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.)
South Christian 2022 Finishes Best in Division 4, Best in Sailors' History
By
Scott DeCamp
Special for MHSAA.com
November 25, 2022
DETROIT – Grand Rapids South Christian’s football team wasn’t perfect Friday night at Ford Field, and it didn’t have to be. Now, the Sailors’ season as a whole – that was flawless.
Even when they faced adversity, they never panicked. They moved on and kept making plays, all the way to a Division 4 championship and 14-0 record.
South Christian shut out Goodrich, 28-0, in the MHSAA Final to become the first group of Sailors in program history to finish a season unbeaten.
“I mean, it’s crazy. We’ve had a lot of great teams at South and just to imagine that we’re the only ones to be undefeated is a great feeling,” said South Christian senior quarterback and defensive back Jake DeHaan, whose squad became the fourth in program history to capture a state title and the first since 2014.
South Christian’s first Finals championship came in 2002, when now-coach Danny Brown was a Sailors player. This is Brown’s first state title as a coach.
South Christian, which made its eighth Finals appearance Friday, also won it all in 2012.
“I think I was more nervous as a coach. I think as a player, at least in my experience, I never really got that nervous,” Brown said. “It was another way to hang out with your friends and play the game you loved. But as a coach, you start thinking about all the what-ifs and things that can happen. You want the kids to win so bad that you kind of take on that pressure.”
It wasn’t easy against Goodrich (12-2), which was making its first Finals appearance, as South Christian scored 14 points in the second quarter and 14 in the fourth.
DeHaan, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound playmaker, finished 14-of-21 passing for 266 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He ran 12 times for a game-high 99 yards and one TD, plus he finished with four tackles and an interception. DeHaan’s signature moment was his 54-yard scoring run to give South Christian a 21-0 lead midway through the third quarter.
Junior Jake Vermaas, who fractured his collarbone in Week 3 and returned for the Sailors’ playoff opener, was the other “Jake” to make big plays. He made seven receptions for 152 yards and returned an interception 32 yards for a TD to put it away with 5:07 remaining in the game.
“It makes us that much better, right, to have all these playmakers. I mean, every guy can make a play and that’s what makes us so good,” Vermaas said. “We put in so much work to be that good and it shows, right? Fourteen-and-0.
“We’re the best – you can’t be better than that,” he added. “We were the best to do it at South Christian.”
Goodrich senior standout running back Jace Simerson finished with 91 yards on 20 carries. Martians senior quarterback Gavin Hart was 9-of-25 passing for 100 yards with two picks.
South Christian’s bevy of playmakers on offense and athletes with length on defense made it tough on opponents all season, and Friday was no different. Those strengths allowed the Sailors to overcome three turnovers.
“This is just one of those teams, and I know there’s a lot of them out there that no matter what the situation is, no matter what the moment is, there’s never a panic. They just continue to rise to the occasion,” Brown said.
“We felt that Week 6 with the (Grand Rapids) Catholic win, I think that kind of solidified – that was a back-and-forth game – that even when things get tight and there’s adversity, they can step up.”
That, the Sailors did.
In a scoreless game, DeHaan hit senior Nate Brinks on a 3-yard TD pass with 9:48 left in the first half. Four minutes later, he found sophomore Carson Vis on a 23-yard scoring strike.
Veteran Goodrich coach Tom Alward said he felt his team had opportunities to make plays, but the Martians just couldn’t capitalize. He attributed much of that to the Sailors.
“They’ve got athletes galore. They’ve got athletes at every position. I mean, it’s incredible,” Alward said. “You’re trying to match up. We thought we’ve got some athletes as well, but it’s tough to match up everybody.
“They do a good job. They sit there and they look, ‘Oh, that’s a linebacker.’ You run out of defensive backs against these guys. Plus, that quarterback, he’s a special young kid.”
DeHaan directed South Christian to this championship, helping the Sailors survive tests in the previous three rounds of the playoffs.
South Christian put away Hudsonville Unity Christian late, 35-20, in the District Final. In a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in the Regional Final, the Sailors outlasted Whitehall, 28-21. In the icy Semifinal, South Christian held off Edwardsburg, 26-20.
“Our coaches stress (not to panic), which just helps us to keep persevering. And we knew that if we keep going and keep going that eventually our team’s going to come out on top and make plays when we need to make plays,” said DeHaan, who suffered a shoulder stinger late in the game but re-entered a play later.
It was a tough finish for Goodrich, which reeled off 12 straight wins to get to Ford Field after suffering a 27-2 season-opening loss to Frankenmuth, which is competing in the Division 5 Final on Saturday.
Alward said he loves every one of his teams, but this one will always have a special place in his heart.
“This team is exceptional – they’re exceptional,” the 30-year head coach said. “And not just football players, I’m talking about young men.”
PHOTOS (Top) Grand Rapids South Christian’s Jake Vermaas (2) tries to pull away from the grasp of Goodrich’s Owen Deciechi during Friday’s Division 4 Final. (Middle) Vermaas leaps over defender Gavin Valley (32). (Below) A Martians defender bats away a pass intended for the Sailors’ Carson Vis (13). (Click for more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)