1st & Goal: 2025 Week 5 Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
September 26, 2025
Football falls always seem to move fast, and we’ve already reached the midpoint of this 2025 regular season in what again feels like record time.
It’s never too early to start considering playoff possibilities, and you can follow along with by keeping an eye on MHSAA.com’s Playoff Point Summary page, which shows how all teams rank in their respective divisions, updating as scores are received all weekend. Remember, the top 32 in 11-player divisions and top 16 in 8-player will continue once the regular season concludes Oct. 25.
Scores for every game across the state this weekend will be posted on the MHSAA Scores page as they conclude. Tune into several on the NFHS Network, including those with “WATCH” linked below.
Bay & Thumb
Port Huron (3-1) at Port Huron Northern (3-1)
The midpoint of the regular season is also the midpoint of the Macomb Area Conference Blue schedule, and the standings show these two as the only teams undefeated in league play after two games. They’ve split their last eight, with two of those matchups in the playoffs. Reigning league champion Northern’s loss this season came to still-undefeated Madison Heights Lamphere by a 3-2 score, and the Huskies won last year’s showdown with the Red Hawks 30-23.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Clio (4-0) at Goodrich (4-0) WATCH, Unionville-Sebewaing (3-1) at Harbor Beach (4-0) WATCH, St. Clair Shores South Lake (3-1) at Marine City (3-1), Traverse City Central (2-2) at Midland Dow (3-1) WATCH.
Greater Detroit
South Lyon (4-0) at Walled Lake Western (3-1) WATCH
South Lyon is seeking to make the playoffs this season for the first time since 2022, and also sits alone atop the Lakes Valley Conference after Western saw its league winning streak end at 28 games with a Week 3 loss to Waterford Mott. The Warriors have defeated South Lyon the last three seasons, including 49-7 a year ago. But the Lions already have avenged 2024 defeats to White Lake Lakeland and Milford.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Farmington (3-1) at Birmingham Seaholm (4-0) WATCH, Rochester Adams (3-1) at Clarkston (3-1) WATCH, Detroit Community (4-0) at Melvindale Academy for Business & Tech (4-0), Grosse Pointe South (4-0) at Roseville (3-1).
Mid-Michigan
Michigan Center (4-0) at Leslie (4-0) WATCH
These two are only a game into the Cascades Conference East schedule but the only teams undefeated overall in the league with the next-best 2-2. This fall has seen nearly a direct reversal of Michigan Center’s 1-3 start a year ago, when the Cardinals then fell to 1-4 with a 33-31 loss to the Blackhawks. Leslie is the reigning league champion and last week avenged its lone 2024 regular-season defeat by downing Grass Lake.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Northville (4-0) at Brighton (3-1) WATCH, Grand Rapids Catholic Central (4-0) at Middleville Thornapple Kellogg (3-1) WATCH, Montrose (4-0) at Ovid-Elsie (3-1) WATCH, Williamston (4-0) at St. Johns (4-0) WATCH.
Northern Lower Peninsula
Traverse City St. Francis (4-0) at Kingsley (3-1) WATCH
The Northern Michigan Football Conference Legends division has at least one premier matchup every week, and this might be the best as these were two of the three co-champions a year ago and have a rivalry going back to the start of the league in 2014. St. Francis holds a 9-3 advantage during that time, and claimed last year’s meeting 49-20, but the series is knotted 3-3 since 2019.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Escanaba (4-0) at Cheboygan (2-2) WATCH, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (2-2) at East Jordan (2-2) WATCH, Clare (3-1) at Ogemaw Heights (3-1) WATCH, Midland (3-1) at Traverse City West (2-2).
Southeast & Border
Dearborn Divine Child (4-0) at Jackson Lumen Christi (2-2) WATCH
Divine Child has reached the playoffs the last three seasons, and this year has become one of the most intriguing stories of the first half. The Falcons have yet to give up a point, outscoring their four opponents by a combined 172-0. They’ve fallen 35-7 and 35-0 to Lumen Christi during their two seasons together in the Catholic High School League AA, and the Titans are certainly used to challenges with one of the state’s toughest schedules already featuring a pair of state champions and a semifinalist.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Hudson (4-0) at Adrian Madison (3-1) WATCH, Chelsea (4-0) at Dexter (3-1), Union City (3-1) at Quincy (4-0) WATCH, Adrian (3-1) at Ypsilanti Lincoln (4-0) WATCH.
Southwest Corridor
Buchanan (3-1) at Berrien Springs (3-0) WATCH
Berrien Springs is the reigning champion and Buchanan last season’s runner-up in the Lakeland Conference thanks to the Shamrocks’ 31-6 win over the Bucks last October. Berrien Springs actually has won the league the last two seasons and Buchanan won the first championship in 2022. The Shamrocks have had two weeks to prep for this matchup as they didn’t have a game for Week 4, but Buchanan should be riding high after bouncing back from a three-point Week 3 loss with a big win over Niles Brandywine.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills (4-0) at Battle Creek Harper Creek (3-1), Vicksburg (3-1) at Three Rivers (4-0) WATCH, Watervliet (2-2) at Kalamazoo United (2-2) WATCH, Hastings (3-1) at Battle Creek Pennfield (2-2) WATCH.
Upper Peninsula
Pewamo-Westphalia (4-0) vs. Bark River-Harris (3-0) at Gaylord WATCH
Whichever teams wins, this is a great result for both after both faced the likelihood of sitting home this week after losing their previously-scheduled opponents. Instead, they’ll meet in Gaylord, both among the top small-school teams on their sides of Mackinac Bridge this season. P-W, which already is facing an open date next week, has given up a combined 12 points this season and topped 50 all of its last three games. The Broncos’ Week 4 game was canceled but their early run has included a 30-22 win over Iron Mountain.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Menominee (4-0) at Houghton (2-2) WATCH, Calumet (3-1) at Kingsford (3-1) WATCH, Iron Mountain (2-1) at L’Anse (4-0) WATCH, Sault Ste. Marie (0-4) at Marquette (2-2) WATCH.
West Michigan
Zeeland West (3-1) at Zeeland East (3-1)
West has won the last nine meetings between these neighbors, going back to 2019. But there seems to be a bit more buzz around this matchup again, perhaps because the Dux –reigning champions in Division 3 – took a loss to Whitehall in Week 3, although the Chix also suffered their first last week to Hudsonville Unity Christian.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Reed City (3-1) at Big Rapids (4-0) WATCH, Rockford (3-1) at Grandville (3-1), Hudsonville (4-0) at Jenison (3-1), Cedar Springs (3-1) at Lowell (4-0) WATCH.
8-Player
Norway (4-0) at Pickford (4-0) WATCH
Pickford has won all three games between these two over the last two seasons, and last year’s Division 1 runner-up has been putting up video-game numbers again outscoring its first four opponents by a combined score of 234-14. But don’t sleep on the Knights, who have put up 212 points and given up only 30 so far, with a 58-8 win over otherwise-unbeaten Powers North Central. Likewise, Pickford handed Newberry its only defeat, 53-6.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Breckenridge (3-1) at Blanchard Montabella (4-0) WATCH, Kingston (4-0) at Brown City (3-1) WATCH, Hillman (4-0) at Indian River Inland Lakes (4-0) WATCH. SATURDAY Bay City All Saints (3-1) at Onekama (4-0) WATCH.
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PHOTO Cass City quarterback Preston Dorland (11) prepares to hand off to one of his backs during his team's 17-14 overtime win over Millington last week. (Photo by Terry Lyons.)
DeWitt Rewrites Finals Rushing Record Book in Completing Perfect Run
By
Scott DeCamp
Special for MHSAA.com
November 30, 2025
DETROIT – Traverse Moore had no idea about his record-setting day until the final moments of Sunday’s Division 3 Football Final.
“Honestly, I wasn’t worried about that. I was worried about getting the state championship win,” the shifty and speedy DeWitt senior quarterback said.
Moore and the Panthers left no doubt whatsoever. They ran into the history books.
On the strength of Moore’s Finals-record 397 rushing yards and four touchdowns, DeWitt rolled past Mount Pleasant, 54-20, in a battle of unbeatens at Ford Field. Moore’s effort shattered the record set in last year’s Division 6 Final by Jackson Lumen Christi’s Kadale Williams (314).
“We’ve been dreaming about it since fourth grade when we first started playing together. For this group of seniors to do that today, I couldn’t be happier,” said Moore, whose squad is the second from DeWitt to capture a Finals football title. The 2020 team won the first championship.
In DeWitt’s eighth championship game appearance, Moore scored three TDs in the opening quarter to tie a Finals record and help stake the Panthers to a 26-7 lead. The 6-foot, 195-pound Central Michigan University commit scored from 30 yards out barely two minutes into the contest, from 33 yards a little more than a minute later, and sprung free for a 74-yarder just past the midway point of the first quarter.
Moore’s fourth TD came on a 13-yard run barely three minutes into the second quarter. He had the Finals record for rushing yards early in the third quarter. He carried the ball 32 times in the game, good for 12.4 yards per attempt. Moore also completed 4 of 8 passes for 64 yards and a TD.
As a team, DeWitt (14-0) rushed for a Finals-record 575 yards on 58 attempts (9.9 per carry). It surpassed the previous record of 549 rushing yards by Constantine in the 2004 Division 6 Final.
Moore tipped his cap to DeWitt’s offensive line and tight ends, an all-senior unit comprised of Jackson Hildebrant at center, Sam VanZee and Luke Nolen at guards, Drew Rumsey and Landon Fitzpatrick at tackles, and Jacob Schorfhaar and Caleb Haman at tight ends.
“The guys up front have been special all year,” Moore said. “That’s a group of seniors that have been together since fourth grade – all of us have been together since fourth grade. They’ve been playing O-line since fourth grade, so that’s a special connection and they’re just workhorses, man.”
Sophomore Channing Ridley also reached the 100-yard plateau for DeWitt, finishing with 101 yards on 10 carries, including a 13-yard TD. Senior Jadon Bender caught a 35-yard TD pass from Moore, and junior Tyler Bashore closed out the Panthers’ scoring with a four-yard run. Bashore ended with 77 yards on 16 carries.
DeWitt piled up 219 rushing yards in the first quarter, 153 in the second, 73 in the third, and 130 in the fourth.
“In the offseason, we looked at what we had coming back,” said veteran DeWitt coach Rob Zimmerman, who completed his 27th season at the helm. “DeWitt’s probably known for being a team that throws the football around quite a bit. Last year we were physical and we threw a lot more, but with what we had coming back up front and the speed that we have, you can’t take away everything that we have.
“It’s a great combination with all the single-wing stuff that we do, which nobody else does, and so that’s an issue. But then we have the ability to run right at you and our counter game has been phenomenal for the last two years,” Zimmerman continued. “It’s a tough matchup, and then you add in the tempo, too, that we show quite a bit. I think we’re faster (in that tempo) than anybody else is as far as running plays. Put all of those things together, it’s pretty tough to stop.”
Mount Pleasant (13-1) got on the board midway through the first quarter on a 31-yard TD pass from junior Xavier Creguer to senior Riley Olson. Creguer added a four-yard scoring run with 12 seconds remaining in the first half, but the Oilers were still facing a 40-14 deficit headed into the halftime break.
Creguer joined Moore in the record books with his 91-yard TD run in the third quarter – longest in Finals history, surpassing 90-yard scoring runs by Edwardsburg’s Nick Bradley (2017) and Farmington Hills Harrison’s Nick Williams (1994).
It was an uphill battle for Mount Pleasant, which made its second Finals appearance and still seeks its first championship.
“I wonder if a little bit of the bright lights got to us to start with. We made a few mistakes from the start … . Just a few, little things that we’d like to have back,” Mount Pleasant coach Jason McIntyre.
“That’s a tremendous DeWitt team. It would have been really difficult to hang up the middle, but I think you saw what we could have done maybe if we would have been able to start a little fresher, a little cleaner. … Their offense is super difficult to defend. I thought we were well-prepared in terms of alignment, but the speed in which they do it and obviously No. 2’s (Traverse Moore) a really good player.”
Creguer finished with 162 rushing yards on 12 carries. He also threw for 66 yards.
Senior William Garcia led all defenders with 11 tackles for Mount Pleasant, while Olson notched 10 stops. Senior Lucas Brandell recorded a team-high six tackles for DeWitt.
DeWitt lost in last year’s Semifinal to eventual champion Zeeland West, 32-20. That defeat lingered with the Panthers and fueled them for this season’s run to glory.
“I mean, that stung. Last year stung. It hurt,” DeWitt senior Miller Wing said. “But when winter lifts rolled around, 5:45 in the morning, that’s the reason for it. It’s just staying together as a team. We’re so close.”
DeWitt has been a perennial contender in Division 3. The Panthers have advanced to the Semifinals or further seven of the last eight seasons.
According to Zimmerman, it’s all about the culture, establishing expectations, and putting in the work.
“The older kids have always helped our younger guys to understand the expectations within the program, and I think that’s a big part of why we’re where we’re at as a program,” Zimmerman said. “These guys want to be the next dude, and they work to get there.
“Ton of similarities (between the two championship teams) from a toughness standpoint, leadership standpoint, work ethic. I mean, these guys put in an unbelievable amount of time in the offseason to get where they’re at. This class, from sophomore (season on up), they’re 35-1 as a class, so it’s a pretty good group.”
PHOTOS (Top) DeWitt’s Sam VanZee (54) hoists teammate Traverse Moore into the air in the end zone Sunday. (Middle) Landon Kurncz (13) attempts to surge ahead with Mount Pleasant’s Keagan Wernette-Beals (11) and another defender wrapping him up. (Below) The Oilers’ Xavier Creguer prepares to take on a DeWitt defender.