1st & Goal: 2026 Week 2 Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
September 3, 2026
If you’re traveling for the long weekend and see stadium lights shining in the distance, you might want to make a quick stop and check out one of these matchups.
Nearly 80 percent of this weekend’s games will be played Thursday, although those waiting for Friday won’t miss out as there are plenty of opportunities that night as well to see high-profile nonleague clashes or conference openers that could eventually determine championships.
Staying close to home? Tune in to the NFHS Network for the majority of games across the state, and follow the MHSAA Scores page for results as they’re submitted.
Bay & Thumb
Almont (1-0) at Armada (1-0) – Thursday
Almont has continued to set the standard in the Blue Water Area Conference with three straight league championships. The Raiders’ most recent league loss came in 2022 – to Armada, which has finished second once and third in the league twice over that stretch. Both opened this season with wins over 2025 playoff teams, Armada over St. Clair Shores Lakeview and Almont over Marysville.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Saginaw Swan Valley (1-0) at Freeland (0-1), Lapeer (0-1) at Goodrich (1-0), Saginaw Heritage (0-1) at Midland Dow (1-0), Marysville (0-1) at Port Huron (1-0).
Greater Detroit
Detroit Martin Luther King (1-0) at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (1-0) – Friday
This power pair is facing off for the first time since 2006, and theirs will certainly be one of the most discussed games statewide this weekend. St. Mary’s is coming off winning last season’s Division 2 championship and opened with a 35-27 win over Muskegon Mona Shores, while King reached the Division 3 Regional Finals last fall and began this one by downing annual Ohio contender Toledo Whitmer.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Howell (1-0) at Belleville (0-1), Rochester Adams (0-1) at Rochester (1-0), Clarkston (1-0) at Rochester Hills Stoney Creek (1-0). FRIDAY Davison (1-0) at Detroit Catholic Central (1-0).
Mid-Michigan
DeWitt (1-0) at Mason (1-0) – Thursday
This has developed into one of the most intriguing rivalries in the Lansing area, with both teams playing at Ford Field over the last three seasons – with 2023 also when these two started their current series. DeWitt has a 2-1 edge and won last year’s matchup 44-37 – the Panthers’ closest game during a run to the Division 3 championship – but Mason has brought back nearly its entire starting lineup this fall.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Fenton (0-1) at Haslett (0-1), Durand (1-0) at New Lothrop (1-0), Lansing Sexton (1-0) at Portland (1-0), Hastings (0-1) at Williamston (1-0).
Northern Lower Peninsula
Ogemaw Heights (1-0) at Traverse City St. Francis (1-0) – Friday
Ogemaw Heights made its first run to the Semifinals last season since 2009, and its only loss of the regular season came 42-32 to St. Francis in Week 2. The Falcons opened last week with an impressive win over Freeland, and the Gladiators downed Elk Rapids. This matchup is joined on St. Francis’ schedule by three games against teams that finished last season at Ford Field.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Escanaba (0-1) at Gaylord (1-0), East Jordan (0-1) at Oscoda (0-1). FRIDAY Boyne City (0-1) at Charlevoix (1-0), Grand Rapids Christian (0-1) at Traverse City West (0-1).
Southeast & Border
Pewamo-Westphalia (1-0) at Ottawa Lake Whiteford (0-1) – Friday
These two small-school powers are playing for the first time, but it might not be the last time this season as both stand to be in the Division 7 playoff chase in two months. Whiteford also played a first-time opponent last week, falling to Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 37-28, while the Pirates are also coming off a tough opener after having outlasted North Muskegon 17-9.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Monroe Jefferson (1-0) at Carleton Airport (0-1), Brooklyn Columbia Central (1-0) at Michigan Center (1-0), Union City (1-0) at Reading (1-0). FRIDAY Flat Rock (0-1) at Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (1-0).
Southwest Corridor
Cedar Springs (0-1) at Battle Creek Harper Creek (1-0) – Friday
Harper Creek hasn’t received enough attention for its run over the last three seasons, which has included two straight Interstate 8 Athletic Conference titles and a combined 22-6 record. The Beavers opened this campaign with a fourth-straight win (and third-straight shutout) of rival Battle Creek Lakeview and now will have a chance to avenge last fall’s lone regular-season loss. Cedar Springs won that Week 2 matchup 30-20 and is seeking to bounce back after falling to Zeeland West last week.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (0-1) at Portage Central (0-1), Lansing Everett (0-1) at Battle Creek Central (1-0). FRIDAY Stevensville Lakeshore (1-0) at Niles (0-1), Lowell (0-1) at St. Joseph (1-0).
Upper Peninsula
Menominee (1-0) at Marquette (1-0) – Thursday
These former Great Northern Conference rivals are meeting for the first time since 2022, the last season of football for that league. The Sentinels have won four of their last five matchups, but both have found success since their last time facing off. Over the last three seasons, Menominee has played at Ford Field twice – winning last year’s Division 7 title – and Marquette has reached the Division 3 playoffs twice and opened with a close but impressive loss last week to Negaunee.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Ishpeming Westwood (0-1) at Calumet (1-0), Houghton (0-1) at Kingsford (1-0). FRIDAY Gladstone (1-0) at Negaunee (1-0), North Muskegon (0-1) vs. Iron Mountain (1-0) at Petoskey.
West Michigan
East Kentwood (1-0) at Byron Center (1-0) – Thursday
Rare are the days when Muskegon/Rockford isn’t be the default “game of the week” in West Michigan. But don’t look past this matchup this time. East Kentwood is coming off a run to the Division 1 Semifinals last season, which included a 43-14 win over 2024 Division 2 runner-up Byron Center in Week 2. The Bulldogs emerged from an 0-2 start last season, including that defeat by the Falcons, to go 7-2 the rest of the way, and they’ve already avenged the first of last year’s losses by downing Hudsonville 41-20 last week.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Grand Rapids South Christian (1-0) at East Grand Rapids (1-0), Detroit Cass Tech (1-0) at Grandville (1-0). FRIDAY Muskegon (0-1) at Rockford (0-1), Midland (1-0) at Zeeland West (1-0).
8-Player
Portland St. Patrick at Blanchard Montabella – Friday
There may not be a team in MHSAA 8-player football history that scheduled a tougher slate to start the season than Montabella, which avenged last fall’s Division 1 championship game loss with a 62-12 win over Martin last week and now gets the reigning Division 2 champion Shamrocks. St. Patrick handed the Mustangs their only regular-season defeat a year ago, 42-16, in Week 9 on the way to a perfect run, and even had a few more days to prepare this time with its Week 1 opponent Wyoming Tri-unity Christian canceling its season.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Merrill (1-0) at Morrice (1-0), Central Lake (1-0) at Gaylord St. Mary (1-0), Britton Deerfield (1-0) at Climax-Scotts (1-0). FRIDAY Pickford (1-0) at Rudyard (1-0).
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PHOTO Ithaca defenders wrap up a Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart ball carrier during their 48-6 Week 1 win. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)
As Grayling Navigates Changes, Hunter Provides Reliable Impact in Return
By
Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com
September 12, 2025
Changing.
That may be the best description of the Grayling High School football team this year. Fairly big changes have already occurred, more are ahead, and at least one is already scheduled for next fall.
Grayling, off to a 1-1 start, has a new head coach – Michael Kososky, who served as an assistant for the Vikings the past 10 years, has taken over the helm. He started as a defensive backs assistant and became the defensive coordinator in his fourth year. Kososki replaced Eric Tunney, who stepped down after a 2-7 finish last year.
The latest change for the Vikings is losing junior running back Gregory Martin for the season with a neck injury. That happened during last week’s 36-6 win over Benzie Central. The game was stopped with 3:22 remaining after Martin was taken off the field by emergency medical staff. Kososky said he hopes Martin will return for track in the spring and next football season.
What didn’t change much this year is the Vikings’ schedule. They lost five games last year to playoff teams. One of those five is not on the schedule this year, but Maple City Glen Lake, another returning playoff qualifier, has been added. Grayling hopes to compete for the Northern Michigan Football League Legends title one more time, as the Vikings will be playing in the Northern Shores Conference beginning next season.
Perhaps the biggest change for the Vikings this year is senior Daniel Hunter lining up on both sides of the line of scrimmage. That was not the case last year as he battled a complication-riddled ankle injury suffered his during a basketball game as a sophomore center.
The injury, first diagnosed as an ankle sprain, kept him off the basketball court last winter as a junior.
“I ended up finishing that (2023-24) basketball season on it, and I got it checked out again because it was not getting better,” said Hunter, who plays wide receiver and defensive end. “They found out that there was a bone fracture, a talus bone.”
Even though it’s a very small bone, the talus plays a big role in one’s ability to stand and move. Injuries and damage to the talus can take longer to heal and have a higher risk of complications than those to other bones.
Doctors told Hunter he could either play on it and delay surgery or undergo an immediate procedure. Because he was advised he likely couldn’t damage it further, Hunter chose to play summer basketball and football last fall before scheduling surgery.
“I decided to play on it throughout the summer and then into my junior year of football so I wouldn't miss out,” Hunter said. “I got surgery on it after football season and sat out my junior year of basketball.”
That football season was wrought with pain for the Hunter. He played in all but one of the Vikings’ games though.
“I only ended up playing one way — I only played on offense for the season,” he said. “It was pretty tough. Game day adrenaline helped.”
Kososky vividly recalls Hunter overcoming pain to play every down he could.
“He took it as far as he could take it,” Kososky said. “He was a kid that never missed a practice. Even if he decided to sit out that day because his ankle was throbbing, he wasn't taking the day off.”
So far this season, Hunter has six receptions for 71 yards. Now moving from linebacker to defensive end, he also has one tackle for a loss, a forced fumble, two assists and one sack.
“Daniel is an impact player on both sides of the line of scrimmage,” Kososky said. “He put a little bit of size on over the spring and summer. So it suits him real well at defensive end.”
Kososky, who played football for Mio High School and Northern Michigan University, points to Hunter as a shining example of the culture he’s trying to instill in the Grayling football program.
“There are a couple staples that I brought here to Grayling, and I kind of just refocused them this being my first year,” Kososky said. “We have a mantra we talk about each and every day: DEAD. It's dedication, effort, attitude and discipline, and Daniel holds those standards.”
Kososky has significantly reduced the size of the Vikings’ playbook this season.
“The way we do one thing is the way we do everything,” he said. “Instead of running as many plays as possible, we’re focused on being really efficient and perfect at what we have in front of us.”
Grayling has a couple of significant league road games coming up, and both Kososky and Hunter are really looking forward to them. Tonight the, Vikings will take on Kingsley, and next week Traverse City St. Francis.
Kingsley is 1-1 this season, and St. Francis is 2-0. Hunter hasn’t experienced a win over either conference foe during his high school career.
“I think a win over Kingsley would feel really good because I have lost to them every time we played them,” Hunter said. “I did end up sitting out a game last year, and that was St. Francis, and I have to get that win before I graduate.”
Regardless of the outcomes against the Stags and Gladiators, Kososky will keep focused on teaching life skills.
“Wins will help put you on the map and everything like that, but what my kids learn from the program I think is more important,” said Kososky, who also teaches special education and math at Grayling. “I can go back to many seasons that that I've coached and we were 3-6 and 4-5, and I'm going to be honest, the kids out of those groups probably are more successful in life than some of the teams that have gone undefeated. It’s how successful we are after the game of football, not during the game of football.”
Tom Spencer is a longtime MHSAA-registered basketball and soccer official, and former softball and baseball official, and he also has coached in the northern Lower Peninsula area. He previously has written for the Saginaw News, Bay County Sports Page and Midland Daily News. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Grayling’s Daniel Hunter wraps up a Benzie Central player during an incompletion in Week 2. (Middle) Hunter points to his team’s sideline after the play. (Photos by Mylie D’Amour.)