1st & Goal: 2026 Playoffs Week 2 Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 5, 2026
Rematch week often means rivalry week and frequently includes a side of revenge as well when teams earn the opportunity to see each other a second time during the MHSAA Football Playoffs.
Our 11-Player District and 8-Player Regional Finals this season feature notable rematches between rivals and neighbors that will surely rev up those communities. No matter what was on the line the first time around, this time the winner will hoist a mitten trophy – and the team that doesn’t will put away the helmets and pads for the winter.
Tickets for all games are available on GoFan.co, and 70 will be broadcast on MHSAA.tv. Click to follow scores as they are reported and next week’s matchups as they’re determined, and see below for more on a game in each division that could make the most major impact on its bracket.
11-Player Division 1
Grand Ledge (10-0) at East Kentwood (10-0) – Saturday WATCH
The champions of the Capital Area Activities Conference Red and Ottawa-Kent Conference Red, respectively, will meet in a rematch of a 2025 District opener won by East Kentwood 49-15. The Falcons’ closest games this season were 21-point victories over Grandville and Rockford, the latter also defeated by Grand Ledge last week 34-31. That was the Comets’ first game closer than 14 points this fall, and it will be interesting to see if that experience pays off if this matchup is decided by a similarly small margin.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Grand Blanc (10-0) at Clarkston (9-1) WATCH, Rochester (7-3) at Romeo (10-0) WATCH, Rochester Adams (7-3) at Rochester Hills Stoney Creek (8-2) WATCH.
11-Player Division 2
South Lyon East (8-2) at South Lyon (8-2) WATCH
South Lyon defeated rival East during both the regular season and District last season and will attempt to finish a repeat this fall after downing the Cougars 21-10 in Week 7. That win eventually allowed South Lyon to claim a share of the Lakes Valley Conference title and kept East from doing the same, and that victory also was the second in a current string of five that has seen the Lions give up no more than 15 points in a game. East has hit its stride offensively again and opened the playoffs by nearly doubling up Saginaw Heritage.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Muskegon Mona Shores (9-1) at Caledonia (8-2) WATCH, Midland Dow (8-2) at Milford (9-1) WATCH, Temperance Bedford (8-2) at Grosse Pointe South (9-1) WATCH.
11-Player Division 3
Detroit Martin Luther King (7-3) at Harper Woods (8-2) WATCH
Several eyes statewide will be on this District Final thanks to the star power on the field and potential for the winner to end up the eventual Division 3 champion. Both of Harper Woods’ losses were against teams still in this field as well, Chelsea and Mason, and the Pioneers bounced back from a Week 9 defeat to the latter to get past Warren Fitzgerald in its District opener. King lost its final two regular-season games, to Detroit Cass Tech and Cincinnati Moeller, but also bounced back well last week against Grosse Pointe North to earn this opportunity to win a 12th-straight District title.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Redford Thurston (9-1) at Chelsea (10-0) WATCH, Cadillac (8-2) at Mount Pleasant (9-1) WATCH, Warren De La Salle Collegiate (6-4) at Port Huron (10-0) WATCH.
11-Player Division 4
Portland (10-0) at Edwardsburg (10-0) WATCH
CAAC White champion Portland will attempt this week to finish a run through the elite of the Wolverine Conference, having defeated runner-up Paw Paw 22-13 in a District opener to set up this matchup with league leader Edwardsburg. Despite both having plenty of playoff success in the recent past, they’ve never met before, and this matchup will pit a pair of teams known for their offensive efficiency and rushing power, and ability to withstand both on the other side of the ball.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Grand Rapids South Christian (9-1) at Stevensville Lakeshore (9-1) WATCH, Adrian (9-1) at Dearborn Divine Child (9-1) WATCH, St. Clair (8-2) at Detroit Country Day (7-3).
11-Player Division 5
Negaunee (6-4) at Kingsford (10-0) – Saturday WATCH
Kingsford proved itself to be undoubtedly the best team in the Upper Peninsula during the regular season, especially with wins during the final two weeks over Menominee and Marquette. But the Flivvers’ closest game this fall – and in fact, one of only three decided by single digits – was 21-16 over Negaunee in Week 4. The Miners have played several tough teams in nail-biters this season, defeating Marquette by two and losing to Calumet, Kingsford, Menominee and Iron Mountain by a combined 19 points.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Hopkins (9-1) at Grand Rapids West Catholic (8-2) WATCH, Imlay City (8-2) at Saginaw Swan Valley (9-1) WATCH, Ida (8-2) at Monroe Jefferson (9-1).
11-Player Division 6
Gladwin (6-4) at Sanford Meridian (10-0) WATCH
The Jack Pine Conference division champs will meet for a second time in four weeks, and this is hardly the mismatch their records might seem to indicate. Meridian has been outstanding, 10-0 for the first time since 2015 and defeating six playoff teams to get here, including Gladwin 28-13 in their league crossover Oct. 16. But look at who the Flying Gs have played as well; they’ve defeated four playoff teams and lost to four more, and they opened their postseason last week with a 40-19 win over Northern Michigan Football Conference co-champion Harbor Springs.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Traverse City St. Francis (7-3) at Kingsley (10-0) WATCH, Montrose (8-2) at Marine City (10-0) WATCH. SATURDAY Clinton (9-1) at Detroit Edison (9-1) WATCH.
11-Player Division 7
Ithaca (9-1) at Millington (10-0) WATCH
Millington has shined on both sides of the ball in reaching 10-0 for the third time in four seasons, and the defense has made arguably the bigger impression. The Cardinals have given up more than 16 points only once, to Ubly which is also still alive, and their success in stopping Ithaca could decide this power-packed matchup. The Yellowjackets have scored at least 35 points in every game but one – their 29-26 loss to still-undefeated Beal City in Week 9 – and Ithaca also gave up only 26 points total over its other eight games this fall.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Ottawa Lake Whiteford (8-2) at Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (9-1) WATCH. SATURDAY North Muskegon (9-1) at Schoolcraft (8-2) WATCH, Ravenna (8-2) at Constantine (9-1) WATCH.
11-Player Division 8
Springport (9-1) at Decatur (10-0) WATCH
Springport’s Week 3 loss to Beal City is the only defeat between these two teams, who together have put together impressive two-year stretches – Springport is a combined 20-2 with two Big 8 Conference titles, and Decatur a combined 17-3 with a pair of Southwest 10 Conference championships. They do have one shared opponent this fall; Decatur defeated Vermontville Maple Valley 22-6 last week and Springport downed the Lions 21-14 in Week 4. But that’s just another sign of their similar strengths – both teams have multiple-touchdown wins over quality opponents, and both also have shut down the majority of offenses they’ve faced. This could be low-scoring and close.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Unionville-Sebewaing (8-2) at Ubly (7-3) WATCH, East Jordan (8-2) at Beal City (10-0) WATCH. SATURDAY Clarkston Everest Collegiate (9-1) at Royal Oak Shrine Catholic (9-1) WATCH.
8-Player Division 1
Deckerville (9-1) at Dryden (10-0) WATCH
Dryden’s most successful season since 2008 already includes a 44-38 win over Deckerville in Week 5 that ended up deciding the Big Thumb Conference Blue title, and a repeat result would give the Cardinals their first Regional title since 1996. Deckerville is more familiar with this stage of the postseason, as the Eagles are seeking a fourth-straight Regional title, but they must show they can further slow down a Dryden attack that averages 55 points per game and has gone over 80 twice.
Other Regional Finals FRIDAY Ishpeming (8-2) at Pickford (8-2) WATCH, Colon (9-1) at Climax-Scotts (8-2), Blanchard Montabella (9-1) at Merrill (9-2) WATCH.
8-Player Division 2
Gaylord St. Mary (10-0) at Lake Linden-Hubbell (10-0) – Saturday WATCH
Both teams are chasing history with this titanic matchup. Lake Linden-Hubbell last won a Regional title just a few seasons ago, in 2023, but an 11th win would give the Lakes their most since their Class D championship season of 1997. Gaylord St. Mary is playing to reach 11 for the first time since 2002 – when the Snowbirds won their most recent Regional title. Lake Linden-Hubbell has played only one single-digit game this fall and follows an offense that has reached 42 points in all 10. St. Mary has played only one single-game digit too and will attempt to match Lakes scores with an attack that’s reached 50 points seven times.
Other Regional Finals FRIDAY Britton Deerfield (8-2) at Bay City All Saints (9-1) WATCH. SATURDAY Grand Rapids Sacred Heart (9-1) at Portland St. Patrick (10-0) WATCH, Marcellus (7-3) at Mendon (10-0) WATCH.
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PHOTO Southfield Bradford’s Dalon Lyons carries the ball during his team’s 30-0 Week 2 win over Detroit Pershing. (Photo by Olivia B. Photography.)
New Football Coaches Rise for PCCP Schools
By
Tom Markowski
Special for Second Half
August 30, 2018
CANTON – Athletically, the Plymouth-Canton Community School system is like no other.
Canton, Plymouth and Salem are the three high schools and all equally share student-athletes, who are randomly assigned to one of the three high schools in seventh grade.
This football season there is an added twist for the football players. All three schools have new varsity head coaches.
Former assistant Andy Lafata has taken over at Canton, while Brian Lewis has taken over Plymouth after leading Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard last season and Justin Reed brings championship experience to Salem after most recently assisting at Warren DeLaSalle and then Livonia Clarenceville.
“We’re finding out as coaches that the seniors don’t care that there is a new coach,” Lafata said. “There are goals that are attainable. They have high expectations. They don’t care who’s coaching. They want results.
“Plymouth (as a school district) has high expectations. It doesn’t matter (who the head coach is). What you learn is the kids are still the same. And we owe it to them to be the best coaches we can be.”
Two started 1-0 last week, Plymouth downing Livonia Stevenson 35-11 and Salem defeating Wayne Memorial 23-14. Canton opened with a 35-21 loss to Livonia Churchill.
Athletes’ expectations may be the same at all three schools, but as noted, the district is unique. Without being specific to the point of confusing, here’s the nutshell on how PCCS students are assigned to a high school:
As noted above, students entering seventh grade in the district are assigned at random, by computer, to one of the three high schools. It doesn’t matter where they want to study or whether they want to play football at Canton or softball at Plymouth or soccer at Salem. A student’s name is in the computer, and the selection process plays no favorites. If a student transfers into the school system, that student also has a 33 percent chance of attending any of the three schools.
Individual classes, however, can be a mix of students from all of them. It’s common for a student at Plymouth to have algebra classmates from Canton or Salem. You could have a student sitting next to you, and on Friday that same student could be doing his or her best to tackle you in the open field. All three high schools are located on the same campus, so classrooms are equally accessible to students from all three.
Still with me? In addition there is just one marching band that represents all three schools – and the only time it plays during a football game is during homecoming for each.
Back to football. Of the three programs, the players at Canton might appear to have the easier time adjusting to the new coach. Lafata is a 2005 graduate of Canton and spent the last 10 seasons as an assistant coach under Tim Baechler, who retired as head coach following last season's 10-2 finish. Lafata was the starting center on the 2005 team that, with Baechler at the helm, reached the school’s only MHSAA Final – losing to Rockford, 31-21, in Division 1.
Reed, Salem’s new coach, is leading a program for the first time. His previous coaching experience, seven years in all, was split as an assistant between four schools – Royal Oak, Sterling Heights Stevenson and Warren DeLaSalle and, most recently, at Livonia Clarenceville in 2017. The Rocks finished 5-5 last season.
At 29, Plymouth’s Lewis is the youngest of the trio, but he does have experience as a head coach after leading Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard in 2017. Plymouth is coming off a 4-5 season, and his Gabriel Richard team was 7-3.
Lafata, 30, also benefitted by being hired in February. Reed was hired in early June, Lewis a few weeks later.
“To tell you the truth, having three schools on campus is unusual,” Lewis said. “We just focus on ourselves. The other things that happened (in the district) doesn’t affect us. The challenge for me, (Plymouth) is bigger than Richard. The bigger challenge is, I’m an east-sider. I have to learn the different nuances of how they run things here. It’s a work in progress. I have great administrative support. I’m hitting the ground running.”
Lewis was wise to surround himself with coaches who have experience at the high school and college levels. One important hire was his father Mike Lewis, a longtime defensive coordinator at DeLaSalle and Detroit Catholic Central, Mike’s alma mater. Lewis also lured Mike Mach away from Catholic Central where his father, the legendary Tom Mach, coached for 41 seasons. Cory Zirbel, a former University of Michigan offensive lineman, is also on the staff. Zirbel coached with Rich Rodriguez at Arizona.
Lewis played football at DeLaSalle and then cut his coaching teeth at his alma mater, Michigan, as an offensive analysist – or what Lewis termed as a sort of graduate assistant, from 2012-14. When Brady Hoke was fired as U-M’s head coach, Lewis decided to place his family (he has a wife, Teddi, and a 1-year-old child, Evelyn) above a potential college coaching career as he pursued teaching and coaching at the high school level instead.
Reed, 34, spent his first three seasons as an assistant at Royal Oak before going to DeLaSalle under Paul Verska, and he helped the veteran coach win the Division 2 title in 2015. He’s been working toward this kind of opportunity.
“To have your own program, for the first time, the hardest thing is to convince the community that it’ll work,” he said. “For Andy it’s different. It’s a carryover.
“It’s a positive atmosphere here. They’re craving for success. We’re adding kids all the time. I got my 35th player (on varsity) the day after our first scrimmage. We have a freshmen team, too. They didn’t have one last year. It’s invaluable. It was a lot of work. I was kind of like a salesman.
“It’s an exciting time. For all three of us.”
Lafata, by all accounts, was the right person at the right time to replace Baechler. The retired coach had built the program into not only one of the best in the Detroit area, but one that competed well throughout the state. Since 1999, Canton has made the playoffs every season but one. The Chiefs came within one play of reaching the Finals a second time but lost to Detroit Cass Tech in a 2015 Semifinal, 48-41.
“Last year we knew every week was a special week,” Lafata said. “We all knew Tim would leave once his son (Lou, a linebacker) graduated. It was like being a senior when you knew this would be the last year that this group would be together.”
Lafata also is the offensive coordinator, a position he held under Baechler. Don’t look for Lafata to change the way Canton plays, especially on that side of the ball. The Chiefs will continue to run the full-house, T-formation with double tight ends and on occasion slip a receiver out wide with one of the three backs on a wing.
“Canton stays Canton,” he said. “We coach what we know.
Tom Markowski is a columnist and directs website coverage for the State Champs! Sports Network. He previously covered primarily high school sports for the The Detroit News from 1984-2014, focusing on the Detroit area and contributing to statewide coverage of football and basketball. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Clockwise from left: Salem coach Justin Reed, Canton coach Andy Lafata and Plymouth coach Brian Lewis. (Middle) Lafata stands for the national anthem with his players. (Below) Salem players celebrate last week during a win over Wayne Memorial. (Photos submitted by respective athletic departments.)