Traverse City St. Francis at Menominee
WHEN: Saturday, noon
RECORDS: St. Francis (7-3); Menominee (9-1)
LAST GAME: The Gladiators defeated Charlevoix, 41-16, and the Maroons routed Houghton Lake, 62-6, in the Division 7 district semifinals
SERIES: St. Francis and Menominee will meet for the first time in program history Saturday
STREAM: youtube.com/@NextLevelBroadcasting
BACKGROUND: Menominee has been an offensive powerhouse the last two seasons, and the Maroons’ defense has been nothing to sneeze at in 2024. Menominee scored 578 points in 14 games last season and has put up 466 while only allowing 77 points in 10 contests this campaign. The Gladiators will have their hands full on both sides of the ball as they attempt to capture their 10th district championship in the last 11 seasons.
Beal City at Glen Lake
WHEN: Friday, 7 p.m.
RECORDS: Beal City (8-2); Glen Lake (9-1)
LAST GAME: The Aggies shutout Frankfort, 47-0, and the Lakers took down Mancelona, 38-14, in the Division 8 district semifinals
SERIES: Beal City holds a 2-0 edge over Glen Lake
LAST MEETING: Beal City defeated Glen Lake, 20-0, in the 1992 regional semifinals
STREAM: www.nfhsnetwork.com
BACKGROUND: Friday could be an offensive showcase or a defensive stalemate. Both the Aggies and Lakers have proven their worth scoring points and shutting down their opponents. Beal City is averaging a shade over 39 points per game while allowing just 8.5 per contest. Glen Lake clocks in at over 38 points per game while allowing just 8.1 per game. This game comes down to which team plays cleaner and avoids the costly mistake.
Mount Pleasant at Petoskey
WHEN: Friday, 7 p.m.
RECORDS: Mount Pleasant (6-4); Petoskey (10-0)
LAST GAME: The Oilers beat Cadillac, 36-22, and the Northmen defeated Bay City John Glenn, 61-21, in the Division 3 district semifinals
SERIES: Mount Pleasant leads 5-1
LAST MEETING: The Oilers beat Petoskey, 35-14, in Week 1 of the 2019 season
RADIO: AM-1340
STREAM: www.nfhsnetwork.com
BACKGROUND: Although history doesn’t bode well for Petoskey when facing Mount Pleasant, the Northmen are on a history-making run in 2024 as they completed their first undefeated regular season in 50 years. Mount Pleasant has been hit or miss this season, but Petoskey has been nothing but hits as they finished ranked fourth in Division 3. Points on the board will help the Northmen if they can strike early.
Inland Lakes at Alcona
WHEN: Friday, 7 p.m.
RECORDS: Inland Lakes (10-0); Alcona (9-1)
LAST GAME: The Bulldogs knocked off Blanchard Montabella, 46-8, and the Tigers blanked Atlanta, 52-0, in the 8-player Division 1 regional semifinals
SERIES: Inland Lakes leads 3-1
LAST MEETING: The Bulldogs beat the Tigers, 22-6, in the regional semis last season
STREAM: www.nfhsnetwork.com
BACKGROUND: A revenge-minded Alcona could spell problems for the Bulldogs, but Inland Lakes seems just too dialed in to fall into that trap. Both the Tigers and Inland Lakes have been scoring machines this season, averaging 50+ per game while their respective defenses don’t give up much in the offense-friendly 8-player style.