By Staff
(Editor's note: This is the second in a two-part story previewing Michigan's eight state football championships which will be contested this weekend at the Pontiac Silverdome.)
By SCOTT NOVAK / Dowagiac Daily News
The highlight of the second day of competition at the Pontiac Silverdome in the state football finals will come in Division 3.
Undefeated defending state champion East Grand Rapids will face Allen Park. Both teams enter the game at 13-0.
On Saturday, Divisions 7, 1, 5 and 3 will take center stage. The Division 7 game will get things going at 10 a.m. with the Division 1 game set for 1 p.m.
The Division 5 game is scheduled for 5 p.m. with the Division 3 classic scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m.
Fox Sports Detroit will once again carry a majority of the football finals live from the Silverdome.
However, the Division 4, 5 and 3 title games will be carried via tape delay due to professional and collegiate conflicts. Those games will be shown tape-delay according to the following schedule:
Nov. 29 - Division 5 Football - 10:30 p.m. and Division 3 Football - 1 a.m., following Detroit Pistons-Washington Wizards basketball and the Detroit Sports Report.
All of the delayed games will also receive a Sunday airing the same weekend according to Fox and the MHSAA.
On Nov. 30, the Division 5 football game will be shown again at 1p.m.; following the Division 4 at 10:30 a.m.; and Division 3 at 3:30 p.m.
On the radio side, the Michigan Talk Radio Network, the MHSAA's radio partner, will provide play-by-play coverage of the football finals. All of the games will be available on the Internet through the MHSAA Web Site. Dowagiac's Joe Jason will once again be doing play-by-play for several of the finals (see related story this page).
In the first game of the morning, Hudson (11-2) will square off against Traverse City St. Francis (13-0).
Hudson won the district championship by defeating Dansville (28-0) in the first round and then Union City (40-14). In the regional finals, the Tigers defeated Gobles, 25-7.
Gobles reached the regional championship by defeating Cassopolis in the district title game.
In last week's semifinals, Hudson knocked off Sand Creek, 29-6.
Jackson Lumen Christi (11-2) will take on undefeated Muskegon Oakridge (13-0) in the division 5 title tilt.
Jackson reached the finals by defeating Portland (49-21) and Stockbridge (41-7) in the district round. In the regional finals, the Titans were 27-21 winners over previously undefeated Battle Creek Pennfield.
Pennfield defeated Coloma in the district championship game.
Erie Mason fell to Lumen Christi in the semifinals last Saturday, 28-15.
Muskegon Oakridge defeated White Cloud (59-20) and Howard City Tri-County (18-7) in the districts before winning the regional title with a 42-28 victory over Benzie Central.
The Eagles were 10-6 winners over Pinconning in the semifinals.
East Grand Rapids, led by quarterback Kyle Cunningham, who has never lost a football game in high school, has cruised into the state finals.
The Pioneers defeated Fruitport, 38-7, and Ionia, 48-21, to win the district title. In the regional championship game, East Grand Rapids defeated St. Johns, 62-13.
In last week's semifinal, the Pioneers blanked Lakeshore, 21-0, and earned the right to defend their state championship.
Allen Park (13-0) defeated Monroe Jefferson (35-6) and Carleton Airport (12-10) to win the district crown. In the regional finals, the Jaguars defeated Dearborn Divine Child, 24-14.
In the semifinals last Saturday, Allen Park was a 20-7 winner over Farmington Hills Harrison.
The Division 1 state finals will pit 12-1 Detroit Catholic Central against undefeated Utica Eisenhower (13-0).
Catholic Central, the defending state champions, defeated Brighton (28-7) and South Lyon (40-20) in the districts, defeated Canton (38-7) in the regional final and defeated Clinton Township Chippewa Valley, 26-7, in the semifinals.
Utica defeated Port Huron (34-19) and New Baltimore Anchor Bay (36-14) in the districts and Flint Carmen-Ainsworth (10-0) in the regional finals. In the semifinals, the Eagles defeated Grandville, 21-17.