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Detroit Country Day football coach Dan MacLean doesn't mind saying that the person that put together his team's athletic schedule should have his head examined.
One problem with that: He is also the athletic director, and he was responsible for a schedule that included Birmingham Brother Rice, Detroit Loyola, Zeeland West and Muskegon Catholic Central. Three of these four teams won state titles and the fourth (Loyola) was a runner-up.
Country Day dropped all four games, but it still finished 5-4 and was one of 27 teams with five wins to reach the playoffs. Postseason action begins Friday.
The Yellowjackets went 4-4 in 2002, which marked the last time a Country Day squad made the playoffs with less than six wins.
"We kind of thought we had a chance because of that difficult schedule," MacLean said. "We've reached the playoffs over 20 times. Our quarterback got hurt in week three, but as it worked out we're very happy we made it.
With the nature of the football playoffs, the majority of teams to go 5-4 either come from the Detroit or Grand Rapids area.
One of those teams, Hudsonville, made the playoffs with five wins and joined two other five-win teams (Grandville and Holland West Ottawa) in the 256-team field.
"We thought we had a chance, actually, with the strength of the schedule and the teams that we played," Hudsonville coach Dave Lidgard said. "We were hoping we'd have enough points. But we were confident with the strength we thought we could get a shot at it."
Five of the six OK Red teams made it into the state playoffs with records of 5-4 or more. Lidgard said the teams beat up on each other, but it makes them stronger in the long run.
"A couple of my coaches are good at putting the numbers together," Lidgard said. "We're tripping over each other during the regular season but we also lost a couple one-point games. The strength of the football and the parity across the state make things work out."
Of the Saginaw-area teams, only one (Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart) qualified with a 5-4 record, but the formula is essentially the same. Sacred Heart faced Royal Oak Shrine, Mendon, Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian and Beal City in games away from the Mid-State Athletic Conference.
"We actually ended up outscoring a 6-3 team in playoff points," Sacred Heart coach Rick Roberts said. "We weren't even number four in our district. I loaded the schedule up so we get better. We were 0-3 at one point and we got beat up by Beal City and NorthPointe Christian, but that helped us. Other than the fact our kids are pretty sore."
Just because a team finishes 5-4 doesn't mean it automatically has no chance.
"The last time we went 5-4 (in 2011) we lost by three points to Fowler in the district finals," Roberts said. "And Fowler ended up at Ford Field."
Here are a listing of games involving 5-4 teams in the postseason. Teams that went 5-3 in eight games are also included:
DIVISION 1
Traverse City West (5-4) at Rockford (7-2)
Hudsonville (5-4) at Holland West Ottawa (5-4)
Grandville (5-4) at East Kentwood (8-1)
Utica Eisenhower (5-4) at Macomb Dakota (7-2)
Warren Mott (5-4) at Detroit Cass Tech (9-0)
DIVISION 2
Warren Cousino (5-4) at Birmingham Brother Rice (9-0)
DIVISION 3
Grand Rapids Christian (5-4) at St. Johns (8-1)
Tecumseh (5-4) at DeWitt (9-0)
DIVISION 4
Comstock Park (5-4) at Cadillac (9-0)
Allendale (5-4) at Grand Rapids South Christian (7-2)
Hudsonville Unity Christian (5-4) at Grand Rapids Catholic Central (6-3)
Battle Creek Harper Creek (5-4) at Plainwell (8-1)
Detroit Country Day (5-4) at Detroit Denby (5-4)
DIVISION 5
Stanton Central Montcalm (5-4) at Freeland (8-1)
DIVISION 6
Elk Rapids (5-4) at Boyne City (9-0)
Negaunee (5-4) at Charlevoix (6-3)
Bad Axe (5-4) at Ithaca (9-0)
DIVISION 7
Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest (5-4) at New Lothrop (9-0)
Riverview Gabriel Richard (5-4) at Detroit Loyola (9-0)
DIVISION 8
Bessemer AD Johnson (5-3) at Crystal Falls Forest Park (7-1)
Newberry (5-4) at St. Ignace (9-0)
Brethren (5-4) at Baldwin (8-1)
Central Lake (5-4) at Frankfort (5-3)
Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart (5-4) at Fowler (9-0)
Colon (5-3) at Mendon (8-1)
Petersburg-Summerfield (5-4) at Morenci (8-1)
Lutheran Westland (5-4) at Ottawa Lake Whiteford (6-3)
One problem with that: He is also the athletic director, and he was responsible for a schedule that included Birmingham Brother Rice, Detroit Loyola, Zeeland West and Muskegon Catholic Central. Three of these four teams won state titles and the fourth (Loyola) was a runner-up.
Country Day dropped all four games, but it still finished 5-4 and was one of 27 teams with five wins to reach the playoffs. Postseason action begins Friday.
The Yellowjackets went 4-4 in 2002, which marked the last time a Country Day squad made the playoffs with less than six wins.
"We kind of thought we had a chance because of that difficult schedule," MacLean said. "We've reached the playoffs over 20 times. Our quarterback got hurt in week three, but as it worked out we're very happy we made it.
With the nature of the football playoffs, the majority of teams to go 5-4 either come from the Detroit or Grand Rapids area.
One of those teams, Hudsonville, made the playoffs with five wins and joined two other five-win teams (Grandville and Holland West Ottawa) in the 256-team field.
"We thought we had a chance, actually, with the strength of the schedule and the teams that we played," Hudsonville coach Dave Lidgard said. "We were hoping we'd have enough points. But we were confident with the strength we thought we could get a shot at it."
Five of the six OK Red teams made it into the state playoffs with records of 5-4 or more. Lidgard said the teams beat up on each other, but it makes them stronger in the long run.
"A couple of my coaches are good at putting the numbers together," Lidgard said. "We're tripping over each other during the regular season but we also lost a couple one-point games. The strength of the football and the parity across the state make things work out."
Of the Saginaw-area teams, only one (Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart) qualified with a 5-4 record, but the formula is essentially the same. Sacred Heart faced Royal Oak Shrine, Mendon, Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian and Beal City in games away from the Mid-State Athletic Conference.
"We actually ended up outscoring a 6-3 team in playoff points," Sacred Heart coach Rick Roberts said. "We weren't even number four in our district. I loaded the schedule up so we get better. We were 0-3 at one point and we got beat up by Beal City and NorthPointe Christian, but that helped us. Other than the fact our kids are pretty sore."
Just because a team finishes 5-4 doesn't mean it automatically has no chance.
"The last time we went 5-4 (in 2011) we lost by three points to Fowler in the district finals," Roberts said. "And Fowler ended up at Ford Field."
Here are a listing of games involving 5-4 teams in the postseason. Teams that went 5-3 in eight games are also included:
DIVISION 1
Traverse City West (5-4) at Rockford (7-2)
Hudsonville (5-4) at Holland West Ottawa (5-4)
Grandville (5-4) at East Kentwood (8-1)
Utica Eisenhower (5-4) at Macomb Dakota (7-2)
Warren Mott (5-4) at Detroit Cass Tech (9-0)
DIVISION 2
Warren Cousino (5-4) at Birmingham Brother Rice (9-0)
DIVISION 3
Grand Rapids Christian (5-4) at St. Johns (8-1)
Tecumseh (5-4) at DeWitt (9-0)
DIVISION 4
Comstock Park (5-4) at Cadillac (9-0)
Allendale (5-4) at Grand Rapids South Christian (7-2)
Hudsonville Unity Christian (5-4) at Grand Rapids Catholic Central (6-3)
Battle Creek Harper Creek (5-4) at Plainwell (8-1)
Detroit Country Day (5-4) at Detroit Denby (5-4)
DIVISION 5
Stanton Central Montcalm (5-4) at Freeland (8-1)
DIVISION 6
Elk Rapids (5-4) at Boyne City (9-0)
Negaunee (5-4) at Charlevoix (6-3)
Bad Axe (5-4) at Ithaca (9-0)
DIVISION 7
Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest (5-4) at New Lothrop (9-0)
Riverview Gabriel Richard (5-4) at Detroit Loyola (9-0)
DIVISION 8
Bessemer AD Johnson (5-3) at Crystal Falls Forest Park (7-1)
Newberry (5-4) at St. Ignace (9-0)
Brethren (5-4) at Baldwin (8-1)
Central Lake (5-4) at Frankfort (5-3)
Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart (5-4) at Fowler (9-0)
Colon (5-3) at Mendon (8-1)
Petersburg-Summerfield (5-4) at Morenci (8-1)
Lutheran Westland (5-4) at Ottawa Lake Whiteford (6-3)
