What if basketball had a division 5? Mocking a girls tournament.
From Regionals to the state title game, Beyond the Bridge mocks up a full division 5 girls tournament.
What if Michigan had a true Division 5 in girls basketball?
It’s become one of the more interesting offseason debates in Michigan high school hoops.
At the smallest-school level, enrollment gaps can be massive. Some programs sit below 20 students, while others push close to 200. Despite all technically competing in the same division, the realities surrounding those schools can look completely different.
So BTB decided to build a hypothetical Division 5 tournament using the 2025 season as the foundation.
The goal wasn’t perfection. It was simply to explore what a true “smallest schools” division could potentially look like across Michigan.
CRITERIA
• All schools with enrollments of 113 students or fewer qualified.
• 68 total teams made the field.
• Districts were built primarily using geographic proximity.
• Most districts featured four teams, while a select few had five.
• Regional matchups were based on the closest remaining district champions.
• The Final Four and State Championship were hypothetically placed at Vandament Arena on the campus of Northern Michigan University — similar to how 8-player football hosts its finals at the Superior Dome.
One note: logistical feasibility was not factored into this project.
Things like whether Vandament Arena would realistically host the event, what schools would host neutral-site regional games, travel concerns, or MHSAA logistics were intentionally set aside for the sake of focusing purely on the tournament structure itself.
Athletic directors, coaches, and administrators — feel free to chime in on that side of the discussion in the comments.
With several traditional small-school powers still technically remaining in Division 4 because of enrollment numbers, not every district ended up perfectly regionalized. Still, the setup largely succeeded in creating a true “smallest schools in Michigan” bracket.
DISTRICT PAIRINGS AND ALL DISTRICT CHAMPIONS (ALL ADVANCE TO REGIONALS SWEET 16)
DISTRICT 1
Watersmeet
Bessemer
Wakefield
Ewen-Trout Creek (Winner)
No surprise here. Ewen-Trout Creek entered as one of the biggest favorites in the field and rolled through the district comfortably. Wakefield competed, but the Panthers simply had another gear.
DISTRICT 2
Ontonagon
Lake Linden-Hubbell
Baraga (Winner)
Superior Central
With L’Anse remaining in Division 4, Baraga suddenly found itself with a much clearer road to a title. The Vikings capitalized.
DISTRICT 3
Powers North Central
Carney-Nadeau
North Dickinson (Winner)
Stephenson
Rapid River
Without Norway in the picture, North Dickinson became the clear favorite and handled business.
DISTRICT 4
Cooks Big Bay de Noc
Engadine
Cedarville (Winner)
Mackinac Island
Mackinaw City
This district opened considerably with Newberry, Rudyard, St. Ignace, and Brimley all remaining in Division 4. Cedarville emerged as the eastern U.P.’s lone true Division 5 contender and advanced comfortably.
DISTRICT 5
Alanson
Harbor Springs Harbor Light
Burt Lake Northern Michigan Christian
Wolverine
Gaylord St. Mary (Winner)
At 21-1, Gaylord St. Mary looked every bit like a Final Four contender from the opening round.
DISTRICT 6
Onaway
Posen
Atlanta
Fairview
Hale (Winner)
With Mio staying in Division 4, Hale benefited from a favorable draw and moved on.
DISTRICT 7
Alba
Central Lake (Winner)
Bellaire
Ellsworth
McBain Northern Michigan Christian
Central Lake survived a district filled with familiar opponents and once again edged Bellaire.
DISTRICT 8
Traverse City Christian
Lake Leelanau St. Mary
Bear Lake
Onekama (Winner)
Onekama’s real-life Cinderella run nearly reached Breslin Center. In this format, the Portagers continued dancing.
DISTRICT 9
Baldwin
Pentwater
Walkerville
Mason County Eastern
Muskegon Catholic Central (Winner)
With Wyoming Potter’s House and Wyoming Tri-unity Christian still remaining in Division 4, the path opened considerably for Muskegon Catholic Central.
DISTRICT 10
Grand Rapids Sacred Heart
Byron Center Zion Christian
Portland St. Patrick (Winner)
Midland Calvary Baptist
Fresh off a Division 4 Finals appearance, Portland St. Patrick looked like one of the strongest teams in the entire bracket.
DISTRICT 11
St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake
Marcellus Howardsville Christian
Battle Creek St. Philip (Winner)
Tekonsha
Without Mendon or Climax-Scotts standing in the way, Battle Creek St. Philip advanced from a balanced district.
DISTRICT 12
North Adams-Jerome
Hillsdale Will Carleton
Hillsdale Academy (Winner)
Pittsford
Litchfield
Hillsdale Academy entered as one of the safest bets in the field and proved why.
DISTRICT 13
Jackson Christian
Adrian Lenawee Christian (Winner)
Brighton Livingston Christian
Novi Christian
A traditional small-school powerhouse, Adrian Lenawee Christian benefited greatly from avoiding Morenci, Concord, and Petersburg Summerfield.
DISTRICT 14
Farmington Hills HUDA
Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes
Allen Park Inter-City Baptist (Winner)
Chesterfield Austin Catholic
Allen Park ICB quietly entered as one of the tournament’s most dangerous teams after navigating a brutal Division 4 schedule in reality.
DISTRICT 15
Burton St. Thomas More
Akron-Fairgrove
Owendale-Gagetown (Winner)
Caseville
With Kingston remaining in Division 4, Owendale-Gagetown capitalized on a much more manageable path.
DISTRICT 16
Kinde North Huron
Carsonville-Port Sanilac
Peck (Winner)
Peck survived one of the weaker districts in the bracket and advanced despite an inconsistent season.
REGIONALS (SWEET 16)
REGION 1
EWEN-TROUT CREEK (20-3) VS. BARAGA (20-3)
They met once during the regular season, with ETC winning 40-21. The Panthers advance here as well, controlling the game throughout.
Ewen-Trout Creek 50
Baraga 37
WINNER: EWEN-TROUT CREEK
NORTH DICKINSON (12-9) VS. CEDARVILLE (13-7)
Neither team had many mutual opponents, but North Dickinson played the tougher overall schedule. The Nordics continue their run.
North Dickinson 49
Cedarville 38
WINNER: NORTH DICKINSON
REGION 2
GAYLORD ST. MARY (22-1) VS. HALE (15-5)
Gaylord St. Mary cruises into the regional final here.
Gaylord St. Mary 63
Hale 38
WINNER: GAYLORD ST. MARY
ONEKAMA (15-8) VS. CENTRAL LAKE (11-8)
Division 4’s Cinderella keeps dancing.
Onekama 56
Central Lake 39
WINNER: ONEKAMA
REGION 3
PORTLAND ST. PATRICK (19-5) VS. MUSKEGON CATHOLIC CENTRAL (15-5)
These two already met in the real Division 4 regional, so we’ll keep the original result.
Portland St. Patrick 53
Muskegon Catholic Central 40
WINNER: PORTLAND ST. PATRICK
BATTLE CREEK ST. PHILIP (15-8) VS. HILLSDALE ACADEMY (18-6)
These teams split the regular-season series and looked almost perfectly even on paper. Still, Hillsdale Academy gets the edge in a close one.
Hillsdale Academy 50
Battle Creek St. Philip 47
WINNER: HILLSDALE ACADEMY
REGION 4
ADRIAN LENAWEE CHRISTIAN (16-5) VS. ALLEN PARK INTER-CITY BAPTIST (17-4)
Allen Park played one of the tougher schedules in Division 4 and looked battle-tested entering this matchup. Both teams played Morenci during the regular season, but ICB looked like the more complete team.
Allen Park Inter-City Baptist 54
Adrian Lenawee Christian 40
WINNER: ALLEN PARK INTER-CITY BAPTIST
OWENDALE-GAGETOWN (13-6) VS. PECK (15-10)
These two met during the regular season, with Peck winning 41-35. One of the weaker regional matchups overall, but Peck benefits from avoiding Kingston and Deckerville in this setup.
Peck 44
Owendale-Gagetown 38
WINNER: PECK
STATE QUARTERFINALS/ REGIONAL CHAPIONSHIPS - ELITE 8)
(WINNERS ADVANCE TO VANDAMENT ARENA)
EWEN-TROUT CREEK (21-3) VS. NORTH DICKINSON (13-9)
North Dickinson may be one of the biggest beneficiaries of this format, but ETC presents a matchup the Nordics simply can’t handle. The Cinderella run ends one game short of Vandament Arena.
Ewen-Trout Creek 55
North Dickinson 33
WINNER OF REGION 1:
EWEN-TROUT CREEK (22-3)
GAYLORD ST. MARY (23-1) VS. ONEKAMA (16-6)
In the real tournament, St. Mary experienced one of the biggest upsets in the state when they fell to Frankfort, while Onekama made a surprising run few saw coming.
This feels like a toss-up, but I think Gaylord St. Mary is ultimately the better team and finds a way through.
Gaylord St. Mary 48
Onekama 41
WINNER OF REGION 2:
GAYLORD ST. MARY (24-1)
PORTLAND ST. PATRICK (20-5) VS. HILLSDALE ACADEMY (19-6)
Hillsdale Academy made a regional final in Division 4 and makes another deep run here. But Portland St. Patrick’s defense is something they haven’t seen.
The Shamrocks control the game throughout and punch their ticket to the Final Four.
Portland St. Patrick 58
Hillsdale Academy 34
WINNER OF REGION 3:
PORTLAND ST. PATRICK (21-5)
PECK (16-10) VS. ALLEN PARK INTER-CITY BAPTIST (18-4)
Allen Park battled through one of the toughest schedules in Division 4 and only lost by nine to Morenci in the regional finals.
With Morenci no longer standing in the way, the road opens up completely here.
Peck had a favorable draw to reach this point, but the matchup is simply too much.
Allen Park Inter-City Baptist 70
Peck 33
FINAL FOUR
VANDAMENT ARENA – NORTHERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
EWEN-TROUT CREEK (23-3) VS. ALLEN PARK INTER-CITY BAPTIST (19-4)
This may have been the true game of the tournament.
ETC lost to Ishpeming by 11 in regionals. Allen Park lost to Morenci by nine in regionals. Ishpeming and Morenci were comfortably the two best teams in Division 4, and ETC may have been the only team outside of Morenci capable of hanging with the Hematites.
In the end, I’ll take the Panthers in a single-digit battle.
Ewen-Trout Creek 45
Allen Park Inter-City Baptist 41
PORTLAND ST. PATRICK (21-5) VS. GAYLORD ST. MARY (24-1)
St. Mary may have been better than they showed in the actual tournament. Portland St. Patrick also benefitted from a favorable bracket that avoided Morenci and Kingston.
Still, I trust the Shamrocks’ elite defense here.
Portland St. Patrick 43
Gaylord St. Mary 40
WINNER:
PORTLAND ST. PATRICK (22-5)
DIVISION 5 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
EWEN-TROUT CREEK (24-3) VS. PORTLAND ST. PATRICK (22-5)
This would likely be a defensive grind from start to finish where baskets come at a premium.
Ultimately, I think Ewen-Trout Creek simply has a little too much offensive firepower and toughness.
FINAL:
Ewen-Trout Creek 39
Portland St. Patrick 34
The first division 5 state title comes to the Upper Peninsula. Congratulations, Panthers!
The Panthers become BTB’s first-ever hypothetical Division 5 state champions.
HOW DOES THIS CHANGE DIVISION 4?
Without Ewen-Trout Creek, Portland St. Patrick, Gaylord St. Mary, Allen Park ICB, and several other small-school contenders in the field, Division 4 suddenly becomes top-heavy.
Projected Division 4 semifinals:
• Ishpeming vs. Morenci
• Frankfort vs. Concord
Projected State Championship:
Ishpeming vs. Concord
Projected Final:
Ishpeming 51
Concord 31
