1st & Goal: 2026 Week 5 Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
September 24, 2026
It’s halftime, but no one is taking a break. In fact, the pace is picking up even more as we start looking toward the final month of the football regular season.
We’ve reached the midpoint, with four games down, another set to be played over the next 48 hours, and four to go after that. Every week several more eyes are turning toward our Playoff Point Summary page, which lists how every team ranks in its respective playoff division as scores are entered on MHSAA.com.
Teams are moving into and out of the potential fields of 32 for 11-player 16 for 8-player every week – and surely several of the games mentioned below will affect how those rankings stack up moving forward.
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
Millington (4-0) at Cass City (4-0)
This Big Thumb Conference White showdown pits two of the three teams that shared the championship a year ago, when Cass City defeated Millington 17-14 in overtime. The Cardinals opened league play last week with a 43-16 win over Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker, the third returning co-champion from a year ago. The Redhawks have put themselves among the undefeated in part with a pair of three-point nonleague wins in Weeks 2 and 3.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Marine City (4-0) at St. Clair (4-0), Holly (3-1) at Fenton (3-1), Almont (4-0) at Imlay City (4-0), Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood (4-0) at Sanford Meridian (4-0).
Greater Detroit
Detroit Martin Luther King (4-0) at Detroit Cass Tech (4-0)
Cass Tech has won the last three of what’s almost sure to be a twice-annual series again, as these two also have met in a city championship game the last six seasons. The Technicians’ wins last year came by five and then 16 points, and they enter this matchup with three shutouts over four games and averaging 52 points per contest. King has played the toughest opponent of the two, impressively emerging with a 44-42 victory over Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in Week 2.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Grosse Pointe South (4-0) at Romeo (4-0), Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (3-1) at Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (4-0), Oxford (4-0) at Clarkston (4-0). SATURDAY Ecorse (4-0) at Romulus Summit Academy (3-1).
Mid-Michigan
Portland (4-0) at Lake Odessa Lakewood (4-0)
Lakewood is 4-0 for the first time since 2017 and after winning four games total a year ago, already having avenged a 2025 loss to Charlotte as it points to a potential first playoff berth this decade and title contention in the Capital Area Activities Conference White. The Raiders have owned the division, winning 30 straight league games going back to 2021 with that run including three shutouts of the Vikings since they rejoined the CAAC in 2023.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Lansing Sexton (2-2) at Charlotte (3-1), Kent City (2-2) at Lakeview (3-1), Fowler (4-0) at Saranac (4-0), Mason (4-0) at St. Johns (3-1).
Northern Lower Peninsula
Kingsley (4-0) at Elk Rapids (3-1)
Coming off a notable Week 3 victory over 2025 playoff team Mancelona, and after having last week off thanks to a forfeit win from Cheboygan, Elk Rapids is staring down a big-time opportunity to impress as it continues to pursue a first playoff berth since 2022. A low-scoring loss to Traverse City St. Francis in Week 1 also was notable as the Elks take on the Stags, who opened this season with a pair of shutouts and have already conquered one major obstacle in the Northern Shores Conference race with a 39-13 win over Charlevoix.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Petoskey (3-1) at Cadillac (2-2), McBain (2-2) at Charlevoix (3-1), Boyne City (2-2) at Grayling (2-2), Midland Dow (2-2) at Traverse City Central (2-2).
Southeast & Border
Ida (4-0) at Adrian Madison (4-0)
Madison earned the spotlight last week with its first win over Hudson, and it’s time to give Ida deserved attention as well as the Bluestreaks join the Trojans and Clinton at 3-0 atop the Lenawee County Athletic Association standings. Ida entered this season coming off a District championship run last fall and has reached 42 points in all of its games during this first half, which should lead to an intriguing matchup as Madison allowed the high-scoring Tigers only 12.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Dearborn Divine Child (4-0) at Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (3-1), Dexter (2-2) at Chelsea (3-1), Toledo Central Catholic (4-0) at Jackson Lumen Christi (4-0), Jackson (2-2) at Tecumseh (3-1).
Southwest Corridor
Portage Central (3-1) at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix (3-1)
Loy Norrix is off to its best start since 1998 and facing Portage Central for the first time since 2019, adding a few layers of interest as the neighbors prepare for this get-together. After reaching the Division 2 Semifinals last year, Portage Central opened this fall with a 10-point loss to Toledo Central Catholic before stacking a few wins including over rival Portage Northern two weeks ago.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Hartford (2-2) at Cassopolis (3-1), Edwardsburg (4-0) at Otsego (2-2), Three Rivers (2-2) at Vicksburg (4-0), Plainwell (2-2) at Paw Paw (3-1).
Upper Peninsula
Bark River-Harris (4-0) vs. Pewamo-Westphalia (4-0) at Petoskey
While this won’t be played in the Upper Peninsula, it does feature one of the best from north of the Bridge facing a contender from downstate. For the second-straight season these two will meet on a neutral field after losing their previously-scheduled opponents. Pewamo-Westphalia won last year’s matchup 49-0 on the way to ending the fall in the Division 7 Semifinals, while Bark River-Harris finished its season in the Division 8 Semifinals.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Kingsford (4-0) at Calumet (3-1), Iron Mountain (2-2) at Manistique (2-2), Escanaba (1-3) at Marquette (2-2), Hancock (3-1) at Negaunee (2-2).
West Michigan
Coopersville (4-0) at Lowell (3-1)
Coopersville made some nice noise last season coming back from an 0-3 start to reach a District title game, and that’s carried over and then some as the Broncos have opened this fall by defeating four 2025 playoff teams that are a combined 10-6. Coopersville avenged last season’s loss to Cedar Springs last week and now has the opportunity to do the same against another River Cities Alliance foe in Lowell, which won last year’s matchup 33-20. The Red Arrows have been similarly impressive this season coming off last year’s run to the Division 3 Semifinals.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Wyoming Godwin Heights (3-1) at Hopkins (4-0), Hudsonville (3-1) at Caledonia (3-1), Grand Rapids Catholic Central (3-1) at East Grand Rapids (3-1), Zeeland West (4-0) at Grand Rapids South Christian (3-1).
8-Player
Mendon (4-0) at Colon (4-0)
Mendon has won this matchup the last three years big, but that shouldn’t have any bearing this time as Colon already avenged a 41-point loss to Climax-Scotts from a year ago with a 24-point victory last week. Mendon, meanwhile, handed Mio its first loss with a third-straight 50-point performance and rolls into this Southern Central Athletic Association Red opener as the reigning champion.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Mio (3-1) at Bay City All Saints (4-0), Blanchard Montabella (3-1) at Dansville (4-0), Deckerville (4-0) at Dryden (4-0), St. Helen Charlton Heston Academy (2-0) at Rogers City (3-1).
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PHOTO A Detroit Central receiver breaks toward the end zone during the team's 38-0 Week 2 win over Warren Lincoln. (Photo by Olivia B. Photography.)
1975 Ishpeming Title Made National News, Set Standard for Success to Come
By
Jason Juno
Special for MHSAA.com
November 22, 2024
ISHPEMING — Before the 1975 season started, Ishpeming football players talked about the possibility of playing Hudson for a Class C championship.
That was no easy task with just four teams in each Class making the playoffs during the first year the MHSAA sponsored a football tournament.
“We just said to ourselves, ‘Wouldn’t it be something if we played them in the state championship game?’” said Mark Marana, Ishpeming’s all-state quarterback.
When that dream came true, the Hematites felt confident they could defeat Hudson, Marana said, no matter how improbable it appeared.
Hudson entered the 1975 Class C championship game on a 72-game winning streak. The Tigers had been featured in Sports Illustrated, and they were highlighted on TV before a Sunday of NFL games. Everyone knew about Hudson.
When Ishpeming beat the Tigers, the New York Times published a wire story about it.
The Hematites stunned everyone but themselves with that 38-22 victory to become the first Class C champions in Michigan.
“It was one of the greatest things I’ve been a part of in my lifetime,” Marana said.
He said they’re still celebrating the title, and he’s 67 years old.
“It was really a highlight in our community, naturally,” Marana said. “When you’re a Yooper, I think we had the whole U.P. going for us to win the game and the state championship. It was great; we were an underdog going in. They were a good team, but we were also good ourselves.”
The Hematites played bigger schools throughout most of their schedule, including undefeated Class A Marquette, which likely helped them clinch one of the four playoff spots.
“We had some talent,” Marana said. “We had a great tailback in Mike Dellangelo (5-foot-6, 160 pounds). We were doing some things offensively that people weren’t doing at the time. We were running the option game out of the I formation. We had multiple formations, which a lot of teams didn’t do at that time.”
Ishpeming jumped Hudson early. Bill Andriacchi blocked a punt to set up the first score of the game, and Ishpeming led 24-8 after the first quarter.
Hematites’ coach Mike Mileski emphasized the importance of that play to the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
“We had three guys scout Hudson in their Semifinal, and one of the things we thought we could do was block their punts,” he said. “We had four different rushes planned, and we just called the right one in that case. It was our game after that.”
“There was pressure on those guys,” Marana said. “That was one thing that was real critical is that we jumped out to a great start.”
Dellangelo rushed for 158 yards on 21 carries and scored two touchdowns in the championship game played at Central Michigan University.
He scored his first touchdown on a 60-yard run; with Marana’s 2-point run, it gave Ishpeming the 24-8 lead going into the second quarter. Dellangelo’s other TD, a 10-yard rush in the third quarter, gave the Hematites a 36-16 advantage.
“Mike Dellangelo was a great, great tailback,” Marana said. “He had great speed, he was an extremely tough kid and he could pick them up and lay them down.”
Marana said the Hematites were well-coached by Mileski. He said he was lucky enough to get the all-state recognition from the Detroit Free Press, but he said he couldn’t have done it without his teammates.
“It happened at the right time, first year of the playoffs. It worked out you’re playing a team that’s got 72 straight wins,” he said. “I’m going to tell you, they were extremely well-coached and they were a very good football team, also.”
Marana said Ishpeming was a close group that grew up together.
“Great coach, great team, great teammates, guys that were dedicated,” Marana said. “We were very close. Actually, when you have a good team, most of the time you’re pretty close to one another.”
They continue to stay in touch. When Marana was inducted into the U.P. Sports Hall of Fame this spring, 18 of his teammates were at the ceremony. There were only 25-26 players on the team.
“We’re very tight, very tight to this day,” he said.
It was the first of seven championship game appearances for Ishpeming, which has won five Finals titles.
It all started with the 1975 team.
PHOTO: Ishpeming's Mark Marana works to break away from a tackler during the 1975 Class C Final. (MHSAA file photo).