Ogemaw Heights Makes Nemesis Latest Hurdle Conquered During Memorable Run
By
Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com
November 3, 2023
Ogemaw Heights found itself in an all too familiar position when the football playoffs opened up last week.
The Falcons were trailing Gladwin – this time by three touchdowns. Gladwin, the 2022 Division 5 champion, had knocked off Ogemaw Heights 35-20 last year on the way to the title. Gladwin also had topped the Falcons to open this season 42-28.
But this rematch didn’t stay familiar, as things changed fast. The Falcons cut the lead to just one score by halftime and went on to win 28-23.
Another difference is the Falcons (9-1) were at home — the two previous meetings in less than a year were on the Flying Gs’ field. The Falcons are staying home again this weekend, hosting Kingsford at 1 p.m. Saturday with a District title on the line.
Getting a win over Gladwin did not come as a surprise to the Ogemaw’s head coach, Chad Miller, now in his fifth year at the helm. Strong senior leadership has set the tone, and a talented group of underclassmen has arrived to bolster the lineup.
“We were down 21-0 with three minutes left in the first half and scored twice in that three minutes, and then dominated the second half,” Miller said. “We were good last year losing to a very good Gladwin team in a pretty close game in the first round of the playoffs.
“We knew if the sophomores came around we’d be OK this year.”
The Falcons utilize two of the sophomores at fullback, Calvin Marshall and Conner Lambert. Lambert is also the safety on defense, and Marshall plays defensive tackle.
The other sophomores are Eion Jones, Ethan Hock and Jace Peters. Jones starts at tight end and plays a little defense. Hock is the left guard, and Peters plays everywhere, Miller pointed out.
Karter Schmitt is a four-year starter. Week after week, he leads the team in rushing and tackles as a linebacker. Xander Kartes, in his second year as quarterback and third year starting at safety, is the playmaker and game manager, Miller said.
Schmitt started the comeback against Gladwin with two second-quarter touchdowns. The latter was set up by a Lambert interception.
“We don’t come back from 21 down unless our leaders make great plays,” Miller noted.
The Falcons have 11 other seniors on the roster. Multi-year starters are providing a ton of experience. This year’s seniors missed the playoffs only once during their careers. The other seniors starting again this year are right guard Mason Dunn, left tackle Ty Neubecker, linebacker Jack Fachting, and center/defensive tackle Andrew Christner.
Ogemaw Heights clinched the Northern Michigan Football Conference’s Legends title with a 35-12 win over Kingsley in Week 7. Schmitt ran 27 times for 149 yards to lead Ogemaw to the school’s first football league title since 2009. It was also the Falcons’ final game in the NMFC as they will join the Jack Pine Conference – which includes Gladwin – next fall.
That win over the Stags, also hosting a playoff game this week in Division 6, came in the program’s annual Purple Game. The Falcons wore purple jerseys against the Stags instead of their traditional brown as each player displayed a family member or friend’s name on the back of the uniform in honor of someone fighting cancer.
The Purple Game originated after the loss of previous coaches and community members to cancer, Miller indicated. The game date is set in advance of the season, just like Homecoming.
“We dedicate one game to anybody with or who has cancer,” Miller said. “The players choose someone in their lives, and we wear purple jerseys with the person’s relative or family name on the back and we present it to the family afterwards.
“It was a big night,” Miller continued. “Kingsley is a machine.”
Kingsford also will bring a 9-1 record over the Mackinac Bridge and down I-75 to the West Branch exit. The Flivvers’ only loss was 13-12 at Negaunee, a team battling this weekend for a District championship in Division 6.
“Kingsford is a very good team with a running back that has over 900 yards and 17 touchdowns the last three games,” Miller said of his team’s next opponent. “He’s probably the best running we’ve seen this year — he is going to be an issue.
“We won’t back down from anything,” Miller added. “The kids are cornfield tough – they are tough guys, man.”
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) Ogemaw Heights’ Karter Schmitt is tackled by Gavin Dear and Gavyn Merchant during the Falcons’ win over Kingsley this season. (Middle) Xander Kartes (9) tips a pass intended for Eli Graves. (Photos courtesy of the Traverse City Record-Eagle.)
1st & Goal: 2025 Playoffs Week 1 Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 30, 2025
The MHSAA begins its second half-century of football playoffs this weekend, the 51st aspiring to the same goal as our first in 1975 – to provide an unforgettable experience while celebrating Michigan’s best high school football teams.
A total of 288 will begin postseason play, with the 8-player brackets concluding in four weeks and the 11-player divisions cheering their champions in five.
To kick things off, there are 129 games scheduled for Friday and 15 for Saturday. Tickets to both District and Regional Semifinals this weekend cost $7 and can be purchased at GoFan.co. The majority of our playoff openers also will be broadcast and available to watch with subscription on the NFHS Network.
Below are glances at some of the most intriguing first-round matchups in each division:
11-Player Division 1
Davison (8-1) at Clarkston (8-1) WATCH
These two powers will meet in the playoffs for the first time since 2022, and the matchup will likely be one of the most attended this first weekend. Clarkston is coming off winning the Oakland Activities Association Red championship, with its only loss by just six points in Week 2 to still-undefeated Harper Woods. Davison’s loss also came to a still-unbeaten team, Grand Blanc, in Week 7 in what ended up the deciding game in the Saginaw Valley League South.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Brighton (6-3) at West Bloomfield (7-2) WATCH, Dearborn Fordson (7-2) at Farmington (7-2) WATCH, Macomb Dakota (6-3) vs. Utica (7-2) WATCH at Sterling Heights Stevenson.
11-Player Division 2
Traverse City Central (5-4) at Traverse City West (5-4) WATCH
Just a week ago, West won the annual Patriot Game matchup between these two at Thirlby Field in overtime, 21-20. They’ll return to the stadium they share for their first playoff meeting since 2017. The first round was decided in part by the Titans blocking Central’s overtime extra-point attempt, then following up with the tying touchdown and game-winning PAT. That ran West’s winning streak in the rivalry to three and pushed the Titans ahead of the Trojans in playoff-point average and into position to be the home team for this game.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY East Lansing (4-5) at White Lake Lakeland (7-2) WATCH, Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (5-4) at Walled Lake Western (7-2) WATCH, St. Clair Shores Lakeview (7-2) at Port Huron Northern (7-2) WATCH.
11-Player Division 3
Zeeland West (6-3) at Niles (9-0) WATCH
These two both ended last season at Ford Field, although a few things have changed since last Thanksgiving weekend. Zeeland West is the reigning Division 3 champion and under new leadership with Jeff Bolhouse taking over this season for retired John Shillito and taking the Dux back to the playoffs for the 16th-straight season. Niles finished last fall as Division 4 runner-up before moving into Division 3 this season and running its regular-season winning streak to 17.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Cedar Springs (8-1) at East Grand Rapids (7-2) WATCH, Zeeland East (6-3) at St. Joseph (5-4) WATCH, Linden (6-3) at Mason (5-4) WATCH. SATURDAY Marysville (7-2) at Port Huron (6-3) WATCH.
11-Player Division 4
Big Rapids (8-1) at Ludington (9-0)
Ludington will carry its first undefeated regular season since 1989 into a rematch of last season’s District Semifinal, won by Big Rapids 28-21. The Orioles have thrived on both sides of the ball, but it’s hard to not notice they’ve scored 40 or more points in all but one game, when they put up just 32. Big Rapids’ only loss came Week 8 against Coopersville, 38-28. But over its other eight games, the Cardinals allowed only 40 points total.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Redford Union (7-2) at Madison Heights Lamphere (6-3) WATCH, Grand Rapids South Christian (4-5) at Portland (9-0), Tecumseh (6-3) at Dearborn Divine Child (8-1) WATCH. SATURDAY Freeland (7-2) at Escanaba (8-1) WATCH.
11-Player Division 5
Detroit Denby (7-2) at Detroit Southeastern (6-3), Saturday
Denby will represent the best of its division of the Detroit Public School League after winning the Gold regular-season and city championships. Southeastern was among the leaders in the PSL Blue, tying for second thanks to a loss to Division 3 contender Martin Luther King, and all three of its regular-season defeats came to playoff qualifiers. Denby has won seven straight games (including a forfeit victory) since opening 0-2 with losses to playoff team Chelsea and Ohio power Garfield Heights.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Dowagiac (5-3) at Berrien Springs (5-2) WATCH, Flat Rock (6-3) at Monroe Jefferson (8-1), Armada (6-3) at Richmond (8-1) WATCH, Negaunee (6-3) at Ogemaw Heights (8-1) WATCH.
11-Player Division 6
Flint Elite (8-1) at Montrose (9-0) WATCH
Elite, a cooperative of Flint New Standard Academy and Burton Madison Academy, is in its sixth season and has qualified for the playoffs for the first time (not counting COVID-shortened 2020, when nearly all teams made the field). Elite also won the Genesee Area Conference title, with its only loss coming 20-16 to Genesee in Week 2. Facing Montrose – in the playoffs for the 16th-straight season – is definitely another opportunity for the Warriors to raise their profile. The Rams have given up 34 points all season and played only one game closer than two touchdowns.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Kent City (9-0) at Olivet (8-1) WATCH. SATURDAY Boyne City (6-3) at Traverse City St. Francis (6-2) WATCH, Calumet (7-2) at Kingsley (7-2) WATCH, Durand (7-2) at Flint Hamady (6-3) WATCH.
11-Player Division 7
Ottawa Lake Whiteford (8-1) at Clinton (7-2) WATCH
These two are meeting in a playoff opener for the second-straight season, with Clinton claiming last year’s 38-32. Whiteford moved this season to the Toledo Area Athletic Conference and won that league, while Clinton finished second in the Lenawee County Athletic Association to undefeated Hudson, which along with Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central provided the Redwolves’ losses. Whiteford’s defeat came to still-unbeaten Harbor Beach.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY McBain (7-2) at Charlevoix (8-1) WATCH, Ithaca (6-3) at Saginaw Valley Lutheran (9-0), Constantine (6-3) at Lawton (7-2) WATCH. SATURDAY Saranac (7-2) at North Muskegon (6-3) WATCH.
11-Player Division 8
White Pigeon (7-2) at Decatur (7-2)
Decatur secured the Southwest 10 Conference title this season with a six-point double-overtime win over Bronson in Week 2 and then an eight-point win over White Pigeon in Week 8. That was also the Raiders’ first win over White Pigeon since 2022, and this will be their first season with a playoff rematch since 2021. Decatur has won six games in a row, losing only to Lawton and still-undefeated Springport over the first three weeks. The Chiefs’ only other loss came to Bronson, and they bounced back from two straight defeats with a 46-20 win over Stockbridge last week.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary (6-3) at Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central (7-2) WATCH, Fowler (6-3) at New Lothrop (6-3) WATCH, Auburn Hills Oakland Christian (5-4) at Madison Heights Madison (8-1), Frankfort (6-3) at East Jordan (6-3) WATCH.
8-Player Division 1
Pickford (7-1) at Indian River Inland Lakes (9-0) WATCH
This is a massive matchup for opening weekend of the postseason, and a rematch of one of last year’s Semifinals. Pickford won that 2024 meeting 34-18, going on to finish Division 1 runner-up with a two-point loss to Deckerville in the championship game. The Pirates’ only loss this season came against still-undefeated Norway, but no one else came close. Similarly, Inland Lakes’ closest game this fall was last week’s 27-point win over Gaylord St. Mary to clinch the Ski Valley Conference title.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Gogebic (8-1) at Norway (9-0) WATCH, Climax-Scotts (7-2) at Gobles (7-2) WATCH, Capac (7-2) at Brown City (7-2) WATCH.
8-Player Division 2
Morrice (8-1) at Deckerville (8-1), Saturday WATCH
The Eagles won the Division 1 title a year ago and 20 straight games before falling to Capac by eight points in Week 8. Morrice, meanwhile, also played at the Superior Dome to end last season, as the Division 2 runner-up. These two last met in a 2023 playoff opener – a 46-40 Deckerville win – and it’s difficult to forecast how this one will turn out as both defeated their one common opponent by a significant margin. Morrice’s only loss came to Portland St. Patrick, which is undefeated and could end up seeing the winner of this game in a Semifinal in two weeks.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Gaylord St. Mary (7-2) at Mio (8-1) WATCH, Pittsford (7-2) at Britton Deerfield (8-1) WATCH. SATURDAY Powers North Central (7-2) at Lake Linden-Hubbell (7-2) WATCH.
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PHOTO (Top) Ypsilanti’s Roshard Slater (8) breaks into the open during his team’s season-opening win over Okemos. (Photo by John Johnson.)