Not a ton of upsets in the state quarterfinals Wednesday night. I guess you could call Grosse Pointe North's win over Livonia Churchill a slight upset, but considering the competition the Norsemen have played all year long, maybe not so much.
That was a game I missed in my quarterfinal predictions. I also missed the Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern/Northern-Traverse City Central game. Guess I don't know my west-side hockey. Finished 10-for-12.

Let's see if I can do better picking the finalists and champions, here.

SEMIFINALS - Compuware Arena, Plymouth
DIVISION 2 - Thursday
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern/Northern (22-6) vs. Birmingham Brother Rice (23-4-1) - 5 p.m. MY PICK: BROTHER RICE Grosse Pointe South (26-1) vs. Port Huron Northern (17-9-1) - 7:30 p.m. MY PICK: GROSSE POINTE SOUTH
DIVISION 3 - Friday
Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett (24-3) vs. Chelsea (21-4-2) - Noon MY PICK: LIGGETT
Houghton (23-4) vs. Grand Rapids Catholic Central (19-7-2) - 2:30 p.m. MY PICK: GR CATHOLIC CENTRAL

DIVISION 1 - Friday
Brighton (22-4-2) vs. Orchard Lake St. Mary's (17-10) - 6 p.m. MY PICK: ST. MARY'S
East Kentwood (19-9) vs. Grosse Pointe North (14-14) - 8:30 p.m. MY PICK: GROSSE POINTE NORTH
FINALS - Saturday - Compuware Arena, Plymouth
Division 2 – 10 a.m. MY PICK: BROTHER RICE
Division 3 – 2 p.m. MY PICK: LIGGETT
Division 1 – 6 p.m. MY PICK: ST. MARY'S

Eleven regionals involving Oakland County teams. Eleven predictions from this sports writer. And I hit on just five of the 11. I guess I'm here for your amusement!
But because they're called predictions, and not guarantees, I guess I'll try again as the state quarterfinals kick off tonight around the state.

DIVISION 1
Division 1 - Wednesday
QF 1 – East Kentwood vs Grandville at Rockford, Griff's Ice House, 7:15 p.m. MY PICK: EAST KENTWOOD
QF 2 – Brighton (21-4-2) vs Swartz Creek (19-7-1) at Hartland, Hartland Ice Arena, 7 p.m. MY PICK: BRIGHTON
QF 3 – Utica Eisenhower vs Orchard Lake St. Mary's at St. Clair Shores Lakeview, SCS Civic Arena, 7 p.m. MY PICK: ST. MARY'S
QF 4 – Livonia Churchill (21-6-0) vs Grosse Pointe North (13-14) at Grosse Ile, Kennedy Ice Center (Trenton), 7:30 p.m. MY PICK: LIVONIA CHURCHILL

Division 2 - Tuesday
QF 5 – Traverse City Central  vs Forest Hills Eastern at Big Rapids/Ferris State, 8 p.m. MY PICK: TRAVERSE CITY CENTRAL
QF 6 – Hartland vs. Grosse Pointe South at Ann Arbor, The Cube, 7:45 p.m. MY PICK: GP SOUTH
QF 7 – Port Huron Northern (16-9-1) vs Rochester Hills Stoney Creek at Romeo, Macomb Suburban Ice, 7:15 p.m. MY PICK: PORT HURON NORTHERN
QF 8 – White Lake Lakeland (9-16-2) vs Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice at Novi, Novi Ice Arena, 6:30 p.m. MY PICK: BROTHER RICE

Division 3 - Wednesday
QF 9 – Houghton vs Cheboygan at Sault Ste. Marie, Pullar Arena, 7 p.m. MY PICK: HOUGHTON
QF 10 – Grand Rapids Catholic Central vs Flint Powers Catholic at Lansing CC - Summit, TBD MY PICK: GR CATHOLIC CENTRAL
QF 11 – Marysville vs Grosse Pte. Woods U. Liggett at Auburn Hills Avondale, Troy Sports Center, 7:40 p.m. MY PICK: LIGGETT
QF 12 – Allen Park vs Chelsea (20-4-2) at Allen Park Cabrini, Allen Park Ice Arena, 7:15 p.m. MY PICK: CHELSEA

Where has the time gone? Seems like just yesterday we were trying to wrap up the fall sports season and quickly realizing that I had missed the beginning of the hockey season. November ... four months ago ... where has the time gone?
The state hockey playoffs are here and once again expectations are high for Oakland County teams. Catholic Central and St. Mary's are ranked Nos. 1-2 in Division 1. Brother Rice is No. 1 in Division 2. And Cranbrook is No. 1 in Division 3.
Last year, for the first time since 1998, none of the aforementioned teams won a state title. At least one of the four, if not more than one, had captured a title every season since they were shut out in 1997-98. That's a remarkable feat.
This year it wouldn't surprise me at all if all three divisions were won by one of the above teams. That hasn't happened since 2005, when CC, Brother Rice and St. Mary's all won state titles.

That being said, here are my predictions for this year's regional tournament - at least those containing an Oakland County team. Don't agree? I'd love to hear what you have to say. Leave a comment!

DIVISION 1
Region 4
Pre-regional semifinal  (at Perani, Flint)
Grand Blanc over Swartz Creek
Kearsley-Brandon-Holly over Flushing
Pre-regional final 
Grand Blanc over Kearsley-Brandon-Holly 

Regional final (at Perani, Flint)
Grand Blanc over Bay City Wolves

Region 5
Pre-regional semifinal (at Detroit Skating Club)
Lake Orion over Lapeer
Pre-regional final
Lake Orion over Clarkston

Pre-regional semifinals (at Macomb Suburban Ice)
Rochester United over Macomb L’Anse Creuse North
Utica Eisenhower over Macomb Dakota
Pre-regional final
Utica Eisenhower over Rochester United

Regional final (at Mt. Clemens Ice Arena)
Lake Orion over Utica Eisenhower

Region 6
Pre-regional semifinals (at Troy Sports Center)
Berkley-Ferndale over Bloomfield Hills United
Troy over Troy Athens
Pre-regional final
Berkley-Ferndale over Troy

Pre-regional (at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s)
Orchard Lake St. Mary's over Birmingham Unified
Livonia Stevenson over Farmington Hills Unified
Pre-regional final
Orchard Lake St. Mary's over Livonia Stevenson

Regional final (at Livonia’s Eddie Edgar Arena)
Orchard Lake St. Mary's over Berkley-Ferndale

Region 7
Pre-regional (at Compuware Arena)
Novi over South Lyon
Novi Detroit Catholic Central over Northville
Pre-regional final
Catholic Central over Novi

Pre-regional (at Livonia’s Eddie Edgar Arena)
Canton over Salem
Livonia Churchill  over Plymouth
Pre-regional final
Livonia Churchill over Canton

Regional final (at Compuware Arena)
Catholic Central over Livonia Churchill

DIVISION 2
Region 11
Pre-regional semifinals (at Hartland Sports Center)
Pinckney over Okemos
Hartland over Milford
Pre-regional final
Hartland over Pinckney

Pre-regional semifinals (at Cube Arena, Ann Arbor)
Ann Arbor Pioneer over Ann Arbor Skyline
Saline over Ann Arbor Huron
Pre-regional final
Saline over Ann Arbor Pioneer

Regional final (at Cube Arena, Ann Arbor)
Hartland over Saline

Region 14
Pre-regional semifinals (at Glacier Point)
Oxford over Romeo
Pre-regional final
Oxford over New Baltimore Anchor Bay

Pre-regional semifinals (at Onyx Ice Arena)
Stoney Creek over Utica
Stoney Creek over L’Anse Creuse

Regional final (at Suburban Ice)
Oxford over Stoney Creek

Region 15
Pre-regional semifinals (at Lakeland Ice Arena)
Walled Lake Northern over Walled Lake Central
Lakeland over Walled Lake Western
Pre-regional final
Walled Lake Northern over Lakeland

Pre-regional semifinals (at Lakeland Ice Arena)
West Bloomfield over Waterford Kettering
Pre-regional final
Waterford Mott over West Bloomfield

Regional final (at Lakeland Ice Arena)
Walled Lake Northern over Waterford Mott

Region 16
Pre-regional semifinals (at Farmington Ice Arena)
Birmingham Brother Rice over Royal Oak
Pre-regional final
Brother Rice over Farmington

Regional final (at Oak Park Ice Arena)
Brother Rice over De La Salle

DIVISION 3
Region 20
Pre-regional semifinals (at Polar Palace, Lapeer)
Goodrich over Pontiac Notre Dame Prep
Pre-regional final
Goodrich over Fenton

Regional final (at Perani’s, Flint)
Flint Powers over Goodrich

Region 21
Pre-regional semifinal (at McMorran Arena, Port Huron)
Marysville over St. Clair
Pre-regional final
Marysville over Macomb Lutheran North

Pre-regional semifinal (at Wallace Ice Arena)
Auburn Hills Avondale over Madison Heights Bishop Foley
Pre-regional final
Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood over Avondale

Regional final (at Wallace Ice Arena)
Cranbrook over Marysville

Region 22
Pre-regional semifinals (at Southfield Ice Arena)
Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett over Royal Oak Shrine
Pre-regional final
Liggett over Birmingham Detroit Country Day

Regional final
Liggett over Dearborn Divine Child