2022 Kingsford Football Playoff Preview

By Matt "Sweets" McCarthy 

For Flivver Football 

KINGSFORD — The official MHSAA football playoff pairings were announced Sunday evening, and the Kingsford Flivvers will face a familiar foe in the opening round of the Division 5 playoffs. Kingsford, (6-3, 48.778 playoff points) will host their 2021 postseason opponent, Kingsley (7-2, 48.444), Friday night at Flivver Field, with a 6 p.m. kickoff scheduled. 

The Stags, who are members of the Northern Michigan Football League’s Legends Division, lost one conference game. It was at the hands of undefeated perennial playoff power Traverse City St. Francis 49-12 on Sept. 16 at Thirlby Field. Kingsley comes into the matchup on a five-game winning streak, with their other loss on the season a 17-16 defeat at Gaylord on Sept. 1. 

Kingsley defeated the Flivvers 28-10 on Oct. 29 one year ago at Rodes Field at Kingsley High School. 

“They run a straight-T offense, so we expect them to come up here and run the ball right at us,” said Kingsford head coach Mark Novara. “Having played them last season, we’re familiar with them, so we’ll use our week to prepare.”

This is the third season in a row that Kingsford has made the playoffs, and the eighth time in Division 5 since 2011. Kingsley, a Class B school since 2009, has qualified for the Division 5 playoffs the last four seasons, and were a Division 6 qualifier in 2018.