1st & Goal: 2025 11-Player Semifinals Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 20, 2025
One more win.
For all 32 teams playing in 11-Player Semifinals on Saturday, that's all it will take to reach the final weekend of this season and an opportunity to play their last game of 2025 at Ford Field.
But it means so much more as well. For 11 teams, its means continuing an undefeated season. For five teams, it means a chance to repeat as a champion.
For six teams, it means continuing the longest playoff run in school history – and for one more, in guarantees that team will accomplish the same when it steps on the field for an MHSAA Final for the first time.
Here's a glance at all 16 games and some of the standouts who could make the difference. All games kick off at 1 p.m. unless noted below, and all can be watched on the NFHS Network at the links provided.
Division 1
East Kentwood (10-2) vs. Detroit Catholic Central (12-0) at Jackson WATCH
East Kentwood’s first Semifinal run since 2014 has been partly on the shoulders of senior quarterback Kayd Coffman, who has thrown for 2,599 yards and 34 touchdowns and also run for a team-high 686 yards and eight scores. Detroit Catholic Central is making a repeat trip to the Semifinals with a big-armed quarterback directing as well. Junior Duke Banta has thrown for 2,091 yards and 26 scores.
Detroit Cass Tech (12-0) vs. Rochester Adams (10-2) at Troy Athens WATCH
Reigning Division 1 champion Cass Tech relies on some especially notable familiar faces, among them senior Corey Sadler Jr., who is averaging 27.5 yards per catch with 1,406 yards and 19 touchdowns receiving total. Adams also is a repeat semifinalist and led by dual-threat senior quarterback Ryland Watters. He’s thrown for 1,348 yards and 13 touchdowns and run for a team-high 14 scores.
Division 2
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (9-2) vs. Portage Central (12-0) at Haslett, 12:30 p.m. WATCH
Portage Central is giving up only 5.3 points per game this season, but will receive potentially its greatest challenge from St. Mary’s and junior quarterback Jabin Gonzales – he’s thrown for 1,677 yards and 18 touchdowns and run for seven scores. The Mustangs will counter in part with sophomore running back Cam Noe, who’s totaled 1,563 yards and 19 touchdowns to pace a rushing attack that’s stacked nearly 3,500 yards.
Birmingham Groves (9-3) vs. Dexter (11-1) at Ypsilanti Lincoln WATCH
Groves is playing in its third Semifinal over the last four seasons and seeking to reach the championship round for the first time. Junior running back Jeremiah Whitley has carried much of the offensive load, running for 1,402 yards and 17 touchdowns. Dexter also is seeking its first Finals appearance after just missing with a close 2022 Semifinals loss. Senior quarterback Cooper Arnedt is just the fourth 11-player quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards, totaling 4,022 and 48 touchdowns through the air this fall. Those 48 TD passes are tied for third-most all-time.
Division 3
Lowell (10-2) vs. Mount Pleasant (12-0) at Greenville WATCH
Senior quarterback Logan Dawson has helped bring Lowell within a win of reaching the Finals for the first time since 2015. He’s run for 1,756 yards and 33 touchdowns and thrown for 923 yards and 14 scores. The Oilers are seeking their first trip to Ford Field since 2011, and follow a dual-threat quarterback as well. Junior Xavier Creguer has thrown for 1,548 yards and 20 touchdowns and run for 927 yards and eight scores.
Warren De La Salle Collegiate (6-6) vs. DeWitt (12-0) at Grand Blanc WATCH
Playing in Semifinals is plenty familiar to both of these programs, but this will be their first time facing off in the playoffs. Senior quarterback Trav Moore is one of two 1,000-yard rushers pacing the Panthers, and he’s run for 1,768 yards and 25 touchdowns and thrown for 12 more scores. Sophomore Grayson Thurston has taken over directing the Pilots this season and thrown for 1,788 yards and 17 touchdowns, and run for seven more TDs.
Division 4
Vicksburg (8-4) vs. Hudsonville Unity Christian (11-1) at Caledonia WATCH
Vicksburg is playing in its first Semifinal after a one-point win over previously-undefeated Portland, and the Bulldogs showed again they’re capable of lighting up the scoreboard led by junior quarterback Easton Moughton (2,748 yards/32 TDs passing). Unity is seeking to return to the Finals for the first time since 2021 and is closing in on 4,000 yards rushing as a team, led by senior quarterback Justin Febus (979 yards/16 TDs rushing, 1,014 yards/18 TDs passing).
Dearborn Divine Child (11-1) vs. Goodrich (12-0) at Rochester Hills Stoney Creek WATCH
Reigning champion Goodrich has won 25 straight games and remains physically tough to take down with senior running back Jakoby Lagat (1,973 yards/27 TDs) one of two 1,000-yard rushers this fall. Divine Child has held four of its last five opponents to single digits and opened this fall with five shutouts over its first six games. Senior safety/running back Marcello Vitti is among leaders on both sides of the ball.
Division 5
Ogemaw Heights (11-1) vs. Grand Rapids West Catholic (11-1) at Clare WATCH
West Catholic’s first run to the Semifinals since winning the 2022 Division 6 title has been keyed in part by a pair of 1,000-yard runners and senior quarterback Grady Augustyn, who has thrown for 2,015 yards and 19 touchdowns. Ogemaw Heights is playing in its first Semifinal since 2009, with senior running back Calvin Marshall helping set the pace with 1,140 yards and 21 scores on the ground.
Monroe Jefferson (11-1) vs. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (10-2) at Westland John Glenn WATCH
Reigning champion Pontiac Notre Dame Prep has been led on offense by a familiar standout this fall, as senior quarterback Sam Stowe has completed 70 percent of his passes for 2,498 yards and 38 touchdowns. Jefferson has dominated in the run game – the Bears have rushed for nearly 4,000 yards – but led by a talented quarterback as well, with junior Luke Beaudrie running for a team-high 1,974 yards and 31 touchdowns and throwing for 1,130 yards and 13 more scores.
Division 6
Kingsley (10-2) vs. Kent City (12-0) at Cadillac, Noon WATCH
Kent City’s best season keeps getting better, as the Eagles will play in their first Semifinal and coming off one of their highest-scoring games of the season. Senior Logan Thompson leads a talented set of rushers with 1,121 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground. Kingsley’s defense should be a good matchup; the Stags have allowed just 24 touchdowns – an average of two per game – with nine interceptions and 12 fumble recoveries.
Almont (12-0) vs. Jackson Lumen Christi (9-3) WATCH
Reigning champion Jackson Lumen Christi has allowed a combined 21 points over the last four games and can wear down opponents with a rushing attack led by senior running back Paul Sattler (1,153 yards/14 touchdowns). Almont succeeds similarly, with Brody Corneau (1,129 yards/17 touchdowns rushing) helping to set the pace on offense and a defense that has given up just 20 points over three playoff games.
Division 7
Pewamo-Westphalia (11-0) vs. Menominee (12-0) at Gaylord, 2 p.m. WATCH
These undefeated contenders also are no strangers to this late stage of the playoffs, as both have played at Ford Field this decade. Menominee has allowed just 23 points during the playoffs and scored 43 or more in every game, and quarterback Tanner Theuerkauf has done his share of the damage all season with 1,379 yards and 22 TDs passing. P-W also can pile up points, and senior quarterback Ty Thelen has been the catalyst throwing for 1,113 yards and 30 touchdowns and running for 1,163 yards and 23 scores.
Schoolcraft (10-2) vs. Clinton (10-2) at Coldwater WATCH
Schoolcraft is seeking its first trip to the Finals since 2001 and has a penchant for making big plays, with junior quarterback Jack DeVries throwing for 2,105 yards and 27 touchdowns – and averaging more than 20 yards per completion. Over the last two weeks, Clinton has defeated both teams that played for last year’s championship – reigning Division 7 title winner Millington and runner-up Monroe St. Mary – and sophomore quarterback Gradyn Whelan averages 19 yards per completion and is among his team’s leading rushers as well.
Division 8
Bark River-Harris (10-1) vs. Harbor Beach (12-0) at Alpena WATCH
Bark River-Harris is playing in its first Semifinal since 2003, with its only loss this season to Pewamo-Westphalia. Juniors Gionni McDonough (1,353 yards/22 TDs rushing) and Andrew Johnson (1,022/13) pace the offense, and the Broncos are holding opponents to just 88 yards per game running the ball. Harbor Beach is averaging nearly 277 yards rushing per game, with senior quarterback Caden Bucholtz running for 20 touchdowns as one of three Pirates who have scored at least 10 on the ground.
Allen Park Cabrini (11-1) vs. Hudson (12-0) at Adrian College WATCH
Hudson is defeating its opponents by an average of 40 points per game, with Grayson Bills (1,601 yards/21 TDs rushing) leading an offense that has topped 4,800 yards on the ground this fall. Cabrini has held opponents to single-digit scoring eight times during this first run to the Semifinals and lost only to Division 5 Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard. The Monarchs also can turn to junior quarterback Evan Bergdoll, who has thrown for 2,175 yards and 36 touchdowns.
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PHOTO Goodrich's Jakoby Lagat charges upfield during his team's 63-42 Week 9 win over Gladwin. (Photo by Terry Lyons.)
Central Lake/Ellsworth Remains Model of Football Cooperation
By
Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com
September 24, 2021
The year was 1989, and Dutch Essenberg was a freshman at Ellsworth High School. Playing football simply was not an option.
His Lancers hadn’t fielded a team in years.
Little did he know that he would get the opportunity to play football his junior and senior years thanks to the vision of Hugh Campbell and Denny YoungeDyke.
Campbell, a renowned community member of Ellsworth, and YoungeDyke, then the football coach at Central Lake, started discussing a co-operative agreement between the two schools – located just seven miles apart – about the time Essenberg was entering high school.
Also at that time, Jack Roberts became the MHSAA’s executive director, a post he held for 32 years. If you ask Campbell, Roberts got there just in time. Roberts is credited with developing plans for smaller schools to sponsor cooperative teams, and his legacy also includes being a champion of 8-player football.
The co-op produced great results immediately. The Trojans went undefeated the first year and suffered only two losses the second.
Today, without a co-op and the 8-player format, student-athletes at Ellsworth and Central Lake would not be playing high school football.
That’s something of which Daryl Purdy is extremely aware. He was a senior lineman at Central Lake when the schools started playing football together in 1991. Today his son Garrett is a senior at Central Lake playing for the Central Lake/Ellsworth Trojans. And, Daryl serves as assistant coach for the team.
The Trojans share the honor of the longest-running football co-op in Michigan history with Manistee Catholic Central/Mason County Eastern, which also participates in 8-player. Central Lake/Ellsworth moved to 8-player in 2017, and immediate captured the Division 1 championship.
The Trojans are hosting Homecoming and Bellaire, a big rival, tonight on the gridiron.
“Without the co-op today, we would not have football in Central Lake - period,” Daryl Purdy pointed out. “Even with the two schools combined, we have to go 8-man to be competitive.
“As much as it meant to me to play football, it means even more to me to watch my son play and be able to help assistant coach … and be there with him and share the experience with him — it is just mind-blowing to me.”
The co-op is extra special for Garrett, knowing his Dad played on the first team and competed against the Lancers in other sports right after.
“It is special, that’s for sure,” the senior center and nose guard said. “I am pretty good friends with everyone from Ellsworth.
“We all have a bond that lasts after football season too,” he continued. “We are still a family after football.”
Purdy, the coach, agrees.
“That’s what amazes me the most … the kids even then and today,” he said. “We are a family and friends during football season.
“And then we go turn back to warriors again during basketball and baseball season,” he added. “It also makes it more special and even more competitive.”
YoungeDyke, now retired, coached 17 years total at Central Lake. He was assisted in the successful co-op launch by Campbell, then the Lancers’ basketball coach and now president of the Ellsworth village council.
YoungeDyke cites Campbell as the key to all of the co-op’s success today. As a basketball coach, Campbell welcomed the additional training the boys could get in the fall.
“He’s kind of Mr. Ellsworth,” YoungeDyke said. “His whole life has been dedicated to kids of Ellsworth.”
YoungeDyke insisted Campbell come on board for the first season to help the community buy-in process.
“(Campbell) goes, ‘Ah, I am not a football coach,’” YoungeDyke recalled. “I said, ‘You know what Hugh, you’re a coach. A coach is a coach. It’s the only way it’s going to work.’”
Campbell, who remained the assistant coach for nearly a decade, credits Roberts with making the co-op a reality.
“Denny (YoungeDyke) and I and some others in Central Lake had been talking about (a co-op) for a while,” Campbell said. “We didn’t get anywhere until the new MHSAA director (Roberts) came from Wisconsin, and he liked co-ops. It’s really helped a lot of kids.”
The blessing of the co-op by the MHSAA led to a new helmet melding the Ellsworth Lancers and the Central Lake Trojans featuring a Trojan sword crossing an Ellsworth lance. It was designed by the co-op’s first manager, 11-year old Drew YoungeDyke, the coach’s son.
Drew went to play quarterback in the fall of 1996 and 1997 for the Trojans, alongside Nick Hopp, the Trojans’ current athletic director.
The younger YoungeDyke recalls his father wanting to make sure the Ellsworth players felt welcomed in the co-op and thought a new helmet design would extend the welcome mat.
“The two mascots — the Lancers and the Trojans — just made it real simple,” Drew said. “I just took a lance and I took a Trojan’s broadsword, and I just crossed them.
“I was 11, and it wasn’t like I was a design expert then,” he continued. “I remember sketching it out in my little like Trapper Keeper. It’s pretty cool to see that years later.”
Many like Drew believe football in the two communities would have ended within five years had the co-op not been created.
Central Lake/Ellsworth is 1-3 this fall after a 44-40 loss to Pellston last week, but also will be added to the MHSAA record book when this season is done after combining with Indian River Inland Lakes for the highest-scoring 8-player game in state history. The teams combined for 152 points Sept. 11 in Inland Lakes’ 86-66 win.
Today’s coach, Chase Hibbard, is thrilled to have nine Ellsworth student-athletes on the 23-player roster.
“If it wasn’t for Ellsworth, we would not have a team,” Hibbard indicated. “Every year the pool from Ellsworth is growing.”
Essenberg, who played receiver, quarterback and running back, liked the idea of playing for the Trojans even if only to get him in better shape for his junior basketball season with the Lancers.
Now Essenberg hopes the co-op will provide his son Nolan with a chance to play high school football. Nolan is 11.
“We were all kind of nervous because you know it was a rival town,” Essenberg said. “I remember coach YoungeDyke saying ‘if you don’t like it, you can leave.’
“Nobody left.”
Tom Spencer is a longtime MHSAA-registered basketball and soccer official, and former softball and baseball official, and he also has coached in the northern Lower Peninsula area. He previously has written for the Saginaw News, Bay County Sports Page and Midland Daily News. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Central Lake/Ellsworth’s receivers line up during a Week 4 game against Pellston. (2) Coaches (from left) Hugh Campbell, Denny YoungeDyke and Matt Peters talk things over with quarterback Drew YoungeDyke during the 1997 season. (3) Daryl, left, and Garrett Purdy. (4) Drew YoungeDyke’s helmet logo design remains a symbol of the community’s football cooperation 25 seasons later. (Photos courtesy of the Central Lake/Ellsworth football program.)