GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Across the state of Michigan, high school teams competed to punch their ticket to Ford Field for a shot at a state title.
Here’s a look at how Saturday’s matchups played out for West Michigan-area teams:
Division 1: Hudsonville beat Rochester Adams 27-7
The Hudsonville Eagles are still rolling. Hudsonville has now outscored its opponent in the regional final and the state semifinal by a combined score of 62-13.
Head coach Brent Sandee has the Eagles back to Ford Field, where they will face Cass Tech, who is no stranger to winning state titles.
“Man, they played so hard. Coaching staff called a great game,” Sandee said. “That team plays with a lot of heart, a lot of effort. We knew it would be a battle. We felt like we were in pretty good shape.”
Division 2: Byron Center beat East Lansing 41-14
It is a battle-tested group of Byron Center Bulldogs that will be heading to Ford Field for the first time in school history. Quarterback Landon Tungate has been a star and made big plays when needed for this offense, especially against Mona Shores for a district title. Head coach Marc Cisco’s bunch has won three of four games in the playoffs by double figures. Now, they will face Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, who is 10-3 on the season, in the state title game.
Division 3: Zeeland West beat DeWitt 32-20
Some may argue this is the biggest surprise of Saturday’s results, but not the Dux. This offense with the Wing-T has been able to lead Zeeland West to where they are now, scoring 142 points in the postseason.
Zeeland West’s victory handed DeWitt its first loss of the year. Now, the Dux will have to beat Detroit MLK, who went 10-3 on the season.
Division 4: Niles beat Grand Rapids South Christian 62-30
It was a magical run for the South Christian Sailors, who have had a roller coaster of a season. After starting 4-0, the Sailors lost four consecutive games and won their final contest to barely sneak into the playoffs. They proved they were worthy of the selection, making it to the state semifinals led by the play of quarterback Carson Vis, who will go on to play Division 1 basketball in college. Their win against Unity Christian was one of the biggest surprises of the playoffs and made it a run worth remembering.
Division 5: Frankenmuth beat Grand Rapids Catholic Central 42-35
Head coach Todd Kolster had a season he’s not used to having with the Catholic Central Cougars, but yet again, here was Catholic Central knocking on the door of another state title appearance.
The two foes have become familiar, meeting in the state semifinals since 2020 with Catholic Central taking three of the last four matchups. However, Frankenmuth got the last laugh this season, as they ended the Cougars’ 2024 campaign in blowout fashion.
Regardless, the blocked punt and game winning touchdown pass against rival West Catholic will always be a highlight the Cougars won’t forget on this postseason run.
Division 7: Millington beat North Muskegon 35-28
What a run for the North Muskegon Norsemen, who not many thought could accomplish a run like this one. It came down to a tight finish with Millington, as expected, but even Cullen Bartos’ three rushing touchdowns weren’t enough to send the Norsemen to Ford Field.
Division 7: Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central beat Schoolcraft 38-7
Division 8: Gabriel Richard beat Decatur 36-30
Decatur truly had a run that its fans will not forget any time soon. Guided by its defense for a lot of the season, Richard was the first team to score double digits on the Pirates since Week 2. In the first three playoff games, Decatur only allowed a total of 13 points, so it goes to show how powerful the offense of Richard is.
In the college ranks, Grand Valley State beat Indianapolis 24-7, and Michigan beat Northwestern 50-6.