Birmingham Groves, Seaholm, Brother Rice Playoff Pairings in Football

High School playoff football is here starting Friday, and there are several Birmingham-area teams in the hunt for state titles that should provide some intriguing match-ups along the way. 

On Sunday, the MHSAA announced the following first-round games:

• Seaholm High School (8-1) hosts Southfield High School at 7 p.m. Friday at Maple Field in Division 2.
• Brother Rice High School (9-0) will host Birmingham Groves High School (7-2) at 7 p.m. Friday on  Hurley Field in Berkley in Division 2.
• Detroit Country Day (6-3) hosts Clawson High School (7-2) at 7 p.m. Friday in Division 4.

The already strong public vs. private school rivalry between Brother Rice and Groves will take on added meaning as legendary Warriors Head Coach Al Fracassa said he will retire at the end of the season. It is his 45th at the helm of Brother Rice and 54th overall. The Warriors are undefeated and will seek their third consecutive state title this fall after capturing the Catholic League crown in last weekend's 20-7 win over Novi Detroit Catholic Central. 

The Maples are coming off the first defeat of the season 20-17 to U of D Jesuit, which will make its first playoff appearance since 2002.

Seaholm Head Coach Jim DeWald took the loss in stride and said he hoped it will serve as a learning opportunity for his team. 

“In the playoffs we’re going to play much more physical teams," he told miprepzone.com. "It’s an opportunity for us to learn from this and springboard us into the playoffs.”

If both Birmingham teams are successful Friday, a rematch of Seaholm's 28-20 victory over Groves on Homecoming earlier this month will take place next weekend on Maple Field. 

If they win their first playoff game, the Yellow Jackets will face the winner of Pontiac Notre Dame Prep. (7-2) and Dearborn Heights Robichaud (6-3).