1st & Goal: 2025 Week 3 Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
September 11, 2025
The Michigan High School Football Coaches Association and Michigan Sports Writers both released their first state rankings of the season this week, providing their opinions on the top teams in every division.
There are always a few programs that dominate from start to finish. But this season already seems like it could provide an audible.
Consider, of 602 teams playing 11 or 8-player football this fall, only 179 (just under 30 percent) after just two games. And that total is guaranteed to decrease by 28 teams over the next two days as we have that many matchups of unbeatens – several of which are noted below.
Some related food for thought: Although we finished the 2024 regular season with 27 undefeated teams statewide, only Millington and Deckerville hoisted MHSAA Finals championship trophies without taking a loss. We had only two undefeated champions in 2023 as well, but five in 2022.
You'll again have the opportunity to tune into several games this weekend on the NFHS Network. Scores for every game across the state will posted on the MHSAA Scores page as they conclude.
Bay & Thumb
Ithaca (2-0) at Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary (2-0)
This matchup determined league championships in both 2022 and 2023, and Ithaca has won 20 straight league games including all five in the Tri-Valley Conference Blue a year ago. MLS gave the Yellowjackets their closest league game (35-14) last fall and is off to a solid start outscoring its first two opponents by a combined 82-8. Ithaca’s is coming off one of the state’s more notable victories of Week 2, 36-7 over Lawton.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Bay City John Glenn (2-0) at Essexville Garber (2-0) WATCH, Durand (2-0) at Montrose (2-0) WATCH, Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central (2-0) at Saginaw Valley Lutheran (2-0) WATCH, Harbor Beach (2-0) at Ubly (1-1) WATCH.
Greater Detroit
Rochester Adams (2-0) at West Bloomfield (2-0) WATCH
Arguably the most competitive league in the state – the Oakland Activities Association Red – begins play with what should be a challenging matchup for both of these opponents. Adams claimed year’s meeting 21-17 on the way to eventually reaching the Division 1 Semifinals, and has a couple of big wins so far this fall over Romeo and Rochester. West Bloomfield has won both of its first two games by 37-0 scores, shutting out Dearborn Fordson and Southfield Arts & Technology.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Birmingham Groves (1-1) at Harper Woods (2-0), Clarkston (1-1) at Oxford (2-0) WATCH, Gibraltar Carlson (2-0) at Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (1-1) WATCH, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (2-0) at Warren De La Salle Collegiate (1-1).
Mid-Michigan
Williamston (2-0) at Mason (1-1)
Williamston can finish reversing last season’s 0-3 start with a win over Mason, which won last year’s meeting 34-20. This matchup again kicks off the Capital Area Activities Conference Red schedule, and Mason has won 18 straight league games and the last three Red titles. The Bulldogs fell just short in their comeback attempt last week against DeWitt, but have won six in a row over the Hornets – who have been impressive in revenge wins over Lansing Catholic and Hastings.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY St. Johns (2-0) at Fowlerville (2-0), Midland Dow (2-0) at Mount Pleasant (2-0), Portland (2-0) at Olivet (2-0) WATCH, Northville (2-0) at Howell (2-0) WATCH.
Northern Lower Peninsula
Davison (2-0) at Traverse City Central (2-0)
Davison has dominated these meetings the last three seasons, with three victories all by at least 35 points. But Central also is 2-0 heading into this game for the first time during that run and has scored a combined 96 points in big wins over returning playoff qualifiers Novi and Parma Western. Davison edged Warren De La Salle Collegiate last week 23-21 to avenge a 2024 defeat after opening with a 17-point win over Roseville.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Boyne City (2-0) at Cheboygan (1-1) WATCH, Kalkaska (2-0) at East Jordan (2-0) WATCH, Escanaba (2-0) at Petoskey (1-1) WATCH. SATURDAY Marquette (1-1) at Gaylord (2-0) WATCH.
Southeast & Border
Grand Rapids Catholic Central (2-0) at Jackson Lumen Christi (1-1) WATCH
We featured Lumen Christi in this space last week as well, but it’s hard not to again when the Titans have arguably the toughest nonleague schedule in the state. They’re coming off wins over two 2024 champions – Lombard Montini from Illinois and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep from Division 5 – and now get an opponent that fell just a win shy of also playing for the Division 5 title last season. Grand Rapids Catholic Central is facing its first in-state opponent after earning wins over teams from Illinois and Ontario.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Adrian (2-0) at Chelsea (2-0) WATCH, Blissfield (1-1) at Clinton (1-1) WATCH, Tecumseh (2-0) at Ypsilanti Lincoln (2-0) WATCH, Ann Arbor Huron (1-1) at Dexter (2-0).
Southwest Corridor
Schoolcraft (1-1) at Constantine (2-0)
This is a matchup we circle every season, and it’s easy to explain why. Constantine’s 31-29 win over Schoolcraft a year ago, while its third straight, was the second in a row decided by one score or less, as have been five of their last 12 matchups. Both teams went on to great success last season, Constantine winning a District title and Schoolcraft claiming its Regional. And while the Eagles do have an early loss, it came last week to Division 4 power Hudsonville Unity Christian.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Battle Creek Harper Creek (1-1) at Coldwater (2-0) WATCH, Kalamazoo United (1-1) at Lawton (1-1) WATCH, Three Rivers (2-0) at Otsego (1-1) WATCH, Niles (2-0) at Paw Paw (0-2) WATCH.
Upper Peninsula
Calumet (2-0) at Negaunee (2-0) WATCH
The Western Peninsula Athletic Conference Copper division is among the deepest leagues in northern Michigan, sending four teams to the playoffs last year with two more finishing 4-5. Calumet and Negaunee have been two of the frequent contenders, Negaunee last sharing the league title in 2023 and Calumet most recently in 2021. The Miners won last year’s matchup 29-0 and the last five in the series.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Hancock (0-2) at Houghton (0-2) WATCH, Iron Mountain (1-1) at Manistique (1-1) WATCH, Gladstone (0-2) at Kingsford (1-1) WATCH, Ishpeming Westwood (0-2) at Menominee (2-0) WATCH.
West Michigan
Caledonia (2-0) at Hudsonville (2-0) WATCH
These two are among four Ottawa-Kent Conference Red teams that have started 2-0, with three more at 1-1 as league play begins. Grandville and Rockford have especially notable wins among that 1-1 group, and this league race truly could be wide open – which will make every game including this one especially important. Hudsonville last season broke a three-year losing streak against Caledonia, and despite substantial graduations has opened with impressive victories over Byron Center and East Lansing. The Fighting Scots’ 56 points last week against Muskegon Reeths-Puffer were their most since 2023.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Hudsonville Unity Christian (2-0) at Ada Forest Hills Eastern (2-0) WATCH, Grand Rapids West Catholic (1-1) at Grand Rapids South Christian (1-1), East Kentwood (2-0) at Jenison (2-0), Grand Rapids Northview (2-0) at Sparta (2-0).
8-Player
Pickford (2-0) at Newberry (2-0)
Pickford has won the last two Great Lakes Eight Conference East titles, and last year’s run to finishing Division 1 runner-up included a 44-14 win over Newberry. But Newberry already has one victory this season over a team that reached Superior Dome a year ago – 22-20 over reigning Division 2 champion Crystal Falls Forest Park in Week 1 – and last week’s 34-14 victory over Ontonagon also avenged a 2024 loss.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Deckerville (2-0) at Bad Axe (2-0) WATCH, Adrian Lenawee Christian (2-0) at Climax-Scotts (1-1), Britton Deerfield (1-1) at Colon (2-0), Concord (2-0) at Mendon (2-0) WATCH.
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PHOTO Ithaca and Lawton players attempt to reel in a pass during the Yellowjackets' Week 2 win. (Photo by High School Sports Scene.)
Bollman Cousins Making Plenty of Noise as 'Wrecking Balls' for Surging Big Rapids
By
Tom Kendra
Special for MHSAA.com
October 9, 2025
BIG RAPIDS – On Friday nights, the Bollman boys are always in the middle of the action, bringing the muscle and the fight and the power to the Big Rapids football team.
But for the rest of the weekend, senior Jack Bollman and his first cousin, junior Max Bollman, are happiest when they are able to get away from it all at their family’s deer hunting ranch in nearby Canadian Lakes – appropriately named “The Sanctuary.”
“I just love being out there,” said Jack, a four-year starting running back for the Cardinals. “Our whole family works out there, and it’s just a great environment. It’s our second home, out in nature.”
The Bollmans haven’t spent much time at The Sanctuary lately, as they are laser-focused on what is becoming a special season for Big Rapids (6-0), which earned honorable mention in the latest Division 4 state rankings and heading into Friday’s game at Grant.
The Cardinals are known for their triple-option veer offense, operating out of the shotgun and often with four wideouts. But if the defense gets spread out too thin, the Bollmans will make it pay.
“Jack and I, we look at it as our job to bring the physicality on every play,” said Max, a 6-foot-1, 235-pound defensive end who also plays tight end, primarily in short-yardage and goal-line situations. “We want to be a problem for the other team. Other teams know that we can pass, but we can run over you, too.”
The Bollmans are part of a golden era of Big Rapids football under 11th-year coach Mike Selzer. The Cardinals – who were 7-3 in 2022, 10-2 and Regional finalists in 2023 and 9-2 last season – are hoping to take a couple more steps this fall with a senior-laden roster.
“We have so much experience this year that our practices are not learning things, but just fine-tuning and adjusting,” said Selzer, who starts 10 seniors on offense and nine on defense. “That experience makes it much easier to make adjustments on the fly during games.”
Big Rapids has overwhelmed its first six opponents, with the closest game a 19-7 win at Paw Paw in the opener. The big Central States Athletic Association Red showdown against Reed City on Sept. 26 turned into a one-sided 40-13 win.
Senior quarterback Cole Haist has completed 59-of-90 passes for 947 yards and 11 touchdowns, and rushed for 249 yards and a team-high nine touchdowns. He throws the ball to a plethora of receivers on the edge, notably seniors Trenton Mossel, Owen Craven, Kurt Wilber and Wyatt Skiera.
But when it comes to short-yardage situations, Max Bollman will check in as a tight end and often lead the way for his cousin, Jack, who is the team’s leading rusher with 56 carries for 429 yards, an average of 7.7 per carry, and six touchdowns.
Big Rapids is looking forward to a big game Week 8 at perennial Division 3 playoff team Coopersville, before pursuing its ultimate goal of a Division 4 championship.
The Cardinals appear to be on a collision course with familiar rival Ludington, which is also unbeaten and features a senior-heavy team led by senior quarterback Cam Gunsell. Big Rapids nipped Ludington, 28-21, in last year’s playoff opener.
In preparation for this postseason, Selzer is working on team-building every Tuesday to try and give his a little edge. This past Tuesday, he brought in Saginaw Valley State assistant coach Jeremy Prudhomme for some trust and team bonding exercises.
“We’ve been climbing every year, and now we want to take those final steps,” said Haist, a three-sport athlete who is in his second year as the team’s starting quarterback. “We have the talent and the ability to go farther. Now we are working on that belief to know we can do it.”
One bond that is already unbreakable is between the Bollman boys, who have grown up together and played football together since they were little kids.
The duo is especially lethal on defense, as the leaders of a group that has allowed only 33 points all season – fewer than six per game.
Max Bollman, a third-year starter as a junior who already has a Division I college offer from Central Michigan, is the leader of that unit from his edge position, with 24 tackles, five tackles for loss and three sacks. Jack Bollman (5-11, 215) has 14 tackles from his linebacker spot, including four for loss and one sack.
“Max is an off-the-charts kid in terms of strength, and he demands a lot of attention – but he has a motor unlike any kid I have ever coached,” said Selzer, a Wayland native who coached for 11 years at Potterville before taking the Big Rapids job in 2015.
Jonathan Losinski, a senior middle linebacker, is the team’s leading tackler with 26 stops, while Bryce Selzer and Austin Brandt both have 18 tackles.
But the emotional leaders of the Cardinals’ defense are the Bollmans, who are double trouble for every opponent.
“We have a bond, that’s for sure,” said Jack, who is hoping to play college football next year. “We want to be dangerous and blow up plays. Other teams have told us after the game that it’s unbearable to try and block us both on the same play.
“I would say we are like two giant wrecking balls out there, plowing things over.”
Tom Kendra worked 23 years at The Muskegon Chronicle, including five as assistant sports editor and the final six as sports editor through 2011. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Muskegon, Oceana, Mason, Lake, Oceola, Mecosta and Newaygo counties.
PHOTOS (Top) At left, Max Bollman lines up from at defensive end, while at right, Jack Bollman finds his way into the end zone against Howard City Tri County. (Middle) Junior Max Bollman (10) and his cousin, senior Jack Bollman (7). (Below) Mike Selzer is in his 11th year as head coach at Big Rapids. (Photos provided by the Big Rapids football program.)