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.)
Drive Complete: 2018 Finals in Review
November 26, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
There was much anticipation entering the 2018 MHSAA Football Finals, beginning two weeks ago at the Superior Dome at Northern Michigan University and finishing Saturday at Detroit’s Ford Field.
They didn’t disappoint.
This season’s crowning weekends saw five first-time champions, two repeat title winners, two rise to the top for the first time in a while, and to end it all another re-emerging champion topple a 2017 winner in arguably the most awaited game of the entire series.
Second Half covered all 10 championship games last weekend at Ford Field and two weekends ago at the Superior Dome, with quick recaps and links (click on the game scores) to those stories below followed by notations of performances entered into the MHSAA Finals record book and a report on some of the biggest and best stories to emerge from the 2018 Finals.
Finals in Review
11-Player Division 1: Clinton Township Chippewa Valley 31, Clarkston 30
A year after Clarkston edged West Bloomfield by a point to win Division 1, Chippewa Valley claimed its first MHSAA title since 2001 by the same margin over the Wolves. The Big Reds stopped a go-ahead 2-point conversion try by Clarkston with 23 seconds to play to seal the win after previously leading by 14 points three times over the final three quarters.
11-Player Division 2: Warren DeLaSalle 29, Muskegon Mona Shores 16
The Pilots’ lockdown defense proved to have the upper hand against an explosive Mona Shores offense, as DeLaSalle broke away for its second straight Division 2 title after the teams were tied at halftime. Pilots coach Mike Giannone not only is the only coach to win football championships at two schools, but also became the first to win back-to-back at two (after also leading Macomb Dakota to Division 1 titles in 2006 and 2007).
11-Player Division 3: Detroit Martin Luther King 41, Muskegon 25
King finished this season’s Finals by avenging a three-point Week 2 loss to the 2017 champion. The Crusaders didn’t slow Muskegon’s record-setting rushing attack, but outgained the Big Reds in total yardage 400-315 as quarterbacks Dequan Finn and Cameron Martinez showed why they were two of the state’s best this fall.
11-Player Division 4: Edwardsburg 28, Chelsea 7
After falling short against Grand Rapids Catholic Central in 2017, Edwardsburg returned to its second Finals and won its first championship. The Eddies succeeded as they had all season; the offense ran for 382 yards and all four scores, while the defense got its season points allowed average to 9.9 per game after holding Chelsea to its fewest since 2014.
11-Player Division 5: Hudsonville Unity Christian 42, Portland 7
These Crusaders also won their first championship, in their first Finals appearance, finishing a playoff run that saw them defeat three teams ranked among the top six at the end of the regular season. Unity Christian got out to a 28-0 lead and finished with 279 yards rushing while holding the Raiders’ vaunted run attack to only 95.
11-Player Division 6: Jackson Lumen Christi 42, Montague 28
Lumen Christi added a first-time accomplishment to its long history of successes, clinching a three-peat for the first time by holding Montague to 14 points over the game’s first 45 minutes. The Titans ran for 348 yards and senior Nick Thomas gained 249 and scored twice on the ground to go with his team-high 10 tackles and two sacks.
11-Player Division 7: New Lothrop 50, Madison Heights Madison 44
This was not only the highest-scoring Final of the weekend, but of all-time. Neither team had been to a Finals since 2006, and Madison was seeking its first championship. But New Lothrop held on for its second title as quarterbacks Avery Moore and Austin Brown matched scores through much of the second half.
11-Player Division 8: Reading 39, Breckenridge 20
One of these teams was going to end up a first-time and undefeated champion, and Reading led off the 2018 Finals on Friday with the historic accomplishment in large part because of its dominance in the run game. The Rangers gained 296 yards on the ground and held the Huskies to a mere 24 and 198 yards of total offense.
8-Player Division 1: Morrice 44, Pickford 16
This also was going to produce a first-time and undefeated champion regardless of victor. After Pickford scored first, Morrice locked up its first title with 30 unanswered points over the next two quarters. Orioles quarterback Hunter Nowak capped his career with three rushing and one passing touchdown to go with 199 yards on the ground.
8-Player Division 2: Rapid River 30, Onekama 18
In its third 8-Player Finals try, Rapid River came away with its first MHSAA football title. The Rockets held on to the ball for an incredible 33½ minutes by extending drives with 10 third-down and four fourth-down conversions. Onekama was playing in its first Football Final, capping its second season of 8-player after a successful recent run with 11 on the field.
Record Report
Lumen Christi moved up to tied for fifth with its 13th Finals appearance. Muskegon (11th) and King (sixth) also moved up the list, and Warren DeLaSalle joined it by playing in its fifth championship game. Lumen Christi is tied for fourth all-time with 11 championships and became the 10th program to win three or more consecutively.
Three players made the list for longest kickoff return in a Final. New Lothrop’s Aidan Harrison ranks fourth after his 96-yard scoring sprint against Madison, while David Ellis raced 94 yards to the end zone for Chippewa Valley against Clarkston and Jacob Veale scored Portland’s only points against Unity Christian on a 91-yard return.
Tommy Schuster made the records with a perfect 13 of 13 passing for Chippewa Valley against Clarkston, becoming the first player with at least 12 attempts to complete all of his passes in an MHSAA Final.
As noted above, New Lothrop and Madison Heights Madison combined to score 94 points – breaking the previous record for highest-scoring Final of 91 by Belding and Detroit Country Day in the 1994 Class B championship game (a 50-41 Belding win). New Lothrop’s 50 points also tied for fourth most in an MHSAA Final.
That 94-point effort was a result in large part of work done by Madison quarterback Austin Brown and New Lothrop quarterback Avery Moore. Both made the records list with four rushing touchdowns in a Final and also for scoring 26 points (each had a 2-point conversion). Brown also was added for 298 passing yards, and his 403 of total offense tied for fifth. New Lothrop as a team was added for six rushing touchdowns, and Madison Heights Madison was added for total team passing yardage.
Reading’s Elijah Strine was added for becoming the first in Finals history to recover a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown.
Edwardsburg became the latest to not punt in a championship game, and Chelsea punted only once in their Division 4 Final – their one combined punt tied for second-fewest in a Final.
Lumen Christi kicker Kevin Salazar connected on all six of his extra point attempts, and King’s Jerry Tucker made five of six (with the sixth attempt blocked). Both made the list for most extra points, Salazar tying for fourth most.
Lumen Christi running back Nick Thomas ran for 249 yards, the eighth most in a championship game. Muskegon quarterback Cameron Martinez also made the rushing list with 211 yards.
King quarterback Dequan Finn tied for fifth for touchdown passes with four against the Big Reds. Chelsea receiver Hunter Neff tied for fifth for receptions with 10 against the Eddies.
Morrice made the list for rushing yards as a team in the 8-Player Division 1 Final. The Orioles totaled 317 on 54 carries.
Rapid River made the 8-Player first downs list, moving the sticks 20 times in its Division 2 win.
Stories Behind the Scores
First-time champions: Five of this season’s 10 MHSAA football champions were first-time winners: Edwardsburg, Hudsonville Unity Christian, Reading, Morrice and Rapid River. That’s compared to only two first-time champs a year ago and one in 2016.
First time in a long time champions: Chippewa Valley’s title was its first since 2001, and New Lothrop won for the first time since 2006. Both had been building toward this moment, however. The Big Reds had made the playoffs all but three seasons since claiming the Division 2 title 17 years ago. New Lothrop has made the playoffs 19 straight seasons, and since winning Division 8 in 2006 had reached the Semifinals three times before this fall.
Closer Calls: In six games, teams were within 10 points of each other in the fourth quarter. Mona Shores pulled within five of DeLaSalle with 7:26 to play in Division 2 before the Pilots added a late touchdown. Muskegon pulled within 10 of King with 5:21 to play in Division 3 before the Crusaders scored again, and Onekama pulled within 10 of Rapid River in 8-Player Division 2 less than a minute into the fourth quarter before ultimately losing by 12. New Lothrop didn’t take the lead for good until 3:27 was left in Division 7, and as noted, Chippewa Valley escaped Clarkston by stopping a 2-point conversion try during the final minute in Division 1.
QB power: Elite quarterback play was on display all over the Finals. We talked a lot above about the heroics of Avery Moore and Austin Brown in Division 7 and Morrice's Hunter Nowak in 8-Player Division 1. In Division 3, Muskegon’s Cameron Martinez ran for 211 yards and two scores and threw a touchdown pass, while King’s Dequan Finn threw for 173 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 73 and a score. Tommy Schuster’s numbers for Chippewa Valley included the perfect passing for 205 yards and two touchdowns, and his Clarkston counterpart Jake Jensen ran for 121 yards and a score and completed 10-of-15 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown. Isaac TeSlaa led Unity Christian with 97 yards and two touchdowns on the round and completed 3 of 4 passes for 70 yards and a third score. Carter Staley kept his team in the Division 8 game with 14-of-19 passing for 177 yards and two touchdowns. Nolan Schultz ran for three touchdowns and a team-high 55 yards and completed 8-of-13 passes for 189 and a score for DeLaSalle.
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