What to know about the five Greater Lansing MHSAA football state semifinals
The last few seasons have featured plenty of history for the Mason football program.
In both 2021 and 2022, the Bulldogs made record playoff runs to reach the state semifinals before having their journeys ended by Detroit King.
Mason once again finds itself in the semifinals with a chance to achieve more history by earning a trip to their first state championship game in program history. And once again, the opponent is Detroit King.
The Bulldogs are one of five teams from Greater Lansing who will try to reach state championship games with wins this weekend. Here's a look at each of this week's semifinal matchups. All five games are at 1 p.m. Saturday.
East Lansing (10-2) vs. Muskegon (10-2)
▶Where: Greenville High School
The Trojans are in the state semifinals for the first time since 2007 and will be trying to earn their first state championship game appearance since 2000. East Lansing enters its Division 2 matchup on a 10-game winning steak that has featured nine victories by double figures. Behind big performances from Jace Clarizio and Ben Fletcher, the Trojans pulled away in the second half to top No. 4-ranked Byron Center, 42-20, to get to this stage
No. 3-ranked Muskegon is also on a 10-game winning streak that has included nine victories by double figures. The Big Reds, who finished as the Division 3 runner-up last season, routed No. 7 Saginaw Heritage, 42-14, to win their latest regional title. One of the two losses for Muskegon this fall came to Warren De La Salle, which is competing in the other Division 2 state semifinal. Muskegon is in a state semifinal for the seventh time in the past eight years.
Mason (12-0) vs. Detroit King (7-5)
▶Where: Chelsea High School
This is the position top-ranked Mason was aiming to get back to after falling in last year's state semifinal to King. The Bulldogs face the Crusaders for a third straight season with a trip to Ford Field on the line. Mason's path has included getting past top-10 opponents who they beat in the regular season each of the past two weeks. After beating No. 9 DeWitt in the district final, Mason knocked off No. 5 Walled Lake Western in overtime behind an overtime touchdown grab from Kaleb Parrish.
King is attempting to reach the state title game for the fifth time in the past six seasons and has won the past two Division 3 championships. King, which edged River Rouge in overtime in the regional, will be facing a ranked opponent for the first time in its playoff run. All five of King's losses have come to strong programs, which includes two to Detroit Cass Tech, two from Ohio and another from Indiana.
Portland (12-0) vs. Grand Rapids South Christian (9-3)
▶Where: Ada Forest Hills Eastern High School
The No. 2-ranked Raiders are in the state semifinals for the second time in three seasons and will try to reach Ford Field for the first time since 2018. Portland will be without one of its top offensive players in senior running back Caden Thelen, who broke his collarbone at the end of last week’s 21-14 Division 4 regional victory over No. 6 Niles. Thelen was Portland’s leading rusher and has had a number of big performances this season while earning all-region accolades.
No. 10-ranked Grand Rapids South Christian is the defending state champion and has won three straight games since ending the regular season with back-to-back losses to Grand Rapids Catholic Central and Wayland. The Sailors knocked off No. 9 Big Rapids, 55-35, in last week’s regional.
Corunna (12-0) vs. Flat Rock (9-3)
▶Where: Ypsilanti Lincoln High School
▶When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Corunna has added to its school record win total and is in the state semifinals for the first time since 1996. The No. 3-ranked Cavaliers rolled to a 56-18 win over Macomb Lutheran North last week while claiming a Division 5 regional title. Flat Rock will be the second straight unranked opponent for Corunna, which knocked off No. 8 Flint Hamady and No. 5 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep to open the playoffs.
Flat Rock has won four straight since a pair of late-season losses to Monroe St. Mary Catholic and New Boston Huron. Each of the playoff wins have come by at least 30 points for the Rams, who beat unranked opponents the past three weeks. Flat Rock’s nine wins are its most since going 11-0 in 1976.
Ovid-Elsie (8-4) vs. Almont (11-1)
▶Where: Grand Blanc High School
▶When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Since overcoming a two-score deficit to knock off Standish-Sterling in their regular-season finale, the Marauders have put together a memorable run that included a road upset of No. 2 Constantine last week to claim the program’s first regional title since 2008. Ovid-Elsie coach Travis Long said that contest against Standish-Sterling set the tone for his young team and gave it confidence it could compete against elite opponents. The Marauders enter the semifinals on a five-game winning streak and will try to reach Ford Field for the first time since 2008.
Almont, which suffered its lone loss to Division 7 No. 5 West Branch Ogemaw Heights in Week 9, is ranked No. 4. The Raiders are looking for their first trip to Ford Field since 2019 when they finished as the state runner-up after falling to Lansing Catholic in the final. Almont’s path to the state semifinals included a 40-38 win over top-ranked Warren Michigan Collegiate in the district final.
Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on X @brian_calloway.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Greater Lansing high school football state semifinal overview
