2019 MHSAA Postseason: Division 1 district predictions

District 1 at Petoskey Teams: Traverse City Central, Alpena, Petoskey, Gaylord, Traverse City West, Marquette Prediction: Traverse City Central doesn’t have an easy road, as it has had five-set matches with Alpena and TC West already this year, but I like the Trojans to emerge with the championship. District 2 at Midland Teams: Midland Dow, Bay City Western, Mount Pleasant, Bay City Central, Midland Prediction: The road to the title seems to set up a Mount Pleasant and Midland Dow rematch from last year. The Chargers really tested themselves during the season and I think that will help them get past the Oilers in the final. District 3 at Swartz Creek Teams: Flushing, Flint Kearsley, Swartz Creek, Flint Carman-Ainsworth, Saginaw Heritage Prediction: Flushing was able to run through this district last year without dropping a set. It may be a tougher road for the Raiders this year, but they should still emerge as the winner. District 4 at Davison Teams: Grand Blanc, Lapeer, Linden, Fenton, Davison Prediction: Grand Blanc and Davison could meet in a solid semifinal, but I like the battle-tested Bobcats to emerge in this field. District 5 at Lake Orion Teams: Clarkston, Lake Orion, Oxford, Waterford Kettering, Holly Prediction: Clarkston and Lake Orion open things up on Monday in a big rivalry match that should deterring the district winner. Oxford an Holly are sleepers, but the Wolves have played the most consistent over the last month. District 6 at Rochester Teams: Utica Eisenhower, Stoney Creek, Romeo, Rochester, Rochester Adams Prediction: Stoney Creek won’t have an easy time getting past Eisenhower in the first round and then the Cougars have Rochester Adams waiting, but Stoney is still the team to beat her and a potential Battle Creek squad. Division 7 at Troy Teams: Troy, Avondale, Bloomfield Hills, Troy Athens, Pontiac, Waterford Mott Prediction: Bloomfield Hills and Troy look to be on a path to a district final. The Black Hawks have shown a lot of improvement this year and should be the winner in this pool. District 8 at West Bloomfield Teams: Milford, Walled Lake Western, Walled Lake Central, Walled Lake Northern, West Bloomfield, Lakeland Prediction: Five Lakes Valley Conference teams join the host for a competitive six-team tournament. Northern and Central should have a great opener, but I think West Bloomfield will be able to rely on its tough OAA Red matches to win this district. District 9 at Grand Haven Teams: Muskegon Reeths-Puffer, Grand Rapids Union, Grand Haven, Muskegon Mona Shores, Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills, Muskegon Prediction: Grand Haven seems to be peaking at the right moment and is the team to beat in this district. The Buccaneers are going to give anyone they face a tough match. District 10 at Holland Teams: Holland, Grandville, Zeeland West, Hudsonville, Holland West Ottawa, Zeeland East, Jenison Prediction: Hudsonville is one of our top-ranked teams in Division 1 for a reason. The Eagles have some good teams to contend with in this district, but Hudsonville is great. District 11 at East Grand Rapids Teams: East Grand Rapids, Byron Center, Middleville Thornapple Kellogg, Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills, East Kentwood, Caledonia, Wyoming Prediction: Byron Center wasn’t done any favors by having to open against the host, East Grand Rapids, but the Bulldogs have been a good team all year and are a dark horse to make a deep run in November. District 12 at Cedar Springs Teams: Cedar Springs, Forest Hills Northern, Forest Hills Central, Greenville, Rockford, Grand Rapids Northview, Lowell Prediction: Lowell got the bye into the semifinals in a competitive field. Rockford, Forest Hills Central and Forest Hills Northern are all district-championship worthy, but this could be the Red Arrows’ year to win it all. District 13 at Mattawan Teams: Mattawan, Portage Central, St. Joseph, Portage Northern, Stevensville Lakeshore, Kalamazoo Central Prediction: Mattawan has been playing at a high level and looks like a team on a mission. Add to that, the Wildcats are hosing the tournament. It should be a celebratory week at home. District 14 at Sturgis Teams: Sturgis, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, Coldwater, Battle Creek Lakeview, Battle Creek Central, Richland Gull Lake Prediction: Gull Lake lost a lot from its 2018 team and had some injuries throughout the season, but a competitive schedule should help the Blue Devils navigate this field. District 15 at Jackson Northwest Teams: Jackson Northwest, Jackson, Mason, Okemos, Holt Prediction: This is a tough bracket, as most of the team could piece things together and make a run next week, but Okemos seems to have the best wins in the bunch and is my pick. District 16 at St. Johns Teams: East Lansing, St. Johns, Lansing Everett, Grand Ledge, DeWitt, Lansing Waverly Prediction: Another bracket full of teams looking to prove themselves, I like DeWitt just a slight bit over the likes of St. Johns and Grand Ledge. The Panthers had a slow start to the year, but have been improving in the last month. District 17 at Dexter Teams: Ann Arbor Pioneer, Ann Arbor Huron, Dexter, Saline, Ann Arbor Skyline Prediction: Ann Arbor Skyline got hot in last year’s postseason and that has sparked a pretty strong 2019 season. A final with Saline seems likely, but the Eagles already own three wins against them this year. District 18 at Temperance Bedford Teams: Ypsilanti Community, Temperance Bedford, Monroe, Belleville, Ypsilanti Lincoln Prediction: Temperance Bedford will have to win three games at home to win this district, but the Kicking Mules have challenged themselves throughout the season to be ready for the postseason. District 19 at Brighton Teams: Brighton, Hartland, South Lyon East, Howell, South Lyon, Pinckney Prediction: Brighton has the home floor and looks to be the top team. South Lyon could pose a challenge in the semifinal, but the Bulldogs will have the top player in Celia Cullen and should come out the champion. District 20 at Northville Teams: Northville, Canton, Salem, Novi, Plymouth Prediction: Novi and Northville look to be on a path to meeting in the final. They have had some close matches already this year, but I like the Wildcats. They already were able to sweep the Mustangs on their home floor this season. District 21 at Livonia Churchill Teams: Westland John Glenn, Livonia Churchill, Livonia Franklin, Wayne Memorial, Garden City Prediction: Livonia Churchill was a top contender in the KLAA this season, dispatching many of the teams in this district. That should bode well for the Chargers’ efforts to win next week. District 22 at Dearborn Edsel Ford Teams: Dearborn, Dearborn Fordson, Dearborn Edsel Ford, Dearborn Heights Crestwood, Melvindale Prediction: Dearborn Edsel Ford won the district title in 2018 and now gets to host. Look for Edsel Ford and Dearborn to play for the title, but I will give the edge to the Thunderbirds. District 23 at Lincoln Park Teams: Taylor, Wyandotte Roosevelt, Allen Park, River Rouge, Lincoln Park Prediction: Allen Park was able to work its way through this district unscathed last year and I like the Jaguars to do it again next week. District 24 at Brownstown Woodhaven Teams: Trenton, Brownstown Woodhaven, Gibraltar Carlson, Riverview, Southgate Anderson Prediction: Brownstown Woodhaven and Trenton meet in the first round this year after playing for the district title in 2018. The Warriors got the win then, and I think they will work their way to another title this week. District 25 at Farmington Teams: Livonia Stevenson, Farmington Hills Mercy, Redford Thurston, Farmington, North Farmington Prediction: Farmington Hills Mercy is the top team in the state and has been holding that spot for most of the year. Until someone can beat the Marlins with their full compliment of players, it’s hard to see them losing. District 26 at Marian Teams: Birmingham Seaholm, Royal Oak, South Field A&T, Birmingham Groves, Marian Prediction: Marian has dealt with injuries all season, but the Mustangs could finally be getting healthy and ready to make a run at Battle Creek. District 27 at Warren Fitzgerald Teams: Berkley, Oak Park, Warren Fitzgerald, Warren Mott, Detroit Renaissance Prediction: This is a tough field to call, but Detroit Renaissance has the home-court-advantage and has managed to put up a lot of wins this year. District 28 at Detroit Cass Tech Teams: Detroit Mumford, Hamtramck, Detroit Western, Detroit Martin Luther King, Detroit Cass Tech Prediction: Cass Tech is the home team next week and the Technicians will have the top player in this field in Kimani Johnson. District 29 at L’Anse Creuse North Teams: L’Anse Creuse North, Port Huron Northern, Anchor Bay, L’Anse Creuse, Port Huron Prediction: Anchor Bay and L’Anse Creuse North seem destined to meet in the district final. The Crusaders have already been able to win this matchup and I think they will do it again in the final. District 30 at Utica Ford Teams: Utica, Chippewa Valley, Utica Ford, Sterling Heights Stevenson, Macomb Dakota Prediction: Sterling Heights Stevenson, Utica and Macomb Dakota all seem like real contenders for this district championship. I drew the winner out of a hat, and Dakota was the lucky winner. It’s science. District 31 at Warren Cousino Teams: Warren Cousino, Roseville, Warren Woods Tower, Sterling Heights, Fraser Prediction: It’s a district of MAC schools battling it out. In the end, I look for Fraser to emerge with the championship. District 32 at Grosse Pointe North Teams: Detroit East English, St. Clair Shores Lakeview, Grosse Pointe South, Eastpointe, Grosse Pointe North, St. Clair Shores Lake Shore Prediction: Another wide open district of largely MAC Schools, I will go with St. Clair Shores Lakeview to be the one to come out with the title, but it really is a toss-up.