1st & Goal: 2026 Week 9 Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 22, 2026
By Saturday night, the 2026 football regular season will be over and every league championship race decided. By Sunday evening, the playoff season will be set to begin, with several more championship opportunities ahead.
And a lot can still happen to influence how the first ends up and the second gets started.
Most of the games listed below will affect league title races, playoff qualification and positioning, or both. Make sure to keep an eye this weekend on the Playoff Point Summary page as teams move in (or out) of potential MHSAA Playoff fields, and stream the NFHS Network at 5 p.m. Sunday to find out what’s next for all 288 teams that qualify to continue their seasons next week.
Games highlighted are tonight 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
Chelsea (8-0) at Linden (6-2)
Both of these teams will play in the Division 3 bracket starting next week, with Chelsea entering this matchup No. 3 on the playoff points list and Linden No. 13. The Bulldogs haven’t had a single-digit game since their Week 1 nine-point win over Harper Woods, while Linden’s losses have come by a mere eight and seven points, respectively. Chelsea won last year’s meeting 35-28.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Unionville-Sebewaing (6-2) at Saginaw Valley Lutheran (6-2), Algonac (6-2) at Flint Powers Catholic (6-2), Armada (5-3) at Frankenmuth (7-1), Goodrich (8-0) at Gladwin (5-3).
Greater Detroit
Jackson Lumen Christi (7-1) vs. Dearborn Divine Child (7-1) at Ford Field – Saturday
Two of this weekend’s Prep Bowl games will have implications for Catholic High School League championship races, with this a winner-take-all in the CHSL AA. It’s also a matchup of reigning Finals champions, Divine Child in Division 4 and Lumen Christi in Division 6. The Falcons are coming off their lone loss, to Warren De La Salle Collegiate, while Lumen set up this opportunity with a one-point Week 8 win over Detroit Country Day.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Gibraltar Carlson (8-0) at Allen Park (7-1), Walled Lake Western (7-1) at Milford (7-1), Madison Heights Madison (7-1) at Ecorse (7-1). SATURDAY Detroit Catholic Central (8-0) vs. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (6-2) at Ford Field.
Mid-Michigan
Ithaca (8-0) at Beal City (8-0)
Beal City is seeking to finish off a second-straight perfect regular season and defeated Ithaca 39-8 last year to complete the first. The Aggies haven’t played a single-digit regular-season game over the last two years, and no opponent has come closer than 19 points this fall. Ithaca’s closest win this season was last week’s 35-0 shutout of Fowler – the Yellowjackets’ third shutout over the last four weeks.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Harper Woods (7-1) at Mason (7-1), Okemos (5-3) at DeWitt (6-2), Temperance Bedford (7-1) at Grand Ledge (8-0), Northville (7-1) at Howell (8-0).
Northern Lower Peninsula
Harbor Springs (7-1) at East Jordan (7-1)
Nearly every season, the Traverse City schools’ Patriot Game owns its week on the schedule in Northern Michigan. But this matchup deserves plenty of attention as well. Harbor Springs has posted three shutouts over the last four weeks and will attempt to claim a share of the Northern Michigan Football Conference championship from East Jordan, which clinched a share last week and has defeated the Rams in five straight meetings.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Oscoda (5-3) at Frankfort (5-3), Fowler (6-2) at McBain (6-2), Traverse City West (5-3) at Traverse City Central (4-4), Manton (6-2) at Johannesburg-Lewiston (3-5).
Southeast & Border
Clinton (7-1) at Monroe Jefferson (8-0)
Jefferson is coming off clinching the Huron League championship outright with an 8-6 win last week over Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central, and the Bears have navigated only two single-digit wins as they’ve pursued a first perfect regular season since 1993. Clinton’s chance at 9-0 dissolved with a Week 6 loss to Hudson, but the Redwolves hung on to claim a share of the Lenawee County Athletic Association title and could add another major highlight heading into the postseason.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY New Boston Huron (6-2) at Adrian (7-1), Tecumseh (5-3) at Adrian Madison (6-2), Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (7-1) at Hanover-Horton (7-1), Berrien Springs (8-0) at Hudson (7-1).
Southwest Corridor
Portage Central (7-1) at St. Joseph (7-1)
These two didn’t play in the same league this season for the first time since 2008, Central winning the larger-school division of the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference and St. Joseph winning the SMAC division made up of the smaller schools. Portage Central’s victories this season have all come by 11 points or more since falling Week 1 to Toledo Central Catholic, while the Bears have been little challenged since suffering their lone defeat in Week 2, by a point, to Lowell.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Cassopolis (7-1) at Galesburg-Augusta (7-1), Portage Northern (5-3) at Stevensville Lakeshore (7-1), Paw Paw (7-1) at Vicksburg (7-1), Hastings (6-2) at Battle Creek Harper Creek (6-2).
Upper Peninsula
Marquette (6-2) at Kingsford (8-0)
Both are riding notable winning streaks – Kingsford hasn’t lost at all this fall, and Marquette hasn’t lost again since starting 0-2. Both are league champions, and both still have plenty to gain – Kingsford sits No. 8 on the Division 5 playoff-points list and could make a jump defeating a strong Division 3 opponent, while the Sentinels are No. 18 on the Division 3 list amidst a large pack of teams with similar averages vying for a home playoff game.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Negaunee (5-3) at Iron Mountain (6-2). FRIDAY Menominee (7-1) at Bark River-Harris (7-1), L’Anse (4-4) at Calumet (5-3), Manistique (4-4) at Ishpeming Westwood (3-5).
West Michigan
Hudsonville (6-2) at East Kentwood (8-0)
East Kentwood has taken down all challengers by at least 21 points and last week earned a share of the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red championship. But Hudsonville is the two-time reigning league champ and can still earn a share this season despite falling to Caledonia in Week 5. These two also have met in the playoffs the last two seasons, with Hudsonville winning the regular-season meeting by a point last fall but the Falcons claiming the rematch in the Regional Final by 24.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Coopersville (8-0) at Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills (7-1), Grand Rapids Catholic Central (7-1) at Grand Rapids South Christian (7-1), Traverse City St. Francis (6-2) at Grand Rapids West Catholic (6-2), Montrose (7-1) at Kent City (6-2).
8-Player
Mio (5-3) at Rogers City (6-2)
The North Star League Big Dipper will be decided by these two with Rogers City seeking its first league championship since 2022 and Mio a second-straight after sharing the Little Dipper title last season. But there’s much more on the line as well. Mio sits tied for No. 16 on the Division 1 playoff-points list and Rogers City is No. 20 and one of two 6-2 teams not currently set to qualify in that division but working to climb.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY St. Ignace (7-1) at Central Lake (6-2). FRIDAY Portland St. Patrick (8-0) at Dansville (7-1), St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic (6-2) at Grand Rapids Sacred Heart (7-1), Dryden (8-0) at Kinde North Huron (7-1).
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PHOTO A Boyne City receiver attempts to get his hands on a pass over Charlevoix defenders during the Rayders’ 28-12 Week 2 victory. (Photo by kishba media.)
Jefferson Helps End Muskegon's Heartache
By
Tom Markowski
Special for Second Half
November 25, 2017
DETROIT – The wait is over for Muskegon.
The Big Reds lost in MHSAA Division 3 Finals four of the last five seasons. And when Ben Williams of Farmington Hills Harrison returned Saturday’s opening kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown, the hearts of Muskegon fans sank a bit.
No reason to be concerned. Senior quarterback La’Darius Jefferson did what he’s done all season. Jefferson scored four touchdowns, and the defense allowed just three points as the Big Reds defeated Harrison, 28-10, in the weekend’s final championship game at Ford Field.
Muskegon (14-0) won its first title since 2008, and it helped take away some of the sting that lingers from last season’s 29-28 Division 3 Final loss to Orchard Lake St. Mary’s – a game where the Eaglets went ahead on a touchdown pass in the closing seconds.
That final score was posted in the Muskegon locker room all season. Every player and every coach saw it every time they walked in.
Not anymore. Coach Shane Fairfield will take that down now that the journey to the championship is over.
“It’ll be all white now,” Fairfield said. “We’ll start all over again with a clean slate.”
This is Fairfield’s first title as Muskegon’s coach. Expectations are high at Muskegon. Fans and alumni expect nothing less than a title, and close doesn’t count.
“I got it off my back,” Fairfield said. “I get to continue what I love to do.”
The Big Reds answered Williams’ kickoff return with an 80-yard, 13-play drive to tie the score at 7-7. Jefferson ended the drive with an 8-yard touchdown run.
Harrison regained the lead, 10-7, on David Hiser’s 26-yard field goal on the last play of the first quarter.
The Big Reds took their first lead during the second quarter on a 69-yard, two-play drive. Jefferson ran 55 yards on the first play, then scored from 14 yards out with 4:29 left in the half.
“We did well with that start,” Harrison coach John Herrington said. “But when you go against that type of size, you get worn down. I thought our defense played well. Passing is not our thing, and they did a good job of stopping our run.”
Muskegon held Harrison (10-4) to 61 yards rushing on 23 attempts., and also just 53 yards on nine completions through the air. The Hawks were held to 42 yards in the second half as Muskegon imposed its will.
Jefferson scored on short runs in the third and fourth quarter, and the defense did the rest.
He rushed for 245 yards on 32 carries, and his four touchdowns upped his total to 33 on the ground this season. He also threw 21 touchdown passes. On this night he didn’t have to throw much; he attempted only two passes, without a completion.
“We’ve gone against some great players here like (Birmingham Brother Rice quarterback Alex) Malzone and (Brother Rice receiver Grant) Perry. I was just hoping our guys could handle it and they did,” Fairfield said.
“La’Darius? What an amazing young man. I watched him play since he was in the seventh and eighth grades. He’s a selfless kid who loves his family. He wants all the kids (in Muskegon) to experience what he and his team have.”
As he has done many times this season, Jefferson went to the opposing team’s huddle at the end of the game to congratulate them on their play. In particular, he went to Harrison’s outstanding linebacker/tight end Ovie Oghoufo, who is committed to Notre Dame, and offered some advice.
“I told him to cherish this moment,” Jefferson said. “Not everyone is going to play in college. Not everyone is going to Notre Dame. Be thankful.”
Herrington, the state’s winningest coach, completed his 48th season at Harrison. The school is expected to close after the 2018-19 school year, and he said he’d be back for the finale.
The last time Harrison was in an MHSAA Football Final was 2010, when the Hawks won their state record 13th title with a 38-28 victory over Lowell in Division 2.
Harrison was one of only two teams to hold the Big Reds to fewer than 35 points this season, giving them their second-closest game of the fall and closest of a playoff run that saw Muskegon beat five opponents by an average of 37 points.
“Nobody stopped Muskegon all year,” Herrington said. “It was one of the better seasons we’ve had in a while. I enjoy them all. I can’t point out one more than the others.
“We have a few guys coming back. We’ll have 25 or so and go at it again.”
The MHSAA Playoffs are sponsored by the Michigan Army National Guard.
PHOTOS: (Top) Muskegon quarterback La’Darius Jefferson slices into the Harrison defense during Saturday’s Division 3 Final. (Middle) Muskegon coach Shane Fairfield hands off the championship trophy as his players begin to celebrate.