinet to predict who they might play.
Battle Creek Central
The Bearcats are rolling into the playoffs. In fact, they are so in, they aren't even talking about the playoffs yet with a huge game in front of them in Week 9 with a chance to win the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference championship if they beat St. Joseph. However, soon after, BCC will turn its attention to the postseason. We are just getting a head start on that today, that's all.
The Bearcats are ranked No. 7 in the Associated Press poll in Division 2. But the more important number is 64.107, which is the playoff point total next to the BCC name according to the MHSAA, good for 10th best in the state. That safely puts the Bearcats in the field of 32 in Division 2, win or lose on Friday. BCC's opponent this week will only help as 7-1 St. Joseph comes to town, bringing along a hefty strength of schedule rating that could boost the Bearcats' points.
The crystal ball sees a win for BCC over St. Joseph, giving the Bearcats the No. 2 seed in its playoff district, that would include East Lansing, Portage Northern and undefeated Dexter. This prediction also includes East Lansing losing its final game and Portage Northern winning.
Prediction: Battle Creek Central will host Portage Northern in a Division 2 contest
Olivet
Already at six wins, Olivet will see its playoff streak of 14 seasons continue. The 6-2 Eagles are right in the middle of the current 32-team field in Division 5, ranked 21st with 41.75 points. Olivet will be favored in a Week 9 contest against Gull Lake, and at 7-2, the Eagles will get in. However, that win over the 3-5 Blue Devils might not boost their playoff total much, so Olivet could be on the road in the first round.
Prediction: Olivet will be at Corunna in a Division 5 first-round playoff game.
Union City and Homer
Sitting at 7-1 with a Big 8 championship already in its back pocket, Union City can look forward to the postseason. The Chargers end the year with a crossover game with undefeated Napoleon from the Cascades Conference. Win or lose, Union City will get the No. 2 seed in its Division 7 district, which it will share with Jackson Lumen Christi – a small school that gets big playoff points by playing a big school league.
League rival Homer is in the same position as the Trojans going into the final game at 6-2 and with a Division 7 playoff spot secured. Homer gets a 5-3 Grass Lake team in Week 9 and will settle in at No. 3 in this playoff district.
The results this week will be just icing on the cake for well-earned playoff seasons, but won't change the playoff future for each.
Prediction: Homer will play at Union City in the first round of the Division 7 playoffs in a rematch from Week 5.
Tekonsha
Tekonsha has been cruising, on a seven-game win streak and will make the 16-team field in 8-player Division 1. However, a chance at a home playoff game could be up for grabs on Friday as the Indians will play No. 2-ranked Colon. The prediction, however, is a loss as a 7-2 Indians team will open the playoffs on the road.
Prediction: Tekonsha will be at Martin in what will be a rematch of a first-round playoff game from last year.
Colon
We didn't need a crystal ball to predict Colon would make the playoffs this year. The perennial power has been to the state finals in two of the past three years and was a big favorite to make a deep run again this year. Which means Magi fans just pencil in a first-round playoff game every season nowadays. Colon tops Tekonsha this week to finish off a perfect regular season and the No. 1 seed in its region.
Prediction: Colon will host Camden-Frontier in a 8-player Division 2 first-round game
Climax-Scotts
With its only loss to Colon this year in Week 6, the 7-1 Climax-Scotts Panthers have been looking forward to the playoffs since that game was over. The coaching staff won't allow C-S to look past its first-round opponent, but they ache for another chance at Colon in what could be a second-round clash of 8-player titans.
Prediction: Climax-Scotts will host old playoff rival Mendon in first round of 8-player Division 2 action before maybe getting another shot at Colon
Still some work to do to get in
Marshall
Just a few weeks ago, Marshall was at 4-1 and informing the band and cheerleaders that they might have another week to the season to worry about. Since then, the Redhawks have lost three straight and sit at 4-4 heading into Week 9, on the outside looking in for the playoffs. Marshall still has a chance to bust into postseason with a win over Jackson Northwest in Week 9. Playing in the Interstate 8 Conference and seeing Mattawan in Week 2, the Redhawks can take advantage of a good strength of schedule and a win over 4-4 Jackson Northwest could be enough to do the trick.
Prediction: Marshall makes the field in Division 4
Delton Kellogg
Another 4-4 team needing a win in Week 9 and then needing some help from the computer. Delton Kellogg will face a 2-6 Galesburg-Augusta squad on Friday. Delton Kellogg should win, but won't get the benefit of a lot of playoff points in the tradeoff. However, the math has worked before as the Panthers made it in with a 4-4 record in an 8-game schedule a year ago and earned a ticket to the postseason with five wins in both 2017 and 2015.
Prediction: Delton Kellogg makes the field in Division 7
St. Philip
The Tigers have won three straight and a young team is eager to keep playing for as long as they can to earn much-needed experience. St. Philip will face a winless Bellevue squad on Saturday and get to 5-4, which in some years is good enough for a ticket to the dance. Especially since St. Philip has played unbeaten state powers Colon and Martin, as well as one-loss Climax-Scotts and Tekonsha. Even with that, St.Philip is ranked No. 23 in the points system for the 16-team field. And the Broncos don't bring many strength of schedule playoff points to the party in Week 9.
Prediction: St. Philip misses out on a spot in the 8-player playoffs.
Athens
Athens was thinking playoffs at 3-1 early on, but the Indians have since reversed that and have been 1-3 the last four weeks. At 4-4, there is still hope for the last spot in the 8-player field, but with only 16 teams in those divisions, compared to 32 in the 11-player pools, there might not be room. The Indians need to beat 4-4 Concord on Friday and then cross their fingers.
Prediction: Athens misses out on a spot in 8-player playoffs.
Bill Broderick can be reached at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter: @billbroderick.
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Enquirer predicts which teams make high school football playoffs
