1st & Goal: 2026 Week 1 Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
August 27, 2026
If recent numbers hold true this season, 33,000 Michigan high school football players are waking up this this week at the dawn of another season.
The most-played high school sport across the state kicks off again over these next few days, with 184 games tonight, 112 on Friday and six Saturday.
There will be showcases to enjoy, including the Amazon Prep Kickoff Classic at Wayne State, the Battle at the Big House at Michigan, and the Vehicle City Gridiron Classic at Flint’s Atwood Stadium. There are also two rematches of 2025 MHSAA Finals, and we highlight those below among our glances at top games from every region.
The great majority of varsity games are scheduled to be broadcast this weekend on the NFHS Network. Follow the MHSAA Scores page all weekend – and all season – for scores as they’re submitted.
Bay & Thumb
Goodrich (12-1) vs. Frankenmuth (10-2) at Michigan Stadium – Thursday
These two will meet at Michigan Stadium for the second time in four years as this opener continues to set a nice tone for two of the state’s most annually successful programs – the Eagles have reached double-digit wins six straight seasons, and Goodrich has done the same all of the last four. Frankenmuth has a 3-2 edge in this recent series, but Goodrich won last year’s matchup 17-14.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Harbor Beach (14-0) at Cass City (6-4), Belleville (7-3) at Grand Blanc (10-1), Detroit Country Day (4-5) at Saginaw Swan Valley (10-2). FRIDAY Saginaw Heritage (4-5) vs. Mount Pleasant (13-1) at Michigan Stadium.
Greater Detroit
Hudsonville Unity Christian (12-2) at Dearborn Divine Child (13-1) – Friday
This is a rematch of last season’s Division 4 Final, won by Divine Child 23-22 as the teams traded touchdowns and leads during the fourth quarter and the Falcons stopped a Unity two-point conversion try with 6:44 to play and then ran out most of the rest of the clock. That final quarter no doubt has stuck with both programs through the offseason, and this might be the most intriguing game statewide this weekend.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central (8-3) at Allen Park Cabrini (11-2), Muskegon Mona Shores (5-5) at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (11-2). FRIDAY Macomb Dakota (7-4) at Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (6-5), Jackson Lumen Christi (11-3) at Detroit Edison (9-3).
Mid-Michigan
DeWitt (14-0) vs. Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills (8-2) at Wayne State – Thursday
The reigning Division 3 Panthers are looking to extend a run that has seen them lose only once over the last two seasons, and after both of those teams ranked among the highest scoring in MHSAA history. DeWitt’s backfield will have some changes as it enters this Amazon Prep Kickoff Classic matchup, but expectations will be high again. Kenowa Hills is coming off a league title and will turn to Michigan prospect Lundon Hampton to again carry a significant offensive load.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Traverse City West (5-5) at Howell (9-2), Lansing Sexton (6-4) at Lansing Everett (5-5), Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (5-5) at Ithaca (8-4). FRIDAY North Muskegon (7-4) at Pewamo-Westphalia (11-1).
Northern Lower Peninsula
East Jordan (7-4) at Charlevoix (8-2) – Friday
These two took last season off from facing each other, but Charlevoix has won their last 10 matchups going back to 2014 and will look to kick things off in a big way again after winning their first eight games a year ago. Like the Rayders, East Jordan has made the playoffs every season this decade and would love to take major momentum into Northern Michigan Football Conference play, which lasts the rest of the regular season as the league is one division with eight league games this fall.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Croswell-Lexington (4-5) at Petoskey (5-4). FRIDAY Freeland (7-3) at Ogemaw Heights (11-2), Novi (3-6) at Traverse City Central (7-5), Mancelona (5-5) at Maple City Glen Lake (9-2).
Southeast & Border
Rockford (8-3) at Saline (10-2) – Friday
These two Division 1 powers will lock up on opening night for the second-straight season after Saline coach Kyle Short led the Hornets to a 37-28 opening win over his alma mater a year ago. Saline went on to reach the Regional Finals before falling to eventual Division 1 runner-up Detroit Cass Tech, while Rockford is coming off a run that ended with a District Final loss to rival Hudsonville.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Harper Woods (11-1) at Chelsea (9-2), Brighton (7-4) at Dexter (12-2). FRIDAY Hudson (13-1) at Hanover-Horton (9-3), Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (8-3) at Ottawa Lake Whiteford (8-2).
Southwest Corridor
Kalamazoo United (9-3) at Constantine (6-4) – Thursday
These rivals are meeting after United won the Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore and Constantine finished second a year ago, thanks to a Titans 34-7 win in Week 6. The SAC is playing as only one division this fall, with all nine games against league opponents, and this matchup could set an early tone in what should be a highly-competitive league race.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Jenison (4-6) at Kalamazoo Central (6-4), Caledonia (4-5) at Portage Northern (7-3), South Haven (5-4) at Lawton (8-3). FRIDAY McBain (8-3) at Edwardsburg (6-4).
Upper Peninsula
Escanaba (9-2) at Kingsford (7-4) – Thursday
A 21-18 win over Kingsford in last season’s opener no doubt helped propel Escanaba early on the way to its best finish since 2018, and was the program’s first win over the Flivvers since 2019. Although the longtime Great Northern Conference rivals now go separate ways for league play, this one could still end up playing out this season as a matchup among two of the best north of the Mackinac Bridge.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Negaunee (6-4) at Marquette (6-4), West Iron County (4-5) at L’Anse (5-5). FRIDAY Marinette, Wis. (6-4) at Menominee (14-0), Houghton (2-7) at Calumet (7-3).
West Michigan
East Grand Rapids (9-3) at Lowell (10-3) – Thursday
After arguably losing a little bit of its punch for a few seasons, this annual rivalry game will have a lot of eyes again with EGR coming off its winningest season since 2017 and Lowell its best since 2016. The Red Arrows won last year’s matchup 40-7, breaking the Pioneers’ previous three-year hold on the series.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Hudsonville (11-1) at Byron Center (7-4). FRIDAY Paw Paw (6-4) at Big Rapids (10-2), Zeeland West (8-4) at Cedar Springs (8-2), Grand Rapids West Catholic (13-1) at Grand Rapids Northview (5-4).
8-Player
Blanchard Montabella (11-2) at Martin (13-0) – Thursday
This is another 2025 championship game rematch, as Martin downed Montabella 52-8 in last season’s Division 1 Final. The Clippers have won three of the last four Division 1 titles, and despite graduating some significant playmakers return 1,000-yard rusher Seth Toris. Montabella also returns some of its best on both sides of the ball. The Mustangs plan to return to 11-player football in 2027, but will finish this run through 8-player with one of the most competitive early-season schedules all-time as they also take on reigning Division 2 champ Portland St. Patrick in Week 2.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Pittsford (7-3) at Britton Deerfield (9-2). FRIDAY Climax-Scotts (8-3) at Concord (5-4), Hillman (6-4) at Indian River Inland Lakes (9-1). SATURDAY Merrill (8-3) at Newberry (6-3).
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PHOTO The sun rises on the new stadium turf at Pewamo-Westphalia this summer. (Photo by James Pivarnik.)
Cvengros Leaves Lasting Impact
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 1, 2014
Retired Associate Director Jerry Cvengros, who served at the Michigan High School Athletic Association for more than 13 years after three decades at Escanaba High School, died Monday evening in Lansing. He was 80.
As lead assistant to Executive Director John E. “Jack” Roberts from August 1988 until retiring in January 2002, Cvengros served as director of football and briefly hockey in addition to coordinating the Program of Athletic Coaches Education (PACE), presenting annual in-service training for administrators and serving as MHSAA liaison to statewide principals, athletic directors and coaches associations.
He came to the MHSAA after 30 years at Escanaba, where he taught, coached, served as athletic director and later principal during a tenure stretching from August 1958 through July 1988. While at Escanaba, Cvengros also represented Upper Peninsula Class A and B schools on the MHSAA Representative Council from 1983-88 and served as the Council’s president from 1986-88.
Cvengros received the MHSAA’s Charles E. Forsythe Award in 2000 in recognition of his many and significant contributions to interscholastic athletics.
“During his lifetime, Jerry Cvengros impacted every area of interscholastic athletics as a coach, athletic director, principal and then associate director of the MHSAA," Roberts said. “He was the perfect combination of fairness, toughness and diplomacy, able to draw on a vast knowledge of MHSAA rules and an understanding of educational athletics fostered by his various experiences.
“Jerry was known and respected statewide for his dedication, and his contributions have had a lasting impact.”
Cvengros built an elite football program at Escanaba as varsity head coach from 1962-84, leading the Eskymos to a 161-42-3 record, a Class A runner-up finish in 1979 and the MHSAA championship in 1981. That team remains the only Class A/Division 1 team from the Upper Peninsula to win an MHSAA football title. Cvengros was inducted into the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame and served on its original Board of Directors.
His 1979 team fell to Detroit Catholic Central 32-7, but he brought the Eskymos back to the Finals for a 16-6 win over Fraser two seasons later. Cvengros' championship lineup included quarterback Kevin Tapani, who would go on to pitch for the Minnesota Twins among five major league clubs, and tailback Dean Altobelli, who later played at Michigan State University. The title run included a 15-14 Semifinal win over Dearborn Fordson that included a savvy two-point conversion call by Cvengros, who wanted to avoid overtime after a late score drew Escanaba to within a point of tying the score.
As the MHSAA’s director of football, Cvengros was instrumental in creating the current playoff format that expanded the field from 128 to 256 teams beginning with the 1999 season. He also co-authored “Youth Football: A Complete Handbook,” a guide to coaching at that level.
Among many additional honors, Cvengros was inducted into the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame and Michigan High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame and received the Distinguished Service Award from the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. The National Federation of State High School Associations twice awarded Cvengros with a Citation – the NFHS’ highest honor – for his service as a coach and then as a member of the MHSAA staff.
Since his retirement, Cvengros and his wife Shelley have continued to reside in Okemos. A visitation will take place beginning at 10 a.m. Monday, April 7, at St. Martha Parish in Okemos, with a funeral Mass to follow at 11 a.m.
Cvengros was a 1951 graduate of Ironwood High School and went on to study and play football at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He earned his bachelor’s degree in secondary education and teaching from the University of Wisconsin-Superior and a master’s from Northern Michigan University.
He taught English, history and physical education at Escanaba High School and also coached basketball and track and field. He became the school’s athletic director in 1970, added the duties of activities director in 1975 and became principal in 1983.
Cvengros is survived by his wife and children Michael, Steven and David, and seven grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his daughter Lee Ann (Cvengros) Swasey in May 2013.
PHOTOS: (Clockwise from left) Escanaba quarterback Mike Beveridge fires a pass during the 1979 Class A Final; Cvengros co-authored a book on coaching youth football; Cvengros was celebrated once more in Escanaba following his final season as football coach.