By By SCOTT NOVAK / Niles Daily Star
NILES - The Michigan High School Athletic Association has moved its state football finals from the Pontiac Silverdome to Ford's Field for 2006.
The playoffs began three weeks ago and there are 16 teams remaining with a shot at one of eight state championships.
Four games will be played on Friday with the final four games to be played on Saturday.
Division 8 will kick off the playoffs at 10 a.m. on Friday with Division 2 to follow at 1 p.m.
In session two, Division 6 will play at 4:30 p.m. with Division 4 wrapping up the first day of competition at 7:30 p.m.
On Saturday it will be Division 7 playing at 10 a.m. with Division 1 to follow at 1 p.m.
In the second session, Division 5 will play at 4:30 p.m. and Division 3 at 7:30 p.m.
All the teams remaining won two games to claim a district championship and then went on to win a regional title two weeks ago.
Last Saturday 32 teams competed in the state semifinals with the winners advancing to Detroit.
Division 8
Mendon lost its first game of the season to Gobles (21-14) and then ran off 12 consecutive victories to reach the Division 8 championship game.
Mendon shut out five teams during the regular season and has only allowed a touchdown to Lake Michigan Catholic in the playoffs.
Mendon also defeated Climax-Scotts (22-0), Colon (42-0) and Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes (34-0) to reach the championship game.
Mendon has won five state titles, the last one coming in 2002 in Division 7.
Facing Mendon will be undefeated Crystal Falls Forest Park (13-0).
This is the second straight year for Crystal Falls in the Division 8 state finals.
In 2004 it lost to Climax-Scotts in the title game 42-8.
In reaching the finals, Crystal Falls defeated Iron Mountain North Dickinson (61-30), Baraga (33-8), Rock-Mid Peninsula (52-24) and Fulton-Middleton (34-15).
Division 2
Birmingham Brother Rice has won four state championships, however, the team has finished second twice in the past four years including back-to-back seasons in 2003 and 2002.
Brother Rice reached the Division 2 state finals by defeating Redford Union (55-15), Livonia Franklin (35-21), Orchard Lake St. Mary's (17-8) and Rochester Adams (14-7).
Hudsonville (11-2) dropped a pair of games in the middle of the season, but finished up with back-to-back big victories to qualify for the post season.
Hudsonville was a state runner-up in Division 2 in 2000.
To reach the finals, Hudsonville defeated Davidson (17-12), Lowell (28-17), Southgate Anderson (34-6) and Bay City Western (23-13).
Division 6
A pair of 12-1 squads will meet at Ford Field for the Division 6 title game.
Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central will take on Kingsley.
Catholic Central reached the finals with victories over Lake Fenton (44-7), Blissfield (46-26), Manchester (46-26) and Montague (24-22).
Catholic's win in the semifinals over Montague came in overtime.
Kingsley dropped its season opener to Traverse City St. Francis (27-22) and has been perfect since.
Kingsley made it to Detroit with wins over Suttons Bay (38-8), Boyne City (25-10), Ironwood (42-6) and Reese (37-21).
Division 4
Grand Rapids Catholic Central (12-1) won a state championship in Class B back in 1987.
The squads only loss this season came at the hands of perennial powerhouse East Grand Rapids back in the second week of the season (44-29).
In reaching Ford's Field, Catholic Central defeated Ada Forest Hills Eastern (31-3), Comstock Park (54-26), Grand Rapids South Christian (22-6) and Muskegon Orchard View (35-34).
Orchard View was the defending state champion.
South Christian was the state champion in Division 4 back in 2002.
Flint Powers Catholic (11-2) lost to Birmingham Brother Rice (30-17) in the third week of the season and to Davidson (21-14) in the fifth week.
In reaching the title game, Flint Powers defeated Pinconning (49-6), Croswell-Lexington (48-7), Marine City (41-7) and Highland Park (31-8).
(Previews of the final four games will appear in Friday's Daily Star)