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Posted on Sun, Oct 18, 2009 : 8 a.m.

SEC Red teams get a post-season tournament, thanks to the MHSAA playoff draw

By Rich Rezler

There’s not a post-season Southeastern Conference tournament to allow the boys soccer teams from Huron and Saline high schools to settle their Red Division regular season tie.

But there is something bigger. And the whole Red Division is invited.

The MHSAA playoffs start Monday, with the entire league -- Huron, Saline, Pioneer, Temperance Bedford and Monroe -- part of the same Division 1 district draw.

“We’re disappointed that we tied for the SEC title, but it doesn’t take away from the great season, and now we shift our focus to districts,” Saline coach Brian Lampman said after Huron beat his team 3-2 in a regular-season finale to force the division tie.

If the brackets play out the way the regular season unfolded, Huron and Saline could end up playing an SEC rubber match on Saturday afternoon -- one that would also give the winner a spot in a Division 1 regional.

But nothing’s certain in the postseason, as Pioneer can certainly attest to. Bedford beat the Pioneers for the first time in school history during last year’s district semifinals. And that came after Pioneer won two regular season games by scores of 7-0 and 4-0.

Huron opens the tournament with Bedford this year, playing the first round game at home before the tournament moves to Saline for the semifinal and championship rounds.

“We’ve already played Bedford once and we beat them once. We just have to make sure that we’re only focusing on Bedford and not worrying about who we may or may not see down the line, because that’s what happened to Pioneer,” Huron coach Todd Pheiffer said. “These guys can make a deep run if we focus, play up to our strengths and minimize the mistakes.”

Other opening-round games include Pioneer at Saline and Monroe playing at SEC White rival Lincoln.

“It’s a great test right off the bat. I think it’s going to be an incredible game,” Lampman said of the game against Pioneer. “We look forward to defending our home field and taking it one game at a time. Hopefully when it’s all said and done, we’ll be there at the end.”

Here’s a closer look at each of the district tournaments that includes a Washtenaw County team:

DIVISION 1

(hosted by Saline)

SCHEDULE Monday: Pioneer at Saline, 6 p.m.; Monroe at Lincoln, 4:30 p.m.; Temperance Bedford at Huron, 7 p.m. Wednesday (at Saline): Pioneer/Saline winner vs. Monroe/Lincoln winner, 5 p.m.; Bedford/Huron winner vs. Jackson, 7 p.m. Saturday (at Saline): Championship, 2 p.m.

OVERVIEW Saline, which lost 2-0 to East Kentwood in a Division 1 semifinal last season, looks to defend its district title on its home field. The Hornets (13-3-3) beat Pioneer 2-1 on Sept. 8. Lincoln (8-3-5), which beat Monroe 2-0 on Sept. 3, finished the season on a hot streak with back-to-back eight-goal games. Huron (9-1-1) had a streak of six straight shutout wins during league play, including a 4-0 win over Bedford. Jackson, the outsider team in the draw, is 7-5-3.

DIVISION 2

(hosted by Chelsea)

SCHEDULE Monday: Skyline at New Boston Huron, 7 p.m.; Milan at Dexter, 4 p.m., Monroe Jefferson at Ypsilanti, 5:30 p.m., Carleton-Airport at Chelsea, 4:30 p.m. Wednesday (at Chelsea): Skyline/Huron winner vs. Milan/Dexter winner, 3 p.m.; Jefferson/Ypsilanti winner vs. Airport/Chelsea winner, 4:30 p.m. Friday (at Chelsea): Championship, 4 p.m.

OVERVIEW Dexter has reached the Division 2 state championship game each of the past three seasons, winning in 2006, and would have to be considered the favorite in this district. New Boston Huron (11-2-2) won its first-ever outright Huron League title and is the best of four representatives from that league (Milan, Monroe Jefferson and Carleton-Airport are the others).

DIVISION 3

(hosted by Gabriel Richard)

SCHEDULE Monday: Clinton at Allen Park Cabrini, 4:30 p.m.; Monroe St. Mary at Grosse Ile, 4:30 p.m.; Flat Rock at Gabriel Richard, 4:30 p.m.; Detroit Cesar Chavez at Riverview Gabriel Richard, 6 p.m. Wednesday (at Gabriel Richard): Clinton/Cabrini winner vs. St. Mary/Grosse Ile winner, 3 p.m.; Flat Rock/Gabriel Richard winner vs. Cesar Chavez/Riverview Gabriel Richard winner, 4:30 p.m. Friday (at Gabriel Richard): Championship, 4:30 p.m.

OVERVIEW Defending district champion Gabriel Richard is the only state-ranked team in the draw at No. 6, but Allen Park Cabrini is a fellow Catholic High School League division champion. Monroe St. Mary was runner-up in the Huron League.

DIVISION 4

(hosted by Greenhills)

SCHEDULE Tuesday: Washtenaw Christian at Greenhills, 4:30 p.m.; Newport Lutheran South at Adrian Lenawee Christian, TBD. Thursday: Washtenaw Christian/Greenhills winner vs. Taylor Baptist Park at Greenhills, 4:30 p.m.; Lenawee Christian/Lutheran South winner vs. Calvary Christian, time and site TBD. Saturday (at Greenhills): Championship, 2 p.m.

OVERVIEW Greenhills (17-1-0) has been atop the Division 4 coaches association poll for most of the season and looks to be an overwhelming favorite to defend its district title. The Gryphons lost 1-0 to Auburn Hills Oakland Christian in a 2008 state semifinal. Lutheran South, a Division 4 honorable mention selection, is 13-1-1.

Kaleb Roedel contributed to this report. Rich Rezler covers high school sports for AnnArbor.com. Contact him at 734-623-2553 or richrezler@annarbor.com.