FNV Division 1-4: Final Four, Champion and Sleeper Picks

Here are the FNV Staff picks for the MHSAA Football playoffs for Divisions 1-4. Let us know what you think in the comments sections down below.

We posted this back before the playoffs. Let’s see how we are doing.

Division 1

Chris

Final Four: Saline, Clakston, Belleville, Macomb Dakota
Sleeper: Livonia Stevenson-the 3-3 Spartans have lost 3 games by a combined 8 points and have the best player in the state that most people have never heard of in Harvard commit, Caden Woodall.
Champion: Clarkston-the 6-0 Wolves have played arguably the toughest schedule in the state and have as much star power as anyone out there.

Gary

Final Four: Rockford, Clarkston, Belleville, West Bloomfield
Sleeper: Grand Blanc-Beat a very good Saline team. Might be peaking at the right time.
Champion: Belleville-Most talent. Period

Frank

Final Four: West Bloomfield, Detroit Cass Tech, Davison, Rockford
Sleeper: Saline. QB Larry Robinson has been electrifying for the Hornets. This might be the best team that Joe Palka has ever had.
Champion: Davison. Hard not to pick the Cardinals with all the returning talent they have from last year’s team that won it all.

Division 2

Chris

Final Four: Mona Shores, Midland, Grosse Pointe South, Birmingham Groves
Sleeper: Warren De La Salle-the Pilots sit at 2-4 and are a #6 seed, but have played one of the toughest schedules in the state.
Champion: Mona Shores-the defending Champs will be most everyone’s pick again this year.

Gary

Final Four: Mona Shores, Midland, Churchill, De La Salle
Sleeper: Jenison-Performed well this season. Same district as Mona, however.
Champion: Mona Shores-How can you not pick these guys. The toughest test will be in their own region.

Frank

Final Four: Muskegon Mona Shores, Midland, Birmingham Seaholm, Livonia Churchill
Sleeper: Traverse City Central. This is arguably the best Trojans’ team since the split with Traverse City West.
Champion: Mona Shores. Another team that returns a lot of talent from last year’s state championship winning squad, including QB Brady Rose.

Division 3

Chris

Final Four: Zeeland West, DeWitt, Chelsea, River Rouge
Sleeper: Martin Luther KIng-the runner-ups in D2 last season enter the playoffs at 3-3. They have three quality losses, but no real quality wins.
Champion: DeWitt-the Panthers have lost in the semis five times and the finals once in the last decade. This team may be the best one of them all.

Gary

Final Four: Muskegon, DeWitt, Chelsea, King
Sleeper: Mason-The Bulldogs have quietly put together a nice resume.
Champion: DeWitt-This team seems to have what it takes in a very tough division. Sound in every facet.

Frank

Final Four: Birmingham Brother Rice, River Rouge, Muskegon, Mason
Sleeper: Riverview: The Pirates present a tough defense and a punishing ground attack that features plenty of weapons.
Champion: River Rouge. Much like Grand Rapids Catholic Central, the Panthers return plenty of talent from the team that won it all last season.

Division 4

Chris

Final Four: Whitehall, Edwardsburg, Milan, Country Day
Sleeper: Spring Lake-the Lakers (4-2) play in the tough OK Blue Division and are in a favorable regional while owning competitive losses to Hudsonville Unity Christian and Grand Rapids West Catholic.
Champion: Edwardsburg-Seems like everyone has tried to dodge the Eddies this season and for good reason.

Gary

Final Four: Spring Lake, Edwardsburg, Williamston, Country Day
Sleeper: Milan-The Big Reds should come out of their district. From that point, anything can happen.
Champion: Edwardsburg-Love what the Eddies do and how they do it. The regional final might be the final.

Frank

Final Four: Detroit Country Day, Williamston, Hudsonville Unity Christian, Whitehall
Sleeper: Edwardsburg. The last time we saw the Eddies in Division 4, they won the whole thing back in 2018.
Champion: Detroit Country Day. The drought ends for the Yellow Jackets after finishing runner up five times since the turn of the century