- Michigan
Michigan Helmet Challenge set for championship weekend, with Final Four Friday, champion crowned Monday evening
So far through the tournament, we’ve been able to supply some down time for programs between rounds, by alternating back and forth between sides of the bracket. Now that we’ve reached the final two rounds, there’s much less turn-around time, and no time to rest on your laurels, so to speak.
Today’s match-ups in the Final Four will have a pair of teams that saw their Elite Eight match-ups resolves earlier in the day, so we pushed Thursday’s poll starts as early as we could, and Friday’s poll starts will both be in the afternoon. The same will happen when we go from the Final Four match-ups (resolved early Saturday afternoon) to the title contest, which starts Saturday evening, and runs through Monday evening (48-hour poll span, rather than the 24 hours we’ve allotted for each of the previous polls.)
May the best helmet win.
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Championship matchup (48 hours)
Saturday & Sunday, May 30-31
Livonia Franklin vs. Troy — 6 p.m. [VOTE]
Poll will start at 6 p.m. Saturday and run through Monday evening.
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Final Four matchups
Friday, May 29
Livonia Franklin vs. Pewamo-Westphalia — 2 p.m. [RESULTS]
Lake Orion vs. Troy — 4 p.m. [RESULTS]
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Previous schedule
First round — CLICK HERE
Second round — CLICK HERE
Third round — CLICK HERE
Fourth round — CLICK HERE
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MATCH-UP CAPSULES
EAST REGION CHAMPION: LIVONIA FRANKLIN
Nickname: Patriots
Division: 2 (1406 students)
League: Kensington Lakes Activities Association East Division (3rd place)
2019 record: 8-3
Playoff appearances: (10) 2005, 2007-10, 2015-19
Coach: Chris Kelbert
How they got here:
• First round — Beat Hamilton (68.2 percent of 721 votes)
• Second round — Beat New Boston Huron (51.7 percent of 1,115 votes)
• Third round — Beat Muskegon Mona Shores (52.0 percent of 1,045 votes)
• Fourth round — Beat Escanaba (51.4 percent of 1,264 votes)
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WEST REGION CHAMPION: LAKE ORION
Nickname: Dragons
Division: 1 (2352 students)
League: Oakland Activities Association Red Division
2019 record: 9-2
Playoff appearances: (21) 1988-89, 1994, 1998-99, 2001-13, 2016, 2018-19
Coach: John Blackstock
How they got here:
• First round — Beat Clawson (51.7 percent of 983 votes)
• Second round — Beat Cass Tech (67.1 percent of 832 votes)
• Third round — Beat Grass Lake (52.3 percent of 1,024 votes)
• Fourth round — Beat Farmington (61.5 percent of 880 votes)
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NORTH REGION CHAMPION: PEWAMO-WESTPHALIA
Nickname: Pirates
Division: 7 (314 students)
League: Central Michigan Athletic Conference
2019 record: 14-0 (D7 champions)
Playoff appearances: (22) 1988, 1998-2002, 2004-19
Coach: Jeremy Miller
How they got here:
• First round — Beat St. Clair Shores Lakeview (58.3 percent of 665 votes)
• Second round — Beat Ottawa Lake Whiteford (83.1 percent of 504 votes)
• Third round — Beat Sterling Heights Parkway Christian (64.1 percent of 568 votes)
• Fourth round — Beat Flat Rock (54.9 percent of 799 votes)
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SOUTH REGION CHAMPION: TROY
Nickname: Colts
Division: 1 (2265 students)
League: Oakland Activities Association
2019 record: 0-9
Playoff appearances: (13) 1985-86, 1990, 1992-95, 1997-99, 2007-09
Coach: Chris Frasier
How they got here:
• First round — Beat Brooklyn Columbia Central (74.7 percent of 442 votes)
• Second round — Beat Montague (54.1 percent of 658 votes)
• Third round — Beat Livonia Churchill (61.0 percent of 1,291 votes)
• Fourth round — Beat Plymouth (52.6 percent of 1,079 votes)
