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I thought I'd give a recap of Jackson area qualifiers and their prospects as the playoffs commence this week.

Jackson (6-3)
Jackson did not get a bad draw, going on the road to face Howell in the first round. Howell and Jackson have both lost to Grand Ledge, with Jackson losing by a smaller margin. Howell also lost a nail biter to undefeated Grand Blanc, and did beat Livonia Stevenson early in the year. This should be a good game, and Jackson probably has their best chance to win a playoff game in a long time. I'll take Howell in a close one, given this is a home game for them. If Jackson can pull off the victory, they could get a rematch with Holt, who they played tough in a 20-7 loss in week 3. Rockford is in the other district in this region, so given a great run by Jackson, they would be out by week 3.

Jackson Lumen Christi (8-1)
JLC has an interesting draw, facing Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard. JLC faces larger schools that AAGR, so they might have been a bit more tested. JLC would then face the Stockbridge vs. Onsted winner at home, a trap game for JLC if one ever existed. Madison Heights Madison would be the likely third round opponent in an away game, so the road gets tough quickly. I look for JLC to dispose of AAGR rather easily, and then they'll need to get focused to make it to round 3.

Concord (6-3)
Concord got the worst draw possible in getting matched up with the Hudson Tigers. Its been a great comeback year for the Yellowjackets, and it would have been nice to see them get a draw where they could at least compete in game one, but that did not happen. Holding Hudson under 70 would be an accomplishment.

Michigan Center (6-3)
This team got hot at the right time, winning their last five to make the playoffs. They got a favorable draw and face Union City in the first round, and then would get the winner of the Addison vs. Bronson contest. Given their strong recent play, I can see the Cards potentially winning two games before running into a tougher third round game. I would not be shocked to see these guys win a couple of games, but they need to focus on getting past a Union City team that is a consistent playoff qualifier.

Grass Lake (6-3)
This is a relatively young team that played pretty well throughout the season and got better at the end. They are a well coached group, and should be ready for their rematch with Manchester, who handled them pretty easily several weeks ago. Their draw wasn't the greatest, and I don't see them getting past week 2 even if they pull the week 1 upset. Nice job getting to the playoffs, though. Also, kudos to Manchester for being willing to move the game from their home field to a neutral site due to the poor condition of their field. I think this is a classy move by the Dutch.

Hillsdale (6-3)
Hillsdale made a great run after starting 0-3, and now they get to travel to Wyoming Kelloggsville to play. I expect Hillsdale to give Kelloggsville a game, but without their starting QB/LB who was lost several weeks ago, it will be a tough assignment. Their coaching is very good, maybe good enough to get them past an undefeated team, and if they win, they would be a tough out in round 2. Given their recent performances, I don't expect them to advance, but if they had their QB, they would be a very dangerous opponent.

Stockbridge (8-1)
Stockbridge drew Onsted in the first round. Both teams played and lost to Hudson in very close contests. This game is a tough one to call, but I'll have to go with Onsted due to it being a home game for them. The winner likely gets a trip to play JLC, so I don't see either team advancing past the second round unless JLC is caught looking ahead.