Grosse Ile squared off against Marine City in the Division 4 semi-final game (played at Birmingham Groves) for a spot in the finals at Ford Field. The Devils have worked their way through three other opponents in the playoffs this year after completing a very impressive two-loss regular season.

Football playoffs are different than other sports, mostly because there is so much time between the contests. Other sports may play only a few days later as they move through their tournament bracket. Not football. That week includes another Monday practice, another team meal, one more walk-through and another game day morning routine. The school and community have another week to anticipate the upcoming game, driving the collective spirit.

On Saturday, Grosse Ile face the undefeated Marine City Mariners. At this point in the season there are no easy games, no slouch opponents, no easy solutions. Grosse Ile is a very good football team. They ran into an opponent that was better than them on Saturday, losing 45-6.

So, Marine City moves on and Grosse Ile goes home as one of the top 4 teams in Division 4. It seems like ages ago (15 weeks to be sure) that the Devils were running drills in the heat of the summer sun. Going home is disappointing so it’s important to remember the many, many successes this team has enjoyed since early August.

Congratulations to the Grosse Ile community and school. You should be proud of the accomplishments of this athletic team.