Posted by Tom Markowski (The Detroit News) on Sun, Sep 13, 2009 at 5:42 PM
Where the power lies
For the past three seasons the top 10 teams in the Division 2 playoffs were better than the top 10 in Division 1. Look back and see. Not only were the Muskegon teams in 2006 and '08, and Detroit King in '07 as good as the winners in Division 1 (Macomb Dakota in '06 and '07, and Rockford last year) but the depth was better in Division 2.
This year is different. Look at the top teams in Division 1 and the depth that's there and compare it to the depth in Division 2. There's no comparison. First, let's go back a bit. Back in '06 in Division 2 there were teams like Lowell, Davison, Birmingham Brother Rice and the runner-up that season, Warren DeLaSalle, as good as any team. Look at Division 1. You had Dakota and Rockford, and perhaps Canton and Clarkston were good, too, but that's about it. In '07, Dakota again was mighty but after that it was slim pickings. Runner-up Livonia Stevenson had a potent offense but was suspect defensively. Detroit Catholic Central, which lost to Dakota in the semifinals, was good but wasn't a vintage C.C. team. Troy, Lake Orion and Holt were good teams but not outstanding by any means. Again, Division 2 was loaded. The Rochester Adams/King semifinal was one of the best played all season. Adams could have won the title had it got past King (King won, 14-7). Midland, the runner-up, was as good as any team in Division 1 except Dakota. Lowell, Davison, Hudsonville and Brother Rice could have beaten any team in Division 1 except Dakota. Look at my top 25 rankings. Six of the top nine are Division 1 teams. Nos. 12 and 13 are in Division 1. Of the top 15 just four are in Division 2. The power is in the top division and what that means is that once the playoffs begin, there promises to be some terrific games in Division 1.
