Gaylord Boys Soccer Opens District Play With Unfinished Business

Gaylord soccer districts begin Wednesday, Oct. 14, when the Blue Devils host Sault Ste. Marie at Gaylord Community Field at 6 p.m. in a Division 2 District 17 first-round game. Gaylord carries a 7-8-3 record into the postseason, while Sault Ste. Marie arrives having held the Blue Devils to a 1-1 draw less than two weeks earlier.

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A bracket without a clear favorite

The winner of Wednesday’s match advances to a semifinal on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 4:30 p.m. at Marquette High School against the Marquette Sentinels, who are 10-6-3 and are the only team in the bracket Gaylord has not faced this season. On the other side of the bracket, Petoskey meets Alpena on Oct. 20 at 6 p.m. at Northmen Stadium. The district final is set for Thursday, Oct. 22.

Petoskey and Marquette enter as the bracket favorites. Gaylord went 0-2 against Petoskey this season but posted a 1-0-1 mark against Alpena, giving the Blue Devils a mixed record against the teams in their district.

Late-season form offers encouragement

Gaylord closed the regular season with a 4-0 win over Cadillac, a result that followed a draw against state-ranked Traverse City West. Those performances suggest a team that has grown into the season after early struggles.

Coach Brandon Contreras said the team expected learning and struggles this season, and that the players have moved past that suffering phase. According to Contreras, they have learned to play together, and things are coming together at the right time.

Contreras: Gaylord can beat Marquette if it plays well

Contreras said Gaylord can beat Marquette if it plays at the level it showed against Traverse City West. But the Blue Devils cannot look past Sault Ste. Marie, which recently held them to a draw and will be familiar with what Gaylord brings.

With a young roster, Gaylord seeks a postseason run in a bracket that lacks a clear favorite. The first step comes Wednesday at home.