1st & Goal: 2025 Week 6 Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 3, 2025
League title time has arrived as this Michigan high school football season rumbles into October.
We've already celebrated one champion this season, and that crowd should grow substantially this weekend as several leagues move into the final games of their schedules and leaders begin guaranteeing they'll finish with at least a share of the conference crown.
All of our games featured below will have league title implications either this week or over the next few. Watch for scores for every game across the state this weekend as they are reported on the MHSAA Scores page, and tune into several on the NFHS Network, including those with “WATCH” linked below.
Bay & Thumb
Ithaca (5-0) at Saginaw Valley Lutheran (5-0)
Tonight’s winner claims a share of the Tri-Valley Conference Blue championship with one more league game to play. Ithaca has won every matchup with Valley Lutheran since they joined the TVC together in 2006, but the Chargers over the last three seasons also are enjoying their best run of success in more than a decade. Both have played comparably close games against Michigan Lutheran Seminary this fall – Ithaca winning by two points in Week 3 and Valley Lutheran by 10 last week.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Armada (4-1) at Almont (5-0) WATCH, Mount Pleasant (5-0) at Bay City Western (3-2) WATCH, Bay City John Glenn (4-1) at Frankenmuth (4-1) WATCH, Ogemaw Heights (4-1) at Midland Bullock Creek (3-2) WATCH.
Greater Detroit
Macomb Dakota (5-0) at Romeo (3-2) WATCH
Reigning co-champ Dakota can clinch a share of its third Macomb Area Conference Red title over the last four seasons, while Romeo would clinch a share of its first since 2021. A Romeo victory also would be its first in the series since that Bulldogs’ title-winning run. They’ve put together a nice string of victories heading into this matchup, starting with a 34-28 win over the other reigning Red co-champ Utica Eisenhower in Week 3. Dakota’s only single-digit game was a 14-10 season-opening win over Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, although Romeo and then Eisenhower should make the start of October their toughest challenge to date.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY South Lyon (5-0) at Waterford Mott (3-2) WATCH, Hazel Park (4-1) at Madison Heights Madison (4-1), West Bloomfield (5-0) at Oxford (3-2) WATCH, Rochester Adams (3-2) at Rochester Hills Stoney Creek (4-1) WATCH.
Mid-Michigan
Williamston (5-0) at Haslett (4-1)
The winner earns a share of the Capital Area Activities Conference Red title – Williamston potentially continuing its rebound from last year’s 3-7 season, and Haslett after just missing out on last year’s championship due to an overtime loss to eventual Red winner Mason. While the focus tonight may be on offense – Williamston with it’s high-powered passing game and Haslett with its college recruit-loaded running attack – defense may be the decider. The Hornets haven’t allowed a point since Week 2. Haslett – after holding DeWitt to a season-low 21 points in their opener – hasn’t given up more than 14 in a game.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Lansing Everett (4-1) at Grand Ledge (5-0) WATCH, DeWitt (5-0) at Holt (3-2) WATCH, Goodrich (5-0) at Owosso (4-1) WATCH, Howell (4-1) at Hartland (3-2) WATCH.
Northern Lower Peninsula
Boyne City (4-1) at Traverse City St. Francis (5-0)
St. Francis can finish its Northern Michigan Football Conference Legends slate undefeated after getting past Kingsley by a point a week ago. Kingsley owns a Week 4 win over Boyne City – setting up an identical scenario as last year when Boyne City also fell to the Stags but then defeated the Gladiators 23-20 to create a three-way shared title. And it doesn’t easier from here for either team; Boyne’s last two opponents this regular season are both still undefeated, and St. Francis takes on reigning Division 5 champion Pontiac Notre Dame Prep and 2024 Division 6 winner Lumen Christi over the next two weeks.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Mancelona (3-2) at East Jordan (3-2) WATCH, Maple City Glen Lake (3-1) at Kalkaska (5-0) WATCH, Cadillac (2-3) at Petoskey (2-3) WATCH, Midland Dow (4-1) at Traverse City West (3-2).
Southeast & Border
Chelsea (4-1) at Ypsilanti Community (3-2)
Although Chelsea would still need one more win after this weekend to clinch a share of another Southeastern Conference White title, a victory tonight would be a nice rebound off last week’s 42-28 loss to Dexter and extend the Bulldogs’ league winning streak to 14 over the last three seasons. Ypsilanti hasn’t downed Chelsea since 2015, but needs just one more win this fall to guarantee its best finish since 2020 after defeating Pinckney last week to avenge a 2024 defeat.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Tecumseh (3-2) at Adrian (4-1) WATCH, Saline (5-0) at Ann Arbor Huron (3-2) WATCH, Adrian Madison (3-2) at Ida (4-1) WATCH, Stockbridge (2-3) at Springport (5-0) WATCH.
Southwest Corridor
Schoolcraft (4-1) at Lawton (4-1) WATCH
Recent history sends this matchup to the front of a strong slate of games in the southwest this week. After matching up from different divisions of the Southwestern Athletic Conference in a 2019 District Final – won by Schoolcraft – these two have played together in the SAC Valley and determined that league’s champion four of the last five seasons. Schoolcraft broke Lawton’s three-year hold on the Valley title with a 17-3 win in last year’s regular-season meeting, and also claimed a Division 7 District Final rematch 38-0.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Kalamazoo United (3-2) at Constantine (4-1), Berrien Springs (3-1) at Dowagiac (4-1), Three Rivers (4-1) at Niles (5-0) WATCH, St. Joseph (3-2) at Portage Northern (4-1) WATCH.
Upper Peninsula
Marquette (3-2) at Escanaba (5-0) WATCH
This annual rivalry showdown assures Escanaba won't look ahead to a potential Big North Conference-deciding Week 7 matchup against Gaylord. Escanaba is one win away from guaranteeing its best finish since 2019 and seeking its first victory over Marquette since 2017, after the Sentinels won last year’s meeting 28-7. Marquette fell to undefeated Gaylord by just a point in Week 3 and will be Escanaba’s biggest fan if it can get a win tonight and revive its BNC title hopes.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Houghton (2-3) at Calumet (3-2) WATCH, Bark River-Harris (3-1) at L’Anse (4-1) WATCH, Gladstone (2-3) at Menominee (5-0) WATCH.
West Michigan
Hudsonville (5-0) at Rockford (4-1) WATCH
The Ottawa-Kent Conference Red, top to bottom, may be as strong as it’s ever been – and these two are again the frontrunners. Hudsonville broke through last season for its first win over the Rams since 2016 and went on to finish the season at Ford Field as the Division 1 runner-up. The Eagles faced arguably their toughest challenge this season last week and shut out Jenison 42-0, while Rockford also is coming off a 28-0 shutout of a solid Grandville team.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Grand Rapids Christian (3-2) at Grand Rapids West Catholic (4-1), Belding (4-1) at Fruitport (3-2), Muskegon (3-2) at Muskegon Mona Shores (3-2), Hudsonville Unity Christian (5-0) at Zeeland West (4-1).
8-Player
Lake Linden-Hubbell (4-1) at Power North Central (4-1) WATCH
This is only the second week of the Great Lakes Eight Conference West schedule, but this game almost assuredly will impact the league championship picture with these two and undefeated Bessemer the anticipated contenders. North Central’s Week 2 loss to Norway looks better by the week as the undefeated Knights lead the GLEC East, and the same can be said of LL-H’s season-opening defeat to still-unbeaten Felch North Dickinson from the GLEC Central. The Jets have won six of their last eight against the Lakes, including 60-8 a year ago but after LL-H swept regular-season and playoff matchups in 2023.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Peck (4-1) at Kinde North Huron (3-1) WATCH, Concord (3-2) at Pittsford (4-1) WATCH, Indian River Inland Lakes (5-0) at Rogers City (4-1), Central Lake (3-2) at Onekama (5-0) WATCH.
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PHOTO A Muskegon ball carrier outruns Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern's pursuing defenders during the Big Reds' 40-21 win last week. (Photo by Tim Reilly.)
Resilient Shelby Turning Struggles Into Strength During 1st Playoff Run in 12 years
By
Tom Kendra
Special for MHSAA.com
November 6, 2025
SHELBY – Not many football teams could sustain back-to-back heartbreaking losses to end the regular season – compounded with losing their senior starting quarterback to a broken hand during the first of those defeats – and still go on a playoff run.
But not many football programs have endured half the adversity Shelby has over the past 10 years.
“Show me a place of struggle, and I’ll show you a place of strength,” said fifth-year Shelby coach Phil Fortier, who started as an assistant in 2009 at the Oceana County school, located near the towering Silver Lake Sand Dunes.
“We struggle with a lot of things here at Shelby, but there is a resilience. These kids don’t quit, and they are used to bouncing back.”
Shelby (6-4) shook off season-ending road losses at Mason County Central and Muskegon Orchard View with an impressive, 20-2 road victory at LeRoy Pine River in last weekend’s Division 7 District Semifinal – the school’s first playoff win in 12 years.
The Tigers will travel a little farther north this Friday to Harrison (8-2), seeking their first District championship since advancing to the Semifinals in 2012 and 2013.
What has transpired with Shelby football since that high-water mark is a case study in what can happen at a small, rural school when things start snowballing in the wrong direction. The Tigers have not won more than three games over the past 11 years, with five winless seasons.
When Fortier stepped up to the head coaching job in 2021, he had his eyes on a dynamic group of middle schoolers who could turn things around.
Among that special group are senior Isaac Garcia and junior Jaylin Henderson, who have led the Tigers’ turnaround season by sharing the crucial quarterback spot in the veer-option offense.
While a two-quarterback system is not unique, one that is split exactly 50-50 certainly is rare. Garcia and Henderson both have attempted 67 passes and completed 35 of them, with Henderson having a slight edge in passing yardage (624 to 620) and Garcia the edge in touchdown passes (6 to 4).
Garcia has leadership skills galore – he is the one his teammates look to in times of trouble, and he is also extremely accurate in the short-passing game.
Henderson, an MHSAA Individual Wrestling Finals qualifier last winter at 157 pounds, has athletic ability coming out of his ears, according to Fortier. He can throw a deadly deep ball on one play, then run over a linebacker on the next.
“I have been watching Tony Annese up at Ferris using all types of different quarterbacks in this offense,” said Fortier, who works closely with offensive coordinator Forrest Courtright. “Here we are with these two super-talented kids who bring different skills to the position, so why not use them both?”
In addition, Garcia was serving as a mentor for his talented, but younger, teammate.
“Isaac has really helped me a lot with my reads,” explained Henderson, who is second on the team with 95 carries for 617 yards and 10 touchdowns. “He gives me feedback and helps me to get better every week.”
The system was working beautifully, as Shelby raced to a 5-2 start, highlighted by a 28-18 win over rival Hart and a 44-8 manhandling of Muskegon Catholic Central.
Then came the first half of the Week 8 game at Mason County Central, when Garcia’s right (throwing) hand got crunched against a helmet on a kickoff, resulting in a broken metacarpal bone.
Just like that, the training wheels were off for Henderson, who is now Shelby’s all-the-time QB and has responded with his legs against Orchard View (19 carries for 144 yards and two TDs) and his arm against Pine River (8-of-14 passing for 155 yards and one TD).
It helps that the Tigers have a pair of 6-3 wide receivers in Trevor Weiss and Evan Waller, dangerous slot receiver DayDay Garcia and the constant threat of junior fullback and leading rusher Brody Fessenden (140 carries for 786 yards and 11 TDs).
“At this point in the season, our chemistry is really good,” said Henderson. “I trust all of our receivers. If I give them a chance, they will make the catch.”
Meanwhile, Garcia has been fitted with a club to protect his right hand and is back starting at safety, where he came up with a huge sack on third down and a pass deflection on fourth down to stop a late Pine River drive during last week’s playoff opener.
His return to the field has energized and motivated his teammates, who are watching their leader refuse to let even a broken throwing hand stop him in his senior year.
“At first, when the injury happened, I was very sad and depressed and didn’t want to leave my room,” said Garcia, a three-sport athlete who also competes in basketball and track.
“Then when they told me that I could play with a club, that brought my mood way up. It’s kind of like our team, we’re not gonna let anything stop us.”
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) Jaylin Henderson celebrates a Shelby touchdown during the Tigers' 28-18 win over rival Hart in Week 3. (Middle) Isaac Garcia waits for the snap as running back Brody Fessenden stands ready. (Below) Garcia and coach Phil Fortier celebrate with the "Blood, Sweat & Tears" trophy after Shelby's win over Hart. (Photos courtesy of the Shelby football program.)