The Northville Mustangs open the Division 1 state playoffs at home Friday, Oct. 30, against Brownstown Woodhaven in what The News-Herald reports will be the programs’ first meeting.
Kickoff is 7 p.m. at Northville High School’s Tom Holzer Field, according to the official GoFan event listing. Tickets cost $8 and are available only online through GoFan, according to the MHSAA.
Both teams enter at 7-2. Northville is the higher seed in Region 3, District 2, carrying a 74.000 playoff-point average to Woodhaven’s 66.000, according to the MHSAA pairings released Oct. 25. That seeding edge gives the Mustangs home-field advantage.
Northville closed the regular season with a 35-22 loss to undefeated Howell in the KLAA championship game. Howell claimed a third straight league title in that contest, the MHSAA noted. The Mustangs had entered Week 9 at 7-1.
This is Northville’s fifth straight playoff appearance. Woodhaven, a Downriver League program, is back in the postseason for a second consecutive year after a two-year absence in 2023 and 2024, according to The News-Herald. Woodhaven closed its regular season with a 40-24 win over Taylor.
The winner advances to the District 2 final the weekend of Nov. 6-7 against the winner of Saline (9-0) and Dearborn (5-4). Saline, the second seed in Region 3 with a 76.778 playoff-point average, would host that district championship if it defeats Dearborn, The Saline Post reported.
Saline coach Kyle Short told The Saline Post he likes the Hornets’ draw: “I love our opportunity to make a run.”
Region 3’s District 1 features undefeated Detroit Cass Tech (9-0) hosting Plymouth (4-5) and Dearborn Fordson (7-2) hosting Belleville (6-3). Cass Tech and Saline could meet in the regional final for the second straight year, MLive noted.
If Northville wins the district championship, a regional final against the District 1 champion would follow the weekend of Nov. 13-14. The Division 1 state championship game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28, at Ford Field in Detroit.
