1st & Goal: 2026 Week 2 Review
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
September 8, 2026
Two three-overtime games and one four-overtime record setter would have been enough to kick off the story of this season’s Week 2.
Add in a few dramatic comebacks, wins over five 2025 Finals champions and a few more rivalry nail-biters, and we’re still only getting started unfolding the emerging stories of this fall – but there certainly are plenty to tell.
Bay & Thumb
HEADLINER Almont 14, Armada 0 Almont (2-0) ran its Blue Water Area Conference winning streak to 25, and even though it was the league opener took what might be a massive step toward running its BWAC championship streak to four. Also notable, the shutout lowered Almont’s points-allowed average against league teams during that run to 13.8 ppg. Click for more from the Port Huron Times Herald.
Watch list Saginaw Swan Valley 16, Freeland 6 Swan Valley is 2-0 for the first time since 2018, and by defeating the Falcons to start the Tri-Valley Conference Red schedule assumes the role as top contender to take on reigning champion Frankenmuth after finishing second to the Eagles last season. They play in Week 8.
On the move Caro 28, Harbor Beach 6 The Tigers are 2-0 for the first time since 2009 after giving up just six points for the second-straight week – this time against the reigning Division 8 champion Pirates (0-2). Fenton 27, Haslett 20 These two have split their meetings over the last four seasons, the last three all decided by seven points or fewer. Saginaw Heritage 32, Midland Dow 30 The Hawks (1-1) avenged last season’s 15-point loss to Dow (1-1) and bounced back from a 10-point Week 1 defeat against Mount Pleasant.
Greater Detroit
HEADLINER Detroit Martin Luther King 44, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 42 (3OT) This matchup between statewide giants didn’t disappoint. Neither team scored during the final eight minutes of regulation, which ended in a 22-22 deadlock, but the Crusaders (2-0) emerged with a 2-point conversion after doubling their score during overtime. Click for more from the Detroit News.
TRIPLE OVERTIME MADNESS. 😱
Detroit King punches in the two-point conversion to win an absolute thriller over Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, 44-42.
Powered by @CallSam pic.twitter.com/3RBxBy8Muj— STATE CHAMPS! Michigan (@statechampsmich) September 5, 2026
Watch list Detroit Catholic Central 56, Davison 14 The reigning Division 1 champion Shamrocks (2-0) have topped 50 points in both of their first two games, this one especially impressive over a Davison team (1-1) that went 8-2 last season.
On the move Rochester Adams 21, Rochester 19 The Falcons (1-1) scored with 15 seconds to play to reach the doorstep of a first win over Adams since 1996, but the Highlanders (1-1) stopped the 2-point conversion try to tie. Wyandotte Roosevelt 35, Trenton 21 With its first win over Trenton (1-1) since 2019, Roosevelt (2-0) likely shook up the Downriver League a bit as it looks to get back to its successful past. Detroit Cass Tech 48, Grandville 21 The Technicians (2-0) spread the scoring wealth, but Julian Taylor led with three touchdowns on the ground as Cass Tech built on last season’s three-point win over Grandville (1-1).
Mid-Michigan
HEADLINER Mason 30, DeWitt 17 The Lansing area’s current power matchup played out in another headlining chapter as Mason (2-0) evened the recent series at 2-2 by handing the reigning Division 3 champion Panthers (1-1) their first loss since the 2024 Semifinals. The Bulldogs, who also gave DeWitt its closest game a year ago, led this one 27-0 at halftime. Click for more from the Lansing State Journal.
Watch list New Lothrop 23, Durand 14 The Hornets (2-0) ended a two-game skid against Durand (1-1) as they look to contend again in the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference after finishing fourth, tied for sixth, second and third over the last four seasons.
On the move Howell 41, Belleville 31 The Highlanders (2-0) are back to piling up points this season with a combined 90 over two games. These two could meet again as they’ll begin league play this week in opposing divisions of the Kensington Lakes Activities Association. Hastings 50, Williamston 21 The Saxons (1-1) bounced back from a Week 1 loss and avenged last year’s seven-point defeat against the Hornets (1-1) in a matchup of playoff regulars. Pewamo-Westphalia 35, Ottawa Lake Whiteford 0 The Pirates (2-0) are quickly making an impression, especially defensively as they’ve given up a combined nine points over the last two weeks to opponents that finished a combined 15-6 a year ago.
Northern Lower Peninsula
HEADLINER Ogemaw Heights 33, Traverse City St. Francis 13 Ogemaw Heights (2-0) has had plenty of major moments over the last few seasons, but this fall’s start might end up ranking high among them especially if the Falcons continue to build on last year’s Division 5 Semifinals march. Their only regular-season loss last season came against St. Francis (1-1) in Week 2. Click for more from the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Watch list Johannesburg-Lewiston 14, Benzie Central 8 The Cardinals (2-0) already have surpassed last season’s win total and with one more victory will guarantee their best finish since 2020.
On the move Gaylord 35, Escanaba 25 After opening this season with a one-score loss to North Branch, reigning Big North Conference champion Gaylord (1-1) bounced back with a nice win over last year’s BNC runner-up. Cadillac 34, Alpena 21 The Vikings (1-1) also bounced back from a Week 1 loss to kick off BNC play as they look to rebound from a tough 2025. Charlevoix 28, Boyne City 12 The Rayders (2-0) opened play in the new Northern Shores Conference the best way, especially heading into this week’s mega matchup with Kingsley that could eventually decide the league title.
Southeast & Border
HEADLINER Brooklyn Columbia Central 34, Michigan Center 14 Columbia Central (2-0) nearly won the Cascades Conference West a year ago after starting the fall 0-2, and anticipation is growing for the upcoming league schedule especially with the Golden Eagles winning this one over last season’s Cascades East champion. This also avenged last year’s 49-14 loss to the Cardinals (1-1). Click for more from the Jackson Citizen Patriot.
Watch list Jonesville 64, Leslie 62 (3OT) This tied for the fifth highest-scoring overtime game in MHSAA history, and Leslie (1-1) has piled up a combined 119 points over its first two games with the Comets (2-0) just slightly behind with a combined 98.
On the move Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 29, Flat Rock 19 These were two of four teams the Huron League sent to the playoffs last season, and this was a key win for the Falcons (2-0) after finishing last year as one of three co-champions as well. Ypsilanti Community 12, Ypsilanti Lincoln 7 After falling by just a point in this rivalry matchup a year ago, YCS (1-1) defeated Lincoln (0-2) for the first time since 2019. Union City 41, Reading 8 Union City (2-0) quickly has moved into the lead pack in the Big 8 Conference and done so impressively outscoring its first two opponents by a combined 89-8.
Southwest Corridor
HEADLINER Battle Creek Central 31, Lansing Everett 26 The Bearcats are 2-0 for the first time since 2018 thanks to avenging last season’s loss to the Vikings by nearly the same score. They’ll seek to avenge a second 2025 defeat in a row this week against Mattawan. Click for more from the Battle Creek Enquirer.
Watch list Stevensville Lakeshore 21, Niles 16 Lakeshore is 2-0 coming off back-to-back three-win seasons and downed the Vikings (2-0) after being shut out by Niles both of the last two years.
On the move Sturgis 27, Battle Creek Pennfield 8 After falling by just a point in its season opener, Sturgis (1-1) earned its first victory since Week 8 of 2023 and after falling to Pennfield (0-2) by 22 a year ago. Battle Creek Harper Creek 19, Cedar Springs 0 The Beavers (2-0) begin Interstate 8 Athletic Conference play this week and have yet to allow a point this fall. Portage Central 42, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central 21 After opening with a loss to Ohio power Toledo Central Catholic, Portage Central (1-1) rebounded just in time for this week’s rivalry matchup with Portage Northern.
Upper Peninsula
HEADLINER Menominee 49, Marquette 19 These longtime rivals met again for the first time since 2022, and four years later the Maroons avenged a loss to the Sentinels in that most recent matchup. Dylan Beal threw five passes to help the reigning Division 7 champions run their winning streak to 16. Click for more from the Eagle Herald.
Watch list Hancock 58, West Iron County 0 The Bulldogs (1-1) have totaled one win each of the last three seasons and lost to West Iron by 10 points to finish last fall. But this big victory certainly is a positive sign with two more league opponents Manistique and Gwinn up next.
On the move L’Anse 35, Manistique 22 The Purple Hornets (2-0) are off to another fast start as they look to build on last year’s playoff return. Calumet 27, Ishpeming Westwood 8 Calumet (2-0) has especially shined on defense so far, holding its first two opponents to one touchdown apiece and with high-scoring Negaunee up next. Negaunee 42, Gladstone 6 The Miners (2-0) found their stride especially defensively as they prepped for a much-anticipated matchup this week against the Copper Kings – who defeated Negaunee a year ago.
West Michigan
HEADLINER East Kentwood 42, Byron Center 14 Just like a year ago, East Kentwood (2-0) is off to a dominating start on both sides of the ball, up to a combined 97 points scored over two games and giving up just these 14 over the first two weeks. Byron Center (1-1) scored the only points of the first quarter, but East Kentwood erupted for 28 straight to build its lead. Click for more from WZZM.
East Kentwood (@EastKentwoodFB) is making some noise early. 👀🔥
The Falcons roll past Byron Center, 42-14, and keep their strong start going.
Powered by @LawrenceTechU pic.twitter.com/31KgLJlHF2— STATE CHAMPS! Michigan (@statechampsmich) September 7, 2026
Watch list Coopersville 41, Grand Rapids West Catholic 21 Coopersville is 2-0 after starting 0-3 last season and still reaching the Division 3 District Finals. Both wins this fall avenged 2025 losses, including this one after the Broncos fell last year to the eventual Division 5 champion Falcons by 20.
On the move Ravenna 28, Oakridge 27 Oakridge (0-2) rallied late to get within a point, but Ravenna (1-1) held on with a 2-point conversion stop to win this rivalry matchup for the second-straight season. Lowell 35, St. Joseph 34 The Red Arrows were able to come all the way back, scoring 21 unanswered points to move to 1-1 and send the Bears to the same. Rockford 42, Muskegon 6 The Rams (1-1) rebounded from a Week 1 loss to Saline for a fourth-straight win over Muskegon (0-2) since those two renewed their rivalry in 2023.
8-Player
HEADLINER Blanchard Montabella 52, Portland St. Patrick 24 Montabella faced both of last season’s 8-Player Finals champions to start this fall and has emerged 2-0 with a combined margin of victory of 113-36. This one also avenged the Mustangs’ 26-point loss to the eventual Division 2-winning Shamrocks from a year ago. Click for more from the Mount Pleasant Morning Sun.
Watch list Ishpeming 50, Powers North Central 22 The Hematites fell back to two wins last season, although with a series of close defeats, and can definitely build on this triumph over the Jets, one of the most consistently successful 8-player programs with 11 straight playoff seasons.
On the move Fulton 70, St. Charles 68 (4OT) This easily set the record for highest-scoring overtime game in MHSAA 8-player history, a combined 12 points higher than the previous record holders. Merrill 54, Morrice 7 The Vandals (2-0) are off to a nice start with a combined 94-15 score over opponents that finished a combined 14-5 a year ago. Climax-Scotts 36, Britton Deerfield 26 The Panthers’ followed a solid Week 1 win over Concord with an even louder statement as Climax-Scotts (2-0) became one of only five teams to hold the Patriots (1-1) under 40 points since the start of 2024.
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PHOTOS (Top) Menominee's Jackson Myszak is able to hold onto the ball to score a 2-point conversion while closely covered by Marquette's Josiah Youngren. (Middle) Saginaw Heritage senior running back Daijon Wynn takes a handoff from quarterback Anthony Fries during the first quarter of the Hawks’ eventual victory over Midland Dow. (Below) Ishpeming's Kian Gauthier (5) is able to find a hole before he gets tackled by North Central's Pryar LaBonte. (Menominee/Marquette and Ishpeming/North Central photos by Cara Kamps. Heritage/Dow by Kolleth Photo.)
EGR 5-Year Title Run Remains Awe-Inspiring, Product of More Than Talent Alone
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
November 25, 2022
It was Peter Stuursma's first year at East Grand Rapids and while the wolves weren't necessarily knocking at the door, they were definitely on the prowl.
The tradition-rich Pioneers football team had slumped to an uncharacteristic 3-6 record in Stuursma's first season as varsity head coach in 2000, and there were subtle signs a community used to winning was growing restless with the program's direction.
That's when Stuursma bumped into one of his players coming out of the weight room, and the two had a quick conversation which he clearly remembers 22 years later.
"It was this senior offensive lineman and all he said was, 'Don't worry about it Coach, it's not going to happen again. We got this,’" Stuursma said. "We had just gone 3-6, and I'm wondering how we're going to get this going and that they might get rid of me. You never underestimate what people can do."
East Grand Rapids, under legendary coach George Barcheski, had been the dominant football program in West Michigan with 28 winning seasons over 29 from 1970-99, and 38 victories in 39 games from 1993-95, along with Class B championships in 1976 and 1983. After Stuursma replaced the retiring Barcheski,, some in the community were expecting more of the same when it came to success.
Those fans never dreamed what they would see as the Pioneers promptly pieced together arguably the greatest decade-long stretch in Michigan high school football history – and without doubt one of the most incredible five-year runs of dominance.
Even that optimistic offensive lineman couldn't have imagined a remarkable 126-7 record over the next 11 years, a 40-3 MHSAA Tournament mark and seven Finals championships. Five of those titles (2006-10) came in a row, a feat accomplished just three times in the now 46-year history of the playoffs.
The five straight championships were part of an amazing era that Stuursma and his players say has not diminished with time. They recall no single factor explained going 67-3 overall over those five seasons. There was talent, obviously, but coaching, tradition, confidence and strength of community all played vital parts. There were Thanksgiving practices attended by hundreds of former football alumni, dedicated fan support that included playing before more than 30,000 fans at least twice at Ford Field, and a program-wide attitude that, while some may call it a cliché, proved that success did indeed breed success.
"I'm in awe of the scope of things," said Stuursma, whose team used back-to-back Division 3 championships in 2002-03 as a springboard to later success. "Because we had won a couple times before it just started to feel normal. We had such support the community used to think Thanksgiving break ended at Ford Field."
EGR teams would find all kinds of ways to win during the five-year title stretch. The 2009 team, for instance, barreled through its first four playoff opponents by a combined score of 164-29 until a 24-21 win over Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in the Final. The 2010 team had to win three playoff games by eight points or fewer to finish off its perfect 14-0 record. And then there was the wild 46-39 five-overtime win over St. Mary's in the 2007 Final during which the Pioneers had to score on all five possessions in overtime to outlast the Eaglets.
While teams always seemed to find ways to get the victory, former players remember what it was like to be part of a seemingly endless tradition of success on the football field.
"One of the things that was so special about East Grand Rapids were the expectations," said Luke Glendening, a running back on the 2006 team who has gone on to a long NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars. "During the game I'd look around and see guys who had played here a long time ago. I viewed it as a privilege to have the opportunity to play before the alumni and community."
Quarterback Ryan Elble, who completed a combined 34 passes for 483 yards and seven touchdowns during the 2008 and 2009 Finals, also used the word "honored" to describe his high school experience.
"The culture was to win. Coach Stuursma made it fun, and it always seemed to take shape on the field," said Elble, who went on to play baseball at Miami (Ohio) "I think each team had different skill sets, but at the end of the day it was our culture and putting in the work to spend Thanksgiving weekend at Ford Field."
The players point to that winning culture over talent. Elble said he played with only one eventual Division I college player in linebacker/running back Trent Voss, who went on to Toledo. Nobody wins without talent, of course, but they point to many other factors as being just as critical. Because EGR coaches would always work juniors into the lineup, Stuursma said the program faced only one major rebuild, in 2007. That team wound up 13-1 and the second of those five straight champions.
"We had some incredible players," said Stuursma, who left EGR in 2016 to lead Hope College to two Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association titles, three second-place finishes and a 46-15 overall record over his seven seasons. "We returned only two starters (in 2007), but we still had good guys who wanted to win."
The players say the culture started with Barcheski and the program's tradition. As Hope College's coach, Stuursma said there’s a similar common thread among schools he sees on recruiting visits: a winning tradition that, in Stuursma's words "screams excellence," from every corner of the building. He sees it the minute he walks into some schools, and East Grand Rapids had the same culture before he arrived. The past players say it played a major part in their careers.
That tradition didn't start with the five straight titles, said former quarterback Kyle Cunningham, who played on the 2002-03 teams and went 46-0 over four years from his freshman to senior seasons. Those two championship teams’ most recognizable player was running back Kevin Grady, who still holds multiple MHSAA records including for career rush yardage and went on to play at University of Michigan.
"We worked hard and had a lot of pride," he said. "I remember watching film of earlier teams, and I remember hoping our team could stand up the same way."
While the players point to tradition and community, Ryan Blair, a tight end/defensive tackle on the 2006-08 champion clubs, said talent remained critical – but EGR was outmanned physically in some of those title games. That's when camaraderie and the confidence that someone was going to make a key play took over. The Pioneers' remarkable run was teeming with such plays.
"Certainly we were never one of the biggest teams there, we never had a big size advantage in any game," he said. "But we had this camaraderie on every team. We had guys who really liked playing with each other. When things got tight we stuck together, and we'd fight to the fourth quarter or beyond."
Despite the long odds of winning a single state title let alone repeating, Stuursma believes there could be a team one day which wins six straight. That team will have the same characteristics of those EGR teams – the talent, coaching, tradition and fortune of catching timely breaks – but it can be done, he said.
"Absolutely," Stuursma said. "The only record I can think of that won't be broken is Wayne Gretzky's (NHL) scoring record. It will take a lot, but records are made to be broken. I think high school football is on the upswing and there would have to be an emphasis on winning. You would have to have a good path to get there, but I can see someone getting six one day."
PHOTOS (Top) East Grand Rapids celebrates its third-straight Division 3 championship win in 2008. (Middle) Pioneers converge on an Orchard Lake St. Mary’s ball carrier during the 2007 five-overtime title decider. (Below) EGR coach Peter Stuursma, kneeling center, monitors the action during the 2010 championship game.