The first 33% of the 2026 Michigan high school football season is in the books.
Ninety-seven of the 496 schools competing in 11-player football remain perfect at 3-0 (19.6%). Those teams are in a strong position for MHSAA playoff points as the season enters its final two-thirds. But every team still has six games on the docket, whether it is an undefeated group or a winless group. That is ample time for anyone to position themselves as one of the top 32 teams in their respective division.
The Free Press will be at the MAC Red game between Macomb Dakota (2-1) and No. 12 Romeo (3-0) on Friday and the rivalry game between Dearborn (2-1) and Dearborn Fordson (2-1) on Saturday. We hope for fewer delays after last Friday's game between Romulus Summit
Academy and Detroit Edison lasted as long as a college football broadcast with TV timeouts included (3.5 hours).
That was a unique game that featured the crew running the first-down chains getting ejected by a referee and well over two dozen penalties. It was a chippy matchup between two teams gunning for first place in their conference. The intensity of annual conference matchups is one of the best parts of the heart of the regular season.
Here are score predictions for five of Week 4's biggest matchups:
Michigan high school football Week 4 score predictions
All games are on Friday at 7 p.m. unless listed otherwise. Rankings listed are the teams' positions in the Free Press' Weekly Super 25 rankings.
No. 2 Novi Detroit Catholic Central (3-0) vs. No. 15 Warren De La Salle (2-1), Catholic Central High School
De La Salle was on the losing end of one of the better games through the first three weeks, falling to Birmingham Brother Rice 31-28 in the first week of CHSL play. The Pilots, led by quarterback Grayson Thurston, stormed back into the game late but fell just short on their final drive. DCC has romped its first three opponents by an average margin of 46.3 points with an offense averaging 55.67 points per game. This is the first ranked test for the Shamrocks, but the offense should provide enough explosives to extend their winning streak to 18 games.
The pick: DCC 35, De La Salle 24.
Rochester Adams (2-1) vs. No. 10 Clarkston (3-0), Adams High School
An Adams team with lots of new faces started the season with a hard-fought loss against a top-15 Romeo group and rebounded with two narrow wins over Rochester and West Bloomfield. The Highlanders found another gear on offense in a Week 3 OT win over the Lakers, putting up 42 points after scoring 31 combined in the first two games. Clarkston has not missed a beat despite losing 14 starters from last year's 10-2 team. The Wolves started the season with two quality wins over South Lyon and Rochester Hills Stoney Creek and have had a stingy defense that is allowing just over one touchdown per game (7.67 points allowed per week). This matchup will be a heavy factor in the always-competitive race in the OAA Red division.
The pick: Clarkston 28, Adams 20.
Riverview (3-0) vs. Monroe Jefferson (3-0), Riverview High School
Monroe Jefferson, ranked No. 2 in Division 5, has shown through the first three weeks that last year's run to the state semifinals was no fluke. The Bears have won their first three games by an average of 31.7 points with an efficient offense led by senior quarterback Luke Beaudrie (Grand Valley State). Riverview, like Jefferson, is off to a perfect start with two wins in the Huron League. The Pirates have a lot of new faces after having to replace a 30-player senior class, but it looks like they are on the right path for another playoff appearance in Division 3.
The pick: Jefferson 42, Riverview 14.
Battle Creek Harper Creek (3-0) vs. Marshall (3-0)
Marshall, ranked No. 9 in Division 4, scored 32 second-quarter points in Week 3 but still found themselves trailing Hastings at halftime. The Redhawks held Hastings to nine second-half points in a 52-45 win. Marshall has won two games already where the defense gave up at least 34 points, thanks to their offense topping 50 points in both games. Harper Creek, the first team out of the loaded Division 3 top 10, started the season with two shutouts before rallying for a 20-9 win over Parma Western in Week 3.
The pick: Harper Creek 34, Marshall 31.
Hudsonville Unity Christian (2-1) vs. Grand Rapids South Christian (2-1), Unity Christian High School
Both of these teams' losses came to defending state champions, with Unity Christian (No. 3 in Division 4) losing in Week 1 to Dearborn Divine Child and South Christian (No. 5 in Division 4) losing to Grand Rapids West Catholic in Week 3. I expect plenty of points in this one. Unity Christian has topped 50 points in its two wins while South Christian has scored at least 34 points in all three games. Whichever team can get its defense off the field more consistently will pick up a big win in a potential Division 4 playoff preview.
The pick: South Christian 42, Unity Christian 35.
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Jared Ramsey covers high school sports for theDetroit Free Press. Contact him at jramsey@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan high school football Week 4 game, score predictions
