Football: Huron opens postseason on the road at Belleville

Last season when Huron reached the MHSAA football playoffs for the first time in a long time, it wasn’t totally earned on the playing field because of the pandemic in a challenging season for everyone. There were no six-win requirements or any regular-season point totals – everyone that was healthy got a playoff game.

This year, it was not only earned but the River Rats left no doubt they belong and have the drive, coaching, leadership and talent to play with anyone in the state. Of course, last year they did end up proving they belonged by winning their first playoff game before losing a close one at Saline.

This year the River Rats march into the postseason with a football field full of confidence after finishing 8-1 overall including wins in their last seven straight. Huron won its last two games of the regular season by identical 31-14 scores over Lincoln and Rochester.

Despite going 8-1 with the only loss to undefeated Saline, the River Rats somehow have to open up on the road. They will play at 7 p.m. on Friday at Belleville.

The Tigers also went 8-1 on the season, falling to Livonia Churchill 28-21 in week three. So both teams haven’t lost a game since early September. Belleville has defeated playoff teams Dearborn, Fordson and Hartland. Huron defeated playoff teams Southeaster, Dexter and Bedford.

And like Huron, the Tigers can run up the score. They scored 46 or more points in seven of their eight wins. The Tigers also have playoff experience on their side – they won four postseason games last season before falling to West Bloomfield 35-34 in a semifinal game. It was the third year in a row Belleville has reached the semifinal game in Division 1.

The winner of the Huron-Belleville game will play the winner of the Canton (6-3) – Saline (9-0) game on Nov. 5. The River Rats would love another shot at the SEC Red champion Hornets but they have some work to do to get there – they must first tame the Tigers.

DIVISION 1 / REGION 4

DISTRICT 1

Canton (6-3) 65.333 at Saline (9-0) 82.333

Ann Arbor Huron (8-1) 74.222 at Belleville (8-1) 77.444

DISTRICT 2

Detroit Cass Tech (6-3) 54.931 at Dearborn Fordson (7-2) 73.556

Dearborn (6-3) 65.444 at Brownstown Woodhaven (8-1) 70.417

 

REST OF DIVISION 1

EGION 1

DISTRICT 1

Grand Ledge (6-3) 57.222 at Rockford (9-0) 84.222

Traverse City West (6-3) 58.333 at Grandville (6-3) 64.111

DISTRICT 2

Holt (7-2) 68.444 at Grand Blanc (9-0) 81.111

Howell (7-2) 69.333 at Hartland (7-2) 70.778

 

REGION 2

DISTRICT 1

Lapeer (7-2) 64.556 at Rochester Adams (9-0) 79.389

Oxford (5-4) 66.000 at Clarkston (8-1) 73.000

DISTRICT 2

Novi (5-4) 54.667 at West Bloomfield (8-1) 76.889

Detroit Catholic Central (7-2) 75.333 at Bloomfield Hills (9-0) 76.444

 

REGION 3

DISTRICT 1

Utica (5-4) 55.000 at Romeo (8-1) 82.333

New Baltimore Anchor Bay (7-2) 65.556 at Macomb Dakota (6-3) 66.333

DISTRICT 2

Fraser (6-3) 53.667 at Sterling Heights Stevenson (7-2) 74.222

Clinton Township Chippewa Valley (6-3) 68.778 at Troy (8-1) 71.667

DIVISION 2

 

REGION 1

DISTRICT 1

Saginaw Heritage (4-5) 50.222 at Traverse City Central (8-1) 71.222

Bay City Western (7-2) 56.556 at Midland Dow (6-3) 63.778

DISTRICT 2

Byron Center (7-2) 62.333 at Caledonia (8-1) 76.444

Muskegon Mona Shores (7-2) 62.639 at Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (8-1) 69.556

REGION 2

DISTRICT 1

Jackson (5-4) 48.889 at Portage Central (7-2) 64.556

Dexter (5-4) 58.000 at Battle Creek Lakeview (6-3) 58.236

DISTRICT 2

Swartz Creek (5-4) 47.556 at South Lyon (9-0) 78.014

East Lansing (6-3) 65.000 at Milford (7-2) 65.444

 

REGION 3

DISTRICT 1

Waterford Mott (5-4) 54.222 at Berkley (7-2) 66.333

Walled Lake Western (6-3) 58.333 at White Lake Lakeland (6-3) 62.889

DISTRICT 2

Dearborn Heights Crestwood (6-3) 48.778 at Livonia Churchill (7-2) 69.444

Livonia Franklin (4-5) 53.333 at Temperance Bedford (7-2) 67.444

 

REGION 4

DISTRICT 1

Roseville (5-4) 50.583 at Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse (7-2) 64.333

Port Huron (6-3) 59.778 at Port Huron Northern (7-2) 63.028

DISTRICT 2

Detroit U-D Jesuit (4-5) 49.667 at Warren De La Salle Collegiate (8-0) 80.833

St. Clair Shores Lakeview (5-4) 51.667 at Grosse Pointe South (5-4) 55.944

 

DIVISION 3

 

REGION 1

DISTRICT 1

Ionia (5-4) 41.556 at DeWitt (8-1) 76.667

Marquette (7-2) 57.222 at Mount Pleasant (9-0) 70.444

DISTRICT 2

Lowell (4-5) 48.778 at Muskegon (8-1) 69.194

Coopersville (6-3) 49.222 at Cedar Springs (7-2) 58.556

 

REGION 2

DISTRICT 1

Zeeland East (5-4) 50.014 at Stevensville Lakeshore (6-3) 57.778

St. Joseph (5-4) 51.778 at Zeeland West (6-2) 57.264

DISTRICT 2

Richland Gull Lake (5-4) 42.222 at Battle Creek Harper Creek (6-3) 52.222

Mattawan (4-5) 45.270 at Parma Western (6-3) 48.000

 

REGION 3

DISTRICT 1

South Lyon East (3-6) 42.556 at Mason (7-2) 56.111

Pinckney (6-3) 52.556 at Haslett (7-2) 54.333

DISTRICT 2

Auburn Hills Avondale (4-5) 46.889 at Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (6-3) 62.208

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (5-4) 51.417 at Flint Kearsley (6-3) 52.556

 

REGION 4

DISTRICT 1

Warren Fitzgerald (8-1) 53.222 at Detroit Martin Luther King (8-1) 76.722

River Rouge (6-2) 56.319 at Harper Woods (7-2) 61.597

DISTRICT 2

Trenton (5-4) 54.667 at Gibraltar Carlson (8-1) 72.111

Riverview (9-0) 62.889 at Allen Park (7-2) 64.667

 

DIVISION 4

 

REGION 1

DISTRICT 1

Fruitport (4-5) 43.667 at Cadillac (7-2) 57.111

Whitehall (7-2) 46.222 at Sparta (7-2) 49.792

DISTRICT 2

Ada Forest Hills Eastern (5-4) 45.778 at Hudsonville Unity Christian (9-0) 67.444

Spring Lake (6-3) 50.889 at Grand Rapids Christian (6-3) 59.111

 

REGION 2

DISTRICT 1

Charlotte (6-3) 47.333 at Hastings (8-1) 59.000

Grand Rapids South Christian (6-3) 51.000 at Plainwell (6-3) 51.667

DISTRICT 2

Paw Paw (5-4) 45.556 at Edwardsburg (9-0) 64.889

Three Rivers (5-4) 46.111 at Vicksburg (8-1) 61.667

 

REGION 3

DISTRICT 1

Ortonville Brandon (6-3) 48.472 at Lake Fenton (8-1) 61.556

Goodrich (7-2) 56.889 at Freeland (8-1) 57.889

DISTRICT 2

North Branch (7-2) 48.000 at St. Clair (7-2) 57.361

Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (7-2) 50.347 at Croswell-Lexington (8-1) 53.444

 

REGION 4

DISTRICT 1

Detroit Country Day (5-3) 46.889 at Redford Union (8-1) 59.444

Madison Heights Lamphere (7-2) 50.778 at Livonia Clarenceville (8-1) 55.556

DISTRICT 2

Romulus Summit Academy North (7-2) 45.222 at Chelsea (9-0) 70.556

New Boston Huron (5-4) 47.889 at Milan (7-2) 50.889

 

DIVISION 5

 

REGION 1

DISTRICT 1

Clare (6-3) 42.444 at Gladwin (9-0) 50.222

Kingsford (6-3) 46.778 at Kingsley (8-1) 48.667

DISTRICT 2

Carrollton (5-4) 35.889 at Frankenmuth (9-0) 62.111

Saginaw Swan Valley (5-4) 42.667 at Essexville Garber (5-4) 44.222

 

REGION 2

DISTRICT 1

Grant (4-5) 35.944 at Howard City Tri County (8-1) 48.111

Big Rapids (5-4) 39.778 at Muskegon Oakridge (7-2) 47.476

DISTRICT 2

Belding (5-4) 43.389 at Grand Rapids Catholic Central (9-0) 70.333

Comstock Park (9-0) 58.903 at Grand Rapids West Catholic (8-1) 62.667

 

REGION 3

DISTRICT 1

Parchment (6-3) 35.875 at Berrien Springs (9-0) 51.667

South Haven (6-3) 40.111 at Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep (6-3) 43.458

DISTRICT 2

Hopkins (5-4) 43.569 at Portland (7-2) 58.444

Olivet (7-2) 45.667 at Williamston (6-3) 55.222

 

REGION 4

DISTRICT 1

Richmond (4-5) 36.333 at Armada (6-3) 46.778

Corunna (5-4) 42.111 at Flint Powers Catholic (3-6) 43.111

DISTRICT 2

St. Clair Shores South Lake (5-4) 37.778 at Marine City (9-0) 62.889

Dundee (5-4) 39.889 at Macomb Lutheran North (6-3) 40.903

 

DIVISION 6

 

REGION 1

DISTRICT 1

Gladstone (4-5) 36.778 at Negaunee (7-2) 41.014

Calumet (7-2) 37.667 at Menominee (5-4) 39.583

DISTRICT 2

Maple City Glen Lake (4-5) 31.681 at Standish-Sterling (7-2) 44.111

Boyne City (8-1) 42.097 at Grayling (7-2) 42.375

 

REGION 2

DISTRICT 1

Manistee (5-4) 36.907 at Reed City (8-1) 55.444

Central Montcalm (5-4) 38.222 at Montague (6-3) 43.143

DISTRICT 2

Durand (6-3) 36.333 at Lansing Catholic (8-1) 59.556

Ovid-Elsie (6-3) 37.333 at Millington (9-0) 46.333

 

REGION 3

DISTRICT 1

Watervliet (5-4) 34.778 at Constantine (9-0) 51.653

Michigan Center (8-1) 38.444 at Jonesville (9-0) 42.778

DISTRICT 2

Erie Mason (5-4) 31.302 at Ida (7-2) 45.000

Clinton (7-2) 39.347 at Dearborn Heights Robichaud (5-4) 39.444

 

REGION 4

DISTRICT 1

Clinton Township Clintondale (5-4) 40.403 at Warren Michigan Collegiate (7-2) 49.944

Almont (5-4) 42.444 at Clawson (7-2) 44.000

DISTRICT 2

Detroit Pershing (5-4) 34.778 at Detroit Southeastern (6-3) 44.736

Detroit Edison (6-3) 36.125 at Ecorse (6-3) 39.736

 

DIVISION 7

 

REGION 1

DISTRICT 1

East Jordan (7-2) 29.940 at Ishpeming Westwood (8-1) 43.569

Mancelona (5-3) 30.694 at Charlevoix (7-1) 39.264

DISTRICT 2

Harrison (6-3) 32.667 at Traverse City St. Francis (9-0) 56.111

McBain (6-3) 34.042 at Evart (7-2) 36.264

 

REGION 2

DISTRICT 1

Ithaca (6-3) 38.333 at Pewamo-Westphalia (9-0) 49.444

New Lothrop (6-3) 40.000 at Montrose (7-2) 40.000

DISTRICT 2

Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker (7-2) 34.889 at Reese (8-1) 38.333

Bad Axe (7-2) 36.556 at Hemlock (5-4) 36.556

 

REGION 3

DISTRICT 1

Delton Kellogg (5-3) 34.014 at Muskegon Catholic Central (8-1) 48.222

North Muskegon (4-5) 34.032 at Ravenna (6-3) 39.587

DISTRICT 2

Homer (5-4) 31.000 at Lawton (9-0) 44.125

Niles Brandywine (4-5) 32.333 at Union City (5-4) 32.556

 

REGION 4

DISTRICT 1

Detroit Leadership Academy (5-4) 32.000 at Jackson Lumen Christi (8-1) 59.778

Lutheran Westland (8-1) 37.222 at Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (8-1) 59.000

DISTRICT 2

Detroit Community (6-3) 35.958 at Detroit Central (9-0) 50.722

Detroit Loyola (4-4) 39.847 at Madison Heights Bishop Foley (8-1) 44.792

 

DIVISION 8

 

REGION 1

DISTRICT 1

Bark River-Harris (6-3) 27.014 at Beal City (8-1) 42.000

Frankfort (6-3) 31.778 at Iron Mountain (6-3) 36.792

DISTRICT 2

White Cloud (4-5) 24.486 at Carson City-Crystal (8-1) 39.222

Holton (5-4) 25.931 at Muskegon Heights Academy (5-4) 30.778

 

REGION 2

DISTRICT 1

Vassar (4-5) 24.778 at Breckenridge (7-2) 34.111

Fowler (6-3) 31.500 at Flint Beecher (4-5) 32.917

DISTRICT 2

Harbor Beach (6-3) 30.597 at Ubly (9-0) 40.708

Cass City (5-4) 31.333 at Marlette (6-3) 32.597

 

REGION 3

DISTRICT 1

Decatur (4-5) 26.444 at White Pigeon (8-1) 35.667

Saugatuck (5-4) 29.625 at Cassopolis (5-4) 29.681

DISTRICT 2

Reading (6-3) 32.778 at Hudson (9-0) 51.222

Centreville (7-2) 35.569 at Addison (8-1) 42.667

 

REGION 4

DISTRICT 1

Petersburg Summerfield (6-3) 29.190 at Ottawa Lake Whiteford (8-1) 46.111

Whitmore Lake (6-3) 30.444 at Sand Creek (6-3) 34.667

DISTRICT 2

Mount Clemens (5-4) 26.778 at Clarkston Everest Collegiate (7-2) 36.333

Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest (5-4) 27.556 at Marine City Cardinal Mooney (7-2) 31.486