Traverse City Record-Eagle

Sports

October 22, 2012

TCC to host playoff game

TC Central gets home game, West travels to Rockford

From Staff Reports ----

TRAVERSE CITY — Home, sweet home.

Traverse City Central is not only back in the playoffs for the first time since 2008, but the Trojans will host a game at Thirlby Field this weekend.

Playoff pairing were announced on Sunday. Dates and times will be set today.

TC Central (8-1) will host Bay City Western (8-1) in the Division 2 pre-district. The winner will move on to either play Marquette (5-3) or Midland (9-0).

The showdown with the Warriors is a rematch of the 2008 pre-district, where Bay City Western hosted and won 26-13.

TC West qualified in Division 1 with a 6-3 record. The Titans will travel to Rockford (7-2) for the first round.

"We're excited," Titans coach Tim Wooer said. "This is a great opportunity. When you think about the best programs in the state, you've got to think of Rockford as one of the top ones. This is a great opportunity for us to go down and see where our program is at."

This is the fifth time in the last eight years that TC West has played the Rams in the first round.

Cadillac lost to TC Central in the final game of the regular season, but still had enough points for a home game. The Vikings (6-3) will host Owosso (6-3) in Division 3 action.

In Division 5, Grayling went 9-0 for the first time in school history and clinched the Lake Michigan Conference title. Yet, the Vikings will be on the road for their first game, heading to 8-1 Kingsford.

Kingsley also qualified in Division 5 with a 6-3 record. The Stags travel to Menominee (8-1) for the second straight year.

In Division 6, Glen Lake will travel to Boyne City in a battle of 8-1 teams. Both are coming off a loss on Friday.

For the Ramblers, its their first trip to the postseason since 2009 while the Lakers are in the playoffs for the second time in three years.

Also in Division 6, Kalkaska (7-2) is in the playoffs for the first time 2002. The Blazers will travel to Shelby (7-2). The Tigers have never won a playoff game.

Mancelona went 9-0 for the second straight year and will host Whittemore-Prescott (6-3) in the first round of the Division 7 district. The Ironmen beat the Cardinals 16-14 last year in the opening round of the playoffs.

In Division 8, Johannesburg-Lewiston and Central Lake both earned home games. The Cardinals (7-2) will host Hillman (5-4) while the Trojans (6-3) take on Onaway (5-4). The teams met two weeks ago with Central Lake winning 45-14.

In 8-man football, Bellaire (6-3) earned a home game against a 4-5 Kingston team, one of two playoff teams with a losing record.

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