Grisdale to be Honored for 40 Seasons on Call for Cheboygan Football
By
Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com
September 13, 2024
When Jason Friday was in high school, there were two types of football fans in Cheboygan.
Folks either went to watch the Cheboygan Chiefs play under the lights, or they listened to the game on the radio called by play-by-play announcer Mike Grisdale.
Well, not much has changed. Friday, a 1992 Cheboygan grad, is now the school’s athletic director. And Grisdale is in the middle of his 40th season on the air.
What is changing tonight, though, is Cheboygan will officially dedicate the stadium press box to Grisdale in a special pregame ceremony before the Chiefs (1-1) take on Elk Rapids (1-1).
Former Cheboygan coaches, Grisdale’s family and people who have worked with him on the radio over the years will be on hand for the ceremony.
“We were able to get Dan Miller, George Blaha, Ken Kal and Dan Dickerson — radio broadcasters for all four Detroit sports — to record statements that we will play over the public address system,” said Friday. “Mike will be presented a smaller version of the plaque that we will be hanging in the press box, and he will have a chance to talk.”
Naming the press box after Grisdale has been in the works for more than a year, Friday noted. Grisdale first learned of the plan when he was interviewing Friday during halftime of a football game last year.
“Jason surprised me on the air,” Grisdale recalled. “I was shocked, but honored and thankful.”
Grisdale, a 1979 Cheboygan grad, is humbled noting there are so many people who contribute to the radio broadcasts and football program. He remembers listening with his father to Jorden James and Bob Martin call Chiefs games when some of the older kids from the neighborhood were playing high school football.
“I have just been so fortunate to do it for this long and have become the go-to guy for historical information and perspective,” Grisdale said.
Grisdale, who has also done nearly 1,000 Chiefs basketball games on the air, along with some hockey and soccer, said his interest in sports goes back to his childhood.
Grisdale grew up in Cheboygan with three brothers in a neighborhood full of kids. Sports were a big part of their lives — collecting baseball cards, listening to the Detroit Tigers on the radio, and playing basketball, kickball and wiffle ball.
Grisdale, who also hosts a Saturday morning radio show from a local restaurant called “Coaches Corner,” vividly recalls trying to keep a scorebook while listening to high school basketball games on WCBY radio and dreaming of becoming the next Blaha, or Ernie Harrell, Bob Ufer, or Bruce Martin - four legendary broadcasters of Michigan professional and college sports.
While at Central Michigan University earning a broadcasting degree, Grisdale got extensive of on-air experience on student stations. He worked on Cheboygan radio stations during summers.
Some of his fondest memories of Chiefs broadcasts have come from the locations where they’ve played.
“I have enjoyed having the opportunity to cover games at places like the Pontiac Silverdome, Palace of Auburn Hills, Crisler Arena and the Breslin Center,” Grisdale said. “You remember the exciting moments and big games”
The 40 years on the air, along with earlier turns covering Marshall and Albion football and basketball games, are really just a blur to the highly-revered radio personality.
“The seasons just seemed to run together,” Grisdale said. “There were many, many times when the weather and the long road trips took their toll.”
Grisdale played football at Cheboygan High School and was an offensive end and a defensive safety on a 9-0 squad his senior year in 1978. He caught three touchdown passes that season. He also held for extra points, collecting snaps from his brother Mark, the Chiefs’ long-snapper.
Mike Grisdale doesn’t hesitate to point out the best player he covered was fullback Shannon Scarborough from the 1991 team that reached the Silverdome – “The all-stater was strong and fast and played both ways,” he noted. But Grisdale has loved all the players and teams over the years. “I do it because I enjoy promoting the kids, keeping the traditions alive, seeing the community come together, good sportsmanship, and being part of a team.”
Friday, who also has broadcast multiple games alongside Grisdale over the years, has enjoyed Grisdale’s efforts to promote every player.
“Kids always love to hear their name on the radio,” Friday said. “What I think he does better than anyone is to make sure the offensive and defensive linemen are consistently mentioned — those boys in the trenches often get overlooked, but not with Mike on the call.”
When Cheboygan installed NFHS Network cameras, the athletic department sought to successfully connect Grisdale’s radio broadcast through the video feed.
“That has been a huge bonus and something that many community members have told me they appreciate,” Friday said.
Grisdale, who also works part-time for Black Diamond Broadcasting in its Cheboygan studios and serves Mackinaw Health System based in St. Ignace as its marketing director, has no plans to end his broadcasting career.
“As long as our local radio station can keep the tradition alive and I am still around, it would be my privilege to keep it going,” Grisdale said.
Cheboygan High School games are carried on WCBY (Cheboygan) 1240 AM, 100.7 FM and 98.1 FM, and streaming at BigCountryGold.com.
Tom Spencer is a longtime MHSAA-registered basketball and soccer official, and former softball and baseball official, and he also has coached in the northern Lower Peninsula area. He previously has written for the Saginaw News, Bay County Sports Page and Midland Daily News. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Mike Grisdale, right, and partner Nate King broadcast a Cheboygan game from Central Michigan University. (Middle) The Cheboygan stadium press box will be dedicated to the longtime broadcaster. (Below) Grisdale is on the call for another Chiefs game. (Photos provided by Grisdale and the Cheboygan athletic department.)
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.)