Regional Finals Picks

Overall Season Record: 113 - 33

Plymouth Canton v. Novi Detroit Catholic Central – The Shamrocks nip and tuck battles with CHSL foes Warren De La Salle and Orchard Lake St. Mary's in the latter half of their regular season will pay dividends against a strong-willed and upset-minded Canton team. CC's Fire and Ice backfield tandem of tailback Anthony Capatina and bruising fullback Niko Palazeti bring the elements and waltz its way into the DI Final Four.

CC 31 Canton 24

Macomb Dakota v. Clarkston – Dakota heads into the Wolves Den looking to hand C-Town its first loss of the year and an exit ticket from the post-season. Worry none Wolves Nation, senior field general, Tyler Scarlett and his best friend and backfield mate "Dandy D"a.k.a. Dakota Bender, are just too good to let that happen.

Clarkston 28 Dakota 21

Birmingham Brother Rice v. Midland – With so many opponents worried about Rice's always-dangerous wideout and third year starter, Kevonte-Martin Manley (Bowling Green) - and rightfully so -, the Warriors number two receiver, Nate Saldivar-Garcia, has been able to make some serious waves this season. Garcia has TD receptions in both Rice playoff wins the last two weeks and will collect one more against Midland as the Warriors, much like CC and benefiting from playing in the toughest conference in the state, march onward towards Ford Field.

Rice 27 Midland 26 (OT)      

Warren De La Salle v. Southfield – You cannot stop Southfield's Maurice Davenport, you can only hope to contain him. The visiting Pilots find that out first hand on Saturday afternoon and the Blue Jays get some good old fashioned revenge against the team that knocked them out of the state semi-finals last year. With or without injured star running back Dae'von Robinson, Southfield is playing great football right now and can't be stopped – at least not this week!

Southfield 30 Warren De La Salle 20

Orchard Lake St. Mary's v. Detroit Crockett – Eaglets senior signal caller Robert Bolden (Penn State) and his play are peaking at the right time. Along with the rest of his team, Bolden started slow, but as the season has progressed, both the entire unit and its QB, have slowly started to regain its championship-caliber form (last seen in 2007 when a sophomore Bolden led St. Mary's to a state championship game). On Saturday afternoon, Bolden with face-off with All-City Crockett field general, Tony Lippett (Michigan State) and it should be a classic, with both blue chip recruits performing at superior levels right now. Ernest Thomas (UCLA) collects another trifecta of touchdowns – he has six over the first two weeks of the post-season – and James Ross picks off Lippett late in the game to send the Eaglets into its second state semi-final in the last three years.

OLSM 34 Crockett 33

Birmingham Detroit Country Day v. Marshall – Coach Mac filled his squad's regular season with a series of rough and tumble road match-ups to prepare for this very type of game against a muscle-bound Marshall team. Junior QB Josh Harris is just starting to heat up and he has the ability to carry Country Day on his back if need be. Running back Lee Bailey gets busy all over the Marshall defense for a buck twenty on the ground to go along with a pair of scores and Brett Bukari boots the game-winning field goal in the 4^th quarter as the Yellowjackets take one step closer to their third consecutive trip to the state finals.

DCD 27 Marshall 24

Jackson Lumen Christi v. Madison Heights Madison – To quote the venerable Chad Ochocinco, "Child, please!" Eagles continue to soar!

Madison 35 JLC 25

Waterford Our Lady of The Lakes v. Beal City – The Lakers junior wonder…er running back, Anthony "Big Coz" Caiozzo is bananas, B.A.N.A.N.A.S!!!

WOLL 33 Beal City 30