Who will wear the crowns?
Breaking down Division 3 & 4 finalists
The 2022 Michigan high school football playoffs culminate with the state final games on Friday and Saturday at Ford Field.
Here is a look at the four of the teams vying for the state championship:
DIVISION 3, 7:30 P.M. SATURDAY
Muskegon (11-2)
Colors: Cardinal and White
Nickname: Big Reds
How they fared in the playoffs: Beat Sparta, 64-9; Coopersville, 40-14; Zeeland West, 27-20; DeWitt, 49-21.
Key players: RB Jakob Price; QB M’Khi Guy; RB/WR/KR Destin Piggee; OT D’Andre Hudgins.
Strength: The Big Reds have been consistent all season on offense averaging 36 points per game, while sustaining drives and gaining more experience. They have also been solid on special teams. Weakness: Gaining maturity and experience has been the biggest improvement for the Big Reds, who are making their 22nd straight playoff experience. Tackling and understanding the role within the defensive scheme remains an ongoing concern.
Coach Shane Fairfield: “The maturity of the team right now has been the biggest improvement. We’re really young. We’re starting six to seven underclassmen — four sophomores and three juniors on defense. People had written us off. We dropped two games early, one to De La Salle and one to Zeeland West, but just given the fact these kids were resilient enough to believe in one another. For them to block out all the nonsense, all the naysayers and keep focused and really bond with each other along with the seniors has been very true."
Detroit King (9-3)
Colors:
Nickname:
How they fared in the playoffs: Beat River Rouge, 41-28; Allen Park, 46-15; Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, 22-12; Mason, 52-17.
Key players: QB Dante Moore; WR/DB Jameel Croft; RB Sterling Anderson Jr.; DL Kenny Merrieweather.
Strength: The Crusaders have relied on the arm on one of the nation’s top-rated quarterbacks in Moore, who is committed to Oregon. But it’s been their ability to run the ball in the playoffs led by the speedy and compact Anderson which has separated themselves from the regular season.
Weakness: The main point of emphasis is to get critical third down stops on a consistent basis and get off the field defensively. Sometimes King has been the victim of long drives, while shooting itself in the foot with a costly penalty.
Coach Tyrone Spencer: “I just believe that they’re resilient. They haven’t backed away from any game that we’ve had. I think that no matter what they face, they’re always trying to fight back. That’s one thing about this group, they just won’t quit and they have that attitude.”
DIVISION 4, 7:30 P.M. FRIDAY
Black and Gold
Crusaders
Goodrich (12-1)
Colors: Blue and Gold
Nickname: Martians
How they've fared in the playoffs: Beat Ortonville Brandon, 42-14; Freeland, 10-9; Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, 40-20; Riverview, 51-26.
Coming this week!
This is the third of four previews of the 16 teams headed to Ford Field for this weekend’s Michigan high school football finals. (Go to freep.com/sports/high-schools to catch up on the others.) The schedule:
Monday: Division 7 (Jackson Lumen Christi, Traverse City St. Francis) and Division 8 (Ubly, Ottawa Lake Whiteford).
Tuesday: Division 5 (Gladwin, Frankenmuth) and Division 6 (Negaunee, Grand Rapids West Catholic).
Today: Division 3 (Detroit King, Muskegon) and Division 4 (Goodrich, Grand Rapids South Christian).
Thursday: Division 1 (Caledonia, Belleville) and Division 2 (Warren De La Salle, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central).
Key players: WR/S/P-K Caden Kolanowski; RB Jace Simerson; RB/LB Easton Phillips; WR/CB Max Macklem; OT/DE Zack Lagat.
Strength: Goodrich has set a school record for wins this fall and coach Tom Alward isn’t surprised it has come through this class — a hardworking, devoted group that takes a lot of pride in playing to its potential. The Martians have put up 40 or more points in seven of those wins. Weakness: The Martians’ ball control has been shaky on occasion, and that’s been reflected in the final result. For example, Goodrich played error-free ball in beating Orchard Lake St. Mary’s by three touchdowns in the regional. On the other hand, the Martians merely survived their district final against Freeland, committing four turnovers in a low-scoring, one-point come-from-behind win.
Coach Tom Alward: “Our defense has been outstanding. They have held us up all year long and we’re hoping they’ll continue. The challenges get stronger each week, and I know they’re up to the task. They want to get going, they want to play today. Hopefully we’ll play errorfree. The team that makes the fewest mistakes has the best chance.”
Grand Rapids South Christian (13-0)
Colors:
Nickname:
How they've fared in the playoffs: Beat Grand Rapids Christian, 42-7; Hudsonville Unity Christian, 35-20; Whitehall, 28-21; Edwardsburg, 26-20.
Key players: QB/DB Jake DeHaan; OT/OLB Cam Post; OG/DL Camren VanSolkema; LB Cayden Dykema; WR/S Seth Ritsema.
Strength: South Christian brings a well-rounded attack to Ford Field. While it starts with DeHaan — he has thrown for 2,400 yards while rushing for over 1,000 — Coach Danny Brown is most proud that several players have stepped up in big moments throughout the season. Weakness: While big plays have gotten the Sailors far, they can’t let the championship atmosphere allow them to overlook the little things needed to be successful. Brown said the team needs to worry about playing its best, not dwelling on the team they are playing.
Coach Danny Brown: “This team is very competitive. This is the team that has a ton of multi-sport athletes and that has helped us. This is one of those tight-knit groups; we’ve got 52 kids and every one from so-called Player 1 to Player 52 understands this is a team atmosphere. All those things start adding up. We need to continue to be who we are.”