For 2nd straight year the top two ranked D1 teams meet in the semi-finals

It's the matchup everyone wanted to see happen in the pre-season and as the season turned into the post-season it became more anticipated. As the regular season ended, Cass Tech was #3 ranked in the state and West Bloomfield was #8. In the pre-season Cass Tech was #1 and West Bloomfield was #3.

In football it should reminded constantly that records do not matter. No team has beaten Cass Tech besides an out of state team and King since 2015 while West Bloomfield is the perfect storm of a team who fights and plays for another through up's and down's.

No one knew for sure what the MHSAA would do with their brackets. In the past 4 years they put Region 2 (Catholic Central won) where Region 3 is this year. In the past 4 years, these 2 teams would not have been meeting until potentially the state finals.

Last year in this semi-final it was a battle of #1 Cass Tech vs. #2 Eisenhower at Troy Athens which is where this semi-final has been hosted for over a decade. There's talks of it being somewhere else, but until it's finalized later this weekend - we'll see!

Both teams have phenomenal MAC QB commits. Bryce Veasley, Bowling Green State for WB and Aaron Jackson, Eastern Michigan for Cass Tech.

Defensively two of the most versatile athletes in the state will be on the field - DeAndre Square, Kentucky commit for Cass Tech and Lance Dixon who is a 2019 elite recruit.

Two more key X-Factor players: Cass Tech RB Jaren Mangham, #1 Athlete in the Class of 2019 and West Bloomfield West Bloomfield S Nick Seidel - leads the state among Safeties in Interceptions.

We'll break it down more this upcoming week as this will be the most anticipated game in the rest of the season.