It's getting tougher and tougher to find a comparison for Novi Detroit Catholic Central football star Gideon Gash.
Gash continues to reak the mold as a three-way impact player in MSHAA football for the defending Division 1 champions, who continued their 18-game winning streak in a 53-0 blowout win over Warren De La Salle on Friday, Sept. 18.
"Gideon Gash, I have never seen anything like him," CC coach Justin Cessante said on Saturday. "People say that, but man, I truly have never seen anything like him. I have seen a lot of players in my life. ... He just put on a show last night."
Gash, a Texas Tech commit, began with a first-quarter interception returned for a touchdown.
He opened the second quarter by returning a punt over 50 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown. Three minutes later, Gash reversed field twice and left a trail of defenders for his second punt return TD.
Back-2-Back PUNT RETURN TOUCHDOWNS by Gideon Gash!
— Detroit Catholic Central Football (@DCCfootball) September 19, 2026
Shamrocks up 43-0 with 8:08 left in the 2nd quarter!@DCCShamrocks @DETROITCCAD @gideongash pic.twitter.com/9kHdBNBDUc
Gash's three touchdowns, along with two passing touchdowns from Duke Banta and a Jalen Montlouis rushing touchdown, gave the Shamrocks a 43-0 second-quarter lead. No. 2 DCC's defense shut out De La Salle, who was missing star junior quarterback Grayson Thurston.
"Whatever a five-star looks like, [Gash] is a six-star in my book," Cessante said. "It really is amazing watching that young man do some things I haven't seen on a high school field, especially against a really good De La Salle team.
"I'm proud of how crisp we are looking and disciplined we are each game. Things that we are trying to fix each practice, things we are focusing on where we think we need to improve, and they are taking that challenge on and coming to practice and enjoying it."
CC has won its first four games by an average margin of 48 points and has only allowed 28 points total. The defense, which came into the year with nine new starters, has quickly gotten up to speed. The offense, with a dominant offensive line and Banta running the show, is humming.
"I see that group coming together, becoming that good brick wall defense for us," Cessante said.
Saline keeps cruising
Elsewhere atop the Super 25, Saline, which entered Week 4 at No. 4, is off to a near-perfect start through the first month. The Hornets have won each of their first four games by 27 points or more, including a 58-0 win over Dexter, which reached the Division 2 state finals in 2025, on Friday.
Saline delivered a dominant performance after their first full week of practice. Thursday games and state heat advisories upended practice schedules earlier this month, but they finally had a normal routine in Week 4.
"Emphasizing to our kids the preparation and understanding of a full game plan while putting the time in and seeing the execution work was pretty cool," Saline coach Kyle Short said.
Everything worked, in all facets. The offensive line, anchored by Michigan commit Louis Esposito, created push all night. Running back Carson Cherry ran for 106 yards and three touchdowns, while sophomore quarterback Case Campbell completed 13 of 18 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns.
Campbell has continued to grow in his first year starting.
"He's becoming a student of the game," Short said. "He's learning what we want to attack. He's able to handle more in terms of protection checks, being able to change the play at the line of scrimmage, adding the RPO [run-pass option] world."
Defensively, Saline pitched its second shutout through four weeks. The Hornets have allowed 25 total points (6.25 points per game).
Saline brought back plenty of defensive talent. Bryce Barbarino (Western Michigan) and Caleb Harris lead from linebacker. Pat Williams, Jenaro Gilford Jr., Marquis Ray, Princeton Jones and Grant Stripp form a deep secondary. Jericho Powe, Graham Nadig and Jackson Vandoren are stepping up in Saline's deep defensive line rotation.
"These kids are playing extremely hard," Short said. "It is a team effort on the defensive side of the ball and they are doing a great job."
Hartland takes big step toward Livingston County goal
Before worrying about winning the KLAA or a playoff run, Hartland football wants one thing: Bragging rights as the top team in Livingston County.
That looked like a tall task in 2026, with a top-10 Howell and a top-20 Brighton on the schedule. But Hartland (3-1) took a meaningful step on Friday with a 36-21 win over Brighton. It was Hartland's first win over Brighton since 2015.
"Brighton has set a standard with Howell in Livingston County," Hartland coach Aaron Metz said. "Our goal is to meet that standard and exceed it. We talk to our kids a lot about being the best team in Livingston County, and last night was a good step for us believing in it."
Hartland controlled the line of scrimmage. The Eagles outgained Brighton by nearly 300 yards on the ground and jumped out to an early lead. They methodically moved the ball and overcame a few turnovers for a convincing win.
Nic Honeycutt (Columbia) rushed for 228 yards and one touchdown on 32 carries. Dylan Crowe, a Central Michigan baseball commit playing football for the first time since his freshman year, had 69 yards and two touchdowns. The offensive line, comprised of William Tobin (Miami of Ohio), Anakin West, Justin Gibbons, Will Wagner and Jason Pocock, created lanes all night.
"We wanted to control the clock and control the trenches," Metz said.
Hartland has won three straight since a 28-0 loss to Oxford in Week 1.
"Oxford is a heck of a football team that is rolling right now," Metz said. "But I think we played tight, and now, we have built some confidence."
Bark River-Harris wins first game ever against Gladstone
After long hours on the bus in 2025, Bark River-Harris' schedule has fewer miles and a few matchups against bigger schools in the Upper Peninsula, including defending Division 7 champion Menominee in Week 9.
One of those games was against Division 6 Gladstone, which visited Bark River-Harris on Friday. The Broncos jumped on Gladstone from the opening kick in a 32-14 win. It is the program's first win ever over Gladstone, according to coach Caleb Adams.
Gionni McDonough, a returning Division 8 All-Stater, returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. It was the second kick return touchdown of his career, after he took one back against Maple City Glen Lake in last year's playoffs. The offensive line dominated up front, allowing the Broncos' wing-T offense to build a four-touchdown lead by half.
"There has not been a kid who put in more time this offseason than Gionni," Adams said. "He was constantly at camps and living in the weight room."
Bark River-Harris, located west of Escanaba and just north of Lake Michigan's Green Bay, is off to a 4-0 start. The Broncos want to build on last year's run to the D-8 semifinals with a deep program that features nearly 60 players on junior varsity and varsity, despite a student population of just 195.
"We ironed some things out, got more dynamic on offense and got faster as a team in hopes of making that return," Adams said.
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Jared Ramsey covers high school sports for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jramsey@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Gideon Gash, Texas Tech commit, delivers 'six-star' performance
