This story has been updated with a new quote. HILLSDALE COUNTY — Two Hillsdale County football programs head into the MHSAA postseason tournament, and both teams will be playing round one in front of its home crowd.
Reading (5-4) will play the Sand Creek Aggies (4-5) in the Division 8 district semifinals. Rick Bailey, two-time state champion-winning coach of the Rangers, and the Reading football team have made the Division 8 playoffs seven out of the last eight seasons. The Rangers are searching for their first district title since the 2019 state title run. For a team that started the year 1-3, coach Rick Bailey’s coaching staff is excited for these group of players to take the walk to the stadium for playoff football.
“We are really happy for our young men,” Bailey said. “They have shown a great deal of grit fighting to overcome a 1-3 start and have played really good football the last five weeks… (It) means a lot to get to host a playoff game. (We are) happy for our seniors to have an opportunity to make the walk down Cherry Street to Barre Field. It is a special moment every time.”
In the 8-player, Division 2 playoffs, the Pittsford Wildcats (7-2) and coach Mike Burger earned their second straight trip to the postseason. They will host the Burr Oak Bobcats (7-2) for the regional semifinal round. A date is set for Friday, Nov. 1 and a 7 p.m. kickoff time. It is the first time they will host a playoff game since the 2017 19-0 win over Athens when the team was in the 11-player divisions.
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Both opponents for the Hillsdale County playoff teams are opponents they have beaten once already in the 2024 regular season.
Sand Creek hosted Reading in Week 8 and fell 36-18. It was Reading’s second of three straight wins by double digits to end the regular season and the Big 8 schedule. Reading, a longtime member of the Big 8 conference since the 1970’s, played its first league matchup with the Aggies this season. The Aggies finished 3-4 in league play for their first season of Big 8 football.
Senior running back Lukas Strine ran for 144 yards on 28 carries and scored two touchdowns in that game. He also had a fumble return for 74 yards and 12 tackles on defense. Junior quarterback Carter Bassage passed for 102 yards and a touchdown in that game, although he turned the ball over once on an interception. Brayden Wright had one 75-yard touchdown reception and had his own fumble return.
Like Reading, Sand Creek has had its playoff success in the Division 8 postseason. The team has made the postseason six of its last seven seasons. This included a 2020 district title win.
While this is the first season the two teams have been league opponents, the two programs share a history of playoff games and opening season matchups.
The two teams played opening season Tri-County vs. Big 8 crossovers from 2013 through 2018. The teams split those matchups. The teams last met in the playoffs back when they played in Division 7. Sand Creek won a district title 14-13 over Reading in 2007, and Reading won a district title over the Aggies 42-28 in the following postseason.
This will be the 10th meeting between the two programs. Reading leads the record books 5-4 in games played against Sand Creek.
Burr Oak has been a longtime 8-player football program dating back to the 2010 season. In that time, the Bobcats have had just four winning seasons, including 2024. They made the postseason twice before this year.
Pittsford first joined the 8-player divisions in 2022, playing in the SMFL-8-A conference division. Burr Oak played in the B conference division, a form of what would eventually return to the SCAA football conferences going forward from 2023 onwards.
The two teams met for the first time as 8-player programs in 2022, with Pittsford winning 50-0. The teams met as conference opponents for the first time since 2007 this year. The teams were last members together in the SCAA football conference before it eventually became an exclusive 8-player league in the 2020’s.
Pittsford won this year’s Week 2 matchup 48-20 in the regular season on its way to a league title. Junior quarterback Jake Drawe led the Wildcats with 10 pass completions for 219 yards and four touchdowns. Senior Teagan Williams hauled in eight of those passes for 176 yards and three touchdowns. Drawe also ran for 205 yards and three scores. Anthony Governo led the defense with six tackles.
This will be the first postseason game between the two programs which have played a total of 19 times.
“We are excited about the opportunity,” coach Mike Burger said. “Burr Oak has a great team, and coach Royer will have them ready. (It) should be a great environment on Friday night.”
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In Reading’s district bracket, the other game will be played between Springport (7-2) and Addison (4-5). The Rangers lost in a thriller at home to the Spartans 28-24 in league play. If the Rangers repeat as winners over Sand Creek, they will play either the Spartans or the Panthers. The Spartans are the home team in a scenario where the Rangers play Springport for the district finals. Reading would host the Panthers for the district title if they pull off the upset against Springport.
The winner of that district playoff bracket faces the winner from district one of the D8, Region 3 playoffs for the regional championship.
If Pittsford defeats Burr Oak in the 8-player, D2 Region 4 semifinals, it will face either Britton Deerfield (8-1) or Adrian Lenawee Christian (4-5) in the regional title game. Britton Deerfield has already beaten Lenawee Christian in the regular season in a 48-26 final. Pittsford and Deerfield met in the opening week of the regular season, where the Patriots defeated the Wildcats in a 68-58 offensive shootout.
As the No. 2 seed, the Wildcats would earn home field advantage in the regional title game if they win over Burr Oak and then face Lenawee Christian. The winner of region 4 plays one of the Region 3 teams in the state semifinals. Region 3 teams include Grand Rapids Sacred Heart, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart, Morrice and Portland St. Patrick.
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