Michigan high school football finals: Previewing all eight state title games

The 2023 Michigan high school football playoffs culminate with the state final games on Saturday and Nov. 26 at Ford Field.

Here is a look at the 16 teams vying for the state championship:

Division 1, 7 p.m. Sunday

Belleville (13-0)

Colors: Black and Orange.

Nickname: Tigers.

How they’ve fared in the playoffs: Beat Ann Arbor Huron, 48-7; beat Saline, 65-14; beat Northville, 49-7; beat Davison, 63-21.

Key players: Bryce Underwood, QB; Jeremiah Beasley, RB/LB; Adrian Walker, WR/DB; Rashad Jones, DE.

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Strength: The defense has allowed just 74 points (through 12 games), while the Tigers have leaned on the expertise of some new assistant coaches led by Spencer McCourt, who brings a new-found collegiate understanding of the offense which has filtered down to the linemen, to the receivers, to the running backs and the quarterback (led by Underwood). It’s not your typical high school playbook.

Weakness: Discipline and penalties have been an issue for the Tigers; they have given opposing teams the opportunity to maintain possession of the ball as well as favorable field position.

Coach Calvin Norman: “What makes us special and unique is the quarterback (Underwood). Bryce brings that energy and that flavor that rubs off on all the players offensively and defensively. He brings that whole swagger and it starts with him at quarterback.”

Southfield A&T (12-1)

Colors: Navy, Red and White

Nickname: Warriors.

How they’ve fared in the playoffs: Beat Dearborn Fordson, 38-14; beat Detroit Cass Tech, 36-25; beat Clinton Township Chippewa Valley, 31-21; beat West Bloomfield, 40-35.

Key players: Isaiah Marshall, QB; Reggie Gardner, DT; Tashi Braceful, WR; Mauricio Clayton, MLB.

Strength: Throughout the regular season, the Warriors had been balanced when it comes to offense and defense. But during the playoffs, the defense has stepped up to force turnovers and give the offense the ball in great field position. And with the four-year Kansas-bound Marshall at the helm, the offense is one of the most explosive in the state.

Weakness: The Warriors, young up front, are still looking for consistency on the offensive line and keep the pressure away from Marshall.

Coach Aaron Marshall: “The defense has gotten so much better throughout the playoffs and they’re really playing some good football against different styles of offenses. Between the offensive and defensive lines, we start about four or five sophomores, which is a good thing for the future. But for right now they’ve got to grow up and be more consistent.”

Division 2, 7:30 p.m. Saturday

Muskegon (11-2)

Colors: Cardinal and White.

Nickname: Big Reds.

How they've fared in the playoffs: Beat Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, 41-0; beat Muskegon Mona Shores, 42-28; beat Saginaw Heritage, 42-14; beat East Lansing, 42-7.

Key players: M’khi Guy, QB/DB; Destin Piggee, RB; Quincy Johnson, OL/NG; Robert Mills, C/DT; Chris Jones, DT; Jakob Price, RB/LB.

Strength: This is Muskegon's ninth appearance at Ford Field since 2012. Although the Big Reds were beaten soundly in last year’s Division 3 finals by Detroit King, they realize they are rarely going to face an opposing quarterback of Dante Moore’s caliber, and the biggest takeaway was that it left this year’s squad hungrier to return to this level.

Weakness: Once Muskegon gets momentum, the players start feeling good and put the pedal down. But if that doesn’t happen, the offense becomes more improvisational and sometimes gets off track. As long as the Big Reds stay in control, they’ll be fine. They’ll be an entertaining team to watch, regardless.

Coach Shane Fairfield: “We’ve just got a lot of experience right now; we’ve got a good nucleus of guys on the field. Nine (returning) guys started in that game (vs. King), so there’s a lot of experience. A lot of guys got reps, whether it be on special teams, offense or defense. It helps having dynamic kids this year, too.”

Warren De La Salle (11-2)

Colors: Purple and Gold.

Nickname: Pilots.

How they've fared in the playoffs: Beat Warren Cousino, 49-6; beat U-D Jesuit, 25-6; beat Roseville, 34-14; beat Waterford Mott, 45-19.

Key players: Kandakai Sherman, WR/DB; Damion King, WR/DB/PR; Phoenix Glassnor, WR/DB; Bebe Rabhi, K/P/WR; Sante Gasperoni, QB; Dalton Drogosh, LB.

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Strength: The Pilots are tough-as-nails at Ford Field, winning state championships five times and losing just once over the past decade. It starts with the defense and its ability to slow up and contain opponents. As long as De La Salle controls the game, they are tough to beat.

Weakness: Coach Dan Rohn admits it’s a different team than the one that won state titles each of the last two seasons before graduating 47 seniors — yet here they are again. It took De La Salle several weeks at the beginning of the season to find its identity while taking on some of the toughest teams in Michigan and Ohio, and as evidenced in an opening-week loss to Davison, the Pilots must stay focused and avoid giving up big plays.

Coach Dan Rohn: “We went to Muskegon (in Week 2) and I didn’t know how our kids were going to respond after losing our first game with 19 seconds left. We gave up some big plays early, but we settled in. They’ve got some guys playing in their 23rd, 24th or 25th football game. You never like to play anybody twice — especially a team like Muskegon. We can’t give up the chunk plays.”

Division 3, 12:30 p.m. Sunday

Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (12-1)

Colors: Green and White.

Nickname: Rangers.

How they’ve fared in the playoffs: Beat Lowell, 35-20; beat Mt. Pleasant, 45-21; beat Gaylord, 33-7; beat Zeeland West, 18-14.

Key players: JT Hartman, RB/LB; Ty Hudkins, WR/S; Mason McDonald, QB; Nolan Hartl, LB; Max Richardson, TE/LB; Joey Wing, OT.

Strength: Forest Hills Central plays great defense and runs the ball well, that’s been a program goal and mentality for years.

Weakness: Not many teams in Michigan has very much depth, and Forest Hills Central is no different but needs to be to stave off injury issues.

Coach Tim Rogers: “We have a great group of seniors that played a ton of football last year and got us to Ford Field then. They’re the true leaders of our team and they are a main reason for the success we are having this year.”

Mason (13-0)

Colors: Red and Blue.

Nickname: Bulldogs.

How they’ve fared in the playoffs: Beat Lindon, 45-20; beat DeWitt, 42-7; beat Walled Lake Western, 44-41 (OT); beat Detroit King, 26-20.

Key players: Cason Carswell, QB; AJ Martel, RB/S; Kaleb Parrish, TE/DE; Grant Gilchrist, OG/DT; Cole Ries, WR/CB.

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Strength: Balance on offense, the ability to run and pass both very well. Defenses have a hard time stopping both.

Weakness: Making third-down stops is an area of needed improvement.

Coach Gary Houghton: “(Opponents) kind of have to pick their poison to stop both our run and the pass. Of course, it’s been a great year. We’ve had the toughest schedule of all and we still won them all. Also, our school suffered a very tragic car accident involving two young girls that were close to many of the players. We could have gone in either direction at that point; right in the tank or using it as a rallying point of togetherness; and that’s what we’ve done. The team has chosen to commemorate their honor with our play.”

Division 4, 1 p.m. Saturday

Grand Rapids South Christian (10-3)

Colors: Navy and White.

Nickname: Sailors.

How they’ve fared in the playoffs: Beat Wayland, 34-7; beat Forest Hills Eastern, 22-14; beat Big Rapids, 55-35; beat Portland, 21-6.

Key players: Carson Vis, QB; Jake Vermaas, WR/CB; Cam VanSolkena, OL/DL; Mitchell Lindhout, OG; Ben Mulder,

Key players: Carson Vis, QB; Jake Vermaas, WR/CB; Cam VanSolkema, OL/DL; Mitchell Lindhout, OG; Ben Mulder, LB.

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Strength: South Christian has a really potent offense this season, with multiple weapons, hard to defend. In the playoffs there has been much more team connectivity and balance, both the offense and defense clicking simultaneously.

Weakness: The Defense didn’t play up to the potential in the regular season, but that’s changed in the playoffs. On offense, impatience has caused rushing plays too fast and not staying settled and in control.

Coach Danny Brown: “The unique thing about this team is coming off a state championship and all the expectations that come with it. I don’t think we’ve let the outside noise affect us, but it took longer to jell than we anticipated. Things really began clicking once we hit the playoffs, right after losing the final two games of the regular season.”

Harper Woods (10-3)

Colors: Maroon and White.

Nickname: Pioneers.

How they’ve fared in the playoffs: Beat Crosswell-Lexington, 20-13; beat Marysville, 50-0; beat Carlton Airport, 46-19; beat Goodrich, 35-24.

Key players: Jacob Oden, WR/DB; Dakota Guerrant, WR; Tyon Atkins, OL; Stephone Buford, QB/WR; Jevon Jones, DL.

Strength: Experience, with 36 players who have played varsity for three or more years. Good senior leadership. The offensive line as a group of five has played together for three years.

Weakness: Inconsistency. Sometimes, the team plays down to a level they should be above, but that’s been better in the playoffs.

Coach Ron Oden: “We’ve definitely been playing for something bigger than ourselves, to go further in school history than any team before us. The school had won only one district title in 72 years, and zero regional titles, until this year. So, we are reaching milestones now and want the journey to continue.”

Division 5, 4 p.m. Sunday

Grand Rapids Catholic Central (11-1)

Colors: Royal Blue and White.

Nickname: Cougars.

How they’ve fared in the playoffs: Beat Benton Harbor, 42-6; beat Berrien Springs, 49-7; beat Grand Rapids West Catholic, 30-28; beat Frankenmuth, 35-0.

Key players: Kellen Russell-Dixon, TB/CB; Connor Wolfe, QB; Brendan Napieralski, OL/DL; Mill Coleman III, WR/DB.

Strength: Being physical, the Cougars have been adept at running the football led by Russell-Dixon, who has been fantastic averaging almost 11 yards per carry. The offensive line, led by a handful of seniors, has also excelled.

Weakness: Because of its inexperience, the defense continues to be a work in progress for the Cougars.

Coach Todd Kolster: “The next thing I’d say is just a good mix of old and young. We’ve got a really nice senior class and a really good sophomore group. We’ve played about 10 sophomores all year long, so we needed to have those seniors bring them along and we needed those guys to come along. And they kind of jelled pretty nicely and have done a nice job.”

Corunna (13-0)

Colors: Black and Gold.

Nickname: Cavaliers.

How they’ve fared in the playoffs: Beat Flint Hamady, 45-7; beat Pontiac Notre Dame, 28-17; Macomb Lutheran North, 56-18; beat Flat Rock, 49-0.

Key players: Wyatt Bower, QB/DB; Jaden Edington, RB/LB; Tarick Bower, WR/CB; Alan Mrva, OL/DE.

Strength: The defense has been very strong all season getting stops while allowing just 94 points through the first 12 games. Limiting the number of turnovers has also been a focus all season.

Weakness: The Cavaliers need to continue to pursue the ball and staying physical.

Coach Steve Herrick: “They are just great kids who work hard. They are incredibly coachable. They come ready for practice. They know what they’ve been taught and they have a great amount of skill and talent as well, so it’s a great combination.”

Division 6, 4:30 p.m. Saturday

Almont (12-1)

Colors: Orange and Black.

Nickname: Raiders.

How they've fared in the playoffs: Beat Clinton Twp. Clintondale, 35-8; beat Warren Michigan Collegiate, 40-38; beat Detroit Edison, 49-24; beat Ovid-Elsie, 45-21.

Key players: Chase Battani, RB/LB; Ayden Ferqueron, FB/MLB; Luke Winkler, RB/CB; Isaiah Bankston, OG/DE; Noah Campbell, C/DT; Chase Davedowski, QB/DB.

Strength: Almont produces tough, hard-nosed kids who are up for a challenge. They don’t give up and are apt to win the close games, as indicated by their 40-38 overtime win over Warren Michigan Collegiate. Being the smallest school in the Blue Water Area Conference didn’t hinder the Raiders, who won the league with a 7-0 mark.

Weakness: Almont’s Ford Field appearance from 2019 is still fresh in the community’s mind, but there are differences between the two squads. Coach James Leusby said everyone knew that the 2019 team had the talent to play into the championship round, but this year’s group’s success is predicated on their ability to live up to their potential. They must go above and beyond.

Coach James Leusby: “We played a tough regular-season schedule, and I believe our conference got us ready for this. We’ve played against teams that air it out, we’ve seen Spread, we’ve seen Power, we’ve seen the new offenses that are out there. We adapt and keep rolling.”

Kingsley (11-2)

Colors: Orange and Black.

Nickname: Stags.

How they've fared in the playoffs: Beat Scottville Mason County Central, 61-12; beat Manistee, 37-18; beat Gladstone, 51-27; beat Reed City, 37-7.

Key players: Eli Graves, RB/DB; Gavin Merchant, QB; Max Goethals, OLB; Caleb Bott, OG/DE; James Pearson, OG/DT; Noah Scribner, C.

Strength: Kingsley’s potent offense has put up 583 points through the first 12 games. By comparison, the only semifinalist at any level with a higher total was Division 1’s Belleville, with 584. Merchant has averaged 100 yards per game on the ground and his pass completion rate is nearing 70%. Graves has scored 20 touchdowns (plus three more on defense).

Weakness: The Stags are not big, with just one or two players on the field at any given time weighing more than 200 pounds. They do have several wrestlers who bring technique and upper-body strength, yet more size would increase the intimidation factor.

Coach Tim Wooer: “One huge benefit to our success is the schedule we played. We opened up against (Division 6 semifinalist) Reed City, then played Gaylord (a Division 3 regional participant) and Ogemaw Heights (a Division 5 district finalist). Our league also has Traverse City St. Francis, Grayling and Boyne City, then we played two Grand Rapids-area schools, Comstock Park and Sparta. It was a weekly grind with incredible competition, and it got us playoff-ready.”

Division 7, 9:30 a.m. Sunday

Jackson Lumen Christi (12-1)

Colors: Forest Green and Vegas Gold.

Nickname: Titans.

How they’ve fared in the playoffs: Beat Grass Lake, 50-14; beat Napoleon, 26-0; beat Clinton, 21-14; beat Millington, 35-7.

Key players: Aiden Pastoriza, OT/DE; Kadale Williams, TB; Luke Smith, OT/DE; Britton Hampton, CB.

Strength: The Titans have been consistent on both sides of the ball, while playing good, solid defense. They’ve been able to move it on the ground and throw when needed.

Weakness: Ball security remains an issue. The Titans went through a streak during the regular season where they turned the ball over too much, but have cleaned that up during the playoffs. Lumen Christi also needs to force more turnovers.

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Coach Herb Brogan: “I think we’ve had pretty strong senior leadership. We’ve only got 10 of them, but they’ve really set the tone all year long. We made a lot of demands on the younger kids, but they’ve really led by example.”

Menominee (11-2)

Colors: Maroon and White.

Nickname: Maroons.

How they’ve fared in the playoffs: Beat Benzie Central, 50-14; beat Charlevoix, 50-14; beat McBain, 40-0; beat North Muskegon, 32-21.

Key players: Trevor Theuerkauf, QB/DB; Landan Bardowski, RB/DE; Lucas Thoune, OT/DT; Eli Beal, TE-DE.

Strength: Team speed has helped the Maroons defensively throughout the playoffs, pursing to the ball which has led them to force 11 turnovers in their first three games. Offensively, the Maroons have averaged 44 points per game.

Weakness: The Maroons have been a little inconsistent at blocking and tackling. They’re also striving to get better at finishing plays both offensively and defensively, while holding their blocks for 6-to-8 seconds or however long the play lasts.

Coach Chad Brandt: “I think what makes our team unique and special is that our kids — grades nine through 12 — they love being around each other whether it’s in the winter time, summer time together, or in football season. They get along with each other and it’s one big family.”

Division 8, 10 a.m. Saturday

Ottawa Lake-Whiteford (13-0)

Colors: Navy Blue and Gold.

Nickname: Bobcats.

How they've fared in the playoffs: Beat Sand Creek, 59-0; beat Hudson, 24-14; beat White Pigeon, 54-6; beat Riverview Richard, 35-6.

Key players: Kolby Masserant, WR/S; Ryin Ruddy, QB-WR/S; Hunter DeBarr, QB-RB; Drew Knaggs, FB/ILB; Jack Iott, OT/ILB.

Strength: Experience. The Division 8 champions are back and are bringing a lot of familiar faces. DeBarr (1,200 all-purpose yards this year) Knaggs and Iott led the ground attack at Ford Field last season. Masserant, Ruddy and DeBarr are four-year starters in the defensive backfield.

Weakness: Whiteford’s lineup isn’t immune to some turnover, though — the team has four new offensive linemen and a quarterback, so the inexperienced part of the team is clustered in some critical areas. Iott has moved from the offensive backfield to the strong-side tackle in order to provide a boost in the trenches.

Coach Todd Thieken: “As the season’s gone on, we’ve gotten better and better on offense each week, having the core group of those skill guys around. Some of them were just not starting a year ago because they’ve had really good players in front of them. It’s the consistency within the program — we don’t change what we do. Consistency in the work ethic, our core staff — we haven’t really changed much.”

Ubly (13-0)

Colors: Orange and Black.

Nickname: Bearcats.

How they've fared in the playoffs: Beat Burton Bentley, 62-8; beat Harbor Beach, 35-14; beat Ithaca, 41-20; beat Beal City, 24-6.

Key players: Canden Peruski, RB/LB; Brett Mueller, K/P/TE; Mitchell Foote, OT/DT; Seth Maurer, RB/DE; Evan Peruski, QB/DB.

Strength: Ubly doesn’t try to dazzle — the Bearcats focus on football basics such as blocking and tackling, and that has proven to be very effective. Leading a lethal ground attack, Peruski has rushed for over 1,500 yards and 20 touchdowns this year. He’s also the team’s leading tackler, eclipsing 100.

Weakness: The Bearcat defense needs to rush to the ball and tackle opposing ballcarriers at the first point of contact, because they will be facing a team who can pound the rock with fullbacks who are tough to bring down. Giving up second-effort yardage was a concern in Ubly’s regional victory over Ithaca — the closest game Ubly had played up to that point.

Coach Eric Sweeney: “They’ve played on the biggest stage. About half of our guys have played at Ford Field (in the 2022 and/or 2020 finals). That helped us in our regional against Ithaca. They weren’t in awe of everything that was going on — they just went out and played. We keep things simple playing the Power T, and the kids just play football and don’t have to think too much.”

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan high school football finals: Previewing the state title games