1st & Goal: 2023 Week 9 Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 18, 2023
Memories are guaranteed to be made this weekend.
Only 288 teams qualify for the MHSAA Football Playoffs. And while the great majority have secured spots in the field to be announced Sunday, there’s still opportunity for last-minute movement this weekend; in 2021, 15 teams joined the field during Week 9, and last season that total was 14.
That also brings us to some potential history being made.
Perry may be on the verge of making the playoffs for the first time. The Ramblers enter the weekend 5-3, playing Bath (also 5-3) and sitting No. 25 on the Division 7 playoff-points average list. Hart also is playing to secure a first playoff berth and sits 7-1 in Division 6, hosting Ravenna (3-5).
Detroit University Prep Science & Math and Jackson Northwest are seeking the same, but likely will need help. University Prep is 5-3 and No. 37 on the Division 3 playoff-points average list, while Northwest is 4-4 and No. 38. The top 32 qualify in each 11-player division, and the top 16 qualify in both divisions of 8-player.
By the end of Saturday night, the field will be known – follow all of the playoff-point average movement in real-time on the Playoff Point Summary page.
How those teams are assigned to Districts and Regionals, and who plays who, will be announced at 6 p.m. Sunday on Bally Sports Detroit Extra. Tune in via your cable provider or the BSD website. Pairings will then be posted to MHSAA.com at 7 p.m., with dates, times and locations for all games added Monday.
(All games below are Friday unless noted.)
Bay & Thumb
Frankenmuth (7-1) at Gladwin (7-1)
This rematch of last season’s Division 5 championship game – won by Gladwin 10-7 on a field goal with two seconds to play – seems a fitting way to roll into these playoffs. Both continued league title streaks this fall, Gladwin with its third-straight in the Jack Pine Conference and Frankenmuth clinching its 12th-in a row in the Tri-Valley Conference. Both have losses against MHSAA championship contenders – Gladwin 56-21 to undefeated Division 5 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep and Frankenmuth 14-8 in its opener to 2022 Division 4 runner-up Goodrich. Both are putting up more than 40 points a game this fall with several new contributors, and depending on how the lines are drawn they could see each other a second time; Frankenmuth is No. 8 in Division 5 playoff-point average, and Gladwin is No. 14.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Ogemaw Heights (7-1) at Almont (8-0) - WATCH, Lapeer (5-3) at Davison (8-0), Port Huron (7-1) at Marysville (6-2), Croswell-Lexington (7-1) at Freeland (7-1) - WATCH.
Greater Detroit
Northville (8-0) at Belleville (8-0) - WATCH
The overall Kensington Lakes Activities Association championship is on the line, along with perfect regular seasons for both and Belleville’s 33-game winning streak. Five of eight teams in the KLAA East are .500 or better heading into this weekend, and Belleville outscored all of its conference opponents by a combined 345-18 over the last seven weeks. Northville, champion of the KLAA West, is the Tigers’ next challenger and another good one – the Mustangs are actually No. 2 in Division 1 playoff-point average, while Belleville is No. 6. Keep in mind, this again could be just the first round between these two over the next few weeks.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Birmingham Groves (6-2) at Birmingham Seaholm (7-1) - WATCH, Grosse Pointe North (6-2) at Grosse Pointe South (7-1), Detroit Denby (8-0) at Warren De La Salle Collegiate (6-2). SATURDAY Detroit Cass Tech (6-2) vs. Toledo Central Catholic (9-0) at Ford Field
Mid-Michigan
East Lansing (6-2) at Grand Ledge (6-2) - WATCH
The Capital Area Activities Conference Blue is one of few with title possibilities remaining, as East Lansing clinched a guaranteed share against Holt last week but Grand Ledge and DeWitt are both just one game back with this one (and DeWitt’s against Lansing Waverly) to play. East Lansing had won four straight over its longtime rival before the Comets prevailed 45-30 last season. After opening 0-2 against opponents that remain a combined 12-4, East Lansing has churned to 42 points per game over its last six games while giving up just 70 points total during that time. The Comets’ league loss came to DeWitt, 41-38 in Week 6, and they fell to Lapeer as well a week later before rebounding against Okemos to set up this title-share opportunity.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Goodrich (7-1) at Williamston (6-2), McBain (5-3) at Fowler (7-1) - WATCH, Harbor Beach (7-1) at Beal City (8-0) - WATCH, Berrien Springs (5-2) at Portland (8-0).
Northern Lower Peninsula
Traverse City Central (4-4) at Traverse City West (3-5) - WATCH
The annual Patriot Game between these neighbors at their shared Thirlby Field will no doubt have the same festive feel this weekend, but with different factors in play. Both are among three teams tied for second in the Saginaw Valley League Blue that’s already been clinched by Mount Pleasant, and instead both are battling for some level of playoff opportunity – Central is No. 29 in Division 2 playoff-point average, and West may only be able to play spoiler sitting at No. 41. Central last missed the playoffs in 2013, but has won this rivalry matchup four straight seasons although only 14-13 a year ago. West saw a similar run of postseason success end a year ago and has improved by a win this season – and adding one more no doubt would give the Titans something to build on for 2024.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Elk Rapids (4-4) at East Jordan (5-3) - WATCH, Grayling (5-3) at Lake City (6-2), Clare (6-2) at Petoskey (5-3) - WATCH. SATURDAY Muskegon Catholic Central (5-3) at Traverse City St. Francis (3-4) - WATCH.
Southeast & Border
Addison (8-0) at Napoleon (8-0)
It's tough to rank any game above Saline/Lake Orion below, but these two also are undefeated and meeting for the overall Cascades Conference championship in the first season after the league split into divisions. These teams have split their last six meetings – Napoleon winning 36-18 last year to finish off an outright Cascades title – and both soundly defeated their three mutual opponents on the way here. This will provide one last strong test heading into what surely will be tough playoff brackets for both. Napoleon is tied for No. 2 in Division 7 playoff-point average, but No. 1 Jackson Lumen Christi and No. 5 Clinton could be opponents soon. Addison is No. 7 in Division 8 playoff-point average with No. 1 Ottawa Lake Whiteford and No. 6 Hudson possibly down the road.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Hudson (7-1) at Clinton (7-1) - WATCH, Chelsea (7-1) at Dexter (6-2), Lake Orion (8-0) at Saline (8-0) - WATCH. SATURDAY Battle Creek Harper Creek (6-2) vs. Jackson Lumen Christi (7-1) at Ford Field.
Southwest Corridor
Paw Paw (8-0) at Niles (7-1) - WATCH
From a trophy perspective, this might be the most significant 11-player game in the state this weekend – a winner-take-all for the Wolverine Conference championship. Along the way, they’ve guaranteed an end to Edwardsburg’s league title reign at nine straight – including the last seven in the combined Wolverine after the league previously was split into divisions – and both contenders have left no doubt they are the elite in the league this fall. After opening with a 55-0 win over St. Joseph and then taking its lone loss to Stevensville Lakeshore, 15-14, Niles has outscored its other six Wolverine opponents by a combined 335-37, with three straight shutouts heading into this matchup. Paw Paw hasn’t had a game closer than three touchdowns all season and has outscored its other league opponents by a combined 227-53.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Union City (6-2) at Buchanan (5-3) - WATCH, Hastings (6-2) at Battle Creek Pennfield (4-4), South Haven (5-3) at Kalamazoo United (5-3), Stevensville Lakeshore (5-3) at Portage Central (7-1).
Upper Peninsula
Iron Mountain (8-0) at Negaunee (7-1), Thursday - WATCH
This matchup of Western Peninsula Athletic Conference powers kicks off Week 9 in a big way Thursday, as Iron Mountain dominated in winning the Iron championship and Negaunee came back from a Week 2 loss to claim a share in the Copper. Iron Mountain played in the Copper most recently, until this season, and the league matchups between these two were decided by three points twice and two points once – all Iron Mountain wins – before Negaunee claimed last year’s 19-14. The Miners this time are coming off a 13-6 win over Houghton – which the Mountaineers defeated 56-6 in the opener two months ago – and they’ve had no other common opponent. But what they do have in common are playing styles, as both have dominating defenses and potent run games.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Menominee (6-2) at Bark River-Harris (5-3) - WATCH, Gaylord (8-0) at Sault Ste. Marie (5-3) - WATCH, Saginaw Nouvel (3-5) at Manistique (4-4) - WATCH, Kingsford (7-1) at Marquette (5-2) - WATCH.
West Michigan
Hudsonville (5-3) at Rockford (8-0) - WATCH
The Ottawa-Kent Conference Red will be the last of the O-K divisions to fully crown its champion, as Rockford earned a share of the title last week with a 34-13 win over second-place Grandville but needs to down Hudsonville as well to clinch outright. That result over the Bulldogs was Rockford’s closest in league play this season and no opponent league or nonleague has gotten closer than 20 points. But Hudsonville can shake things up and showed the ability with its Week 2 win over East Lansing and narrow loss to Grandville in Week 5. Rockford has won the last eight meetings between this pair, but Hudsonville played the Rams to 42-31 a year ago despite finishing only 3-6. In fact, one more win would assure the Eagles their best record since at least 2019. Rockford sits first in Division 1 playoff-point average, guaranteeing three home playoff games if that position is maintained, while Hudsonville is slotting No. 24 and should benefit playing this game win or lose.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Coopersville (6-2) at Allendale (6-2), East Grand Rapids (6-2) at Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern (6-2) - WATCH, Montague (4-4) at Muskegon Oakridge (5-3) - WATCH, Schoolcraft (6-2) at Saugatuck (7-1) - WATCH.
8-Player
Indian River Inland Lakes (7-1) at Gaylord St. Mary (6-2), Saturday
This is also a winner-take-all as these two sit tied for first in the Ski Valley Conference. Inland Lakes has won the league title both seasons as part of it for 8-player football, including last year thanks to a 44-40 win over St. Mary on the way to the Snowbirds finishing second. All of that alone makes this big, but the St. Mary’s season also is on the line. Inland Lakes sits No. 8 in 8-player Division 1 playoff-point average, but St. Mary is No. 18, just outside the qualifying field after losing last week to Rudyard, which sits No. 16. Neither team has missed the playoffs since switching to the 8-player format, St. Mary in 2019 and Inland Lakes in 2020.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Posen (7-0) at Au Gres-Sims (7-1) - WATCH, Bay City All Saints (7-1) at Brown City (8-0) - WATCH, St. Ignace (7-1) at Pickford (8-0) - WATCH, Climax-Scotts (8-0) at Pittsford (7-1) - WATCH.
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PHOTO Ortonville Brandon and Goodrich face off Oct. 6 during a downpour. (Photo by Terry Lyons.)
Harbor Beach Finds Stride Early, Holds Off Hudson in Matchup of Unbeatens
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
November 28, 2025
DETROIT – Caden Bucholtz walked out of Ford Field with more than a Division 8 Football Finals title on Friday.
He also took home family bragging rights.
Bucholtz and several of his Harbor Beach teammates had fathers who played on the school’s 1991 Class C runner-up squad.
“We got one up on them,” Bucholtz said with a smile.
Those fathers are likely OK with that after watching their sons defeat Hudson 31-20 to wrap up a perfect 14-0 season and claim the second Finals title in program history.
“Great game, the guys just played their hearts out just like they have all year,” said Harbor Beach coach Troy Schelke, who also coached the 2012 title team. “We knew we were going to play a tough game and we were going to play the best we could, and we did that. Hudson was a great opponent. They were here for a reason. We had to finish the play right until the end when we took the knee.”
Bucholtz led the way for the Pirates, with 146 yards and one touchdown on the ground, adding 82 yards and two TDs through the air on 5-of-8 passing.
The 6-foot-1, 225-pound senior made play after play to keep Hudson at arm’s length throughout the game.
“We just couldn’t get off the field sometimes; their quarterback made some great plays,” Hudson coach Dan Rogers said. “Every time they needed a play and we needed to get off the field, their quarterback made great plays and he’s a great player. Credit goes to them.”
Harbor Beach looked to have put a stranglehold on the game early, building a 21-0 lead just inside 10 minutes remaining in the second quarter.
While Hudson’s offense had put up massive numbers all season, it didn’t seem built for comebacks, as it did nearly all of its damage on the ground leading up to Friday – rushing for more than 5,200 yards on the season, and attempting fewer than 50 passes.
The Pirates were similarly built, but it was Bucholtz’s arm that did a lot of the early damage.
He found Skiler Kruse for a 15-yard touchdown pass on Beach’s first drive, and tight end Matt Geiger on a 19-yard TD on its second.
Geiger’s TD was set up by a Harbor Beach fumble recovery at the Hudson 27.
“We knew they could throw,” Rogers said. “They haven’t had to much, but we knew the quarterback could run and throw, and they’ve got two really good tight ends. They have weapons, running backs out of the backfield. I wouldn’t say they threw more (than he thought), but they did a good job executing it.”
The Tigers did find some success on their next drive, but it ended on downs at the Harbor Beach 37.
Just four plays later, the Pirates had stretched their lead to three scores with a 25-yard touchdown run from Bucholtz.
While the Tigers (13-1) did get one stop and make enough big plays to keep things close, they never had the ball with a chance to tie, as Harbor Beach’s offense answered each time the lead was cut to a single score.
That included a 20-yard field goal by Kruse that made the score 31-20 with two minutes to play, all but sealing the victory.
It was fully sealed when Benson Harper intercepted a pass in the endzone with 26 seconds to play.
“(The early lead) was huge because (Hudson) never quit,” Schelke said. “They kept coming back and kept cutting it, and we kept answering back. A 21-point lead, we’ll take that any time. We had to make some stops defensively, and had to finish some scores. Had to bang in a big field goal at the end, and pick one off at the end, then take a knee. Great game, great year, great program here.”
Grayson Bills had a pair of touchdown runs to help keep Hudson in the game, of 15 and five yards. He finished the game with 148 yards rushing, which included a 41-yard run in the final minute of the first half that set the Tigers up in the redzone. They were unable to cash in, however, and trailed 21-6 as they entered the break.
Colt Perry had the other Hudson score, with a 53-yard run on the Tigers’ first possession of the second half. That, as well as Bills’ second TD, brought Hudson to within a score.
“I knew we could come back,” Bills said. “All season we’ve been working together. I had hope in our team and knew what we were capable of.”
Beckett Campbell, who rushed for more than 2,300 yards on the season, had 103 on Friday. Liam Timm and Devon Brigman led the Hudson defense with seven tackles apiece.
Kruse finished with 60 yards receiving on three catches for Harbor Beach, and added an 11-yard touchdown run to answer Perry’s score in the third quarter.
John Learman led the Pirates defense with 16 tackles. Harper, who was slowed for much of the season because of an injury, had 10 tackles to go along with his game-sealing interception.
That pick set off a full-on celebration from the Harbor Beach half of the stadium, which had been plenty loud throughout.
“It was everything to us,” Bucholz said. “It felt like the whole town was behind us no matter what. They were just there to support us. Whatever the outcome I think they would have still been there no matter what.”
PHOTOS (Top) Harbor Beach coach Troy Schelke hands off his team’s championship trophy to his players Friday at Ford Field. (2) Skiler Kiser (80) elevates to haul in a touchdown catch. (Below) The Pirates’ Benson Harper (10) works to break out of the grasp of Hudson’s Colt Perry.