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).
MHSAA.com's weekly “1st & Goal” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Click to connect with MI Student Aid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTO The sun rises on the new stadium turf at Pewamo-Westphalia this summer. (Photo by James Pivarnik.)
Cass City Chases History in Rematch
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
November 8, 2019
Sandyn Cuthrell and his Cass City teammates have a simple way to make sure they are properly prepared for each game – treat every week like it’s Laker week.
As they prepare for their District Final, the Red Hawks won’t have to pretend, as for the second time this season, it’s actually Laker week.
The Red Hawks will host archrival Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker at 7 p.m. Friday for the Division 7 Region 4, District 1 championship. The winner will advance to the Regional Final against either Madison Heights Madison or Detroit Loyola.
The win-or-go-home nature of the postseason adds more to this rivalry game, but it’s also a chance at some program firsts for the Red Hawks. A win would give them their first ever District championship and first ever 10-win season.
“This one, it’s probably the biggest game in Cass City history,” said Cuthrell, a four-year starter at quarterback for the Red Hawks. “We’re not going to let it be ruined.”
Plenty is on the line, but what the Red Hawks have accomplished to this point already puts them among the best teams in school history.
Cass City won nine straight games after a season-opening 16-14 loss against Montrose – a team that is still alive in the Division 6 playoffs – and won the Greater Thumb Conference West for the second straight season.
It has also allowed 50 points. Total. All season.
“We’re not like huge; we’re all just super fast,” said Cuthrell, who also plays defensive back. “All these years building up to this year, we’ve been really heavy on the weight room every year. We’re all not huge guys, but we’re all really quick and fast. We can swarm to the ball, and there’s not a lot of big plays that can happen when the defensive backs are quicker than the receivers.”
Outside of the Montrose game, the Red Hawks haven’t allowed more than eight points in a game this season and had four shutouts. During six conference games, they allowed a total of 22 points. It’s the program’s best defensive performance since the 1950s.
“Coach does a really good job preparing us throughout the week,” junior running back and linebacker Alex Perry said. “We’ve been able to communicate with each other really well. The line gets a good push, so the linebackers can come in and clean it up. And the defensive backs shut down the pass.”
The offense has done its fair share, as well, averaging 40.1 points per game despite scoring just 14 in Week 1. So, while the defense’s numbers are eye-popping, most of the season has seen the Red Hawks be dominant in all phases.
“When you coach this long, hopefully you come across a team that gels really well, and that’s what happened this year,” Cass City coach Scott Cuthrell said. “We have a good group of kids, and they all get along really well on and off the field, and they all have a common goal. This is a group of kids that I’ve enjoyed going to coach every night.”
Players vouch for the camaraderie on and off the field and cited that as a main reason this year’s team has been special and capable of doing what no team at Cass City has ever done.
“We’re more than a team. We hang out all the time,” Perry said. “This year, we just flow and really mesh together.”
Perhaps at no time this season did the Red Hawks mesh together as well as they did the first time they lined up against Laker. A 51-0 win in Week 4 marked the second-straight year Cass City had defeated its rival, but prior to the 2018 win, Laker had won nine straight in the series.
“Last season’s win meant a lot to us,” senior halfback and cornerback Hadyn Horne said. “We’re 10 minutes apart, and it’s just a battle for our area. It’s always been a really big game around here, probably the biggest game in the Greater Thumb Conference. We know in the playoffs it’s pretty much like coming in with a 0-0 record. They’re going to be a lot better than what they were when we played them the first time. Obviously we beat them bad last time, but it’s all about who wants it more.”
The two teams have met twice in a District Final (2014 and 2017). Some of the current players were on the field for the 2017 loss, including Sandyn Cuthrell, who said it was “like getting stabbed in the heart.”
Not wanting to have that feeling again is quite the motivation, but so is making program history.
“That would mean a lot,” Horne said. “I think down the road, I’ll look back at that and know, ‘That was our team that did that.’”
Paul Costanzo served as a sportswriter at The Port Huron Times Herald from 2006-15, including three years as lead sportswriter, and prior to that as sports editor at the Hillsdale Daily News from 2005-06. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Cass City defenders including Alex Perry (44) pursue the Laker quarterback during this season’s first game against their rival. (Middle) Sandyn Cuthrell (6) breaks through the line for the Red Hawks. (Photos courtesy of the Cass City athletic department.)