Kosmo makes his playoff predictions
The first round of the playoffs provided a lot of headlines. There were thrillers.
There were upsets.
There were blowouts.
There was everything you hope for in a great playof f weekend.
Can Week 2 of the postseason provide the same?
There are some great Oakland County matchups that you don’t normally see, as well as some historic rivalry battles.
This is the week where the pretenders are kicked out.
How many contenders will remain in Oakland County?
Here’s Kosmo’s picks for the weekend:
Division 1
• Novi at Detroit Catholic
Central: The battle of Novi last happened in 2016. The Shamrocks won that meeting by 14. Novi has been competitive with every opponent and Kosmo expects another close one on Friday. Still, Catholic Central is unbeaten for a reason. Kosmo Says: Catholic Central
• Howell at Lakeland: The Eagles got a week to rest, which should come in handy. Howell has proven it can win on the road, but Lakeland is locked in on both sides of the ball. Kosmo Says: Lakeland
• Grand Blanc at Clarkston: The Wolves can’t afford to have a slow start like last week. Grand Blanc won’t let them back in the game if they do. Kosmo can’t pick against Clarkston this week. The Wolves will learn from last week’s game and start strong. Kosmo Says: Clarkston
• Rochester Adams at Davison: The Highlanders had one of the big wins in Week 1 of the postseason. Their reward is a matchup with one of the top teams in the state. Davison’s defense has been lights out, but so has its offense. Kosmo Says: Davison
• Southfield A&T at Sterling Heights Stevenson: The Warriors showed their capability last week against Troy Athens. Playing a tough OAA Red schedule should have them ready to pull off an upset on the road this week. Kosmo Says: Southfield A&T
• Troy at West Bloomfield: The Colts picked up their first playoff win since 2007 last week. The waters get pretty deep this week against the Lakers. West Bloomfield hasn’t allowed a point since Oct. 2. The
Lakers look like a championship contender. Kosmo Says: West Bloomfield
• Clinton Township Chippewa Valley at Stoney Creek: The Cougars got a bye to heal up and they will need to be at full strength against a proud Chippewa Valley program. The Big Reds will put up a fight, but Stoney Creek is on a mission. Kosmo Says: Stoney Creek
Division 2
• Birmingham Groves at Birmingham Seaholm: Groves was in firm control of this rivalry until last year’s playoffs. Seaholm won that night and also won during this season. The Maples have the confidence to make it three straight against the Falcons. Kosmo Says: Seaholm
• Berkley at Warren Mott: It’s been a great season for Berkley. Even in a shortened season, five wins in 2020 is the most in a
year since 2016. Kosmo unfortunately thinks the road stops for Berkley this week, but my hat is off to them. Kosmo Says: Warren Mott
• Walled Lake Western at South Lyon: The Warriors won the first meeting in a bit of a shootout, but they have been inconsistent since. South Lyon hasn’t lost since that game and has allowed just 14 points in its last three games. Kosmo has a gut feeling about South Lyon. Kosmo Says: South Lyon
• North Farmington at Fenton: The Raiders put on a show on the ground against Kettering. Can they continue to run the ball against Fenton? The Tigers have a strong defense and a very explosive offense. Kosmo Says: Fenton
• Oak Park at Detroit U-D Jesuit: More surprising than Oak Park’s 35-27 win over Grosse Pointe South is that the Knights were 0- 6 during the season. Oak Park was far too talented for that and that talent finally came together last week. Perhaps it’s the start of a surprising run. Kosmo Says: Oak Park
Division 3
• Orchard Lake St. Mary’s at Birmingham Brother Rice: The first meeting was a thriller with Brother Rice escaping with a field goal victory. The
Warriors seemed to turn a corner with that win while St. Mary’s hit a bit of a funk. Kosmo doesn’t see the Eaglets doing enough to turn the tide in their favor. Kosmo Says: Brother Rice
• South Lyon East at Chelsea: No matter what, this is the best season the Lions have had in their program history. The Lions got their second playoff win last weekend in impressive fashion. A win at Chelsea would be a major step for the program. The Bulldogs have a proud history that East is working towards. Kosmo doesn’t see it as East’s time quite yet. Kosmo Says: Chelsea
Division 4
• Detroit Country Day at Pontiac Notre Dame Prep: The first meeting at ND Prep was a 10-0 shutout win for the Yellowjackets. Neither team could get much going offensively and turnovers were an issue. ND’s offense has exploded since then, but have the Irish figured out a way to get past that DCD defensive front? Kosmo Says: Country Day
• Harper Woods Chandler Park at Madison Heights Lamphere: The Rams remain one of the best stories in the state after a 43- 0 win over Cranbrook last week. They have won their first playoff game and matched their best win total since 2009. Chandler Park is a step up in competition, but Kosmo is riding that Lamphere wave.
Kosmo Says: Lamphere
• Goodrich at Ortonville Brandon: Brandon put up 41 points on Goodrich early in the season. The Blackhawks offense looks to be even better now. Kosmo likes the Brad Zube offense to keep it up, leading Brandon to victory. Kosmo Says: Brandon
Division 7
• Detroit Central at Madison Heights Bishop Foley: The Ventures got a scare last week against Madison, but showed a lot of grit to pull out the win in the closing minutes.
It was Foley’s first playoff win since 2013. The Ventures will need more of that grit this week and I think they will have it. Kosmo Says: Bishop Foley
Division 8
• Royal Oak Shrine at Auburn Hills Oakland Christian: The Lancers got a free pass last week and should be rested against a Shrine team with low numbers. The Knights still play at a high level, but this is where depth becomes important. Kosmo Says: Oakland Christian
• Sterling Heights Parkway Christian at Clarkston Everest Collegiate: The Mountaineers continue their march.
They have looked unbeatable over the last month. Parkway Christian may be a tougher challenge, but not tough enough to stop Everest. Kosmo Says: Everest Collegiate