1st & Goal: 2026 Week 4 Preview

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

September 18, 2026

We’re just three weeks into the 2026 high school football season, and a great sign that Michigan teams are challenging themselves is that only 116 – or just under 20 percent – are still undefeated.

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That total also is guaranteed to be reduced by 15 this weekend, and will likely fall well below the century mark with several high-powered matchups kicking off all over the state. Five of those games are among those featured below. 

Games below are Friday unless noted. Tune in to the NFHS Network to watch the majority and follow the MHSAA Scores page for results as they’re submitted.

Bay & Thumb

Linden (3-0) at Holly (3-0)

Holly is 3-0 for the first time since 1984, and a 42-7 win over Pontiac Notre Dame Prep is notable even though the Fighting Irish are struggling early after finishing Division 5 runner-up last season. The Bronchos also haven’t defeated Linden since 2011 and fell last year 42-6. But a win would open up the Flint Metro League Stripes race significantly and provide a giant assist as Holly works to make the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons.

Keep an eye on these FRIDAY North Branch (2-1) at Imlay City (3-0), Caro (3-0) at Millington (3-0), Montrose (2-1) at Chesaning (2-1), Shepherd (2-1) at Gladwin (2-1).

Greater Detroit

Clarkston (3-0) at Rochester Adams (2-1)

Even as Adams has reached Division 1 Semifinals the last two seasons, it hasn’t won the Oakland Activities Association Red since sharing the title with Clarkston and West Bloomfield in 2022. Clarkston won last year’s matchup on the way to the OAA Red championship. Both faced 2025 league champions to open this season, Adams falling to Romeo and Clarkston defeating South Lyon, and there’s always a chance this will be just the first of multiple meetings as they’ve seen each other in the playoffs as well two of the last four years. 

Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Warren De La Salle Collegiate (2-1) at Detroit Catholic Central (3-0), Detroit Denby (2-1) at Detroit Cody (3-0), Romeo (3-0) at Macomb Dakota (2-1), Monroe Jefferson (3-0) at Riverview (3-0).

Mid-Michigan

McBain (2-1) at Beal City (3-0)

Beal City has only three Highland Conference losses since the start of 2019 – all to McBain, but with the most recent in 2024. The Aggies won last season’s meeting 42-7 and are coming off a major defeat last week of Springport plus have downed two more 2025 playoff teams in Ravenna and Manton. McBain’s only Highland loss since the start of 2024 came to Beal City, and the Ramblers’ defeat this season came to unbeaten Division 4 power Edwardsburg. 

Keep an eye on these FRIDAY McBain (2-1) at Beal City (3-0), Traverse City Central (2-1) at Mount Pleasant (3-0), Birch Run (3-0) at New Lothrop (2-1), Brighton (2-1) at Hartland (2-1), Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary (2-1) at Ithaca (3-0). 

Northern Lower Peninsula

Grand Blanc (3-0) at Traverse City West (2-1)

Grand Blanc has dominated all four games of the recent series between these two, but there’s reason to believe this meeting might be closer. It may start with Grand Blanc having to travel much farther than usual – although the Bobcats also won at West in 2025. But the bigger positive for the Titans may not be 56 points put up in a win last week over Bay City Central but the 35 scored in a Week 1 loss to Howell. Grand Blanc has two straight shutouts but must be ready for another challenge on that side of the ball. 

Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Kingsley (3-0) at Grayling (2-1), Midland Bullock Creek (2-1) at Ogemaw Heights (3-0), Johannesburg-Lewiston (2-1) at Frankfort (2-1), Traverse City St. Francis (1-2) at Maple City Glen Lake (2-1)

Southeast & Border

Tecumseh (3-0) at Chelsea (3-0)

Tecumseh has reached 40 points scored in all three of its games, which is more than it did either of the entire 2024 or 2025 seasons. A win over Chelsea would be a first since 2022, when Tecumseh put together a perfect regular season, and this is the team’s best start since that fall. Chelsea also has strung together an impressive first three weeks with the Bulldogs’ most recent win over Adrian a rematch of last year’s Southeastern Conference White title decider and the Week 1 victory over Harper Woods one that will be referenced all fall.

Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Jonesville (2-1) at Brooklyn Columbia Central (3-0), Saline (3-0) at Dexter (2-1), Adrian Madison (3-0) at Hudson (3-0), Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (3-0) at Jackson Lumen Christi (3-0), Hanover-Horton (2-1) at Napoleon (3-0).

Southwest Corridor

Edwardsburg (3-0) at Paw Paw (3-0)

Paw Paw has won this Wolverine Conference rivalry game three straight seasons but also finished runner-up in the league to Niles the last three years. The Red Wolves downed Niles 42-14 last week, making them potential frontrunners in the conference unless Edwardsburg spoils that plan. Paw Paw has been impressive giving only 28 points total against teams  that went a combined 21-10 a year ago. But the Eddies are ripping through yards again like during their best years, topping 50 points twice already after not doing so once all of last season. 

Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Berrien Springs (3-0) at Buchanan (3-0), Battle Creek Harper Creek (3-0) at Marshall (3-0), Kalamazoo Central (2-1) at Portage Central (2-1), Constantine (2-1) at Schoolcraft (3-0), Quincy (3-0) at Union City (3-0).

Upper Peninsula

Calumet (3-0) at Menominee (3-0)

This game sets up identically as last season’s matchup, won by Menominee 25-15 on the way to claiming the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference Copper title. The Maroons have won their games by 54, 30 and 50 points so far, but Calumet should bring that average down especially after giving up only 24 points over its first three victories. A win over Menominee would be the Copper Kings’ first since the 2021 District Semifinals. 

Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Negaunee (2-1) at Kingsford (3-0), Iron Mountain (1-2) at L’Anse (2-1), Petoskey (2-1) at Escanaba (1-2). SATURDAY Cadillac (2-1) at Marquette (1-2). 

West Michigan

Ludington (2-1) at Fremont (3-0)

Fremont is staring down a potential first winning season since 2013 and after earning a combined three victories over the last two. They avenged last year’s 56-0 loss to Whitehall with a 32-19 win in Week 2 and with 24 more points will equal their scoring output for all of last year. Enter Ludington, which won the 2025 matchup 49-0 and the West Michigan Conference Lakes title during a perfect regular season. The Orioles graduated a significant senior class in the spring and opened with a loss to Coopersville, but have bounced back with a pair of close wins. 

Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Grand Rapids West Catholic (2-1) at Ada Forest Hills Eastern (3-0), Grand Rapids South Christian (2-1) at Hudsonville Unity Christian (2-1), Middleville Thornapple Kellogg (3-0) at Holland Christian (2-1), East Kentwood (3-0) at Grand Haven (2-1). 

8-Player

Mio (3-0) at Mendon (3-0)

Mio has strung together two straight playoff seasons and charged into this one impressively, already avenging one of its two 2025 losses by downing Hillman 30-16 in Week 2. The Thunderbolts now have the opportunity to test themselves against one of the annual elite, as Mendon is a combined 20-3 over the last two years and averaging 51 points per game during this early going despite replacing the leading scorer in MHSAA 8-player history. 

Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Climax-Scotts (3-0) at Colon (3-0), Ishpeming (2-1) at Crystal Falls Forest Park (3-0), Pickford (3-0) at St. Ignace (3-0). SATURDAY Norway (3-0) at Lake Linden-Hubbell (3-0).

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 An Ada Forest Hills Eastern ball carrier attempts to hold off a Flint Elite defender during FHE’s Week 3 win. (Photo by Michigan Sports Photo.)  

1st & Goal: 2021 8-Player Finals Preview

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

November 17, 2021

Saturday’s 8-Player Football Finals would struggle to feel more familiar.

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After a year away, the Division 1 and 2 championship games will be returning to Superior Dome at Northern Michigan University. Three of four finalists will be playing for titles for the second-straight season – Adrian Lenawee Christian and Powers North Central are returning champions, and Suttons Bay a returning runner-up – while Colon also will play again on the final day after making the Finals in 2019.

Lenawee Christian (12-0) and Suttons Bay (12-0) will kick off the day in Division 1 at 11 a.m., followed by North Central (12-0) and Colon (11-1) approximately 2 p.m. Both games will be broadcast live on MHSAA.tv, and replayed on Bally Sports Detroit’s primary channel Nov. 25 beginning at 7 p.m. Audio of both games will be streamed live on MHSAANetwork.com.

Below is a look at all four finalists. Team “rankings” are based on their playoff-point averages heading into the postseason. Statistics are through Semifinals unless noted.

Division 1

ADRIAN LENAWEE CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 12-0, No. 1
Coach: Bill Wilharms, ninth season (69-24)
League finish: First in Southern Central Athletic Association A
Championship history: 8-Player Division 1 champion 2020.
Best wins: 36-14 over No. 3 Martin in Semifinals, 41-0 (Regional Final) and 41-20 over No. 6 Britton Deerfield, 47-21 over Division 2 No. 7 Colon.
Players to watch: QB/CB Ashur Bryja, 5-8/150 sr. (1,862 yards/27 TDs passing, 681 yards/15 TDs rushing); RB/DB/K/P Clay Ayers, 5-10/170, sr. (816 yards/16 TDs rushing, 395 yards/5 TDs receiving); WR/LB Elliott Addleman, 6-5/195, sr. (777 yards/12 TDs receiving). OG/DL Jacobus Kegerreis, 5-9/185, sr.
Outlook: Lenawee Christian has yet to lose an 8-player game since switching from 11-player, building a combined 23-0 record over the last two seasons that includes a 47-0 win over Suttons Bay in last season’s Division 1 Final. The closest an opponent has come over those two seasons is 16 points. The Cougars graduated last season’s standout running back and quarterback and haven’t missed a beat, outscoring their opponents by an average score of 51-8. The offense is easy to praise and understandably so, but the defense deserves substantial credit – through the Regional Final, Lenawee Christian was allowing 2.6 yards per rush and teams to complete only 31 percent of their pass attempts. Kegerreis and Ayers were all-state first team selections as juniors, Ayers as a kicker.

SUTTONS BAY
Record/rank: 12-0, No. 2
Coach: Garrick Opie, fourth season (43-4)
League finish: Does not play in a league.
Championship history: 8-player Division 1 runner-up 2019 and 2020, 11-player Division 6 runner-up 2004.
Best wins: 42-36 (OT) over No. 12 Rudyard in Semifinal, 53-18 over No. 4 Indian River Inland Lakes in Regional Final, 49-8 (Regional Semifinal) and 48-18 over No. 16 Mesick, 46-0 over No. 7 Munising, 45-0 over Division 2 No. 3 Marion.
Players to watch: RB/DB Hugh Periard, 6-0/175, sr. (1,028 yards/19 TDs rushing); RB/DB Shawn Bramer, 6-2/200, jr. (1,725 yards/24 TDs rushing, 892 yards/8 TDs receiving); QB/DB Dylan Barnowski, 6-0/155, jr. (1,570 yards/24 TDs passing); OL/DL Cameron Alberts, 6-1/290, sr.  
Outlook: Suttons Bay will be playing in the Division 1 championship game for the third-consecutive season, and its only losses over the last two seasons have been in those previous two Finals. The Norseman are coming off their closest game over the last two years, with a late hook-and-ladder play helping to save the day in last week’s overtime win over Rudyard. But even counting the 36 points scored by the Bulldogs, Suttons Bay’s defense is again imposing giving up 12 points per game and no more than 18 to any other opponent. The Norseman had intercepted 12 passes this season heading into the Semifinal; meanwhile, Suttons Bay has thrown for 26 touchdowns with only one interception. Senior tight end Brayden Opie is the most sizable target at 6-3 and has caught seven touchdown passes.

Division 2

COLON
Record/rank: 11-1, No. 7
Coach: Robbie Hattan, sixth season (48-17)
League finish: Second in Southern Central Athletic Association A
Championship history: 8-player Division 1 champion 2019.
Best wins: 42-6 over No. 4 Au Gres-Sims in Semifinal, 29-22 over No. 1 Morrice in Regional Final, 35-13 over No. 6 Portland St. Patrick in Regional Semifinal, 44-24 over No. 12 Climax-Scotts.
Players to watch: QB/DB Simon Vinson, 6-3/185, jr. (1,212 yards/24 TDs rushing, 2,253 yards/37 TDs passing); RB/LB Kaleb Johnson, 5-8/160, sr. (727 yards/10 TDs rushing, 377 yards/3 TDs receiving); WR/DB Justin Wickey, 5-11/160, jr. (1,454 yards/21 TDs receiving).
Outlook: Colon’s first three playoff wins have doubled as the lone losses this season for those opponents, and the Magi face one more opportunity against an undefeated foe Saturday. Their only loss was to Division 1 unbeaten Lenawee Christian, and otherwise only Morrice has come closer than 12 points. Vinson earned an all-state honorable mention last season and has put up passing numbers that rank among the best in MHSAA 8-player history – his 2,253 yards and 37 touchdowns both rank fourth for a single season in their respective categories. Senior Kody Dovey joins Vinson, Johnson and Wickey among two-way starters and has 544 yards and eight touchdowns receiving.

POWERS NORTH CENTRAL
Record/rank: 12-0, No. 2
Coach: Leo Gorzinski, fourth season (41-3)
League finish: First in Great Lakes Eight Conference West
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2020).
Best wins: 73-8 over No. 3 Marion in Semifinal, 65-8 (Regional Final) and 42-0 over T-No. 9 Crystal Falls Forest Park, 64-14 over No. 11 Pellston in Regional Semifinal, 65-0 over T-No. 9 Lake Linden-Hubbell.
Players to watch: QB/LB Luke Gorzinski, 5-9/175, jr. (1,009 yards/17 TDs rushing, 926 yards/12 TDs passing); RB/DT Wyatt Raab, 5-7/170, sr. (925 yards/23 TDs rushing, 3 TDs receiving); RB/LB Alex Naser, 5-8/155, sr. (159 yards, 3 TDs receiving); OT/DE Lane Nehring, 6-0/280, sr.
Outlook: North Central dominated Division 2 in winning the championship last season, and has been even better this fall. Last week’s Semifinal win over Marion pushed the Jets’ average score this season to 62-4, and only Pellston three weeks ago has put up more than eight points on a defense that starts six seniors. The playmakers will be plenty familiar to anyone who watched last season’s championship games. Luke Gorzinski made the all-state first team last season and set a record for total offense in an 8-Player Final with 455 yards passing and rushing combined – also running for four touchdowns and throwing for three more – and Raab scored four times as the Jets set an 8-Player Finals record for scoring in the 70-48 win over Portland St. Patrick.

Second Half’s weekly “1st & Goal” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a part of the Office of Postsecondary Financial Planning located within the Michigan Department of Treasury. 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 529 college savings programs (MET/MESP), as well as scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.