2021 MHSAA Football Playoff Pairings Announced
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 24, 2021
Here are the pairings for the 2021 MHSAA Football Playoffs, which begin Oct. 29-30 with District Semifinals in the 11-Player Playoffs and Regional Semifinals in the 8-Player Playoffs.
For 11- and 8-player, teams were divided into divisions before the start of play this fall. The top 32 teams in each division in 11-player and top 16 per division in 8-player, based on playoff-point average, were selected to the field. For 11-player, qualifiers were then divided into four regions with eight teams apiece, and for 8-player qualifiers were divided into four regions with four teams in each.
Pairings for the first three weeks of the tournament are based on regular-season playoff point averages, with the highest-ranked team hosting, regardless of the distance between the two schools. For 11-Player District Semifinal and 8-Player Regional Semifinal play, the top-seeded team in each bracket will host the fourth-seeded team, and the second-seeded team will host the third-seeded team.
District Finals for 11-player and Regional Finals for 8-player will follow during the weekend of Nov. 5-6, and the weekend of Nov. 12-13 will have Regional Finals in the 11-Player Playoffs and Semifinals in the 8-Player Playoffs. The 8-Player Semifinals will pair the winners of Region 1 vs. Region 2 and the winners of Region 3 vs. Region 4, at the sites of the highest-ranked team.
Semifinal games in the 11-Player Playoffs will take place Nov. 19-20, pairing the winners of Region 1 vs. Region 2 and the winners of Region 3 vs. Region 4. The MHSAA will assign 11-Player Semifinals at neutral sites.
All playoff tickets except for Finals will be sold online only via GoFan at https://gofan.co/ to provide for a cashless and contactless purchasing process.
For 11-Player, tickets to District Semifinals and District Finals cost $7.30, tickets to Regional Finals are $9.40, and tickets to Semifinals cost $10.45. For 8-player, tickets for Regional Semifinals are $7.30, tickets for Regional Finals are $9.40, and tickets for Semifinals cost $10.45. Prices for all of those rounds include a convenience fee.
The 8-Player Finals will take place Nov. 20 at Northern Michigan University’s Superior Dome in Marquette, and the 11-Player Finals will be played Nov. 26-27 at Ford Field in Detroit. An all-day ticket for 8-Player Finals costs $10 and includes admission to both games, and an all-day ticket for the 11-Player Finals costs $20 and includes admission to that day’s four games.
Pairings for both the 11 and 8-Player brackets are as follows:
11-Player Pairings
DIVISION 1
REGION 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
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
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
8-Player Pairings
DIVISION 1
REGION 1
Rudyard (7-2) 30.861 at Munising (7-2) 33.194
Newberry (7-2) 31.528 at Pickford (7-2) 31.861
REGION 2
Mesick (5-4) 29.079 at Suttons Bay (9-0) 39.250
Rogers City (8-1) 32.722 at Indian River Inland Lakes (9-0) 34.333
REGION 3
Tekonsha (7-2) 29.778 at Martin (9-0) 36.125
Lawrence (7-2) 30.569 at Mendon (7-2) 32.569
REGION 4
Vestaburg (6-3) 29.286 at Adrian Lenawee Christian (9-0) 41.375
Britton Deerfield (8-1) 33.431 at Deckerville (7-1) 33.458
DIVISION 2
REGION 1
Pellston (7-2) 30.444 at Powers North Central (9-0) 36.667
Crystal Falls Forest Park (7-2) 31.111 at Lake Linden-Hubbell (7-2) 31.111
REGION 2
Gaylord St. Mary (5-4) 25.972 at Marion (8-1) 36.079
Mio (6-3) 28.333 at Hillman (6-3) 29.000
REGION 3
Peck (6-3) 28.000 at Au Gres-Sims (9-0) 35.667
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (7-2) 32.028 at Kinde North Huron (9-0) 35.333
REGION 4
Climax-Scotts (6-3) 29.833 at Morrice (9-0) 36.875
Colon (8-1) 33.306 at Portland St. Patrick (9-0) 35.029
PHOTO Week 9 opponents Livonia Churchill and Novi both were selected to this season's playoff field. (Photo by Douglas Bargerstock.)
Bollman Cousins Making Plenty of Noise as 'Wrecking Balls' for Surging Big Rapids
By
Tom Kendra
Special for MHSAA.com
October 9, 2025
BIG RAPIDS – On Friday nights, the Bollman boys are always in the middle of the action, bringing the muscle and the fight and the power to the Big Rapids football team.
But for the rest of the weekend, senior Jack Bollman and his first cousin, junior Max Bollman, are happiest when they are able to get away from it all at their family’s deer hunting ranch in nearby Canadian Lakes – appropriately named “The Sanctuary.”
“I just love being out there,” said Jack, a four-year starting running back for the Cardinals. “Our whole family works out there, and it’s just a great environment. It’s our second home, out in nature.”
The Bollmans haven’t spent much time at The Sanctuary lately, as they are laser-focused on what is becoming a special season for Big Rapids (6-0), which earned honorable mention in the latest Division 4 state rankings and heading into Friday’s game at Grant.
The Cardinals are known for their triple-option veer offense, operating out of the shotgun and often with four wideouts. But if the defense gets spread out too thin, the Bollmans will make it pay.
“Jack and I, we look at it as our job to bring the physicality on every play,” said Max, a 6-foot-1, 235-pound defensive end who also plays tight end, primarily in short-yardage and goal-line situations. “We want to be a problem for the other team. Other teams know that we can pass, but we can run over you, too.”
The Bollmans are part of a golden era of Big Rapids football under 11th-year coach Mike Selzer. The Cardinals – who were 7-3 in 2022, 10-2 and Regional finalists in 2023 and 9-2 last season – are hoping to take a couple more steps this fall with a senior-laden roster.
“We have so much experience this year that our practices are not learning things, but just fine-tuning and adjusting,” said Selzer, who starts 10 seniors on offense and nine on defense. “That experience makes it much easier to make adjustments on the fly during games.”
Big Rapids has overwhelmed its first six opponents, with the closest game a 19-7 win at Paw Paw in the opener. The big Central States Athletic Association Red showdown against Reed City on Sept. 26 turned into a one-sided 40-13 win.
Senior quarterback Cole Haist has completed 59-of-90 passes for 947 yards and 11 touchdowns, and rushed for 249 yards and a team-high nine touchdowns. He throws the ball to a plethora of receivers on the edge, notably seniors Trenton Mossel, Owen Craven, Kurt Wilber and Wyatt Skiera.
But when it comes to short-yardage situations, Max Bollman will check in as a tight end and often lead the way for his cousin, Jack, who is the team’s leading rusher with 56 carries for 429 yards, an average of 7.7 per carry, and six touchdowns.
Big Rapids is looking forward to a big game Week 8 at perennial Division 3 playoff team Coopersville, before pursuing its ultimate goal of a Division 4 championship.
The Cardinals appear to be on a collision course with familiar rival Ludington, which is also unbeaten and features a senior-heavy team led by senior quarterback Cam Gunsell. Big Rapids nipped Ludington, 28-21, in last year’s playoff opener.
In preparation for this postseason, Selzer is working on team-building every Tuesday to try and give his a little edge. This past Tuesday, he brought in Saginaw Valley State assistant coach Jeremy Prudhomme for some trust and team bonding exercises.
“We’ve been climbing every year, and now we want to take those final steps,” said Haist, a three-sport athlete who is in his second year as the team’s starting quarterback. “We have the talent and the ability to go farther. Now we are working on that belief to know we can do it.”
One bond that is already unbreakable is between the Bollman boys, who have grown up together and played football together since they were little kids.
The duo is especially lethal on defense, as the leaders of a group that has allowed only 33 points all season – fewer than six per game.
Max Bollman, a third-year starter as a junior who already has a Division I college offer from Central Michigan, is the leader of that unit from his edge position, with 24 tackles, five tackles for loss and three sacks. Jack Bollman (5-11, 215) has 14 tackles from his linebacker spot, including four for loss and one sack.
“Max is an off-the-charts kid in terms of strength, and he demands a lot of attention – but he has a motor unlike any kid I have ever coached,” said Selzer, a Wayland native who coached for 11 years at Potterville before taking the Big Rapids job in 2015.
Jonathan Losinski, a senior middle linebacker, is the team’s leading tackler with 26 stops, while Bryce Selzer and Austin Brandt both have 18 tackles.
But the emotional leaders of the Cardinals’ defense are the Bollmans, who are double trouble for every opponent.
“We have a bond, that’s for sure,” said Jack, who is hoping to play college football next year. “We want to be dangerous and blow up plays. Other teams have told us after the game that it’s unbearable to try and block us both on the same play.
“I would say we are like two giant wrecking balls out there, plowing things over.”
Tom Kendra worked 23 years at The Muskegon Chronicle, including five as assistant sports editor and the final six as sports editor through 2011. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Muskegon, Oceana, Mason, Lake, Oceola, Mecosta and Newaygo counties.
PHOTOS (Top) At left, Max Bollman lines up from at defensive end, while at right, Jack Bollman finds his way into the end zone against Howard City Tri County. (Middle) Junior Max Bollman (10) and his cousin, senior Jack Bollman (7). (Below) Mike Selzer is in his 11th year as head coach at Big Rapids. (Photos provided by the Big Rapids football program.)