Many-Sport Standout Gash Closing High School Career with Repeat Title Pursuit
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
September 3, 2026
Gideon Gash said this fall is marking the end of an era for him athletically.
Throughout his life, it didn’t seem to matter what the sport was, because Gash was playing it.
Whether it was soccer, basketball, lacrosse, football, or track & field, Gash sampled them all, and it didn’t stop when his high school career began.
Last year as a junior at Detroit Catholic Central, Gash continued to play several sports after being named all-state for football in the fall.
During the winter, he played on Catholic Central’s basketball team. In the spring, he decided to go out for track and thrived, finishing second in the 100-meter dash and winning the long jump at the Catholic High School League meet, and then taking third in the long jump at the Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals.
Following that championship meet, Gash returned to the lacrosse team and suited up for the Shamrocks during the final week of the season, which culminated in a DCC Division 1 title. Gash had played lacrosse the previous spring as a sophomore, but decided to focus more on track as a junior.
“I worked out different muscles and different skills and just having that versatility helped me a lot throughout life,” Gash said. “Being able to do different things and learn faster and having to keep up with everyone in terms of basketball, lacrosse, in terms of just raw skills. That helped me a lot in terms of just being able to add to my bag and be the best I can.”
But now, Gash said his multi-sport playing days are all but over.
One of the premier college football recruits in the nation, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Gash has committed to play at Texas Tech for now, although he recently said his recruitment is “not closed down,” according to an article on Rivals.com.
Regardless of where he ends up, Gash said he plans on enrolling early and starting college in January, adding he made sure to accumulate enough class credits to be able to do so.
That means it’s football from here on out, and odds are he’s going to have a monster senior year for reigning Division 1 champion Catholic Central.
Last year, Gash was all-state in Division 1-2 as a lockdown defensive back, collecting 74 tackles and nine pass breakups. He also was a big-play threat as a wideout, catching three long touchdown passes for Catholic Central in a championship game win over Detroit Cass Tech at Ford Field.
There are times this season where Gash may never leave the field, given he will see lots of time as a dangerous punt returner. In a season-opening win over Clinton Township Chippewa Valley, Gash returned a punt 48 yards for a touchdown.
Playing so many sports throughout his life has shaped him into an all-around force on the football field and helped turn him into a dominating physical specimen.
Gash gained 10 pounds of muscle since last fall and going into his senior year is more chiseled and faster than he has ever been.
“He just loves competing,” Catholic Central football head coach Justin Cessante said. “When we compete and he works the way he does when nobody is watching, and he’s got his agility, his strength and his size, he’s a 10 times better player and athlete than he was last year. I think that attributes to doing all those different things.”
This is the first year Gash is not playing alongside his older brother, Samson, the 2025 Finals champion in the 100-meter dash and all-state wide receiver last fall who is a freshman at Michigan State.
Gideon Gash will certainly be counted on for veteran leadership since Catholic Central entered this season with only two returning starters, although there are several talented underclassmen already with Division I college scholarship offers who are expected to soon make names for themselves on the high school level.
While the next wave of great players is already coming for Catholic Central, it certainly will be hard to replace Gash and how he was able to excel at more than just football.
“I’m going to miss it,” Gash said. “I’ve been playing three sports my whole life, so I’m going to miss it a lot.”
Keith 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.
PHOTOS (Top) Detroit Catholic Central’s Gideon Gash (11) is congratulated by brother Samson Gash after scoring during last season’s Division 1 Final. (Middle) Gash breaks up a pass during the win over Detroit Cass Tech.
Drive for Detroit: Week 1 Preview
August 28, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
By the end of this opening weekend of Michigan high school football, some fans will say of their successful teams "it's just like last year," while others will boast "this looks nothing like last year, and it's going to be special."
That's perhaps the greatness of high school football above all other levels – more than at any other, the beginning of the season provides such a fresh slate that last year's winless team could become this year's league champion.
Total, 608 teams will start down that road, with the great majority of the weekend's 306 varsity openers to be played Thursday, followed by games Friday and Saturday as well.
As we'll do every week, below we've broken out some of the games of particular interest from every corner of the state. (Records shown below are from 2018.) Check out your local game, but also take advantage of the opportunity to watch any of 25 games being broadcast this weekend on MHSAA.tv, including all six from the Xenith Prep Football Kickoff Classic at Wayne State University and both from the Vehicle City Gridiron Classic at Flint's Atwood Stadium. Click for the full schedule.
"Drive for Detroit" is sponsored by MI Student Aid, which works to make college more accessible, affordable and attainable for Michigan students.
Bay & Thumb
Fenton (7-3) at Davison (7-3), Thursday
These have been two of the Flint area's powers during the 2000s, Davison riding a four-season playoff streak after bouncing back from a brief rough patch and Fenton coming off its 11th consecutive postseason appearance. They split a pair of openers in 2014 and 2015 before taking three years off, and they're both hoping to ride a strong start in this nonleague game into league title contention. Both finished a win shy of claiming a conference title a year ago.
Keep an eye on these: THURSDAY Traverse City West (7-3) at Midland (9-4), Montrose (10-3) at Cass City (8-3), Detroit Country Day (7-3) at Flushing (7-3), Marshall (3-6) at Freeland (7-4).
Greater Detroit
Detroit Martin Luther King (12-2) vs. Detroit Catholic Central (7-4) at Wayne State University, Saturday
This year's Xenith Classic is loaded with great matchups, with this one holding a slight edge at the top of the list. Last we saw King, the Crusaders were stunning at least some of the state with a Division 3 championship game win over Muskegon. DCC is a Ford Field regular as well and looking to climb back to that level after falling in its Division 1 District Final a year ago. This will be these teams' first matchup since a District Final in 2001.
Keep an eye on these: THURSDAY Saline (11-2) vs. Clinton Township Chippewa Valley (14-0) at Wayne State FRIDAY Oak Park (9-2) at West Bloomfield (9-3), Grand Rapids Catholic Central (11-2) at River Rouge (8-2), Muskegon (13-1) vs. Warren De La Salle Collegiate (12-2) at Wayne State.
Mid-Michigan
Reading (14-0) vs. Pewamo-Westphalia (11-1) at Olivet College, Thursday
Reading didn't just go undefeated on the way to the Division 8 title last year. The Rangers scored 678 points, 10th most in MHSAA 11-player history. Pewamo-Westphalia will provide one of Reading's most formidable challenges of the last few seasons, however. The Pirates missed Ford Field last fall for the first time since 2014, falling to eventual Division 7 champion New Lothrop in a Regional Final.
Keep an eye on these: THURSDAY Clare (9-2) at Alma (9-2), Hudson (4-5) at Ithaca (8-2), Muskegon Oakridge (9-2) at Belding (7-3), Mason (5-4) at Okemos (7-4).
Northern Lower Peninsula
New Lothrop (13-1) at Lake City (12-1), Thursday
This carries as much intrigue as just about any opener in the state, large schools or small. As noted above, the Hornets are the reigning Division 7 champions, finishing 13-1 last fall and reaching the Final with a 51-22 Semifinal win over Lake City. That was the Trojans' only loss of the season, repeating 2017 when its only defeat came in a Semifinal against eventual Division 7 champion P-W.
Keep an eye on these: THURSDAY DeWitt (12-1) at Traverse City Central (7-3), McBain (8-3) at Kingsley (10-2), Millington (7-4) at Maple City Glen Lake (5-5), FRIDAY Manton (4-5) at Johannesburg-Lewiston (9-2).
Southeast & Border
Chelsea (10-4) at Dexter (6-4), Friday
Dexter football was one of the state's best stories of the 2019-20 school year, posting its first winning record since 2010 and earning the first playoff berth in program history. That gives this annual Southeastern Conference White matchup more buzz than ever before. Chelsea did win last season's meeting 34-20 on the way to finishing 10-4 and Division 4 runner-up.
Keep an eye on these: THURSDAY Madison Heights Madison (13-1) at Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (9-3), Ottawa Lake Whiteford (10-1) at Blissfield (7-5), Napoleon (5-5) at Brooklyn Columbia Central (9-2), Carleton Airport (4-5) at Ida (8-3).
Southwest Corridor
Jackson Lumen Christi (13-0) at Kalamazoo United (11-1), Friday
Storylines are everywhere. Lumen Christi has won three straight Division 6 championships and at 23 games carries the state's longest active winning streak. United, made up of students from Hackett Catholic Prep and Kalamazoo Christian, tied the best record for either school together or apart by finishing 11-1 a year ago. However, United graduated one of the state's most prolific quarterbacks ever in Eric Wenzel, now at Western Michigan University, and coach Jesse Brown is now the Lumen Christi athletic director.
Keep an eye on these: THURSDAY St. Joseph (5-5) at Battle Creek Central (7-4), Holland West Ottawa (6-4) at Stevensville Lakeshore (5-5), Grand Rapids West Catholic (5-5) at Berrien Springs (7-3), Decatur (6-5) at Mendon (7-5).
Upper Peninsula
Negaunee (5-4) at Iron Mountain (8-3), Thursday
After a rare sub-.500 season in 2017, Negaunee got back to 5-4 a year ago but missed making the playoffs by a win. The Miners' closest defeat came on opening night, 12-9 to Iron Mountain, which went on to post one of the state's best turnarounds of 2018 at 8-3 after going 1-8 the season before. These two should be in the mix for the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference Copper title once again.
Keep an eye on these: THURSDAY Gladstone (4-5) at St. Ignace (5-4), Bark River-Harris (2-7) at Gwinn (6-4) FRIDAY West Iron County (8-3) at Munising (4-5), Marinette (Wis.) (4-5) at Menominee (2-7).
West Michigan
Reed City (11-1) at Montague (11-3), Friday
This will be the third straight opening-night meeting between these two playoff regulars, and the first two were decided by at least three touchdowns. But last year's came with a twist; Reed City won 34-13, but Montague went on to finish 11-3 and Division 6 runner-up. The Coyotes, meanwhile, suffered their only loss in the playoffs for the third time in four seasons and sixth time in eight, falling in a Division 5 Regional Final.
Keep an eye on these: THURSDAY Rockford (7-5) at Grand Rapids Christian (8-3), Saginaw Swan Valley (12-1) at Cedar Springs (10-2), Zeeland West (8-3) at East Grand Rapids (6-4), Hudsonville Unity Christian (12-2) at Allendale (5-5).
8-Player
Wyoming Tri-unity Christian (10-1) at Climax-Scotts (4-5 in 11-player), Friday
Another handful of teams switched to 8-player from 11 this fall, and Climax-Scotts might be the most anticipated mover over the last few seasons. Last fall was the first since 2002 that the Panthers didn't win at least eight games. They'll be greeted by Tri-unity, which has established itself as an 8-player power and posted double-digit wins last season for the second time in three years.
Keep an eye on these: THURSDAY Morrice (13-0) at Kingston (8-2), Bellevue (9-2) at Martin (6-4 in 11-player), Powers North Central (8-2) at Cedarville (7-5) at DeTour FRIDAY Crystal Falls Forest Park (6-5) at Pickford (12-1).
Second Half’s weekly “Drive for Detroit” previews are powered by MI Student Aid, a part of the Office of Postsecondary Financial Planning located within the Michigan Department of Treasury. MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s 529 college savings programs (MET/MESP), as well as scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTO: Friday (and this week Thursday) night lights return to football fields all over the state this weekend. (Photo by Tim Reilly.)