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Updated look at football playoff points and projections for Northern Michigan teams

drew kochanny, the petoskey news-review
·6 min read

For many around Northern Michigan, the Michigan High School Athletic Association football playoffs have already begun.

Call it the pre-playoffs if you will, but there are plenty of teams out there that have to treat these final two weeks like everything is on the line, because it is.

Some teams slipped up a week ago and really put the pressure on to make the postseason – Petoskey – while others – Boyne City, Sault Ste. Marie and Cedarville – are doing all they can to just stay in the race.

Petoskey is right on the No. 32 line, so the Northmen really can't afford any more mishaps.

That’s not to say the pressure is only on a select few.

Home field advantage is on the line for others who already have their playoff spot comfortably wrapped up, with teams like Charlevoix, East Jordan and St. Ignace all fighting for some key seeding positions. It’s a whole different story when you’re home the first couple weeks of the postseason and a district championship can be won right in your back yard.

After falling in Week 7, the Petoskey football team put the pressure on themselves over the next couple weeks to try to make the Division 3 postseason, with games at Sault Ste. Marie and home vs. Clare.
After falling in Week 7, the Petoskey football team put the pressure on themselves over the next couple weeks to try to make the Division 3 postseason, with games at Sault Ste. Marie and home vs. Clare.

There was already some big movement in Week 7 and more should come as conference races wrap up in the final couple weeks. Nothing is set in stone just yet.

Below you’ll find where everyone around Northern Michigan stands in playoff seeding and points after seven weeks, along with their remaining two games this week and the final week of the regular season, Friday, Oct. 20.

There’s also playoff projections for the teams that could be playing beyond Week 9, calculated by Michigan high school football website snooze2you.com.

Within 11-Player football, 32 teams make the postseason, while for 8-Player, 16 programs will make the postseason in each division. Each 11-Player division has around 60 teams within it, while 8-Player divisons feature a total of 45-50 teams.

Listed below are the current top points for a team in each division head, as well as the No. 32 line.

Around Emmet, Charlevoix, Otsego, Cheboygan and Chippewa Counties: 

Gaylord Area Week 8: Keys to victory: How Gaylord football can defeat the reigning D7 state champions

Petoskey Area Week 8: Petoskey in playoff mindset already; Charlevoix, EJ have titles on the line

AP Rankings: Michigan high school football AP rankings after Week 7, where Northern Michigan teams stand

DIVISION 3 

74.429-42.500

Gaylord (7-0) 

Points rank: No. 6 (62.905)

Games ahead: vs. Jackson Lumen Christi (7-0), at Sault Ste. Marie (5-2)

Current projection: vs. Petoskey (4-3)

Petoskey (4-3) 

Points rank: No. 32 (42.500)

Games ahead: at Sault Ste. Marie (5-2) vs. Clare (5-2)

Current projection: at Gaylord (7-0)

DIVISION 4 

59.095–37.714

Sault Ste. Marie (5-2)

Points rank: No. 27 (39.929)

Games ahead: vs. Petoskey (4-3), vs. Gaylord (7-0)

Current projection: at Whitehall (7-0)

Landon Swanson (21), Nate Claflin (54) and the rest of the Charlevoix football team might be comfortable in, but they would be a lot more comfortable if they could rack up playoff points for home field advantage for more than a week.
Landon Swanson (21), Nate Claflin (54) and the rest of the Charlevoix football team might be comfortable in, but they would be a lot more comfortable if they could rack up playoff points for home field advantage for more than a week.

DIVISION 5 

66.714-30.714

Cheboygan (0-7) 

Points rank: No. 58 (14.429)

Games ahead: at Grayling (4-3), vs. Benzie Central (4-3)

DIVISION 6 

(57.857–26.857)

Boyne City (3-4)

Points rank: No. 26 (29.000)

Games ahead: at Oscoda (3-4), vs. Tawas (1-6)

Current projection: at Negaunee (6-1)

DIVISION 7 

55.571–23.714

Charlevoix (6-1)

Points rank: No. 8 (36.429)

Games ahead: Tawas (1-6), Harbor Springs (0-7)

Current projection: vs. Benzie Central (4-3)

Harbor Springs (0-7)

Points rank: No. 58 (9.071)

Games ahead: vs. Elk Rapids (3-4) at Charlevoix (6-1)

Thomas Ager (54), Joey McHugh (2) and Chas Stanek (43) have the Ramblers back in the postseason mix and wins over the next couple weeks could solidify their position.
Thomas Ager (54), Joey McHugh (2) and Chas Stanek (43) have the Ramblers back in the postseason mix and wins over the next couple weeks could solidify their position.

DIVISION 8

41.143-22.429

East Jordan (6-1) 

Points rank: No. 13 (33.429)

Games ahead:vs. Frankfort (6-1), vs. Elk Rapids (3-4)

Current projection: vs. Glen Lake (4-3)

EJ's Russell: East Jordan's Russell helps bring Red Devils back to a title clash

Johannesburg-Lewiston (2-4)

Points rank: No. 45 (17.143)

Games ahead: at Mancelona (2-5) at Manton (0-7)

8-PLAYER D1 

35.071–27.286

Pickford (7-0) 

Points rank: No. 2 (34.000)

Games ahead: at Newberry (6-1), vs. St. Ignace (6-1)

Current projection: vs. Newberry (6-1)

St. Ignace (6-1) 

Points rank: No. 3 (33.429)

Games ahead: at Munising (2-5), at Pickford (6-1)

Current projection: vs. Norway (5-2)

Inland Lakes (6-1) 

Points rank: No. 7 (31.000)

Games ahead: at Bellaire (1-5), at Gaylord St. Mary (5-1)

Current projection: vs. Central Lake (5-2)

Gaylord St. Mary (6-1) 

Points rank: No. 10 (29.571)

Games ahead:  vs. Rudyard (4-3), vs. Inland Lakes (6-1)

Current projection: vs. Mesick (5-2)

Rudyard (4-3) 

Points rank: No. 20 (25.786)

Games ahead: at Gaylord St. Mary (6-1), at Brimley (2-4)

Onaway (3-4) 

Points rank: No. 27 (21.429)

Games ahead: at Pellston (1-6), vs. Cedarville (6-1)

Pellston (1-6) 

Points rank: No. 37 (16.357)

Games ahead: vs. Onaway (3-4), vs. Wyoming Tri-Unity (4-3)

8-PLAYER D2 

33.143–25.714

Cedarville (6-1)

Points rank: No. 16 (25.714)

Games ahead: at Central Lake (5-2), at Onaway (3-4)

Current projection: at Crystal Falls Forest Park (6-1)

Brimley (2-5) 

Points rank: No. 34 (15.714)

Games ahead: at Rapid River (2-5), vs. Rudyard (4-3)

All of Northern Michigan:

D2: TC Central (3-4) No. 30 (44.143) Playoff Projected: vs. Midland Dow (4-3)

D2: TC West (2-5) No. 41 (35.143)

D3: Marquette (4-2) No. 25 (46.095) Playoff Projected: vs. Cadillac (4-3)

D3: Cadillac (4-3) No. 29 (44.000) Playoff Projected: at Marquette (4-2)

D3: Alpena (1-6) No. 56 (20.786)

D4: Escanaba (1-6) No. 54 (22.357)

D5: Ogemaw Heights (6-1) No. 15 (42.867) Playoff Projected: at Gladwin (6-1)

D6: Kingsley (5-2) No. 10 (39.714) Playoff Projected: vs. Lake City (5-2)

D6: Grayling (4-3) No. 24 (30.571) Playoff Projected: at Gladstone (4-3)

D6: Elk Rapids (3-4) No. 43 (21.000)

D7: Benzie Central (4-3) No. 21 (30.571) Playoff Projected: at Charlevoix (6-1)

D7: TC St. Francis (3-4) No. 23 (29.714) Playoff Projected: at Menominee (6-1)

D7: Oscoda (3-4) No. 41 (19.286)

D7: Tawas (1-6) No. 54 (12.500)

D8: Frankfort (6-1) No. 17 (31.429) Playoff Projected: at Evart (5-2)

D8: Glen Lake (4-3) No. 22 (27.000) Playoff Projected: at East Jordan (4-3)

D8: Mancelona (2-5) No. 44 (17.429)

8P1: Mesick (5-2) No. 14 (28.071) Playoff Projected: at Gaylord St. Mary (6-1)

8P1: Central Lake (5-2) No. 16 (27.286) Playoff Projected: at Inland Lakes (6-1)

8P1: Rogers City (4-3) No. 23 (24.500)

8P1: Suttons Bay (2-5) No. 31 (19.071)

8P2: Posen (6-0) No. 10 (28.429) Playoff Projected: at Marion (6-0)

8P2: Onekama (3-4) No. 31 (17.143)

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Who's in and who has work to do for Northern Michigan teams in MHSAA football playoffs