My Thoughts on the Playoff Matchups Affecting OAA Teams.

Written Sunday October 25th at 9:45 PM

The playoffs are now set and we know where each OAA team is going and where they will play their games. Most games will be played on Friday but some could be Saturday so here are the matchups.

First lets look at Division Two.

Region 2, District 1.

Holly vs Fenton
Midland Dow vs Midland

Region 2, District 2.

Walled Lake Northern vs Walled Lake Western
HARRISON vs GROVES

I look at Region Two which is very interesting with Holly playing Fenton (Flint Metro League match,) Walled Lake Northern playing Walled Lake Western (KLAA North match,) and Midland playing Midland Dow (Saginaw Valley Red match) all conference foes in their respective leagues well represented in this region.

In Region Two and in District Two, although Harrison and Groves are in two different divisions but they will make up for lost time be playing each other this Friday in Beverly Hills. The Hawks and Falcons will be meeting for the 15th time in school history, Harrison is 12-3 against Groves and did win the last meeting 28-6 in 2009. I look at this region knowing that the Hawks are motivated to get back at Muskegon Mona Shores for what happened last season in the State Semifinals. They could get them in the State Semifinals again, pending if they win this week and the next two weeks and also Muskegon Mona Shores has to deal with Lowell, Muskegon, and Traverse City Central. This is a horrible matchup for the Blue Champs going up against the White Champs despite the fact Groves has a solid backfield but Harrison has played a more brutal schedule than the Falcons have had.

I like the Hawks not only getting out of this district but also the region as well knowing the motivation they have to get back and will be a tough out for anybody who deals with them out west.

Region 3, District 1.

Livonia Churchill at Jackson
FARMINGTON at Livonia Franklin

Region 3, District 2.

LATHRUP at BERKLEY
OAK PARK at SOUTHFIELD

The next region I'll look at is where Farmington is in Region Three but in District One. The Falcons got a gift getting Livonia Franklin despite the fact it's on the road in Wayne County but the question will be is which Falcons team shows up? The one that beat Oak Park and Adams and had a tough luck loss to Harrison or the one that looked really bad against North Farmington and Orion. If good Farmington shows up then they could ramp-shot on this district, Livonia Franklin, Jackson, and Livonia Churchill don't impress me. If bad Farmington shows up then they are done in the first round. The Falcons are 1-1 all time against Livonia Franklin in their history.

Staying in Region Three but in District Two, the Bears I thought got a nice first round match-up with Lathrup. Berkley whopped the Chargers 41-0 two weeks ago at Hurley Field and are now back at Hurley again in what could Lathrup's final game as a school but the other side of the draw isn't so lucky as both Oak Park and Southfield play each other at Southfield. The Blue Jays were humiliated by the Knights 50-14 two weeks ago at Oak Park, maybe a change of venue will help. Southfield did take Troy Athens out of the playoffs with a 14-0 win while Oak Park lost 36-8 at Clarkston last week. I think both the Knights and Blue Jays got the shaft here but whoever wins this match-up will have an interesting regional final and perhaps meet either Warren De LaSalle or Detroit Martin Luther King in the State Semifinals.

Now onto Division One.

Region 2, District 1.

Davison at Lapeer
CLARKSTON at Romeo

Region 2, District 2.

Novi at WEST BLOOMFIELD
Waterford Mott at Novi Detroit Catholic Central

Lets look at Region Two because that is where West Bloomfield and Clarkston are at but they are in two different districts and would go west to meet either Rockford, Grand Ledge, East Kentwood, Hudsonville, or Grandville if one of them wins the regional. If the Lakers and Wolves were to meet at West Bloomfield in the Regional Final but these two teams will have tough challenges in their path.

The Lakers will play Novi, a team they have never met in it's school history. The Wildcats won at Howell last week to make the playoffs and has a very solid play-maker themselves but I think they will win that game handily. They have to be very careful of Novi Detroit Catholic Central. The Shamrocks are very talented and like to run the ball a lot. They have a Freshman quarterback whom has emerged as a superstar and their time possession football could give West Bloomfield trouble but Novi Detroit Catholic Central has a tough match up with a Corsairs team that put up 60 points on Plymouth last week and has a good player in Desmond Fitzpatrick, whom is a Farmington and Harrison transfer whom will be going to Louisville next season.

The Wolves already have a tough first round match-up with the Bulldogs and add the fact that they are going to be on grass for the first time since 2008 where they lost at Dan Barnabo Field to Romeo. The Bulldogs whom is the Macomb Area White Champions are stout defensively and have a huge win over Macomb Dakota on the road by two touchdowns a few weeks ago but lost to Utica Eisenhower last week at Sweinhart Field. Romeo has two solid players in Brad Tanner, their running back and Paul Hurley a four year Senior quarterback. This will be the first meeting since 2013 where Clarkston hammered Romeo 42-10 at Clarkston on route to their first State title. The Wolves are 6-2 all time against the Bulldogs with the 2013 meeting being the last. If Clarkston can get by Romeo then they would have to play at Lapeer whom is undefeated once again for the second straight season and defending Saginaw Valley League Red Champs. The Lightning beat Romeo at home last season but would love to avenge their only loss as one school to the Wolves. Lapeer would get Clarkston coming to Lapeer County and their stadium is also played on grass. Grass does tend to slow good athletes down and that could be problems for players like Nolan Eriksen and his teammates whom haven't played on grass since their freshman year at Clarkston Jr. High School, most of their games was on turf. Romeo would love to have another shot at the Lightning to avenge their loss last season. Both teams want Lapeer in the worst way but only one will get them.

Stay tuned to OAA Now for complete coverage of the match-ups. We will go more in depth with each of the match-ups.