2026 MHSAA Football Playoff Pairings Announced

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

October 25, 2026

Here are the pairings for the 2026 MHSAA Football Playoffs, which begin Oct. 30 and 31 with District Semifinals in the 11-Player Playoffs and Regional Semifinals in the 8-Player Playoffs.

Teams were divided into divisions before the start of play this fall. The top 32 teams in each division in 11-player and top 16 per division in 8-player, based on playoff-point average, were selected to the field. 

For 11-player, qualifiers were then divided into four regions with eight teams apiece, then placed into four-team Districts based on their seeds within the region. The 8-player qualifiers were divided into four regions with four teams in each.

Pairings for the first three weeks of the tournament are based on regular-season playoff-point averages, with the highest-ranked team hosting, regardless of the distance between the two schools. For 11-Player District Semifinals, the top-seeded team will host the eighth-seeded team, the second-seeded will host the seventh-seeded, the third-seeded with host the sixth-seeded, and the fourth-seeded team will host the fifth-seeded team. For 8-Player Regional Semifinal play, the top-seeded team in each bracket will host the fourth-seeded team, and the second-seeded team will host the third-seeded team. 

District Finals for 11-player and Regional Finals for 8-player will follow during the weekend of Nov. 6-7, and the weekend of Nov. 13-14 will have Regional Finals in the 11-Player Playoffs and Semifinals in the 8-Player Playoffs. The 8-Player Semifinals will pair the winners of Region 1 vs. Region 2 and the winners of Region 3 vs. Region 4 at neutral sites assigned by the MHSAA.

Semifinal games in the 11-Player Playoffs will take place Nov. 20-21, pairing the winners of Region 1 vs. Region 2 and the winners of Region 3 vs. Region 4. The MHSAA also will assign 11-Player Semifinals at neutral sites.

All playoff tickets except for Finals (both 11 and 8-player) will be sold online only via GoFan.

For 11-Player, tickets to District Semifinals and District Finals cost $8, tickets to Regional Finals are $10, and tickets to Semifinals cost $12. For 8-player, tickets for Regional Semifinals are $8, tickets for Regional Finals are $10, and tickets for Semifinals cost $12.

The 8-Player Finals will take place Nov. 21 at Northern Michigan University’s Superior Dome in Marquette, and the 11-Player Finals will be played Nov. 27 and 28 at Ford Field in Detroit. An all-day ticket for 8-Player Finals costs $12 and includes admission to both games, and an all-day ticket for the 11-Player Finals costs $20 and includes admission to that day’s four games.

The 11-Player Finals schedule will be as follows:

Friday, Nov. 27
9:30 a.m. - Division 8
12:30 p.m. - Division 4
4 p.m. - Division 6
7 p.m. - Division 2

Saturday, Nov. 28
9:30 a.m. - Division 7
12:30 p.m. - Division 3
4 p.m. - Division 5
7 p.m. - Division 1

Pairings for both the 11 and 8-Player brackets are as follows: 

11-Player Pairings

DIVISION 1

REGION 1
DISTRICT 1
Grandville (4-5) 54.778 at Howell (9-0) 87.000
Hudsonville (6-3) 66.778 at Portage Central (8-1) 72.667
DISTRICT 2
Brighton (5-4) 58.000 at East Kentwood (9-0) 83.667
Rockford (5-4) 61.444 at Grand Ledge (9-0) 75.111

REGION 2
DISTRICT 1
Bloomfield Hills (5-4) 52.222 at Clarkston (8-1) 82.889
Hartland (7-2) 71.556 at Grand Blanc (9-0) 78.139
DISTRICT 2
Lake Orion (4-5) 53.889 at Detroit Catholic Central (8-1) 79.681
Davison (7-2) 63.583 at Oxford (7-2) 78.778

REGION 3
DISTRICT 1
Plymouth (4-5) 51.333 at Detroit Cass Tech (9-0) 76.861
Belleville (6-3) 70.667 at Dearborn Fordson (7-2) 71.333
DISTRICT 2
Dearborn (5-4) 55.667 at Saline (9-0) 76.778
Brownstown Woodhaven (7-2) 66.000 at Northville (7-2) 74.000

REGION 4
DISTRICT 1
New Baltimore Anchor Bay (5-4) 54.778 at Romeo (9-0) 83.667
Macomb Dakota (5-4) 64.667 at Rochester (6-3) 67.444
DISTRICT 2
Macomb L'Anse Creuse North (6-3) 54.889 at Rochester Hills Stoney Creek (7-2) 72.111
Utica (6-3) 56.444 at Rochester Adams (6-3) 70.000

DIVISION 2

REGION 1
DISTRICT 1
Muskegon (4-5) 47.444 at Byron Center (7-2) 71.667
Portage Northern (5-4) 59.000 at Traverse City West (6-3) 63.889
DISTRICT 2
East Lansing (4-5) 48.667 at Caledonia (7-2) 70.903
Traverse City Central (4-5) 49.667 at Muskegon Mona Shores (8-1) 69.833

REGION 2
DISTRICT 1
Midland (4-5) 47.222 at Milford (8-1) 73.333
Walled Lake Western (7-2) 65.333 at Midland Dow (7-2) 66.222
DISTRICT 2
Flushing (5-4) 49.778 at South Lyon (7-2) 72.000
Saginaw Heritage (6-3) 60.917 at South Lyon East (7-2) 68.333

REGION 3
DISTRICT 1
Roseville (4-5) 53.778 at Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (7-2) 66.889
North Farmington (6-3) 59.111 at Ferndale (7-2) 61.000
DISTRICT 2
Birmingham Groves (5-4) 54.556 at Orchard Lake St. Mary's (6-3) 65.667
Birmingham Seaholm (5-4) 56.444 at St. Clair Shores Lakeview (7-2) 62.111

REGION 4
DISTRICT 1
Detroit Mumford (5-4) 47.333 at Gibraltar Carlson (9-0) 77.444
Livonia Franklin (7-2) 63.111 at Allen Park (7-2) 64.111
DISTRICT 2
Dearborn Heights Crestwood (5-4) 53.556 at Grosse Pointe South (8-1) 71.889
Livonia Churchill (5-4) 54.889 at Temperance Bedford (7-2) 64.889

DIVISION 3

REGION 1
DISTRICT 1
Petoskey (6-3) 49.556 at Mount Pleasant (8-1) 69.556
Marquette (6-3) 54.000 at Cadillac (7-2) 58.222
DISTRICT 2
Lowell (6-3) 53.556 at DeWitt (7-2) 67.111
East Grand Rapids (6-3) 53.556 at Coopersville (8-1) 65.556

REGION 2
DISTRICT 1
Zeeland East (5-4) 45.889 at St. Joseph (7-2) 65.889
Coldwater (6-3) 48.333 at Middleville Thornapple Kellogg (6-3) 52.556
DISTRICT 2
Niles (4-5) 46.111 at Zeeland West (7-2) 61.972
Battle Creek Central (5-4) 47.556 at Battle Creek Harper Creek (6-3) 52.889

REGION 3
DISTRICT 1
Waterford Mott (5-4) 47.111 at Chelsea (9-0) 70.556
Linden (6-3) 56.889 at Redford Thurston (8-1) 57.111
DISTRICT 2
Dexter (4-5) 52.444 at Mason (8-1) 67.000
Holly (7-2) 55.444 at Fenton (7-2) 64.333

REGION 4
DISTRICT 1
New Boston Huron (6-3) 48.000 at Port Huron (9-0) 75.222
Warren De La Salle Collegiate (5-4) 55.524 at Trenton (5-4) 57.000
DISTRICT 2
Warren Fitzgerald (6-3) 48.556 at Harper Woods (7-2) 72.333
Grosse Pointe North (6-3) 52.333 at Detroit Martin Luther King (6-3) 66.556

DIVISION 4

REGION 1
DISTRICT 1
Grand Rapids Christian (4-5) 43.667 at Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills (8-1) 66.333
Fruitport (7-2) 47.778 at Ludington (7-2) 48.111
DISTRICT 2
Big Rapids (5-4) 44.111 at Ada Forest Hills Eastern (8-1) 60.556
Spring Lake (5-4) 46.333 at Hudsonville Unity Christian (5-4) 52.778

REGION 2
DISTRICT 1
Vicksburg (7-2) 58.889 at Edwardsburg (9-0) 66.111
Paw Paw (8-1) 62.778 at Portland (9-0) 63.778
DISTRICT 2
Hastings (7-2) 60.556 at Stevensville Lakeshore (8-1) 66.000
Marshall (8-1) 60.889 at Grand Rapids South Christian (8-1) 65.222

REGION 3
DISTRICT 1
Williamston (5-4) 45.444 at Goodrich (9-0) 66.667
Ortonville Brandon (6-3) 49.556 at St. Johns (7-2) 51.222
DISTRICT 2
Lansing Sexton (6-3) 46.333 at Dearborn Divine Child (8-1) 63.556
Tecumseh (6-3) 49.000 at Adrian (8-1) 59.778

REGION 4
DISTRICT 1
Detroit Southeastern (6-3) 45.667 at Marysville (5-4) 52.556
Macomb Lutheran North (8-1) 50.556 at Detroit East English (7-2) 51.333
DISTRICT 2
St. Clair (7-2) 47.444 at Detroit Cody (8-1) 52.556
Detroit Country Day (6-3) 48.000 at Madison Heights Lamphere (5-4) 51.667

DIVISION 5

REGION 1
DISTRICT 1
Howard City Tri County (5-4) 38.222 at Kingsford (9-0) 56.889
Negaunee (5-4) 40.556 at Shepherd (7-2) 46.222
DISTRICT 2
Remus Chippewa Hills (7-2) 39.778 at Muskegon Orchard View (7-2) 49.222
Reed City (6-3) 40.111 at Ogemaw Heights (7-2) 46.778

REGION 2
DISTRICT 1
Comstock Park (4-5) 38.111 at Grand Rapids Catholic Central (7-2) 65.194
Berrien Springs (8-1) 51.333 at Lake Odessa Lakewood (8-1) 54.000
DISTRICT 2
Wyoming Godwin Heights (7-2) 47.667 at Grand Rapids West Catholic (7-2) 59.556
Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep (9-0) 48.613 at Hopkins (8-1) 56.000

REGION 3
DISTRICT 1
Whitmore Lake (6-3) 39.000 at Frankenmuth (8-1) 56.222
Armada (5-4) 45.889 at Flint Powers Catholic (7-2) 48.667
DISTRICT 2
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (5-4) 40.333 at Saginaw Swan Valley (8-1) 52.889
Corunna (4-5) 41.222 at Imlay City (7-2) 49.222

REGION 4
DISTRICT 1
Flat Rock (3-6) 33.444 at Monroe Jefferson (8-1) 55.556
Ida (7-2) 43.444 at Detroit Voyageur College Prep (6-3) 43.819
DISTRICT 2
Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (5-4) 40.222 at Romulus Summit Academy North (6-3) 49.778
Detroit Denby (6-3) 40.444 at Redford Union (5-4) 46.000

DIVISION 6

REGION 1
DISTRICT 1
Mason County Central (5-4) 31.222 at Kingsley (9-0) 49.806
Calumet (6-3) 39.000 at Traverse City St. Francis (6-3) 41.000
DISTRICT 2
Elk Rapids (6-3) 33.986 at Sanford Meridian (9-0) 49.278
Harbor Springs (8-1) 36.778 at Gladwin (5-4) 43.444

REGION 2
DISTRICT 1
Flint Elite (5-4) 32.444 at Almont (9-0) 61.111
Midland Bullock Creek (5-4) 37.278 at Algonac (6-3) 41.667
DISTRICT 2
New Haven (6-3) 34.111 at Marine City (9-0) 56.667
Durand (6-3) 35.667 at Montrose (7-2) 44.000

REGION 3
DISTRICT 1
Brooklyn Columbia Central (6-3) 36.000 at Jackson Lumen Christi (7-2) 58.222
Napoleon (8-1) 41.444 at Buchanan (7-2) 41.556
DISTRICT 2
Adrian Madison (6-3) 37.444 at Belding (7-2) 49.889
Kent City (7-2) 37.778 at Olivet (6-3) 45.778

REGION 4
DISTRICT 1
Dearborn Heights Robichaud (5-4) 34.333 at Detroit Edison (8-1) 52.778
Clawson (6-3) 43.444 at Clinton (8-1) 49.667
DISTRICT 2
Detroit Communication Media Arts (5-4) 36.333 at Ecorse (8-1) 52.333
Warren Michigan Collegiate (5-4) 39.222 at Detroit Central (8-1) 49.778

DIVISION 7

REGION 1
DISTRICT 1
Lakeview (5-4) 28.222 at Menominee (8-1) 52.778
Manton (7-2) 32.889 at Manistee (4-5) 36.889
DISTRICT 2
Oscoda (6-3) 31.222 at Charlevoix (6-2) 41.361
Harrison (7-2) 32.708 at McBain (7-2) 39.472

REGION 2
DISTRICT 1
Cass City (6-3) 31.778 at Pewamo-Westphalia (8-0) 43.264
Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker (7-2) 39.556 at Burton Bendle (9-0) 40.111
DISTRICT 2
Clinton Township Clintondale (3-6) 32.444 at Millington (9-0) 42.889
Saginaw Valley Lutheran (6-3) 33.444 at Ithaca (8-1) 40.778

REGION 3
DISTRICT 1
Saranac (7-2) 31.083 at Constantine (8-1) 46.169
Cassopolis (8-1) 37.000 at Ravenna (7-2) 42.222
DISTRICT 2
Galesburg-Augusta (7-2) 33.000 at Schoolcraft (7-2) 44.905
Lawton (5-4) 33.058 at North Muskegon (8-1) 43.625

REGION 4
DISTRICT 1
Leslie (4-5) 30.778 at Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (8-1) 54.778
Bronson (7-2) 34.778 at Ottawa Lake Whiteford (7-2) 35.292
DISTRICT 2
Jonesville (5-4) 31.444 at Hanover-Horton (7-2) 41.222
Union City (7-2) 32.333 at Detroit Community (8-1) 37.444

DIVISION 8

REGION 1
DISTRICT 1
Beaverton (4-4) 24.458 at Beal City (9-0) 44.778
East Jordan (7-2) 34.764 at Iron Mountain (7-2) 35.778
DISTRICT 2
L'Anse (4-5) 25.222 at Bark River-Harris (7-2) 37.958
Frankfort (5-4) 28.889 at Maple City Glen Lake (7-2) 36.333

REGION 2
DISTRICT 1
Vestaburg (6-3) 26.778 at New Lothrop (8-1) 46.000
Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary (6-3) 31.736 at Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (6-3) 32.319
DISTRICT 2
Vassar (5-4) 27.222 at Ubly (6-3) 33.444
Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central (5-4) 29.889 at Unionville-Sebewaing (7-2) 32.889

REGION 3
DISTRICT 1
Sand Creek (5-4) 26.444 at Hudson (8-1) 49.556
Fowler (6-3) 33.750 at Manchester (7-2) 34.333
DISTRICT 2
Vermontville Maple Valley (5-4) 27.333 at Decatur (9-0) 47.000
Saugatuck (6-3) 32.222 at Springport (8-1) 37.444

REGION 4
DISTRICT 1
Sterling Heights Parkway Christian (5-4) 24.333 at Madison Heights Madison (7-2) 45.111
Burton Atherton (6-3) 30.111 at Southfield Bradford Academy (6-3) 33.444
DISTRICT 2
Marine City Cardinal Mooney (6-3) 25.889 at Royal Oak Shrine Catholic (8-1) 39.778
Allen Park Cabrini (5-4) 26.889 at Clarkston Everest Collegiate (8-1) 39.111

8-Player Pairings

DIVISION 1

REGION 1
Mio (6-3) 31.619 at Pickford (7-2) 36.736
Ishpeming (7-2) 32.111 at Rudyard (7-2) 33.569

REGION 2
Kingston (5-4) 30.639 at Dryden (9-0) 38.750
Marlette (7-2) 31.111 at Deckerville (8-1) 33.639

REGION 3
Concord (6-3) 30.125 at Climax-Scotts (7-2) 35.236
Bridgman (8-1) 33.306 at Colon (8-1) 33.681

REGION 4
Fulton (6-3) 31.952 at Merrill (8-1) 36.556
Blanchard Montabella (8-1) 33.889 at Dansville (7-2) 35.111

DIVISION 2

REGION 1
Powers North Central (7-2) 32.444 at Lake Linden-Hubbell (9-0) 38.000
St. Ignace (8-1) 35.556 at Gaylord St. Mary (9-0) 35.833

REGION 2
Onekama (6-3) 29.333 at Portland St. Patrick (9-0) 38.333
Grand Rapids Sacred Heart (8-1) 32.889 at Marion (9-0) 35.333

REGION 3
Adrian Lenawee Christian (4-5) 27.778 at Mendon (9-0) 40.458
Marcellus (6-3) 29.750 at Litchfield (8-1) 31.681

REGION 4
Peck (6-3) 27.845 at Bay City All Saints (8-1) 34.984
Britton Deerfield (7-2) 30.778 at Kinde North Huron (7-2) 31.861

The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,500 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract more than 1.4 million spectators each year.

PHOTO Menominee's Kahne Clarke (52) lifts Jackson Myszak (6) after Myszak runs for the first touchdown of the game during a Sept. 3 win at Marquette. (Photo by Cara Kamps.)

Gach Brings Major Spotlight to Groves Football, Major Goals Into Final Season

By Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com

September 6, 2024

It’s not like Birmingham Groves head coach Brendan Flaherty hadn’t had players in the past who received a lot of recruiting attention, given several Division I college talents such as Jaden and Jaren Mangham and DeOn’tae Pannell have come through the program under his tenure.

Greater DetroitBut make no mistake, Flaherty hadn’t coached anyone who has received as much recruiting attention as Avery Gach.

Before committing to Michigan over the summer, Gach held scholarship offers from 40 schools, and we’re not talking about smaller or upstart programs, either.

Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia and Florida State were among the programs to offer Gach, a hulking 6-foot-5, 290-pound senior lineman. 

“He’s a unicorn,” Flaherty said. “The attention it has brought the school and the limelight it has shined on us. I haven’t had anybody like this in 24 years. We’ve had Big Ten players before. But he obviously takes it to another level being a national guy. It’s well-deserved, and he’s done a great job handling it.”

Indeed, this fall will be the last chance for Groves to experience a player who might not come around again for a while once he signs and enrolls early at Michigan, as he plans to do.

Gach always has towered over everyone — he said he was 6-3 as an eighth-grader — and has done that on the football field since becoming a rarity at Groves by making the varsity as a freshman. 

After getting some experience during his freshman year, Gach really started to reach another level.

“After my ninth-grade season, I knew this was the sport I wanted to do,” said Gach, who also played basketball and baseball growing up. “I just hit the weight room. That helped me a ton.”

It wasn’t just weights and getting stronger, but flexibility and agility training as well that helped him become more than just someone who was bigger than everybody.

Gach also got to work mastering technical aspects of being a lineman.

“Just having heavy hands, containing the bull rush and keeping my core tight,” Gach said. 

From there, the scholarship offers and attention started pouring in.

Gach didn’t allow a sack his sophomore and junior years, so it’s a good bet opposing defensive linemen know what they’re up against this fall.

The wrinkle this year, though, is that opposing offensive linemen might be up against the same challenge. Gach is going to spend a significant amount of time at defensive tackle for the Falcons, likely commanding constant double and triple-teams.

“I’m going to play it a lot this year,” he said. “I’m going both ways. I’m excited. I’m going to make plays out there. They’re two separate positions, but you have to be aggressive at both.”

Flaherty, for one, firmly believes Gach can be just as much of a factor on the defensive side of the ball as he has been on offense.

“His mind is wired that he is an offensive lineman,” Flaherty said. “But if you rewired it a little bit and said he was a defensive lineman, he would be a force. He just plays with such a great energy, tenacity and intensity. He’s going to do a lot of great stuff on defense.”

Gach also played baseball for Groves his first two years of high school but decided to give that sport up to throw shot put for the track team this past spring while preparing for the football season. 

He’s fully ready and has ambitions that are similarly sizable for a Groves program that has never reached the MHSAA Finals.  

“The expectation this season is to win a state championship,” Gach said.

It might seem like an ambitious goal for a program that has never done so. But then again, there also never been a player in program history quite like Gach, as people should once again see on the field this fall. 

Keith DunlapKeith Dunlap has served in Detroit-area sports media for more than two decades, including as a sportswriter at the Oakland Press from 2001-16 primarily covering high school sports but also college and professional teams. His bylines also have appeared in USA Today, the Washington Post, the Detroit Free Press, the Houston Chronicle and the Boston Globe. He served as the administrator for the Oakland Activities Association’s website from 2017-2020. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.

PHOTO Groves’ Avery Gach stands in for a photo during Oakland Activities Association media day this preseason. (Photo by Keith Dunlap.)