1st & Goal: 2021 Week 1 Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
August 26, 2021
Welcome to what might be the most anticipated opening weekend in Michigan high school football history.
No one is saying life is back to pre-pandemic normal, of course. But after last football season saw multiple delays, an abbreviated regular season and altered playoff format, it’s hard not to be excited about most things beginning “as they always have” this weekend across our state.
And there are plenty of opportunities to dig in and enjoy.
Check out your local game, or one of those highlighted below – including a number of games from three showcase events, the Battle at the Big House at University of Michigan, the Xenith Prep Kick Off Classic at Wayne State and the Vehicle City Gridiron Classic at Kettering’s Atwood Stadium. There are also plenty of opportunities to tune in from home – more than 150 games will be streamed live on the NFHS Network or by partner Bally Sports Detroit, including two televised live on BSD’s primary cable channel. (Click for details.)
As in seasons past, our weekly football previews will point out intriguing games from every region of the state – opportunities to see a great story unfold no matter where fans live or are visiting that weekend. Records below are from the 2020 season. (Games from the aforementioned showcases are listed in the region of one of the competitors.)
Bay & Thumb
Davison (10-1) vs. Clarkston (7-1), Friday at U-M
A number of teams from the I-75 corridor and particularly the Flint suburbs will be playing showcase games this weekend, and this might be the biggest as well as a preview of a more significant rematch to come. Clarkston’s lone loss last season came by seven to Grand Blanc in a District Semifinal – a week before the Wolves would have faced Davison, which suffered its only defeat at Ford Field against West Bloomfield in the Division 1 championship game. The Cardinals also were Division 1 champs in 2019, with Clarkston most recently making the Finals as Division 1 runner-up in 2018.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Lapeer (3-4) vs. Grand Rapids Catholic Central (10-0) at U-M, Frankenmuth (11-1) vs. Goodrich (6-2) at Atwood Stadium. FRIDAY East Lansing (8-1) vs. Grand Blanc (7-2) at Atwood Stadium, Midland Dow (5-3) vs. Fenton (7-1) at U-M.
Greater Detroit
Detroit Catholic Central (9-1) vs. Clinton Township Chippewa Valley (3-4), Thursday at WSU
This might be the premier matchup of the Wayne State games, and also one where a 2020 record should be ignored when making that argument. Chippewa Valley may have lost four games last season, but those defeats came by a combined 21 points and none by more than nine. DCC, meanwhile, suffered its only loss to Davison, in a Division 1 Regional Final. The Shamrocks were especially tough defensively last fall, giving up 10 points per game, while winning a Detroit Catholic League Central that sent Warren De La Salle Collegiate to the Division 2 championship game.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Canton (8-1) vs. Dearborn Fordson (5-3) at Wayne State, Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (7-2) at Macomb Dakota (6-2). FRIDAY Oak Park (5-6) at Orchard Lake St. Mary's (2-4). SATURDAY Southfield Arts & Technology (3-4) vs. Detroit Cass Tech (8-1) at Wayne State.
Mid-Michigan
DeWitt (12-0) vs. Traverse City Central (9-2), Thursday at U-M
The Panthers are coming off their first Finals championship, claiming the Division 3 title last season, and might be even better on offense this fall with multiple playmakers returning after the team scored at least 37 points in all but one game. Central missed making Ford Field by one win, falling to eventual champion Muskegon Mona Shores in a Division 2 Semifinal. The Trojans scored at least 30 points in all but one game last season and should be a handful in an intriguing Michigan Stadium clash.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Olivet (7-2) at Charlotte (2-5). FRIDAY Freeland (8-2) at Clare (7-1), Fowler (6-3) at Carson City-Crystal (6-2), Lansing Everett (did not play) at Lansing Sexton (did not play).
Northern Lower Peninsula
Reed City (8-0) at Cadillac (7-3), Thursday
Rewind again to when the MHSAA football season concluded at Ford Field, and Cadillac was one of the surprises of championship weekend. The Vikings reached the Finals for the first time, and while being held scoreless by Detroit Country Day in the Division 4 championship game they also put up one of their most impressive defensive performances holding the Yellowjackets to 13 points. Reed City’s story, though, had to feel a little unfinished – after starting out with eight straight wins, the Coyotes’ last playoff game before the COVID-related break in November was canceled, as was their Regional Final when play resumed in January.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Traverse City West (6-2) vs. Midland (8-1) at U-M, Beaverton (6-2) at Lake City (2-4), Houghton Lake (4-3) at Maple City Glen Lake (5-3), Kingsley (8-0) at McBain (6-1).
Southeast & Border
New Lothrop (11-0) at Jackson Lumen Christi (5-5), Thursday
These two have made a combined six trips to Ford Field with five championships over the last five seasons. New Lothrop is coming off its second Division 7 title in three seasons in January, while Lumen Christi was stopped short in the Regional Finals – a week before it would have met New Lothrop with a Finals bid on the line. This is also an intriguing matchup between the state’s longest-serving and third-winningest football coach, Lumen’s Herb Brogan (373-89 over 42 seasons), against a younger leader on the path to join the all-time greats in Clint Galvas (129-15 over 13).
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Ithaca (8-1) at Hudson (4-4). FRIDAY Ottawa Lake Whiteford (6-3) at Blissfield (8-1), Michigan Center (6-2) at Homer (5-3), Saline (8-2) vs. Hudsonville (5-3) at U-M.
Southwest Corridor
Portage Central (3-5) at Stevensville Lakeshore (6-3) , Thursday
After not awarding a league champion last season because of the abbreviated regular-season schedule, the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference gets rolling immediately with two frequent contenders facing off. Central and Lakeshore didn’t play last season, but Central has won two straight in the otherwise-annual series.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Lake Odessa Lakewood (3-4) at Battle Creek Pennfield (5-4), Grand Ledge (5-3) at Coldwater (5-2), Cassopolis (2-5) at Schoolcraft (9-2). FRIDAY Battle Creek Lakeview (5-3) vs. Battle Creek Harper Creek (5-3).
Upper Peninsula
Negaunee (6-4) at Iron Mountain (7-2), Thursday
Once the regular season finally got started last fall, the Upper Peninsula proved quickly captivating as the status of best team north of Mackinac Bridge seemed to change hands weekly. Iron Mountain was the last remaining in the playoffs, reaching the Division 8 Regional Finals and missing the Semifinals with a one-point defeat. Both of these teams stand to be in the conversation again not only across the peninsula and statewide but more locally as the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference Copper (and Silver) reinstates league play after also not awarding a 2020 champ.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Gladstone (2-4) at Calumet (4-4), Bark River-Harris (5-3) at Gwinn (4-4), Houghton (2-3) at Ishpeming Westwood (5-2), Sault Ste. Marie (6-3) at St. Ignace (1-6).
West Michigan
Edwardsburg (9-1) at Montague (12-0), Thursday
The anticipation for this matchup should rival any this weekend including for the games being played at the three opening showcases. Montague put together one of the most impressive 2020 runs in any division on the way to claiming the Division 6 title but enters this fall with a new coach and quarterback. Edwardsburg missed returning to Ford Field with a two-point loss to Cadillac in a Division 4 Semifinal and likely would have reached double-digit wins for a sixth-straight season if not for the abbreviated schedule.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Zeeland West (5-1) at East Grand Rapids (6-4), Muskegon Mona Shores (12-0) at Lowell (4-4). FRIDAY Grand Rapids South Christian (8-2) at Grand Rapids Christian (4-4), Hudsonville Unity Christian (7-0) at Hopkins (5-2).
8-Player
Gaylord St. Mary (7-2) at Pickford (7-2), Friday
These two won’t see each other again when the playoffs roll around – Pickford is in Division 1 this season and St. Mary in Division 2. But if recent history serves, this opener could be a primer for the kind of matchup both could earn a few months from now. Pickford made the Regional Finals last season and has pushed at least that far into the playoffs the last five seasons. Gaylord St. Mary is coming off two straight Regional Finals trips, both in Division 1 as well before moving into Division 2 for this fall.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Mendon (6-2 in 11-player) at Vandercook Lake (4-2). FRIDAY Merrill (6-2) at Marion (8-2), Wyoming Tri-unity Christian (3-5) at Martin (8-2), Onaway (6-1) at Indian River Inland Lakes (8-2).
PHOTO: Football stadium lights, like these last season at Muskegon High School, will brighten the sky again for the 2021 season beginning this weekend. (Photo by Tim Reilly.)
Lumen Christi Accomplishes Program First with 4th-Straight Finals Title
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
November 28, 2025
DETROIT – As Jackson Lumen Christi lined up to exchange postgame handshakes with Kingsley following its fourth-straight victory in a football Final, Foreigner’s “Feels Like the First Time” rang out through the Ford Field speakers.
The 28-14 victory in Friday’s Division 6 Final was actually the record 15th time for the Titans, and 14th for coach Herb Brogan.
But as far as he was concerned, only this one mattered in the moment. So, good call, Ford Field DJ.
“(Winning a fourth straight) is important, but what’s most important is the accomplishments of this team, this year,” Brogan said. “Every team is different. But, the fact that we had never won four (in a row), we had one opportunity and didn’t take advantage of it, that was certainly in our conversation all year long. Something we kind of stressed to the kids that we’ve done some great things, but nobody has ever done this. Our slogan was ‘Leave Your Mark,’ and their mark is they were able to do something no other team has been able to do before.”
Friday marked the second-straight Division 6 title for the Titans, who had won in Division 7 in 2022 and 2023. Lumen Christi previously had won three straight championships one other time, from 2016-18.
While it was a tight game that was in doubt into the fourth quarter, for Brogan it was won with actions taken just days after the 2024 title win.
“I think the formula is pretty simple, and that’s to work hard,” Brogan said. “At the conclusion of the game last week, I pulled out my phone and showed the kids two pictures of two kids on this year’s team leaning out the back doors of the weight room last year throwing up. What makes that special is not what they were doing, because that happens all over the state. What makes that special is that was taken on the Monday after our state championship game.”
A fourth-quarter surge from Lumen Christi was what won the game on the field, as the Titans offense awoke from a Kingsley-induced two-quarter slumber to find its footing.
It started with a blocked 34-yard field goal attempt by Jake Contat with the game tied at 14.
That was followed by an eight-play, 72-yard drive which took up 4 minutes, 38 seconds of game time and was finished with a 23-yard touchdown pass from Benny Gaston to Johnny Walters.
With Kingsley driving near midfield on the next possession, Walters came up big again, this time with an interception.
“There was just a lot of energy, we were real excited,” Walters said. “But we knew it wasn’t over yet, and we had to keep going.”
The Titans did keep going, putting the game away with a 34-yard touchdown run by Sean Walicki with 2:20 to play. A fumble recovery on Kingsley’s next offensive play made it official.
“I have great respect for Kingsley, the players and the coaching staff. I thought they were really well-prepared and played really hard,” Brogan said. “... In the fourth quarter, I thought our offensive line really took over and controlled the line of scrimmage and allowed us to move the football.”
The end of the game was much like the beginning for the Titans (11-3), who jumped out to a 14-0 lead midway through the first quarter as Ayden Gatewood scored on a 25-yard run and Walicki broke off a 60-yard score.
But Kingsley (11-3) was unfazed, answering Walicki’s score with a 10-play, 62-yard drive that ended with a one-yard run by Andrew George.
It looked as though the Titans would take that 14-7 lead into the half, but Kingsley downed a punt on the one-yard line with 21 seconds left, and forced and recovered a fumble as the Titans attempted to run the clock out on the half.
Nolan Hodges came away with the ball at the 3, and while it was originally ruled that the Lumen Christi runner was down, review overturned the call.
One play later, Tucker Dreves found Gavin Lewis in the corner of the endzone for a touchdown, and the game entered the half tied at 14.
“I think the first thing that we always say about our kids is that we have fighters,” Kingsley co-coach Jason Morrow said. “We obviously didn’t play well in the first six minutes of that game, and you can’t take a team as talented and as well-coached as they are and spot them 14 points. But, incredibly proud of our kids. We go into the fourth quarter and it’s 14-14 and we had an opportunity because we have fighters.”
Those fighters really showed up on defense, as Kingsley held Lumen Christi to just 40 yards of offense between that second drive and the two game-changing fourth quarter drives.
Colton Goethals, Lewis and Hodges each had six tackles to lead that defensive effort. Lewis added 117 yards rushing to lead the Kingsley offense.
Walicki had a massive defensive effort to match his big day on offense, recording a game-high 17 tackles. On the other side of the ball, he rushed 11 times for 142 yards and the two touchdowns.
Gaston finished the day 8-of-13 passing for 111 yards and the touchdown to Walters. Antwon Baker and Brennan Brogan each added eight tackles for the Titans.
PHOTOS (Top) Lumen Christi’s Johnny Walters (8) and Nolan Huff (21) break up a pass intended for Kingsley’s Alex Figueroa (87) on Friday at Ford Field. (Middle) The Stags’ Tucker Dreves (9) closes in on a Titans ball carrier. (Below) Kingsley’s Andrew George (8) works to bring down Wes Learned.