By SCOTT NOVAK
Niles Daily Star

Winning eight games was good enough to get the Dowagiac football team into the playoffs for a fifth straight season.

Those wins were not good enough to get the Chieftains a home game.

Dowagiac will travel to Hamilton Friday night to face the Hawkeyes, who are also 8-1 on the year. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Three Rivers (9-0) will host Otsego (6-3) in the other Division 4 Region 2, District 1 match-up.

“We are excited to be in the playoffs for the fifth straight year,” Dowagiac coach Mike Stanger said. “We didn’t care who we played or what division we played in. Anytime you get into the playoffs, it’s a great thing.”

Stanger went on to say that when you get into the post season, you cannot afford to have the mind set that you want to play this team or play that team or in any certain division.
“I like it,” he responded when asked if the team was excited about playing a team outside the conference for the first time since it joined the Wolverine. “But it’s a double-edged sword. On one hand, you don’t know much about them, so that’s one edge. On the other hand, it’s fun for the kids because we get to represent the Wolverine Conference now. I think from that standpoint it’s good.”

The Chieftains were the final team in Division 4.

This will be the first meeting between Dowagiac and Hamilton.

The Hawkeyes posted four shutouts during the regular season and outscored their opponents 290-80.

Hamilton defeated Coloma 21-0 back on Week No. 2.

“This is an opportunity for us to play someone outside the Wolverine Conference and to represent the conference,” Stanger said. “The OK Conference is supposed to be one of the best.”

Hamilton plays in the OK Green Division.

In Division 7, Cassopolis’ loss 35-0 to Coloma Friday night left the Rangers with a 6-3 record and sends them to Mendon to take on the 9-0 Hornets.

Cassopolis was defeated by Mendon in the 2007 district finals, 39-18.

The Rangers and the Hornets will play on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.

Decatur (6-3) will travel to White Pigeon (8-1) in the other district semifinal.

MHSAA First round pairings
Division 3
REGION 1
DISTRICT 1
Escanaba (7-2) 72.444 at Cadillac (8-1) 92.127
Ogemaw Heights (8-1) 88.778 at Petoskey (8-1) 88.778
DISTRICT 2
Bangor John Glenn (5-4) 60.444 at Linden (9-0) 112.000
North Branch (6-3) 61.778 at Mt Pleasant (9-0) 110.222
REGION 2
DISTRICT 1
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern (5-4) 64.556 at East Grand Rapids (9-0) 112.444
Hastings (7-2) 77.556 at Byron Center (8-1) 90.556
DISTRICT 2
Richland Gull Lake (6-3) 59.111 at St Joseph (7-2) 87.667
Battle Creek Harper Creek (6-3) 64.444 at Stevensville Lakeshore (7-2) 75.222
REGION 3
DISTRICT 1
Mason (8-1) 80.667 at DeWitt (9-0) 106.667
Lansing Sexton (7-2) 84.000 at Fowlerville (8-1) 84.444
DISTRICT 2
Milan (6-3) 64.778 at Adrian (8-1) 90.889
Chelsea (7-2) 78.778 at Carleton Airport (7-2) 80.444
REGION 4
DISTRICT 1
Dearborn Divine Child (5-4) 58.571 at Melvindale (9-0) 110.222
Orchard Lake St Mary’s (4-4) 59.222 at Detroit Central (7-1) 95.833
DISTRICT 2
Highland Park (6-3) 68.056 at Detroit Crockett (8-1) 92.778
Hazel Park (7-2) 80.111 at St Clair Shores Lake Shore (7-2) 85.889
Division 4
REGION 1
DISTRICT 1
Cheboygan (6-3) 56.222 at Kingsford (7-2) 85.556
Fremont (7-2) 69.111 at Big Rapids (8-1) 76.444
DISTRICT 2
Stanton Central Montcalm (6-3) 53.667 at Essexville Garber (7-2) 77.444
Saginaw Swan Valley (7-2) 70.444 at Portland (7-2) 71.111
REGION 2
DISTRICT 1
Grand Rapids Catholic Central (5-4) 56.111 at Grand Rapids West Catholic (9-0) 94.222
Spring Lake (7-2) 71.333 at Holland Christian (7-2) 76.778
DISTRICT 2
Otsego (6-3) 60.667 at Three Rivers (9-0) 96.000
Dowagiac (8-1) 82.667 at Hamilton (8-1) 90.444
REGION 3
DISTRICT 1
Lansing Catholic (6-3) 55.556 at Marshall (8-1) 91.444
Battle Creek Pennfield (8-1) 71.000 at Williamston (8-1) 78.889
DISTRICT 2
Dearborn Heights Annapolis (6-3) 58.333 at Detroit Country Day (6-3) 75.556
Madison Heights Lamphere (6-3) 63.000 at Detroit Douglass (6-2) 75.083
REGION 4
DISTRICT 1
Flint Powers Catholic (5-4) 59.667 at Croswell-Lexington (7-2) 74.778
Yale (6-3) 62.889 at Goodrich (6-3) 65.889
DISTRICT 2
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (6-3) 58.889 at Marine City (9-0) 104.000
Richmond (6-3) 61.333 at Marysville (6-3) 62.000
Division 7
REGION 1
DISTRICT 1
Norway (6-3) 52.181 at Ishpeming (7-2) 62.444
Ishpeming Westwood (6-2) 54.222 at Iron River West Iron County (7-2) 59.000
DISTRICT 2
Indian River Inland Lakes (6-3) 45.778 at Traverse City St Francis (9-0) 83.556
Rogers City (7-2) 54.556 at Rudyard (8-1) 71.556
REGION 2
DISTRICT 1
Blanchard Montabella (6-3) 44.667 at Whittemore-Prescott (8-1) 64.556
Merrill (6-3) 48.556 at McBain (6-3) 49.000
DISTRICT 2
Pewamo-Westphalia (6-3) 44.111 at Potterville (9-0) 74.667
Saugatuck (8-1) 60.889 at Ravenna (7-2) 70.778
REGION 3
DISTRICT 1
Cassopolis (6-3) 52.222 at Mendon (9-0) 77.333
Decatur (6-3) 53.111 at White Pigeon (8-1) 68.444
DISTRICT 2
Concord (6-3) 36.556 at Hudson (9-0) 96.000
Ottawa Lake Whiteford (6-3) 55.556 at Reading (9-0) 70.222
REGION 4
DISTRICT 1
Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest (7-2) 50.111 at Ubly (9-0) 80.000
Brown City (7-2) 55.667 at Genesee (9-0) 67.556
DISTRICT 2
Warren Michigan Collegiate (6-3) 42.000 at Petersburg-Summerfield (8-1) 71.000
Detroit Loyola (5-4) 49.444 at Royal Oak Shrine (6-3) 52.069