And then there was one.
This is the final week of the 2026 Michigan high school football regular season. The final games will be played on Saturday, Oct. 24. The Michigan High School Athletic Association will release the playoff brackets for the eight 11-player divisions and two eight-player divisions on Sunday evening, and we'll have full coverage.
Before the brackets are revealed, one more data point remains this weekend. Teams on the bubble of the 32-team brackets need a win to prolong their seasons. Other schools already comfortably within the field are playing for playoff seeding and momentum entering district semifinals while trying to balance health risks.
Like the past two weeks, Week 9 has a few crucial conference battles. A handful of
games will also have outsized impacts on the this year's tweaked playoff seeding within specific regions in a certain division. Another thing to keep an eye on: 30 undefeated teams remain in 11-player football. How many teams will finish with a perfect 9-0 record (or in Pewamo-Westphalia's case, 8-0)?
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The Free Press will be in Allen Park on Friday for the ranked Division 2 matchup between the Jaguars and Gibraltar Carlson, and at Ford Field on Saturday for the Catholic League tripleheader during its 100th anniversary celebration.
Stay tuned throughout the weekend for game coverage, the final rankings update and playoff bracket coverage after it is released by the MHSAA during its selection show, which will air on the NFHS Network on Sunday at 5 p.m.
Watch the MHSAA playoff selection show
Michigan high school football Week 9 predictions
All games start at 7 p.m. on Friday unless stated otherwise; rankings based off Freep's weekly Super 25.
No. 15 Oxford (7-1) vs. No. 7 Romeo (8-0), Oxford High School
This game will likely have important seeding implications for one of the four Division 1 playoff regions. Oxford and Romeo sit back-to-back in the MHSAA playoff point standings, with the winner likely hosting multiple playoff games. Romeo repeated as MAC Red champions after winning close games over Macomb Dakota and Grosse Pointe South, and has won its past three games by an average margin of 38.3 points. Oxford rebounded from its lone loss to Clarkston with a one-point win over Rochester Adams and two convincing wins over West Bloomfield and Birmingham Groves. This should be a close one and the winner will be whoever controls the lines of scrimmage. The pick: Romeo 31, Oxford 28.
No. 5 Howell (8-0) vs. No. 23 Northville (7-1), Howell High School
This will be the final Kensington Lakes Activities Association football championship game before the conference dissolves. Howell has won two straight conference titles, beating Belleville both times. Northville won a three-way tiebreaker between Dearborn Fordson and Belleville, who all finished 5-1 in conference play, to earn its title appearance. This game will feature two great running backs, Howell's Bryce Kish (Clemson commit) and Northville's Danny O'Neil, and two offenses that execute at a high level with different systems. Howell has largely been dominant this year and will have some revenge on the mind after falling to Northville last year. The pick: Howell 21, Northville 14.
Mason (7-1) vs. No. 8 Harper Woods (7-1), Mason High School
Mason dropped its first game of the year in Week 8, falling on the wrong side of a shootout against Hastings. Harper Woods made a statement at home with a two-touchdown win over Clarkston for its seventh straight win. The Pioneers' defense was impressive, especially in the front seven, while their two stars, Dakota Guerrant and Deandre Bidden, provided explosive plays on offense. Mason has scored 40-plus points in four of its past five games, but the defense will need to find answers quickly after giving up 54 points in Week 8, with another big test awaiting. The pick: Harper Woods 35, Mason 20.
Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills (7-1) vs. No. 25 Coopersville (8-0), Kenowa Hills High School
This will decide the River Cities Alliance conference, with both teams sitting at 5-0 in league play. Coopersville has played well after an early statement by beating Grand Rapids West Catholic in Week 2. The Broncos have given up more than 20 points just twice and have an efficient offense, which allows them to play complementary football. After losing to DeWitt in a Week 1 showcase, Kenowa Hills has been rolling. The Knights have won seven straight by an average of 37.1 points, with the closest game being a two-touchdown win over Lowell. The pick: Kenowa Hills 42, Coopersville 34.
Beal City (8-0) vs. Ithaca (8-0), Beal City High School
This I-127 battle will pit two of the best Division 7 and Division 8 schools against each other for a tune-up ahead of the playoffs. Beal City, No. 1 in D-8, and Ithaca, No. 2 in D-7, have both been steamrolling the competition. The Aggies are winning by an average of 40.4 points and have allowed two teams to score double-digit points. The Yellowjackets have only allowed 26 total points with four shutouts through eight games, and have an average winning margin of 48 points. Beal City won last year's meeting convincingly, 39-8, but this year's contest will be much closer. The pick: Ithaca 23, Beal City 21.
Nominate a high school athlete for the Detroit Free Press boys and girls athlete of the week.
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: Michigan high school football predictions for Week 9 game scores
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