1st & Goal: 2026 Week 7 Review
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 12, 2026
One play does not decide a game. But one play also can make all the difference.
Several Week 7 games showed that to be true once again, as a number of league champions were decided during the first full weekend of October, and multiple by one-score margins.
A few league races were reshuffled as well, and those results earned their places in our "Review" too as we move toward the final two weeks of the regular season.
Bay & Thumb
HEADLINER Almont 28, Macomb Lutheran North 27 Almont (7-0) has clinched a share of the Blue Water Area Conference title and can finish a fourth straight as outright champion this week against Croswell-Lexington. The Raiders have won 30 straight BWAC games, this the third by one point during that time. Lutheran North (6-1) has made a run at the title in its first season in the league after previously playing in the Catholic High School League. Click for more from the Macomb Daily.
Watch list Gladwin 26, Ogemaw Heights 20 The Flying Gs (5-2) capped a dramatic run to the Jack Pine Conference Division 1 title, falling to Midland Bullock Creek in Week 6 but bouncing right back to win this one on Jacob Pahl’s walk-off touchdown catch from Preston Newman. Ogemaw (5-2) had entered the night with the opportunity to clinch as well.
On the move Fenton 49, Linden 42 Fenton (6-1) finished an outright championship in the Flint Metro League Stripes with another of several close games against Linden (5-2) over the last two decades. Montrose 42, Ovid-Elsie 14 The Rams (6-1) clinched a share of a second-straight Mid-Michigan Activities Conference title and kept Ovid-Elsie (3-4) just outside the Division 6 playoff picture. Bay City Western 27, Traverse City Central 21 Western (3-4) jumped 13 spots to tied for No. 31 in the Division 3 playoff-points list with this first win over the Trojans (3-4) in five years of Saginaw Valley League play together.
Greater Detroit
HEADLINER Detroit Catholic Central 27, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 20 This matchup definitely lived up to season-long anticipation, as Detroit Catholic Central came back from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to pull closer to a potential third-straight Catholic High School League Central title – the Shamrocks (7-0) can clinch a share this week against one-win Toledo St. Francis de Sales. Gideon Gash scored twice during the fourth quarter and Ryan Jaafar ran for the eventual game-winner with 10 seconds to play against the Eaglets (5-2). Click for more from the Detroit Free Press.
COMEBACK COMPLETE WITH 10 SECONDS LEFT! 🚨 Down 14 in the fourth quarter, No. 1 Detroit Catholic Central (@DCCfootball) storms back and takes the lead on Ryan Jaafar's (@ryanjaafar5) 4-yard touchdown against No. 4 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s! 🤯 Powered by @CallSam https://t.co/KmHK0oUIJk
— STATE CHAMPS! Michigan (@statechampsmich) October 10, 2026
Watch list Gibraltar Carlson 31, Brownstown Woodhaven 28 The Marauders (7-0) have won 17 straight Downriver League games and are working toward a potential sixth-straight conference championship with two games to play – including a Week 9 matchup with second-place Allen Park. Austyn Lawrence threw three touchdown passes to help send Woodhaven (5-2) into a tie for third place.
On the move Northville 30, Belleville 7 Three teams are tied for first in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association Black – these two and Dearborn Fordson – with one league game to play. Royal Oak Shrine Catholic 42, Allen Park Cabrini 21 Shrine (7-0) clinched a share of the CHSL Intersectional 2 title by winning this matchup of teams that entered the night undefeated in league play. Detroit Central 6, Detroit Denby 2 These two finished the conference schedule among three teams tied atop the Detroit Public School League Gold standings (with Detroit Cody) and will meet again this week in a city championship game.
Mid-Michigan
HEADLINER Howell 14, Brighton 13 This rivalry filed away another exciting chapter as the Highlanders clinched a share of the KLAA Gold title. Howell (7-0) has now defeated Brighton (4-3) in four straight, including twice in 2024, and can claim the league title outright this week against Dearborn Heights Crestwood. Click for more from State Champs! Sports Network.
Watch list Ithaca 48, Saginaw Valley Lutheran 7 The Yellowjackets (7-0) avenged last season’s one-point loss to Valley Lutheran (5-2) to this time clinch the Tri-Valley Conference Blue title outright. Ithaca this season has now given up only 26 points – fewer than four per game.
On the move Mason 45, Williamston 14 The Bulldogs (7-0) completed a similarly defense-dominated run through the Capital Area Activities Conference Red, clinching an outright title with this win while giving up no more than 17 points in any game this fall. Clare 48, Midland Bullock Creek 35 The Pioneers (3-4) are pushing back toward a potential spot in the Division 5 playoff field and gave Gladwin an assist in its outright championship by knocking Bullock Creek (4-3) out of the race for a share of the JPC1 title. Okemos 45, Lansing Waverly 12 From 2020-23, Okemos didn’t win a game, which helps explain how the Wolves’ five wins this fall equal their total from the last seven seasons combined.
Northern Lower Peninsula
HEADLINER Traverse City West 31, Mount Pleasant 29 The Titans (4-3) threw a curveball into the Saginaw Valley League North race as Mount Pleasant (6-1) entered this game with an opportunity to clinch a share of the title, but now has become one of three teams with a chance to win it outright. West is another, thanks in part to Landon Henfling’s last-minute go-ahead field goal. Click for more from the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Watch list East Jordan 53, Johannesburg-Lewiston 16 The Red Devils (6-1) pulled to within one more win of clinching a share of the Northern Michigan Football Conference title but do face fourth-place Frankfort this week and second-place (tie) Harbor Springs in the regular-season finale.
On the move Maple City Glen Lake 33, Frankfort 0 Glen Lake (5-2) is tied for Harbor Springs for second in the NMFC and will be rooting for Frankfort (5-2) this week and hoping for an East Jordan misstep. Kingsley 55, Boyne City 12 Kingsley (7-0) clinched a share of the Northern Shores Conference title, but Boyne City (3-4) also moved up one spot to No. 36 on the Division 6 playoff-points average list. Petoskey 35, Alpena 0 The Northmen (5-2) kept themselves in play to clinch a share of the Big North Conference championship with a win over first-place Marquette this week.
Southeast & Border
HEADLINER Clinton 30, Ida 22 Amazingly, four teams are tied for first in the Lenawee County Athletic Association with one more week of league games to play, in part thanks to Clinton’s win over Ida (6-1) – with those two joined by Adrian Madison and Hudson at the top of the standings. Clinton (6-1) scored on a 66-yard pass midway through the fourth quarter to go ahead for good and play a major part in creating a scenario guaranteed to produce two co-champions. Click for more from the Adrian Daily Telegram.
Watch list Springport 28, Union City 14 The Spartans (6-1) still need one more win to clinch a share of the Big 8 Conference title, but now sit alone atop the standings after handing second-place Union City (6-1) its lone defeat.
On the move Hanover-Horton 52, Leslie 28 Hanover-Horton (6-1) won this matchup of Cascades Conference divisional champions, and now faces Manchester, which shared the North title with the Blackhawks (4-3). Napoleon 50, Brooklyn Columbia Central 15 The Pirates (6-1) won this matchup for second place in the Cascades Conference South, but also maintained valuable position in the Division 6 playoff hunt in case these two meet again in the postseason. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 27, Riverview 14 The Falcons (7-0) did their part to set up a winner-take-all this week in the Huron League against Monroe Jefferson, while also sending Riverview (4-3) out of the top 32 on the Division 3 playoff-points average list.
Southwest Corridor
HEADLINER Vicksburg 37, Niles 21 The Bulldogs had lost by 35, 35 and 50 points to Niles the last three seasons as Niles went on to win three straight Wolverine Conference championships. But with this win, Vicksburg maintained its share of first place heading into this week’s matchup with co-leader Edwardsburg. Click for more from the Kalamazoo Gazette.
Watch list Berrien Springs 35, Hopkins 0 Aside from clinching a share of the Lakeland Conference title, this has to be Berrien Springs’ most notable win this season as Hopkins also entered undefeated. The victory sent the Shamrocks (7-0) from No. 7 to No. 3 on the Division 5 playoff-points list, while dropping Hopkins (6-1) only two spots to No. 7.
On the move Constantine 39, Lawton 6 Constantine (6-1) will need help from Coloma this week against first-place Kalamazoo United to gain a share of the Southwestern Athletic Conference title, but downing third-place Lawton (5-2) did earn the Falcons that opportunity. Bronson 40, Quincy 24 Bronson (5-2) remains mathematically in the hunt for a share of the Big 8 Conference title, but more importantly at this point bumped up six spots to No. 20 in the Division 7 playoff-points list by downing Quincy (4-3). Stevensville Lakeshore 35, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 0 The Lancers (6-1) jumped six spots to No. 4 on the Division 4 playoff-points list with a big win over Division 1 Loy Norrix (4-3).
Upper Peninsula
HEADLINER Marquette 49, Gaylord 13 Marquette has earned a share of the Big North Conference championship, its first since joining the league four years ago, and as noted above can clinch the title outright this week against Petoskey. The Sentinels (5-2) also avenged last season’s one-point loss to Gaylord (3-4) to move up two spots in the potential Division 3 playoff field to No. 21. Click for more from Upper Michigan’s Source.
Watch list Escanaba 21, Calumet 20 Escanaba (3-4) received a major boost to its playoff chances as this win bumped the team up four spots to No. 38 on the Division 4 playoff points list while Calumet (4-3) fell six spots in Division 6 to No. 20.
On the move Menominee 38, Negaunee 28 The Maroons (7-0) played their closest game of the season but held on to set up a winner-take-all in the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference Copper this week against Kingsford. Kingsford 15, Ishpeming Westwood 8 The Flivvers (7-0) did their part as well to set up that matchup, surviving only their second single-digit challenge this fall. Westwood (2-5) still moved up two spots to No. 38 on the Division 6 playoff points list despite the defeat. Bark River Harris 44, Hancock 14 The Broncos (6-1) secured a share of the West-PAC Iron title after withstanding Hancock (3-4), which is tied for third in the league.
West Michigan
HEADLINER East Kentwood 49, Caledonia 27 East Kentwood (7-0) still must win one of the next two games to clinch a share of the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red title, but this one was a major obstacle as Caledonia (5-2) also entered the weekend undefeated in league play. The Falcons face seventh-place Holland West Ottawa this week before closing against reigning champ Hudsonville. Click for more from the Grand Rapids Press.
Watch list Grand Rapids Christian 29, Grand Rapids West Catholic 28 (OT) The Eagles (2-5) still have work to do to climb into the playoff hunt, but this came off 37 and 22-point losses to West Catholic (5-2) over the last two years and pushed Forest Hills Eastern back into a tie for first with the Falcons in the O-K White with one week of league games to play.
On the move Muskegon Mona Shores 44, Muskegon 21 Mona Shores (6-1) clinched a share of the O-K Green title by avenging last season’s 16-point loss to the Big Reds (3-4). Zeeland West 36, Hudsonville Unity Christian 0 The Dux (6-1) will need a win by Zeeland East over Grand Rapids South Christian this week to pick up a share of the O-K Gold title, but set themselves up for that opportunity by sending Unity (4-3) into a tie for third. Muskegon Orchard View 19, Fremont 16 Orchard View (5-2) ended Fremont’s title chances in the West Michigan Conference Lakes and while doing so jumped seven spots to No. 12 on the Division 5 playoff points list.
8-Player
HEADLINER Blanchard Montabella 60, Merrill 20 Montabella (6-1) claimed this winner-take-all for the Mid-State Activities Conference Blue title with another stunning offensive performance, but may have been even more impressive on defense. Merrill (6-1) was averaging nearly 52 points per game entering the title decider. The Mustangs have won three straight league championships. Click for more from the Mount Pleasant Morning Sun.
Watch list Pittsford 60, Litchfield 54 Pittsford (5-2) bounced back from a big Week 6 nonleague loss to Concord to hand Litchfield (6-1) its only defeat this fall and clinch a share of the Southern Central Athletic Association Blue title. Pittsford has won 17 straight league games and can claim a third-straight outright championship this week against Waldron.
On the move Lake Linden-Hubbell 42, Crystal Falls Forest Park 38 Lake Linden-Hubbell (7-0) guaranteed itself a share of a second-straight league title and can claim the Great Lakes Eight Conference West outright by winning just one of its next two games. Forest Park (5-2) is one of three league teams with two league losses and slim hopes of still gaining a share. Pickford 36, Indian River Inland Lakes 30 (2OT) Pickford finished an outright championship in the Bridge Alliance Straits by navigating its most substantial league challenge, from Inland Lakes (4-3). St. Ignace 34, Rudyard 18 While the Saints (6-1) weren’t able to catch Pickford in the Straits, they did continue to strengthen their position in the Division 2 playoff chase with this win over the Bulldogs (5-2).
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PHOTOS (Top) A pair of Muskegon Mona Shores players breaks up a play during their win against Muskegon. (Middle) Fowler’s Eli Thelen (8) is brought down by Bath’s Lorenzo Gonzalez (23) and Hunter Tolliver (2) during the Eagles’ 53-0 win. (Below) Menominee’s Kiefer Chouincard (11) gets a hand on the ball and dislodges it as he and Nathan Nelson (44) make a tackle against Negaunee. (Mona Shores/Muskegon photo by Tim Reilly. Fowler/Bath photo by John Johnson. Menominee/Negaunee photo by Cara Kamps.)
Herrington's Record Run Filled with Thrills
By
Tom Markowski
Special for Second Half
October 12, 2017
FARMINGTON HILLS – John Herrington soon will stand alone as the winningest football coach in Michigan high school history.
Herrington, 76, is in his 48th season as head coach at Farmington Hills Harrison. He spent eight seasons as an assistant at North Farmington. He is the only head coach Harrison has had.
Herrington and Al Fracassa of Birmingham Brother Rice currently are tied for the most victories at 430. Herrington will pass Fracassa on Friday if the Hawks, coming off their biggest victory of the season, 17-14 over Oak Park, can defeat Berkley at Harrison.
Fracassa’s record stands at 430-117-7. He retired following the 2013 season. Herrington’s record is 430-104-1. The next active coach within shouting distance is Herb Brogan of Jackson Lumen Christi. His record is 337-83.
It will be Herrington’s name at the top of that list, but the number of people who have had a hand in this accomplishment is in the hundreds, if not a thousand or more.
Coaches like his longtime friend Bob Sutter, Herrington’s defensive coordinator for 34 seasons; John Witkowski, Steve Dolloway and current coaches like offensive coordinator Jon Herstein and defensive coordinator Dave Thorn all have contributed mightily to the success of the program.
Then there’s the players. Harrison boasted some of the best and most talented teams in state history including the Mill Coleman-led teams of the late 1980s and the Drew Stanton-led teams in the early 2000s.
“As a player, every player, every Hawk, feels they contributed,” Coleman said. “Coach doesn’t like to talk about (the record). We tried to get him to talk about it after the Oak Park game. He said, ‘Yeah, it’s a great win but we want to get into the playoffs.’”
Harrison is 5-2, and a victory over Berkley would clinch the program’s 33rd MHSAA playoff appearance. It also would clinch for the Hawks at least a share of the Oakland Activities Association White title.
This has been a special season in many ways. School administrators and others helped organize the return of many of Herrington’s players to be a part of the season-long celebration. For the first home game, players from the 1970s were asked to come back. The players from the 1980s were asked to attend the second home game, and so on.
Well-wishers are pouring in from all over the country.
“This week we’ll have players from the 2000s,” Herrington said. “Last week I think we had like 70 (for the Oak Park game). And I’m getting all kinds of emails.”
Herrington coached in some of the more memorable games of the last 40 years. There was the 1989 Class B Semifinal against East Grand Rapids that became known as the ‘Ice Bowl’ because the artificial surface at Atwood Stadium in Flint was completely ice-covered, making playing conditions quite challenging. Harrison won that game, 3-2. The following week, inside the Pontiac Silverdome, Coleman led a comeback over DeWitt that even longtime MHSAA historian Dick Kispaugh called one of the greatest games he’d seen. After trailing 21-0, Harrison won 28-27 on Coleman’s 9-yard touchdown run with 1:34 left. DeWitt had taken a 27-21 lead with 2:20 remaining.
“I came from Albion after my freshman year,” Coleman said. “It was great to play for Coach. Yeah, it was a big change for me. Harrison was a perennial state championship team then. Been there, done that type of thing.
“It was pretty systematic. That’s what stood out for me. Plus the attitude of the players. (You were) expected to win. It was pretty laid out. It was pretty comforting for me, too. I noticed the amount of time the staff put in, with meetings and stuff. We had a pretty in-depth scouting report. Still do.”
Coleman has been around the program since his professional career ended in 1998. As an assistant coach his main responsibility, quite naturally, is working with the quarterbacks. Coleman, whose name is splashed seemingly all over the MHSAA record book, is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks in state history. He won two MHSAA titles, lost in a Class B Final as a sophomore in 1987, and it was his ability to turn a busted play into something special that earned him the nickname “Mill the Thrill.”
One can’t overlook Harrison’s first two titles. The Hawks defeated Muskegon Catholic Central, 7-0, in the 1981 Class B Final, then the next season the Hawks went to double overtime to defeat Dearborn Fordson, 17-14, in the Class A title game. Those teams were led, in part, by all-state running back/defensive back John Miller, who would go on to play at Michigan State. Miller started for four seasons and was the last of four brothers who played at Harrison.
“Following in my brothers’ footsteps, playing for Coach Sutter and John, it was a dream come true,” Miller said. “I was 7 or 8 years old when I got to know John, running around, chasing footballs, just being around my brothers.
“(Herrington) is a remarkable man and coach, but also as a teacher. He cared about his players more than he did about the games.
“I remember coming off of that Class B title. We moved up to A, and that was quite a jump for us. We knew we would be good, but we also knew we couldn’t do just the same old thing. We had to do things a little different, on offense. We had Dave Blackmer, who started at fullback and linebacker, and Kenny Kish at quarterback. (Kish) was really good and a great guy. It was a matter of getting all of the right skill guys together. We had a lot of great athletes, maybe not great at one sport, but guys who played multiple sports. I was a senior on that ’84 team and it might have been one of John’s best, but we didn’t win it.”
Fordson gained some revenge that season, defeating Harrison, 9-7, in a Class A Semifinal.
But Herrington’s program continued to grow and eventually become one of the storied programs in state history. Comparisons, fair or not, soon surfaced between Herrington and Harrison and Brother Rice and Fracassa, and Detroit Catholic Central and its former head coach, Tom Mach.
Herrington and Fracassa crossed paths eight times as head coaches, with Fracassa holding a 6-2 edge.
But the most memorable Harrison-Brother Rice game took place in 2010 in a Division 2 Pre-District matchup at Harrison. Because both teams were so highly rated, those in the media labelled it as a state championship.
Brother Rice led late and was attempting to run the clock out, but fumbled. Jake Vento scooped the ball up and ran for the winning touchdown. Harrison went on to win the Division 2 title, the school’s most recent.
Fracassa would get the last laugh in the last game matching these two coaching legends, as Brother Rice defeated Harrison, 30-7, in a Division 2 District Final in 2011 – as the Warriors then went on to win the championship at Ford Field.
Herrington said 52 of his former players became high school football coaches, and he estimates that more than 20 coached at Harrison. One of those is Joe Pesci, a 1994 graduate who was the starting quarterback for two seasons.
Pesci was one of five Pescis to play for Herrington. Mike was the eldest brother, and he played fullback and linebacker before graduating in 1992. David was the youngest and, like Joe, played quarterback and he graduated in 1999. These brothers also had two uncles play at Harrison.
“I was fortunate when I came out of college (Albion) to coach under (Herrington),” Joe Pesci said. “Here I was, 22 years old, and he made me the head coach (of the freshmen team). We were having a ball. It was a great perspective to see the other side, to see the amount of time the coaches put in. I got to coach my brother (Dave), Stanton, (Agim) Shabaj. To watch his game-planning, it was awesome. That’s when I started to become good friends with John. I still call him once a week. I reach out to him. Not just with things that happen on the field but things in school, too. He’s a good sounding board to have.”
Joe Pesci is the current head coach at South Lyon East.
The most recent accomplishment is but one of many for Herrington. His program has won the most MHSAA football titles (13), tied for the most MHSAA Football Finals appearances (17), and in his 46 years Harrison has had just five losing seasons – and only three since 1972. Twenty-six times his teams have won 10 or more games. Harrison and East Grand Rapids share the record for most consecutive MHSAA titles, the Hawks’ five straight coming from 1997-2001.
“(Herrington) was pretty much laid back when I played,” Coleman said. “Sutter was more of the fiery type of coach. It wasn’t a good cop, bad cop thing. One was fiery. One was laid back. The joke was Coach Sutter was the only one to yell at me in high school. John was an honest coach. He was like that to the parents, too. When they asked why their son wasn’t playing, he’d tell them their son wasn’t good enough.
“He takes losses hard but, like his players, it drives him more to be better. I’ve never seen him say it was somebody else’s fault. But we didn’t lose much when I played. I lost two games, one in a league championship and the other in a state final.”
The victories have been there for Herrington. The titles, too. But above all else is the stability and the integrity.
Joe Pesci recalled the 1999 season when Herrington and his staff, including Pesci, were made aware that they had used an ineligible player.
“We didn’t know,” Pesci said. “As soon as we found out John turned us in (to the MHSAA). I remember him making the speech to the kids. It was tough to watch him. He put it out there and then said, ‘OK, now how are we going to handle it?’”
Harrison was 3-1 at the time but the forfeits changed that to 1-3. Harrison lost one more game that season and, at 5-4, made the playoffs as an at-large playoff qualifier. Harrison went on to win the Division 3 title with a 42-35 victory over Grand Rapids Creston in the Final.
Harrison will be a big favorite to defeat Berkley but Herrington, true to his word and commitment, remains cautious. “You never know what will happen,” he said, but admitted that to win this much, a program has to be “pretty good.”
The key is the Hawks also have been “pretty good” and much better than that consistently over five decades.
“I remember when I first started, I wanted to do everything, call everything. I did the offense, special teams, made the defensive calls,” Herrington recalled. “After we lost in 1976 (36-27 to Midland Dow in the Class A Final), Sutter came up to me and said, ‘Do you just want me to stand on the sidelines or what?’ That’s when I changed.
“I’d have to say one of my greatest skills is to hire good people, and I’ve had some great coaches.”
Harrison is scheduled to close following the 2018-19 school year, and Herrington said he intends to coach next season but is unsure if he will remain in coaching after that.
What has kept him coaching all these years is the relationships he has maintained and the players he coaches. The games present their own challenges but it is the preparation, the filtering through the scouting reports and the hours of watching game film that test his imagination.
He’s still motivated and continues to enjoy coaching.
“I don’t play golf,” he said, “so what else am I going to do?”
Tom Markowski is a columnist and directs website coverage for the State Champs! Sports Network. He previously covered primarily high school sports for the The Detroit News from 1984-2014, focusing on the Detroit area and contributing to statewide coverage of football and basketball. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.
PHOTOS: (Top middle) Farmington Hills Harrison coach John Herrington mans the headset during a 2009 game against Southfield. (Middle top) Herrington raises the championship trophy after leading his team to the Class B title in 1988. (Middle below) Herrington, Dave Condeni (11), Agim Shabaj and Drew Stanton (9) celebrate a fifth-straight title in 2001 at the Pontiac Silverdome. (Below) Herrington enjoys a moment after coaching his 2010 team to the Division 2 championship.