2019 High School Football Playoffs Round 1 Matchups
This past Thursday, Friday, and Saturday saw the final games of the high school football regular season played for 2019. However, the playoffs still loomed large for several of the Upper Peninsula’s stronger teams. Sunday night was the selection show, deciding which teams would make the cut, and who they’d be playing in the first round of the playoffs. Here are the 11-man teams from the UP who made the cut.
In Division 8, five UP schools will be competing for the state championship. However, four of them will be competing with one another. Saint Ignace will be the only team playing a lower Michigan team. They will head to Beal City for their first game. Beal City has an 8-1 record heading into the playoffs.
Lake Linden-Hubbell and their 5-4 record will travel to West Iron County. The Wykons have never lost to the Lakes in the 3 all-time matchups the two schools have had.
And finally, for Division 8, Ishpeming will host Bark River-Harris. The Hematites defeated the Broncos in the final week of the regular season. The Broncos will look to reverse their fortune for this playoff contest.
In Division 7, only one team from the UP will be competing and it’s the undefeated Iron Mountain Mountaineers. Several Yoopers consider the Mountaineers to be the best team in the Upper Peninsula regardless of division. They will welcome home the 5-4 Mancelona Steel Men.
Division 6 sees four more Upper Peninsula schools. All of whom will be challenging other Upper Peninsula schools. Winners of 6 in a row, the Westwood Patriots will host the Menominee Maroons in what could be the best game of the weekend. And in Calumet, the Copper Kings will host the Negaunee Miners. These two squads met up for a game back in Week 2, with Calumet winning handily. However, the Miners have only lost once since then (last week, against Westwood).
Division 4: Escanaba and their 7-2 record will host Cadillac. The Eskymos had one of the toughest regular season schedules across Michigan and will face a tough Cadillac squad despite what the team’s 5-4 record might say. And Sault Ste. Marie will face the Ludington Orioles. Ludington has a better record, and defeated the Blue Devils earlier in the season, but because of the difficulty of Sault Ste. Marie’s schedule, they earned the right to host this Round 1 matchup.
And the final 11-man Upper Peninsula school to get the playoff nod is the Marquette Redmen. 2019 was their first winning season in 3 years, but they do not get an easy road ahead. Many people consider Muskegon the best team in Michigan, but the Redmen will be sure to give them a run for their money.
Now in 8-man football, the Brimley Bays are taking on Suttons Bay Noresemen in the first round of the playoffs. While Brimley finished the season 5-4, they still can prove to be a challenge for Norsemen who finished the season with an impressive 7-1 record.
The Cedarville Trojans travel Posen to take on the Vikings in a match up that can prove to be one of the better games this weekend. Both teams put up larges numbers on the score board this season and look to continue this Friday.
It’s the battle of one loss teams as the Engadine Eagles take on the Pickford Panthers. Engadine’s only loss of the season came at the hands of Pickford in the second week. Pickford’s only loss came at the hands of undefeated North Central Jets. Both teams are looking to move on in the playoffs but it wont easy.
In the last 8-man match up we have Forest Park traveling to take on the undefeated North Central Jets. The Jets have been unstoppable this season and are looking to continue that against Forest Park. The Trojans only losses came at the other top two teams in 8-man; North Central and Pickford. Its going to be a battle on Friday night.