By By DAN WEISS / Niles Daily Star
NILES -- For the second year in a row, the Niles varsity football team will travel to Sturgis for the first round of the MHSAA State Football Playoffs.
The Vikings (6-3) will play at Sturgis (8-1) Friday night at 7:30 p.m. in the semifinals of the Division 3, Region 2, District 1 Tournament.
Lakeshore (8-1) will host Gull Lake (7-2) in the other semifinal of the District Tournament, also Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Niles suffered a 27-7 loss at Sturgis in the first round of last year's playoffs.
Niles suffered losses in the last two weeks of the season, falling to third place in the Big-16 West Division. In those two weeks, the Vikings came up short against Dowagiac and St. Joseph and lost to Battle Creek Central on Sept. 12.
Niles beat Battle Creek Lakeview 41-8 on Sept. 19. Lakeview is the only team to beat Sturgis this season.
Unlike the 2001 and 2002 seasons, Niles did not face Sturgis during the regular season this year. That unfamiliarity will be a change from last year's playoff game.