Playoff Preview and where's the World Series??

Second Season starts Friday night.
We have five area football teams from in and around the Tuscola County area playing this Friday night in the first round of the MHSAA state playoffs. Here's a closer look at the teams and the matchups, starting in Division 5.

DIVISION 5
Montrose (8-1) at Millington (8-1): This one has the potential to the best matchup in the entire area. The Rams were the co-champions of the Genesee Area-Red Conference this season, lost just one game to 8-1 Lake Fenton, and were rewarded with a first-round road trip to Millington, where the Cardinals defeated the Rams in the second round of the 1999 playoffs.
This will be the third time these two teams have met in the state playoffs (1992 and 2000 were the other years) and the Rams hold a 2-1 edge over the Cardinals.
Montrose scored 325 points this year to 315 for Millington while the Rams held their opponents to 117 while the Cardinals surrendered 153.
Coach Dennis Reinhart has led his team to two state title after the 1998 (Class CC) and in 2005 (D-5). The Cardinals have never won a state title, but Coach Tim Furno has won two Regional Titles in 1994 and 1999.
There is no love loss between these two schools. Montrose has turned down invitations in the past to join the TVE (most recently in 1994), preferring instead to remain in the Genessee Area Conference, playing teams that are not exactly looked at powerhouses around here. This has always irked Millington.
MY PICK: MILLINGTON 28, MONTROSE 22

Chesaning (6-3) at Frankenmuth (8-1): Amazingly, these two Saginaw-County neighbors have never met in the regular season, instead saving it all for three previous games in the playoffs.
Frankenmuth leads the all-time series 2-1, the Indians have had the greater success at the state level. Chesaning won the state title after the 1998 (Class B) season. Two of the three losses for the Indians this year came against playoff teams, Alma (9-0) and Bullock Creek (8-1).
None of this will matter this Friday night, though, as I believe that the Eagles will respond to a tough week of practice from coach John Blankenship to give everyone what they want in the District Finals.....a rematch with Millington.
MY PICK: FRANKENMUTH 20, CHESANING 14


DIVISION 6
Saginaw Nouvel (5-3) at Reese (8-1): I will be making my play-by-play calling debut this Friday night on 92.1, as Jon Sicotte will be out of town serving as best man in a wedding in Missouri. So, I will be joining my brother Christian in the booth, as the Rockets host the defending State Champion, Panthers.
Nouvel's record is deceiving; the Panthers three losses this season are to Detroit Country Day, Traverse City St. Francis and Muskegon Catholic Central, all of whom qualified for the playoffs this year. The three schools have a combined total of 13 state titles between them; throw in Nouvel's from a year ago....and you see what I mean by deceptive record.
This won't matter this Friday night though. The Rockets area for real, and this Friday night, we are going to see just how good they really are.
MY PICK: REESE 38, NOUVEL 20

Marlette (6-3) at St. Charles (9-0): The Red Raiders Cinderella season comes to an end this Friday night. The Bulldogs won the Tri-Valley West title and have steamrolled over nearly every opponent they have faced this season. Marlette can score points...that much is obvious. But it's been their defense which has cost them games this year, and this will be the best team they have faced all season this Friday night.
MY PICK: ST. CHARLES 48, MARLETTE 18

DIVISION 7
USA (6-3) at Ubly (7-2): The Patriots defeated the Bearcats 19-14 in the season opener of this season, but a lot has changed in the last two months.
For one, Ubly's Jordan Kaufman returned in week five to reclaim the quarterback spot (he was hurt in the preseason). After a 2-2 start, Kaufman led his to a 5-0 record down the stretch, dominating teams by a score of 220-20 along the way.
Ubly's going to make a push in the state playoffs toward a Regional Title....USA is just standing in the way.
MY PICK: UBLY 38, USA 12

Mr. November??
Is is true....does the World Series really start tonight? After more than a week layoff, the Colorado Rockies finally get to play tonight, as the 2007 World Series finally gets underway in Boston. The Red Sox are back, having had to go to seven games to defeat Cleveland in the ALCS.
Yes, Boston was down 3-1...and yes the Rockies swept...but before I give a pick, here's some preaching.
The baseball season is too long. This is ridiculous...by the time this thing wraps up, it will be November, which is just plain wrong. Something needs to be done, whether it's starting the season earlier by playing the first two weeks of the season at the end of March (it can be done....just hold all the games in either warm weather cities or in indoor facilities) so that way the season will end in time to keep the World Series entirely in the month of October. I doubt they would ever cut the games back to 154, but we need something to happen.
That being said......RED SOX in six games.