Here are the 32 teams in the Division 2 field along with projected pairings and predictions through the Regional Final: Division 2
1. Walled Lake Central 91.556
2. Southgate Anderson 66.778
3. Brownstown Woodhaven 72.111
4. Port Huron 68.556
5. Warren DeLaSalle 67.708 (5-4)
6. Grosse Pointe South 84.111
7. Midland 89.000
8. Southfield 72.889
9. Dearborn Edsel Ford 96.889
10. Muskegon 79.444
11. Flushing 72.333
12. Rochester Adams 88.667
13. Grosse Pointe North 70.333
14. Birmingham Brother Rice 66.819 (5-4)
15. Farmington 68.333
16. Portage Central 93.111
17. Bay City Western 65.111
18. Detroit Martin Luther King 85.444
19. Caledonia 80.000
20. Wyandotte Roosevelt 82.333
21. Lowell 96.889
22. Portage Northern 84.556
23. Farmington Hills Harrison 71.444
24. Berkley 67.444
25. Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills 91.556
26. Fenton 70.556
27. Redford Thurston 73.222
28. Inkster 65542
29. Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills 69.403
30. Lapeer West 96.889
31. St. John’s 68.333
32. Gibraltar Carlson 69.556
Projected Pairings and Predictions: Shown in order of district seed. First round games: 4 at 1; 3 at 2. First Round winners shown in bold face. District winners included in Regional Final prediction.
Region I
District One
1. Lowell
2. Midland
3. St. John’s
4. Bay City Western
District Two
1. Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills
2. Caledonia
3. Muskegon
4. Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills
Regional Final: Muskegon over Lowell
Region II
District One
1. Portage Central
2. Portage Northern
3. Brownstown Woodhaven
4. Gibraltar Carlson
District Two
1. Lapeer West
2. Flushing
3. Fenton
4. Port Huron
Regional Final: Portage Central over Flushing
Region III
District One
1. Walled Lake Central
2. Redford Thurston
3. Farmington Hills Harrison
4. Farmington
District Two
1. Rochester Adams
2. Southfield
3. Berkley
4. Brother Rice
Regional Final: Brother Rice over Farmington Hills Harrison
Region IV
District One
1. Dearborn Edsel Ford
2. Wyandotte Roosevelt
3. Southgate Anderson
4. Inkster
District Two
1. Grosse Pointe South
2. Detroit M.L. King
3. Grosse Pointe North
4. DeLaSalle
Regional Final: DeLaSalle over Inkster
The above pairings were done based on the stated MHSAA formula to start north and move west before heading to Metro Detroit. This formula has too few teams in the west and requires sending two Metro Detroit teams to Kalamazoo. Not ideal, but that’s the formula. It will be interesting to see whether the MHSAA deviates from their normal geographic plan and creates better pairings. SnoozeToYou.com has published projected pairings on Searn’s site: http://www.snooze2you.com/2009/Week9Map.php?division=2 They are well thought out and I actually like them better than mine, but they don’t follow the prescribed formula of starting north, heading west, then on to Detroit. His solution brings Midland and Bay City Western south toward Detroit and avoids sending two downriver teams to Kalamazoo. We’ll see what the state does. If history is any indicator, they will have some surprises and probably be a combination of Snooze’s and mine.
I’ve done a variation on my pairings as well that could be viable. I moved Redford Thurston to Region IV District One and moved Edsel Ford to Region IV District Two. Then I moved DeLaSalle to Region III District Two and paired them with Rochester Adams, Berkley and Brother Rice. The District One pairings would be Walled Lake Central, Southfield, Farmington Hills Harrison and Farmington. I think it’s six of one half dozen of the other. No way of knowing which way the MHSAA will lean–my original, my alternate or Snooze’s. Stay tuned tomorrow night.