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.
MHSAA.com's weekly “1st & Goal” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Click to connect with MI Student Aid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTO Goodrich's Jakoby Lagat charges upfield during his team's 63-42 Week 9 win over Gladwin. (Photo by Terry Lyons.)
1st & Goal: 2025 Week 2 Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
September 4, 2025
When Ishpeming travels to Crystal Falls Forest Park tonight, it will be the first time the Upper Peninsula powers have met since 2022 – and a matchup of two of the first MHSAA Finals champions, as Forest Park won the first Class D title in 1975 and Ishpeming claimed the first championship in Class C that fall.
Meanwhile, much farther south, we’ll look to our first meeting this season of 2024 champions as Jackson Lumen Christi hosts Pontiac Notre Dame Prep.
Those are just a pair of Week 2 matchups that pop off the page, but there are plenty of note as we start another September. Nearly 75 percent of those mentioned below will be broadcast on the NFHS Network, along with several more, and scores for every game across the state will be posted on the MHSAA Scores page as they conclude.
Bay & Thumb
Ottawa Lake Whiteford (1-0) vs. Harbor Beach (1-0), Saturday at Davison WATCH
This Saturday showdown pits a pair of playoff teams from a year ago that were both expected to face tough matchups in Week 1 – and won their games 56 and 34 points. Harbor Beach has strung together 15 straight regular-season victories and downed Cass City 42-8 after the defeating the Red Hawks by just two points in 2024. Whiteford opened with a 56-0 shutout of a Blissfield team it edged by just seven last season.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Warren De La Salle Collegiate (1-0) at Davison (1-0), Saginaw Swan Valley (1-0) at Frankenmuth (0-1) WATCH, Goodrich (1-0) at Lapeer (0-1), Midland Dow (1-0) at Saginaw Heritage (0-1) WATCH.
Greater Detroit
Detroit Catholic Central (1-0) at Toledo Central Catholic (0-1)
This matchup ended up deciding the Catholic High School League Central championship last year as DCC won their Week 2 meeting 21-7 and carried the league lead through the rest of the regular season. The Shamrocks received some of the greatest attention of any team statewide this preseason and justified it with a 41-7 win over Clinton Township Chippewa Valley last week. Central Catholic, an eventual Ohio state runner-up last fall, took reigning MHSAA Division 1 champ Detroit Cass Tech to the end last week while losing 28-27.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Harper Woods (1-0) at Clarkston (1-0) WATCH, Oxford (1-0) at Birmingham Groves (1-0) WATCH, Grandville (1-0) at Detroit Cass Tech (1-0) WATCH, Port Huron Northern (1-0) at Madison Heights Lamphere (1-0) WATCH.
Mid-Michigan
Williamston (1-0) at Hastings (1-0)
Williamston made some noise starting the season with a 46-14 win over Lansing Catholic, which finished Division 6 runner-up last fall. Hastings will provide a second opportunity for the Hornets to avenge a 2024 loss, as they fell to the Saxons 16-12 a year ago during a 1-5 start that still turned into a playoff berth. Hastings – a District finalist the last four seasons – won its opener last week 31-29 over Middleville Thornapple Kellogg with a field goal as time expired.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Reed City (0-1) at Belding (1-0), Mason (1-0) at DeWitt (1-0) WATCH, New Lothrop (1-0) at Durand (1-0) WATCH, Portland (1-0) at Lansing Sexton (0-1) WATCH.
Northern Lower Peninsula
Traverse City St. Francis (1-0) at Ogemaw Heights (1-0) WATCH
We knew Ogemaw Heights was leveling up with its 2023 win over St. Francis, and although the teams didn’t play each other last year the Falcons are a combined 19-4 over the last three, including a pair of District Final losses. They opened with a big win last week over Flint Hamady, while St. Francis set the tone with a 30-6 victory over Maple City Glen Lake, which like the Gladiators was a league champion last season.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Gaylord (1-0) at Kingsley (1-0) WATCH, Harbor Springs (1-0) at Mancelona (1-0) WATCH, Frankfort (1-0) at Maple City Glen Lake (0-1) WATCH, Kalkaska (1-0) at Oscoda (1-0) WATCH.
Southeast & Border
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (1-0) at Jackson Lumen Christi (0-1) WATCH
After two games last week across the state featured teams that finished at Ford Field last year, here’s the first between reigning champions as Division 5 Notre Dame Prep looks to add to last season’s 28-24 win over eventual Division 6 title winner Lumen Christi. That proved to be the Titans’ only loss of 2024, and although they opened this season falling 20-16 at Lombard Montini Catholic of Illinois, they’ll surely be amped to attempt to avenge last year’s defeat.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Clinton (0-1) at Adrian Madison (1-0) WATCH, Ypsilanti Lincoln (1-0) at Ypsilanti Community (1-0), Hudson (1-0) at Ida (1-0) WATCH, Traverse City Central (1-0) at Parma Western (1-0).
Southwest Corridor
Hudsonville Unity Christian (1-0) at Schoolcraft (1-0) WATCH
Schoolcraft reached the Division 7 Semifinals last season and has loaded its nonleague schedule with Unity joined by annual matchups against Centreville and Constantine and a Week 9 meeting with Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep. Three of those four opponents won at least eight games last season, and Unity began building on last year’s 10-1 run with a 55-14 win over Whitehall last week.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Plainwell (1-0) at Galesburg-Augusta (1-0), White Pigeon (1-0) at Hartford (1-0), Ithaca (1-0) at Lawton (1-0) WATCH, Edwardsburg (1-0) at St. Joseph (0-1) WATCH.
Upper Peninsula
Bark River-Harris (1-0) at Iron Mountain (1-0) WATCH
As one of the smallest among the best, Bark River-Harris doesn’t always make the conversation when we talk about contenders from the Upper Peninsula – but it should. The Broncos have reached the playoffs eight of the last 11 seasons and last week already avenged a loss from 2024. But Iron Mountain has been a nemesis. The Mountaineers have won all 10 meetings since the teams began playing each other annually in 2018, with a couple of playoff matchups in there as well.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Cadillac (0-1) at Escanaba (1-0) WATCH, Ishpeming Westwood (0-1) at Calumet (1-0) WATCH, Kingsford (0-1) at Houghton (0-1) WATCH, Negaunee (1-0) at Gladstone (0-1) WATCH.
West Michigan
Rockford (0-1) at Muskegon (0-1)
The last time these two both started the season 0-1 was 2015, and this matchup could tell mean a lot moving forward this fall. Granted, a second loss won’t end anyone’s season – but a win will really help. Muskegon has Byron Center, Mona Shores and Cincinnati Moeller among others left on the schedule, and Rockford will see three 2024 playoff teams during league play plus a fourth that upset the Rams last year. Rockford downed the Big Reds in last season’s meeting 28-21 and 27-7 in 2023.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Byron Center (0-1) at East Kentwood (1-0) WATCH, Portage Central (1-0) at Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (1-0) WATCH, Vicksburg (1-0) at Grand Rapids Northview (1-0) WATCH, Coopersville (0-1) at Grand Rapids West Catholic (0-1).
8-Player
Portland St. Patrick (1-0) at Morrice (1-0)
Morrice’s only loss last season on the way to the Division 2 championship game came in Week 4 against St. Patrick, and the Orioles avenged that 17-point defeat with a 28-22 Regional Semifinal win over the Shamrocks. The rivals are 2-2 against each other since becoming league foes again in 2022, and as usual both are coming off big opening-night wins – Morrice 49-0 over St. Charles and St. Patrick 62-12 over Merrill.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Mendon (1-0) at Britton Deerfield (1-0) WATCH. FRIDAY Ishpeming (0-1) at Crystal Falls Forest Park (0-1) WATCH, Newberry (1-0) at Ontonagon (1-0) WATCH, Norway (1-0) at Powers North Central (1-0) WATCH.
MHSAA.com's weekly “1st & Goal” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Click to connect with MI Student Aid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTO A Goodrich defender chases down Frankenmuth's quarterback during the Martians' Week 1 win. (Photo by Terry Lyons.)