Whiteford’s run toward a potential second straight Michigan Division 8 state football championship will begin against a familiar foe.

The Bobcats (9-0) will host Sand Creek (5-4) on Friday in a first-round playoff game in Region 3, District 2. It will be a rematch of a Sept. 22 meeting that Whiteford won 48-8.

Whiteford is the No. 2 seed in Division 8, while Sand Creek is the No. 24 seed. The winner will face the Hudson-Addison winner in the second round.

In the Division 7 playoffs, Blissfield (5-4) will open Region 4, District 2 playoff action Friday at Clinton (8-1). These teams also met on Sept. 22, with Clinton recording a 50-0 victory.

Blissfield is the No. 8 seed in Division 7, while Clinton is the No. 3 seed. The winner will face the Detroit Loyola-Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central winner in the second round.

State championship games will be played Nov. 25-26 at Ford Field, with Sunday play made necessary by Michigan State’s Nov. 24 game at Ford Field against Penn State. The Division 8 title game is set for 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 25, while the Division 7 championship is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 26.

First Published October 22, 2023, 11:18 p.m.