Romeo fan zone wave their hands in the air as they cheer for their team, during the Michigan High School Athletic Association football Division 1 finals against Detroit Cass Tech at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015.

High school football is back!

Most teams across Michigan will play their first games Thursday, Friday or Saturday this week. Keep it pegged here as we pull in tweets from our reporters at the games, as well as other experts around the state.

While you wait, check out our extensive preseason coverage, including:

► Mick McCabe’s top 25 players in the state

► Mick McCabe’s top 25 teams in the state

► Son of Swami’s Week 1 picks

► Team-by-team schedules

► Week 1 football schedule

Tweets from the fields

On a mobile device? Tap here for live updates.

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s RaShawn Allen scores a touchdown against Macomb Dakota on Thursday.

Algonac 7, Marine City 2

Alma 54, Birch Run 0

Almont 35, Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary 26

Battle Creek Lakeview 35, Portage Northern 20

Battle Creek Pennfield 29, Parchment 14

Bay City Central 13, Swartz Creek 12

Beaverton 13, St. Louis 7 (OT)

Berkley 29, Holly 26

Berrien Springs 49, Grandville Calvin Christian 29

Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood 23, Hamtramck 19

Breckenridge 38, Houghton Lake 29

Brighton 14, Detroit East English 8

• Bullogs make last-minute stand to hold on

Brownstown Woodhaven 52, Lincoln Park 49

Burton Bendle 14, Otisville Lakeville 12

Byron 29, Montrose 27

Byron Center 49, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern 35

Cadillac 40, Big Rapids 6

Carney-Nadeau 36, Ewen-Trout Creek 26

Cedarville 36, Rudyard 16

Clinton Township Chippewa Valley 27, Lake Orion 7

• Young team proves doubters wrong in first game

Davison 62, Saginaw Arthur Hill 12

Dearborn Edsel Ford 61, Sterling Heights 28

Dearborn Heights Annapolis 36, Onsted 28

Dearborn Heights Crestwood 28, Clinton Township Clintondale 8

Detroit Cesar Chavez 38, Genesee 18

Detroit Communication & Media Arts 14, Mount Clemens 0

Detroit Denby 44, Detroit Douglass 0

Detroit Edison 16, Detroit Pershing 8

DeWitt 42, Linden 14

Durand 21, Bath 19

East Jordan 38, Suttons Bay 14

Edwardsburg 43, Allegan 0

Escanaba 24, Alpena 0

Fair Haven-Anchor Bay 41, Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse 8

Fennville 12, Martin 8

Ferndale 42, Madison Heights Lamphere 7

Flint Beecher 33, Flint Northwestern 0

Flint International 22, Burton Madison 20

Flushing 26, Flint Powers 14

Frankenmuth 36, Hemlock 0

Fraser 43, Port Huron Northern 21

Freeland 22, Bay City John Glenn 6

Galesburg-Augusta 54, Eau Claire 20

Gaylord 42, Boyne City 31

Gaylord St. Mary 42, Atlanta 0

Gobles 14, Delton Kellogg 13 (OT)

Grand Haven 21, Muskegon Reeths-Puffer 20

Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central 21, Jenison 0

Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills 28, Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills 12

Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian 28, Spring Lake 27

Grandville 44, Holt 0

Greenville 49, Belding 6

Grosse Pointe North 24, DCP-Northwestern 7

Grosse Pointe South 14, Detroit Cody 6

Hamilton 41, Middleville Thornapple Kellogg 27

Hesperia 59, Blanchard Montabella 0

Howell 18, Lansing Everett 12

Hudson 26, Addison 8

Hudsonville 21, Grand Ledge 14

Imlay City 14, Burton Bentley 7

Ionia 28, Charlotte 21

Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Central 41, Decatur 8

Lakeview 37, Howard City Tri-County 6

Lansing Sexton 47, Detroit Renaissance 7

Lawrence 56, Mayville 33

Lawton 39, Bloomingdale 0

Livonia Stevenson 42, Livonia Franklin 29

Macomb Dakota 35, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 28

• Brett Droski throws four TDs in top-five showdown

Macomb L’Anse Creuse North 17, Waterford Mott 7

Madison Heights Madison 29, Warren Lincoln 0

Marcellus 49, Bangor 8

Marysville 38, Richmond 21

Mason 7, Okemos 0

Mason County Central 43, Benzonia Benzie Central 8

McBain 26, Manistee 16

Melvindale 33, Taylor Truman 0

Mendon 32, Bridgman 14

Merritt Academy 42, Carsonville-Port Sanilac 14

Midland Dow 41, Mount Pleasant 14

Milford 13, South Lyon East 3

Millington 55, Vassar 6

Morley-Stanwood 25, Stanton Central Montcalm 14

Morrice 44, Dryden 26

Mount Morris 16, Clio 6

Muskegon Catholic Central 30, Muskegon Oakridge 6

Muskegon Heights 52, Baldwin 12

Muskegon Mona Shores 35, Holland West Ottawa 6

New Boston Huron 22, Auburn Hills Avondale 18

New Lothrop 33, Saginaw Nouvel 8

Northville 25, Dearborn 20

Novi 49, Hartland 28

Onekama 18, Hillman 0

Ortonville Brandon 35, Goodrich 14

Owendale-Gagetown 44, Caseville 0

Paw Paw 23, Otsego 10

Petoskey 35, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern 14

Pinckney 42, South Lyon 6

Pinconning 34, Standish-Sterling 14

Plainwell 49, Three Rivers 20

Portland 43, Ovid-Elsie 13

Posen 52, Michigan School for the Deaf 32

Powers North Central 60, Luck (Wis.) 14

Redford Union 36, Allen Park Cabrini 13

Reese 30, Caro 0

Remus Chippewa Hills 29, Haslett 6

Roscommon 20, Grayling 14

Roseville 14, Eastpointe East Detroit 0

Saginaw Heritage 9, Saginaw 6

Saugatuck 48, Constantine 6

Schoolcraft 48, Coloma 7

Shaker Hts., Ohio 34, Ann Arbor Skyline 19

Shepherd 54, Gladwin 6

South Haven 32, Sturgis 7

St. Clair Shores South Lake 58, St. Clair Shores Lake Shore 14

St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic 27, Holton 14

Stephenson def. Baraga, forfeit

Tecumseh 15, Harper Woods Chandler Park Academy 14

Traverse City Central 41, Bay City Western 0

Traverse City West 42, Midland 14

Trenton 19, Southgate Anderson 6

Vestaburg 35, Comstock 27

Vicksburg 17, Dowagiac Union 7

Walled Lake Central 13, Troy 10

Walled Lake Western 41, Farmington 14

Warren Cousino 29, Warren Woods Tower 14

Warren Mott 28, Troy Athens 7

• Jaalon Brown nabs two INTs, 104 receiving yards for Mott

Wayland Union 54, Grand Rapids Union 16

West Bloomfield 31, Birmingham Groves 28 (OT)

West Iron County 21, Munising 8

White Lake Lakeland 44, Westland Glenn 6

Wyoming Godwin Heights 27, Buchanan 12

Yale 13, North Branch 0

Zeeland West 14, Cedar Springs 9

Football

ROCKFORD, Mich. — A Grand Rapids-area high school is forfeiting a football game because too many players have been sick.

Rockford Superintendent Mike Shibler says the health of players is more important than playing the season opener Friday against Saline.

► Scores: Aug. 25 Michigan high school football scores

Two dozen players have had flu-like symptoms with vomiting and diarrhea.  Shibler says he’s trying to determine if the illnesses are related to a team trip to Roscommon a few weeks ago.

No Rockford athletes outside the football team have been affected.

Michigan State offensive line coach Mark Staten was asked Thursday about his rotation of eight players or so. “Wrong day to ask me,” he said.

One of the top prospects in the nation for the class of 2019 will be East Kentwood offensive tackle Logan Brown. The 6-foot-6, 270-pound prospect already has multiple BCS offers and more are sure to come in the near future. Brown was in East Lansing last week visiting Michigan State.

It is not often that offensive line prospects that are headed into their sophomore year have the level of interest of Brown, but that is an indication of just how talented he is.

“I have offers from Central Michigan, University of Michigan, Akron, Wisconsin and Illinois,” Brown said. “I am also hearing from Notre Dame, Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan State, Iowa State, Florida State and Purdue.”

MSU has been working hard this August to get top prospects on campus this August in a small setting and did so with Brown.

“I enjoyed my visit along with my family,” Brown said. “We went around the facility and I was impressed with the way they run practice. I got to spend time with Coach (Mark) Staten.”

Staten, who coaches MSU’s offensive linemen, recruits the west side of Michigan and will be working to build a strong rapport with Brown and his family.

So what are some of the early things Brown is looking for when it comes to a school and football program?

“In a football program, I am looking for a place where I can make a difference and have a big impact,” he said. “When it comes to a school, I want to make sure they have they support and extra help if I need it.”

The odds are very high that Brown will be back in East Lansing this fall. He said that he has already has plans to attend seven big games this fall. The fact that Michigan State will host both U-M and Ohio State means he will almost certainly be on campus for one of those games. It is also possible he will see the Spartans in South Bend when they take on Notre Dame.

MSU WR target tears ACL

MSU target Kahlee Hamler of Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy suffered an ACL tear last weekend in a preseason kickoff classic game against Miami Carol City. Hamler attended Orchard Lake St. Mary’s the last three years before transferring this summer.

Despite the injury, the Spartans will almost certainly continue to recruit Hamler as hard as they have the past two years. Coach Mark Dantonio has a track record of standing by players even when injured. Spartans like Javon Ringer, Edwin Baker, Grayson Miller and Trae Waynes all suffered serious leg injuries before to arriving at MSU.

Matt Dorsey is a recruiting analyst for SpartanMag.com and Rivals.com.

Brighton and Detroit East English in the opener of the 2016 Battle of the Big House.

With eight seconds left on the clock in their season opener, two teams of Bulldogs faced the biggest play of the game.

Brighton, playing against Detroit East English in opener of the 2016 Battle at the Big House, had jumped out to an early 14-0 lead. But East English mounted a comeback late in the fourth quarter, cutting the Brighton lead to six and reaching Brighton’s 11-yard line in the final minute.

“I told them (before the play), ‘Hey, this is exactly what you want. You’re in the Big House, playing on the biggest play of the game, who’s going to forget this?’ ” said Brighton head coach Brian Lemons.

After Lemons’ pep talk, Brighton’s defense did exactly what he wanted: It may have bent, but it didn’t break.

On fourth down, East English quarterback Delvin Washington’s pass was broken up at the goal line, allowing Brighton to emerge with a 14-8 victory.

The Brighton Bulldogs were able to control possession in the low-scoring affair with a consistent rushing attack that opened up its passing game. Meanwhile, the East English Bulldogs came away without any points on four of its five trips into the red zone.

Receiving the ball first, Brighton drove down the field and took a 7-0 lead off quarterback Cameron Tullar’s touchdown pass to wide receiver Rudy Ramirez.

Then, late in the first half, the Brighton Bulldogs were able to extend their lead off another big passing play.

On a 3rd-and-2 in East English territory, Tullar dropped back to pass but was immediately met with pressure. He heaved the ball into the air, where it hung for a few seconds before Brighton running back Braydon Ebbeskottecq broke off his route to come back and make the catch. Dodging a couple defenders, Ebbeskotte sprinted into the endzone to extend his team’s lead to 14-0.

East English’s offense had more success in the second half, but one drive into Brighton territory ended with an interception and another stalled out at the Brighton nine-yard line.

Washington connected on a late touchdown pass and two-point conversion, but his final pass of the day fell to the ground incomplete, bringing on a raucous Brighton celebration.

“(This was) absolutely huge for us as a group,” Lemons said. “With losing so many guys to graduation, coming out here with a lot of fresh faces, a lot of guys were lacking in confidence and the maturity needed to win games. Today, on the field and in our heads, we won.”

Week 1 prep football scores and schedule

Clinton Twp. Chippewa Valley coach Scott Merchant

In the tough Macomb Area Conference Red Division, with defending Division 1 champ Romeo back in the fray and Macomb Dakota also lurking, not much may be expected of Clinton Twp. Chippewa Valley.

But watch out for coach Scott Merchant and the Big Reds after they dominated Lake Orion in the Prep Kickoff Classic, 27-7, Thursday night at Wayne State.

“We got a quick defense, we knew we had speed defensively,” said Merchant. “You never know. We know Lake Orion was going to run right at us. We thought our defense did a great job.

“We started three sophomores and 12 juniors tonight. We only had five starters back. Everybody’s told them they are no good. They’ve told our senior class we’re not good. They picked us last in the MAC Red.”

Steven Charles Jr. had a big first half on the ground for Chippewa Valley, banging out 129 yards on 11 carries, and the surprising defense, led by Amir Sanders-Tillman, shackled the Dragons’ passing game.

• More scores from Thursday’s action

Chippewa Valley’s opening drive stalled when Lake Orion’s Chris Brown intercepted a Tommy Schuster pass.

“It was his first varsity game, so you never know what’s going to happen,” said Merchant of Schuster. “We think he’s going to be pretty good. He’s a pretty composed kid.”

Lake Orion returned the favor when Marcel Lewis recovered a fumble at midfield.

On the very next play, Charles burst 50 yards up the middle for a 7-0 lead for the Big Reds with 8:05 left in the first quarter.

Four turnovers highlighted the first half as the offenses kept coughing up the ball.

Schuster, a sophomore, used a short field to throw his first TD pass as a varsity player, hitting Jacob Rybicki with a 16-yard play to give the Big Reds a 13-0 lead with 4:22 left in the first half.

“It was a fun game, first game of the year, it was fun to be out there with my teammates,” said Schuster, the game’s MVP with 168 yards passing and three total touchdowns. “It was a rough first drive, but I got into it once the game started going on.”

“We left a lot of plays out there,” said Lake Orion coach Chris Bell. “We dropped two passes in the end zone. We turned it over twice. You can’t do that with those guys. They did a better job than we did.”

Jonathon Haggitt led Orion with nine rushes for 87 yards.

Contact Perry A. Farrell: 313-222-2555 or pafarrell@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @farrellperry.

Warren Mott high school

Jaalon Brown deserved another shot.

As time was running out in the first quarter, Warren Mott’s senior wideout took a flare pass from Michael Pond to the left side, deked his defender and ran 64 yards into the end zone for the game’s first score … only to have it wiped away due to a holding call.

As time was running out in the second quarter, Mott once again called Brown’s number, and he caught a pass from Pond at midfield, curved and cut, and raced to the end zone … and somebody on the Mott O-line must have learned their lesson — there were no flags this time.

The result? A 72-yard touchdown on the final play of the half, giving the visiting Marauders the lead en route to the 28-7 win Thursday night.

“It was a good play for the team, pass block, and the coaches called the right play,” Brown said. “We weren’t satisfied with the score but we came out and did our thing.”

“That was a huge momentum swing and it changes the tone at halftime a bit,” Mott coach Tom Milanov said. “It allowed our seniors to get after it, and I went a little more passive which just isn’t my style, but it worked out.”

• More scores from Thursday

It would be convenient to say Brown’s play gave Mott enough momentum for the victory, but it didn’t happen that way. The Marauders squandered the first possession after halftime with two illegal procedure penalties and two sacks, and had to punt. Athens drove the ball back into the Mott red zone, and looked poised to score until the Red Hawks’ Andrew Yan was tackled for a loss on fourth-and-two by Brown.

He had six catches for 104 yards and a TD, but that wasn’t all. Besides the drive-stopping tackle, Brown also set up the Marauders’ final score by snaring his second interception.

“I was beat on the route,” he said, “but I just let my hops take over and I just got up and got it.”

Milanov saw some positives in the season-opening victory.

“Once the offensive line got going, they were hard to stop,” he said. “Defensively, I was fairly happy overall. We had some blown assignments here and there, but they had a tough time moving the ball on us.”

“They gassed us, especially right there before the half,” Athens coach Josh Heppner said. “There was no reason, absolutely no reason. Our youth got to us a bit in the secondary, there was a breakdown in coverage. Just little mistakes. It’s unfortunate, because we played real tough, but the lack of effort at the end just really got us.”

Macomb Dakota’s Chris Magee runs the ball during the first half of Dakota’s 35-28 win Thursday in Macomb.

Football

Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood 23, Hamtramck 19: Aaron Wiggins scored two rushing touchdowns, one on a 51-yard run and the other on a 33-yarder. Torrell Williams caught a four-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Santangelo. Pat Foley led the Bloomfield (1-0) defense with eight tackles and two assists.

Detroit Cesar Chavez 38, Genesee 18: Nathan Muscat threw for 375 yards and four touchdowns, and scored another on the ground for Cesar Chavez (1-0). Anthony Turner had 15 receptions for 165 yards and two touchdowns.

Detroit Denby 42, Detroit Douglass 0: Adante Calhoun rushed for 205 yards and three touchdowns for Denby (1-0). Romel Taylor passed for 110 yards, passed for two touchdowns and rushed for another. Denby’s defense allowed only two first downs and snagged three interceptions and a fumble recovery.

Fraser 43, Port Huron Northern 21: Dom Mielke had 19 carries for 137 yards and four touchdowns for Fraser (1-0). Juan Simmons also added a 103-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Grosse Pointe North 24, Detroit Northwestern 7: Running back Jared Jordan racked up 241 yards with two touchdowns on 27 carries for North (1-0). On defense, Caleb Powers caught one interception and ran it back to the end zone for the score.

Livonia Stevenson 42, Livonia Franklin 29: Chris Tanderys had nine carries for 80 yards and 12-for-20 passing for 254 yards and four touchdowns for Stevenson (1-0). Parker Graham had four receptions for 122 yards and three touchdowns. Ian Kanoph also added four receptions for 103 yards. Devin Dunn had six tackles and three assists. Leading Franklin (0-1), Jacob Clark had 12 carries for 189 yards and two touchdown. He also had one grab for 50 yards and also went 3-for-4 on passing for 48 yards and one touchdown.

Aug. 25 Michigan high school football scores

Madison Heights Madison 29, Warren Lincoln 0: Terrance Brown led the way for Madison (1-0) with a 65-yard touchdown pass, a 22-yard touchdown run and four tackles for loss on defense. Ryan Crew racked up 17 tackles and a 12 yard touchdown reception on offense.

New Baltimore Anchor Bay 41, Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse 8: Anchor Bay’s Jordan Irwin was 6-for-11 passing and 129 yards and a touchdown, and he also had 22 rushes for 115 yards and two touchdowns. Troy Bondar rushed four times for 20 yards and also grabbed two catches for 65 yards and a touchdown. Brendan Bunyack secured six tackles.

Northville 25, Dearborn 20: Hussien Hannawi rushed 16 times for 134 yards and also grabbed four catches for 33 yards, in the win for Northville (1-0). Mikey Phillips went 13-for-23 for 170 yards and one touchdown, as well as 30 yards on nine rushes.

Novi 49, Hartland 28: Alex Bagerias went 15 of 21 for 324 passing yards and a team-record six touchdowns for Novi (1-0). Anthony D’Annibale caught 12 receptions for 223 yards and a team record six touchdown receptions. Running back Nathan Hankerson rushed 161 yards on 21 carries with one touchdown. Hartland (0-1) quarterback Brad Ekonen went 18 of 42 for 198 passing yards and two touchdowns.

St. Clair Shores South Lake 58, St. Clair Shores Lake Shore 14: Lance Mitchell had 11 carries for 134 yards and two touchdowns for South Lake (1-0). Datrell Milling passed 6-for-10 for 155 yards and four touchdowns. Jamichael Johnson secured 14 tackles.

Shepherd 54, Gladwin 6: Gladwin’s Zach McLemore wrapped up 13 tackles, Dylan McDonald also added seven. Gaitlin Mansfield rushed 12 times for 92 yards and a touchdown. Javan Medema passed 12-for-19 for 140 yards. Mason Sisco had four catches for 50 yards, Dylan McDonald had five catches for 31 yards, and Mason Fitzpatrick had one catch for 35 yards.

Warren Cousino 49, Warren Woods Tower 14: For Cousino (1-0), Karry DeBose scored five touchdowns on 128 yards rushing. Ben Maleszyk passed 14-for-21 for 288 yards and one touchdown, a 60-yard bomb on the first play of the season to Carter O’Donnell, who had 131 yards receiving and two touchdowns himself. Daniel Carnighi secured twelve tackles and two sacks. Quarterback Matthew Byrd scored on a 65-yard rush for Tower (0-1).

Wayne Memorial 29, Ecorse 0: Bryan Struppa rushed 15 times for 108 yards and one touchdown for Wayne (1-0). Mordecai Bakely had a 40 yard run for a touchdown, and Josh Mitchell and Tjerdonte Williams each scored as well.

Woodhaven 52, Ypsilanti Lincoln 49: Quarterback Alex Tyson went 12-16 with 152 passing yards for Woodhaven  (1-0, Downriver League) and four touchdowns. He also rushed for 192 yards and a touchdown. On the defensive side of the ball, Jalen Wellen had a monster game with 18 tackles and three sacks for Woodhaven.

Boys soccer

Fenton 2, Oxford 0: Liam Adams connected on both goals for Fenton (2-0-2), scoring the first on a Chance Curtis assist, and assisting Adam Gornick on the second. Noah Martin and Mikko Houtari shared the shutout.

Hamtramck 9, Southfield Christian 1: Jake Devine scored the lone goal for Southfield (0-1-1).

North Farmington 1, Garden City 0: Joseph Damiani scored the lone goal for North Farmington (2-1, 1-0 OAA) off an assist from Christian Olson. Sam Thornton earned his first varsity shutout, making five saves.

St. Mary’s Catholic Central 5, Huron 1: Drew Griffin scored the lone goal for Huron off an assist from Ryan Toth.

Girls golf

Marian 184, Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart 222: Marian moves to 1-0 with help from Alexandra Robb, who led with a 42.

Macomb Dakota players celebrate a fumble recovery during the second half of the 35-28 win over Orchard Lake St. Mary’s on Thursday at Dakota.

Two-time defending Division 3 state champ Orchard Lake St. Mary’s was making another one of its comebacks.

The Eaglets had cut Macomb Dakota’s lead to seven points and recovered a fumble on Dakota’s 13-yard line with 2:55 left to play.

But on second down, Dakota defensive back Colin Macklem came flying out of the secondary up to the line of scrimmage.

“I read my key and the hole was open,” he said. “I saw the running back coming through and I stuck my head in there and hit the ball as hard as I could.”

Macklem forced a fumble, that teammate Chris Magee recovered and Dakota opened the season Thursday night with a stirring, 35-28 victory at home.

Macomb Dakota’s Jaylen Hall catches a touchdown pass during the first half of Dakota’s 35-28 win Thursday in Macomb.

It was the perfect opening for first-year head coach Greg Baur and it wasn’t too shabby for senior quarterback Brett Droski and senior receiver Jaylen Hall.

Droski completed 10 of 15 passes for 245 yards and four touchdowns.

“We had the whole set up where we were going to throw passes and throw passes,” he said. “It was based on reads.”

Give Droski an “A” in reading. He was especially effective reading the location of Hall, who caught three passes, which all went for touchdowns of 29, 52 and 74 yards.

“He’s unbelievable,” Droski said. “He did everything he could. It was awesome how well he played. He’s 6-4 and he can run. If I’m in trouble I throw it up and he’ll run and get it. It makes my job a lot easier.”

• More scores from Thursday’s night

Hall is an amazing athlete and his job was made easier by Droski, who put the ball on the money on all three of the TD passes.

“I just tried the best I could to get open and Brett found me on some great reads and our offensive line gave us enough time complete the plays,” Hall said. “That was a great job by our quarterback, he got me in stride.”

St. Mary’s was led by RaShawn Allen, who ran for 157 yards and 35-yard run made it a seven-point game midway through the fourth quarter.

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Shermond Dabney is tackled by Macomb Dakota defenders during the first half of Dakota’s 35-28 win Thursday in Macomb.

A couple of minutes earlier, Evan Sivec had given the Cougars a 14-point lead when he returned a St. Mary’s punt 75 yards for a score.

“I just had a whole bunch of great blocks,” he said. “I give it up to Cade (Lawitzke). If he wasn’t there to help me down the sideline, I wouldn’t have scored. I saw green, but I saw a whole bunch of great blocks.”

Allen gave St. Mary’s a 7-0 lead on a 10-yard run, but the Cougars answered with Droski rolling out of a sack and firing a 29-yard strike to Hall.

But on the very next play from scrimmage, fullback Kyren Cunningham took a handoff 80 yards up the gut for a 14-7 St. Mary’s lead.

Droski needed only three plays to cap a 62-yard drive with a perfect 52-yard TD pass to Hall to tie the score with 1:45 left in the first quarter.

Nick Carl recovered a St. Mary’s fumble at Dakota’s 42. A couple of good runs by Kaiser Carleton set up Droski’s third TD pass of the game, a 4-yarder to Sivec to give the Cougars a 21-14 halftime lead.

Carl came up with a key stop on a fourth-and-2 play and Dakota took over at its 26-yard line. On first down Droski lofted a bomb to Hall, who caught it in stride and turned it into a 76-yard TD and a 28-14 lead.

The Eaglets made it a one-score game three plays later after Cunningham caught a short pass, eluded a tackler, and sprinted 54 yards midway through the third quarter.

Contact Mick McCabe: 313-223-4744 or mmccabe@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mickmccabe1.

Dearborn Fordson’s Aziz Alhanek runs the ball against Canton’s during the second half of Fordson’s 40-35 win Friday at Wayne State.

Blue Division

Coaches’ poll: Dearborn Fordson, 56; Belleville, 53; Redford Thurston, 47; Dearborn Heights Robichaud, 42; Garden City, 36; Redford Union, 34.

Fordson (3-2, 6-5)

Strength: Experience

Top players: QB Hamze Elzayat (19 TDs), OL Zac Darwich, LB Mohamed Amen, OL/DL Jamil Beydoun, DL Husam Alsalman, LB Saleh Homayed, RB Aziz Hanek, DB Khaled Elhaj, OL Ali Saad.

Outlook: a win in the playoffs last year over perineal power Sterling Heights Stevenson is a huge factor leading into 2016 as far as focus and confidence for multiple returning starters on both defense and offense. Most of those were young and inexperienced so the extra year under their belts has led to better attitudes and approach to the game.

Belleville (5-0, 8-2)

Strength: experience of underclassmen

Top players: RB/S Devonni Reed (CMU commit), RB/LB George Douglas (CMU commit), WR/DB Jordan Ulmer (Iowa State commit), sophomore OL/DL Devontae Dobbs (6-5, 270, 15 D1 offers), sophomore WR/DB Julian Barnett (6-2, 190), sophomore WR/DB MJ Griffin and junior RB/DB Patrick Lupro.

Overview: Started six freshmen last year who growing up quickly and helped the team reach the state playoffs after winning the division. Belleville returns eight players on offense and seven on defense, and will start more underclassmen, who leap frogged the freshman and JV teams, than seniors.

Thurston (3-2, 6-5)

Strength: skilled positions

Top players: WR/CB Darryis King (three-year starter, 3 INTs), junior WR Erik Gibson (79 tackles), LB Chalfontae Phillips, (70 tackles 6 sacks), junior CB Keion Harris, junior S Nathan Hayes (50 tackles), junior QB Zack Crofford (6-4, 230), junior C Jalen Howard (6-1, 270), OL Daman McLain, OT/DT Dorsey Woolridge, (6-1, 260).

Outlook: The Eagles return six players on offense and six on defense. In addition, 14 players who saw significant playing time on the varsity are back. Adding a strong group coming up from the JV team and the Eagles are optimistic for a good season.

Robichaud (3-2, 8-3)

Strength: Line of scrimmage

Top players: WR Elantre Alston, WR/S Damian Potts, TE/DE Cortez Spears, OG/NT Brandon Askin, QB Jajuan Brown, RB/L Anthony Dase, junior OG/DT Darrell Williams, junior RB Jasir Poole.

Outlook: It could seem the cupboards are bare considering 20 seniors graduated from a two-game playoff team, but Robichaud believes it has a good shot at the conference title due to the toughness of this team – albeit a young squad with five sophomore starters helping fill the holes from graduation.

Garden City (1-4, 2-7)

Strength: Size and Speed

Top players: QB/DB Kyle Becker, RB/DB Logan McGraw, junior RB/LB Eian Castonguay, RB/LB John Giangrande, OL/DL Jacob Brisco, OL/DL Jalen Covington (6-4, 290), OL/DL Mason Jennings, OL/DL Trevor Coleman (6-2, 280), junior WR/DL Cameron Walter (6-4, 185), WR/DB Dylan Rayburn.

Outlook: Six starters are back on both offense and defense. New coach Jim Baker said: “Our goals are to improve on last year’s record, get better each week and be competitive in our league. We really don’t have a rival at Garden City so we have to play all nine games like a rivalry game.”

Union (0-5, 3-6)

Strength: Skill positions

Top players: RB/LB Marquise Hathaway (leading tackler, second leading rusher), junior RB/LB Isaac Grant (leading rusher, scoring leader, second in tackles), RB/DE Eric McCarter (sacks leader), OL/DE Brandon Hartsfield, OL/DE Brandon Hartsfield, TE/DE Josh Smith (2nd in sacks), TE/S Talil Groves (leader in INTs and receptions).

Outlook: Last year’s three wins came after zero the year before so progress is taking place, especially with eight players returning on each side of the ball. “We look to build on that momentum and the return of many returning starters and letter winners,” said coach Miles Tomasaitis. “An experienced group of players should lead the way to continued improvement.”

• Detroit PSL preview
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• Kensington Lakes preview
• Catholic League preview
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• Downriver preview

Red Division

Coaches poll: Dearborn, 59; Edsel Ford, 53; Romulus, 44; Crestwood, 42; Annapolis, 37; Livonia Clarenceville, 33.

Dearborn (5-4)

Strength: Experience

Top players: QB Mikey Phillips, OL Mustafa Khaleefah (6-6, 275, All-State, Michigan State commit), DE Ali Fayad (6-2, 232, Eastern Michigan commit), WR Shane Moran, RB Hussein Hannawi, LB Issa Khalil, LB Ali Saad, DE Mohamad Khatib, LB Lyth Shalhout, FS Adam Elder.

Outlook: The defending league champs return 19 of 22 starters, 8 of which will be starting for their third year. Play on the line of scrimmage and excellent talent in the offensive backfield could power Dearborn, a program with 86 wins the past ten years, to a terrific season. Very few two-way players should keep the players fresh.

Edsel Ford (4-1, 5-4)

Strength: work ethic

Top players: junior RB/DB Will Marano, junior RB/DB Michael Bates, OL/DL Tim Schultz, QB/LB Grant Rathwell, junior OL/DL Ethan Pultorak, OL/DL Tyler Mayberry, OL/DL Johnpaul Vega, junior OL/DL Kyle Brannack, RB/LB Carl Taylor, junior RB/LB Jonte Dorsey, junior OL/LB George Gilbeau, junior TE/DL Kevin Cassio.

Outlook: Edsel Ford lost the first three games of the season last year, so a better start in 2016 will benefit the Thunderbirds. Winning five of its last six games last season is a springboard for this fall. Seven starters return on offense and six on defense, with good experience in the trenches.

Romulus (4-1, 6-4)

Strength: Offensive experience

Top players: LB Tyress Claiborne LB, WR Trey Armstrong-Anderson, DE De’Von Mines, QB Jaylin Tatum, WR Alexander Stevens, OL Devon Harris, junior S Alaric Wooten and junior WR Pierre Brown.

Outlook: Romulus reached the state playoffs last year and played tough against eventual Div. 3 state runner up Chelsea, giving the Eagles a boost of confidence and more motivation heading into 2016. That led to the best off-season preparedness that coach Thomas Patterson has seen in the program.

Crestwood (4-5)

Strength: Offensive line

Top players: RB/DB Tommy Hamid, RB/S Avery Martinez (interceptions leader), RB/LB Hisham Abdullah (leading tackler), OL/DE Hussein Choucair, OL/DT Ali Choucair, TE/DE Ayman Murray (leading receiver), junior QB Tre Jenerette, RB/DB Mohamed Beydoun, TE/LB Alex Lake and RB/DC Rami Elamine.

Outlook: a handful of two-way returning starters are back for the Chargers, who came up a little short of reaching the post season in 2015.

Annapolis (1-8)

Team strength: skilled positions

Top players: QB/S Manny Ferguson, RB/DB Larry Rivers III, RB/DB Diallo Long, OL/DL Brendan Dulmage, OL Brandon Johnson, RB/DB Jamarei Malcolm, OL/DL Brandon Roland, RB/LB Torian Taylor, OL James Torres.

Outlook: Nine starters return for a team that should be improved this year. Overall depth and experience is a little short, but the offensive skill players should shine as well as the defensive backfield.

Clarenceville (1-4, 1-8)

Strength: Senior leadership

Top players: OL/LB David Means, RB/LB Zach Richards, OL/DL Justin Kelly, WR/DB Darrin Topelwski, WR/DB Brendan Belanger, junior QB/DB Kyle Nolan, RB/LB Justin Davis.

Overview: The smallest school in the conference was admittedly beat up some last year, but returns all of the above players as starters. The Trojans will be changing the defense scheme from 2015, to increase pressure on the opponent’s offensive backfield. Most players are going both ways, so staying healthy is key.

Monroe St. Mary CC celebrates winning the Division 6 state championship game over Ithaca, 22-12, on Nov. 28, 2014, at Ford Field.

Coaches’ poll: 1. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 70, 2. Milan 69, 3. Riverview 66, 4. New Boston Huron 51, 5. Grosse Ile 50, 6. Carleton Airport 46, 7. (tie) Flat Rock and Monroe Jefferson 32.

St. Mary Catholic Central (8-2, 7-0)

Strength: Linebackers.

Top players: TE/LB Justin LaPlante, RB/LB Kevin LaPrad, OT Hunter Lizyness, junior S Collin Woolford and junior LB Wyatt O’Brien.

Outlook: The Falcons are looking to capture a state championship for the second time in three years, after being bounced in the first round of last year’s playoffs. Key in accomplishing that will be the play of linebackers Justin LaPlante, Kevin LaPrad and Wyatt O’Brien, who collectively form the Falcons’ strongest position group. If they play as strongly as they can, look for the Falcons to at least advance past the first round, which is something they did each year from 2012-14.

Milan (9-3, 6-1)

Strength: Offense.

Top players: QB/DB Demetrius Barnes, RB/LB Trace Lindeman and DL/LT Mike Furtney.

Outlook: After reaching the regional final last year for the first time since 2007, the Big Reds look to build upon their 2015 success via what should once again be a potent offensive attack. The dynamic duo of quarterback Demetrius Barnes and running back Trace Lindeman helped the Big Reds score at least 27 points in all six of their ’15 Huron League victories. With Barnes and Lindeman leading the way, the Big Reds should be electric offensively once again, and should be able to make another deep playoff run.

Riverview (6-4, 5-2)

Strength: Offensive linemen.

Top players: C/DL Charles Chevillet, OL/DL Evan Begeman, LB/DE/TE Austin Boike, RB Kaylon Paynes-Brown and junior LB/TE Nick Walsh.

Outlook: Labeled “young and inexperienced” by head man Derek McLaughlin, the Pirates certainly are with only five returning players from last year’s team that finished 6-4 and 5-2 in the Huron. With that being said, it might be more of an uphill battle for the Pirates to get into the playoffs in 2016 than it has been in recent memory. Led by seniors Charles Chevillet and Evan Begeman on the offensive line, the Pirates are seeking a fourth straight appearance in the state playoffs.

Huron (5-5, 3-4)

Strength: Wide receivers.

Top players: Junior DB/WR Drew Leininger, C/LB Nick Becker, DL/OL Brent Kosikowski, OL/DL Tyler Floyd, WR/DB Andrew Miller, junior OG/LB Mike Mitchell and junior RB/OLB Reed Smith.

Outlook: After recording a school-best 11-2 mark and reaching the semifinals of the state tournament for the first time in school history in 2014, the Chiefs slumped to 5-5 in 2015. The Chiefs still qualified for the playoffs, but got bounced in the first round by Trenton, 34-21. First-year coach Jim Kalbfleisch will aim to get the Chiefs to the postseason for a third consecutive campaign, and will be aided by senior wideouts Drew Leininger and Andrew Miller.

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Grosse Ile (4-5, 3-4)

Strength: Senior leadership.

Top players – RB/LB Andrew Vollmerhausen, WR/DB Justin Moores, OL/DL Dom Trombley, OL/DL Owen Wiewiura, RB/DB Josh Moskall, OL/LB Mike Simone and WR/DB Joey Kelly.

Outlook: The Red Devils missed the state playoffs last year for the first time since 2013 by finishing 4-5. They lost three games by six points or less last season, so this could easily be a playoff team in 2016 with a strong senior class. Their senior class is led by running backs Andrew Vollmerhausen and Josh Moskall plus offensive linemen Dom Trombley, Owen Wiewiura and Mike Simone.

Airport (1-8, 1-6)

Strength: Leadership and experience.

Top players: RB/LB Justin Goretski, TE/LB Brent Mossburg, junior RB/DB Mike Foor, junior OL Tommy Shinevarre, junior OL/DL Logan Mays, WR/DB Aaron Smith and OL/DL Hunter Cleland.

Outlook: Carleton Airport looks to improve upon its 1-8 mark from last season with strong leadership and experience. After losing three games by eight points or less last season, expect Airport to get to four wins in 2016, which would be a repeat of the squad’s finish in 2014.

Flat Rock (3-6, 1-6)

Strength: Depth.

Top players: Junior OL/LB Sameer Tayeb, sophomore OL/LB Michael Simons, FB/LB Eric Thomas, RB/S Cameron Stitt, WR/S Anthony Higginbotham, junior RB/S Sage Daniels, junior OL/DL Mason Hamilton and TE/DE Noah Zarbaugh.

Outlook: After two straight 0-9 finishes in 2013 and 2014, the Rams captured three victories last season. The Rams are seeking their first over .500 campaign since 2007 when they finished 5-4, and their first playoff appearance since 1990. If they do reach the playoffs, it’ll be because of their increased depth. After opening the season last year with 23 players, they come into 2016 with 33 players. “We can get guys off the field for a break this year,” Flat Rock coach Brandon Reaume said.

Jefferson (3-6, 2-5)

Strength: Good attitude and character.

Top players: RB/LB Nick Humphrey, QB/LB Brandon Sovey, RB/LB Cam Smith, OG Joey Flaherty, C Steven Hintz, OG Jordan Mowrer, junior OT/DT Thomas Eads, WR Trent Sandifer, RB/C Zach Hill, T Nolan Willard, RB Cameron Jones, junior C Mitchell Payment, junior LB Devon Rozmiarek, junior C Blasé Gennoe, junior LB Jacob Chavis, junior DE Vaughn Gardner and sophomore FS Noah Achinger.

Outlook: With three wins in 2015, Jefferson captured its most victories in a single season since 2011 when it recorded four victories. Getting to four victories would be the next step in Jefferson returning to relevance within the Huron. And if the Bears take a few steps forward, they could potentially put themselves in contention for their first playoff appearance since 2006.

Football

MIAC Coaches Poll: 1. Grosse Pte. Woods University-Liggett (3): 57; 2. Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest (2): 52; 3. Sterling Heights Parkway (1): 51; 4. Southfield Christian: 40; 5. Westland Lutheran: 39; 6. Auburn Hills Oakland Christian: 31

Auburn Hills Oakland Christian (0-5, 0-9)

Strength: Offense

Top players: WR/DB Seth WIlliams, WR Cam Cotter, WR Ryder Patterson, DE AJ Hawkins, DE Elijah Kennedy, OL Josh Morgan

Outlook: The Lancers return their offensive backfield and two top receiving targets in Cotter and Petterson. Despite their winless 2015, some coaches around the league see them as a talented sleeper. If the roster can stay healthy, Oakland Christian could improve in leaps and bounds on the heels of an aerially efficient offense and an increasingly experienced roster.

Grosse Pte. Woods University Liggett (4-1, 6-4)

Strength: Defense

Top players: QB Connor McCarron, DE Charles Caine, DE Sam Durno, OL Desmond Darby, MLB Brady MCarron

Outlook: Liggett should continue to feature a dependable offense, with senior QB Connor McCarron managing an attack that’s impressively balanced between ground and air, and returns several starters from its defensive line. The Knights came away with a split in two games last season against Sterling Hts. Parkway, and a solid defensive effort could help them to a regular-season win against the division rival and a first-place finish.

Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest (6-4, 3-2)

Strength: Defense

Top players: RB/LB Danny Macks, K/QB/WR Michael Justice, OT/DT Evan Bowlds, QB/LB Zach Alkire, OL/DL Henry Dodson, WR Paul Rosa

Outlook: The Crusaders line up similarly to last season, but with a year’s more experience nearly across the board. A versatile offense will feature both Justice and Alkire at quarterback, depending on formation. Add a defense anchored by Macks, among the league’s best linebackers, and expectations are decidedly higher than last year. After featuring underclassman-heavy rosters for the last two seasons, this year’s team is stacked with juniors.

Southfield Christian (3-6, 2-3)

Strength: Offense

Top players: DE/WR C.J. Robeson, WR David Robinson, WR/LB Ricky Brown

Outlook: On a team strapped for depth, Southfield Christian needs to stay healthy to compete with the top half of the MIAC standings. “Numbers are down,” according to head coach Larry Weiss, who will use a healthy chunk of his roster on both sides of the ball. Skill positions and efficiency on the offensive side, however, should prove a strength.

Sterling Hts. Parkway (7-4, 5-0)

Strength: Offense.

Top players: QB Jacob Bambrick, OL Alex Challangoe, WR Jackson Allen, WR Dominic Delicata, LB Maurice Hutchinson, S Julian Davis.

Outlook: Joe Beck begins his first season at the helm, but is lucky the Eagles are returning their starting quarterback and two top targets at wide receiver. The offense should be fully productive, but the defense is a question mark after losing eight starters to graduation. Nonetheless, Sterling Hts. Parkway remains the MIAC frontrunner.

Westland Lutheran (3-6, 1-4)

Strength: Offense

Top players: QB Luke Smith, RB DJ Nykiel, S Andy Saith, OL/DL Jeremy Orem, OL/DL Nick Glinn

Outlook: The Warriors return nine starters on each side of the ball, and a new partnership with Plymouth Christian has given head coach Paul Guse a new set of bodies to work with, expanding the roster to 29 and helping with depth. Keys to the season include plugging up a porous run defense, getting Nykiel the ball in space and staying healthy.

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Key independents

Pontiac Notre Dame (8-3)

Strength: Defense, Special Teams

Top players: PK Bryce Bringer, OL Kyle Sassack, LB/RB Luke Adams, DB Zach Atkins, WR Josh Johnson, DE Dominic Famularo, DL John Paul Terzano

Outlook: After being suspended from the Detroit Catholic League over a scheduling controversy, Notre Dame will look for success as an independent. Four starters on the offensive line are returning, meaning Notre Dame signal-callers will have time to throw if a less experienced receiving corps finds space downfield. Placekicker Bryce Baringer is a weapon on field goals, too, with a long of 46 yards last year.

Birmingham Detroit Country Day (11-2)

Strength: Defense

Top players: LB Kolin Demens, DL Cole Bearden, DL Chris Wells, DL Tim Jackson, LB Adam Sakih, S/KR Chris Bergen, QB/S Steve Mann, WR Roy McCree, WR/DB LaNard Graham, C Will Humenny, RB Nick Neibauer

Outlook: Country Day returns the bulk of its starters on defense. An impressive defensive line will front Sakih and Demens, the younger brother of former U-M star and NFL linebacker Kenny Demens, at the linebacker spots. There are weapons at the receiver spots, too, balancing between Neibauer’s ground attack against Mann’s air game and making a repeat 11-2 season, or better, more than possible.

Harper Woods (5-4)

Strength: Defense

Top players: QB/CB Keshawn King, RB/CB Deshawn Mitchell, S/WR Qortez Scott, OL Christopher Gaffrey, LB Dayvon Collins, FB/DE Kelvin Jones, OL Robert Gay

Outlook: With 20 seniors, Harper Woods is one of the region’s more experienced teams. Most of key players see action on both sides of the ball, but there’s experience and depth in the secondary and enough experience to build on a promising 5-4 effort in 2015.

FREELANCE Coach Mike Sawchuk (cq) 40, of Canton, talks tothe Plymouth Wildcats after a scrimmage practice in Canton Saturday August 11, 2007. HEATHER ROUSSEAU / Special to the Free Press

Plymouth football coach Mike Sawchuk and a host of other former area athletic stars were honored as Plymouth Sports Hall of Fame inductees Friday night.

That was likely the highlight of Sawchuk’s evening, however, as his Wildcats struggled to move the ball against visiting Utica Eisenhower and lost, 28-7.

Sawchuk’s defense looked good at the start, as Alan Farmer and Chase Timko each intercepted Eisenhower QB Max Wittwer in the first quarter.

Wittwer finally made the right connection when he sent Ryan Chargo on a fly pattern down the middle of the field for a 77-yard score with 23 seconds left in the quarter to give the visitors a 7-0 lead.

“Our motto this year is ‘Reset,’ ” said Wittwer, who ended up 213 yards and three touchdown passes. “That means whether you make a good play or a bad play all you have to do is think about the next play. We set ’em up, we got the momentum going one way and we hit the backside post on the other side.

“It was beautiful. It was the exact same play on the second touchdown (pass).”

Ike came up with a turnover when John Stroble intercepted a Jonah Peterson pass with 2:01 left, giving Eisenhower great field position at the 47. Stroble finished with two picks.

“I felt we shut them down,” Stroble said. “Our linemen did a good job, which allowed me to do my job. As soon as Max threw that second one (interception), I told him to reset.”

The Wildcats might have sealed their own fate to start the third, when Farmer’s fake punt run inside his own 35 was stopped way short.

Jacob Albrecht made the Wildcats pay with a 16-yard jet sweep run, giving Ike a 14-0 lead with 9:34 left in the third.

“That was my fault, I have to do a better job of coaching,” said Sawchuk, who is the son of legendary Red Wings goalie Terry Sawchuk. “That was a mental error on his part and I have to make sure he doesn’t do that again. It’s a rugby punt. If he gets pressure on the end he’s supposed to find the pipe and get rid of it.”

Plymouth got a spark when Issac Emminger streaked 68 yards on the kickoff return to the Ike 27.

One play later Peterson responded with a strike to Timko, who out-fought Eagles defensive back John Fantauzzo for the ball in the corner of the end zone to get the Wildcats on the board.

But the momentum didn’t last long as a personal-foul penalty on the Wildcats helped set up Ike at the 40. Four plays later Wittwer hit Chargo for his second TD pass of the game, this one from 26 yards to give Ike a 21-7 lead with 7:22 left in the third.

Stroble’s second interception of the game ended a Plymouth drive at the 11.

Wittwer’s third TD pass of the game went to Ben Mets with 5:31 left to seal the deal.

Contact Perry A. Farrell: 313-222-2555 or pafarrell@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @farrellperry.

Clarkston junior quarterback D.J. Zezula (5) hands the ball off to senior running back Ian Eriksen (25) during the second half of the Division 1 title game against the Novi Detroit Catholic Central on Nov. 30, 2013, at Ford Field.

Clarkston took the season-opening game philosophy of run it until they stop it.

Lapeer couldn’t stop what turned out to be the three-headed running game in the Wolves’ 28-7 win in Friday night’s finale at Michigan Stadium.

The offensive attack churned out 397 yards, led by junior running backs Josh Cantu (170 yards, one touchdown) and Mike Fluegel (85 yards, one touchdown). Quarterback JT King added 88 yards rushing on 14 carries and two touchdowns (15, 1). The latter capped an 18-play, 75-yard drive that put Clarkston ahead, 21-7, early in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Jake Billette added 43 yards on just three carries late to show what could be ahead down the road.

“We had a group of guys out there tonight and I think we all did very well,” Fluegel said. “The offensive line worked super hard all night long. They made some big holes that helped us make some big plays.

“I think this is one heck of a start. Being a special occasion and a special place and I think this gives us a good jump start to our season.”

Canto was starting his first game on varsity and gave Fluegel lots of help and rest from playing defensive back, too.

“I love it, I love the hype and everything about it,” Cantu said about the season opener.

• Friday night football scores | roundup

The Wolves threw the ball only two times, making one completion for 11 yards. They didn’t need to go through the air, but coach Kurt Richardson said they will have to in the future.

“We have to be able to throw the ball,” he said. “We have to work more on the passing game and get it going too. (In practice) I can tell we’re getting there.”

Canton’s Markus Sanders is tackled by Dearborn Fordson’s Saleh Homayed and Hussin Berro during first half Friday at Wayne State.

Adrian Lenawee Christian 35, Britton-Deerfield 34

Adrian Madison 41, Royal Oak Shrine 7

Allen Park 62, Taylor Kennedy 0

Athens 12, Bellevue 0

Au Gres-Sims 40, Rogers City 26

Auburn Hills Oakland Christian 42, Dearborn Heights Star International 16

Battle Creek Harper Creek 39, Richland Gull Lake 10

Beal City 34, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart 8

Belleville 40, Canton Salem 19

Benton Harbor 28, Marshall 7

Birmingham Brother Rice 27, Birmingham Seaholm 3

Bloomfield Hills 35, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek 16

Bridgeport 38, Saginaw Valley Lutheran 7

Brooklyn Columbia Central 34, Napoleon 14

Calumet 14, Northland Pines, Wis. 0

Carleton Airport 31, Dundee 8

Carrollton 41, Sandusky 6

Cass City 36, Flint Hamady 22

Charlevoix 45, Elk Rapids 13

Chetek-Weyerhaeuser, Wis. 35, Ishpeming Westwood 0

Clarkston 28, Lapeer 7

• Wolves rush for 386 yards to top Lapeer at Big House

Clarkston Everest Collegiate 58, Sterling Heights Parkway Christian 22

Clawson 28, Armada 7

Climax-Scotts 48, Michigan Center 14

Clinton 48, Manchester 12

Coldwater 33, Jackson 22

Colon 7, Centreville 6

Concord 22, Hanover-Horton 0

Corunna 47, Owosso 6

Crystal Falls Forest Park 64, Rapid River 22

Dansville 42, Leslie 22

Dearborn Fordson 40, Canton 35

• Tractors overcome a 21-point halftime deficit at Wayne State

Detroit Community def. Detroit Westside Christian, forfeit

Detroit Country Day 17, Port Huron 7

Detroit Loyola 36, Warren Michigan Collegiate 6

Detroit U-D Jesuit 23, Detroit Mumford 14

East Lansing 42, St. Johns 7

Eaton Rapids 20, Jackson Northwest 17

Elkton-Pigeon Bay Port Laker 45, Capac 7

Essexville Garber 46, West Branch Ogemaw Heights 0

Evart 49, White Cloud 14

Farwell 53, Coleman 16

Fowler 20, Vermontville Maple Valley 8

Fowlerville 49, Dexter 13

Fulton-Middleton 46, Bay City All Saints 14

Garden City 27, Flint Kearsley 20

Grand Blanc 49, Flint Carman-Ainsworth 25

Grand Rapids Catholic Central 27, East Grand Rapids 6

Grand Rapids Christian 33, Culver Academy, Ind. 0

Grand Rapids South Christian 28, Holland Christian 20

Grand Rapids West Catholic 30, Jackson Lumen Christi 13

Grant 49, Shelby 6

Grass Lake 32, Stockbridge 18

Grosse Ile 41, Parma Western 21

Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett 13, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes 0

Gwinn 36, Gladstone 16

Hale 58, Akron-Fairgrove 6

Harbor Beach 64, Bad Axe 44

Harper Woods 68, Southfield Christian 0

Hartford 86, Watervliet 0

Hillsdale 51, Jonesville 24

Hopkins 38, Newaygo 12

Houghton 30, L’Anse 26

Hurley, Wis. 37, Ironwood 0

Ida 51, Monroe Jefferson 26

Iron Mountain 35, Ishpeming 24

Iron Mountain North Dickinson 36, Florence (Wis.) 8

Ithaca 31, Clare 28

Johannesburg-Lewiston 46, Mancelona 12

Kalkaska 21, Leroy Pine River 18

Laingsburg 20, Perry 0

Lake City 36, Harrison 18

Lake Fenton 41, Flint Southwestern 7

Lake Linden-Hubbell 28, Hancock 26

Lake Odessa Lakewood 38, Hastings 22

Lansing Catholic 35, Lansing Waverly 28

Livonia Churchill 42, Monroe 13

Lowell 36, Warren De La Salle 19

Ludington 35, Hart 0

Macomb Lutheran North 28, Livonia Clarenceville 0

Madison Heights Bishop Foley 35, Center Line 13

Manistee Catholic Central 41, Big Rapids Crossroads Charter Academy 7

Maple City Glen Lake 34, Kingsley 13

Merrill 29, Marlette 0

Milan 27, Adrian 13

Morenci 34, Pittsford 7

Negaunee 49, Manistique 7

New Buffalo 34, Wyoming Lee 0

New Haven 28, Brown City 16

Niles 40, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 19

Norway 29, Northern Elite, Wis. 13

Olivet 31, Homer 20

Onaway 45, Pellston 0

Ottawa Lake Whiteford 42, Blissfield 26

Oxford 27, Romeo 26

Peck 20, Marion 14

Petersburg Summerfield 31, Erie-Mason 6

Pewamo-Westphalia 30, Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 20

Pickford 56, Bellaire 6

Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 37, Redford Thurston 0

Portage Central 35, Mattawan 0

Portland St. Patrick 52, Covert 0

Quincy 22, Bronson 0

Ravenna 28, Kent City 8

Rochester Adams 33, Rochester 14

Romulus 32, Riverview 14

Saline def. Rockford, forfeit

Sand Creek 38, Reading 14

Sanford-Meridian 18, Midland Bullock Creek 16

Saranac 45, Carson City-Crystal 6

Sault Ste Marie 13, Cheboygan 7 (OT)

Sparta 39, Fremont 0

Springport 40, Vandercook Lake 7

St. Clair Shores Lakeview 21, Royal Oak 0

St. Ignace LaSalle 44, Indian River-Inland Lakes 0

St. Joseph 26, Kalamazoo Central 0

Stephenson def. Baraga, forfeit

Stevensville Lakeshore 30, Battle Creek Central 13

Tawas 35, Lincoln-Alcona 30

Tekonsha 14, Burr Oak 12

Temperance Bedford 44, Toledo St. Francis 21

Traverse City St. Francis 40, Marquette 14

Traverse City West 42, Midland 14

Ubly 28, Unionville-Sebewaing 18

Utica Eisenhower 28, Plymouth 7

• QB Max Wittwer shook off two interceptions early to throw three TD passes 

Waldron 46, Litchfield 8

Walled Lake Northern 56, North Farmington 0

Warren Fitzgerald 65, Hazel Park 6

Waterford Kettering 35, Utica 17

West De Pere, Wis. 9, Kingsford 0

Whitehall 50, Wyoming Kelloggsville 47

Whitmore Lake 12, Jackson East Jackson 6

Whittemore-Prescott 36, Mio 6

Williamston 43, Lansing Eastern 0

Wyandotte Roosevelt 34, Gibraltar Carlson 6

Wyoming 34, Holland 16

Zeeland East 39, Saginaw Swan Valley 21

Dearborn Fordson’s Slay Shajrah celebrates his winning TD catch with teammate Mohammed Chami.

Trailing Canton, 28-7 at halftime, Dearborn Fordson quarterback Hamze Elzayat had a message for his teammates.

“I went in the locker room,” he said, “and told them to keep their heads up. The game ain’t over.”

No, it wasn’t. Not until Elzayat came up with a cramp.

Trailing by a point with just over a minute left, Fordson had the ball on its 41-yard line.

“I was rolling out right, and in the middle of the play I pulled a cramp in my right calf,” Elzayat said. “I didn’t know if I’d be able to throw that pass. But I saw my receiver wide open, and I trusted him, and I let it fly.”

The receiver was Slay Shajrah.

When Shajrah landed, he turned and saw the prettiest sight he’d ever seen and raced into the end zone with 1:07 left to play.

“I saw end zone,” he said. “I saw six and I saw game win.”

Yes, he did.

Fordson capped a miraculous comeback Friday night to pull out an improbable, 40-35 victory over Canton in the season opener in the Prep Kickoff Classic at Wayne State.

• More scores from Friday’s games

Elzayat finished 15-for-28 for 310 yards and three touchdowns. He also gained 160 yards rushing on 11 carries and scored two TDs.

In the first half, Canton was making it look easy. Markus Sanders took a handoff on the Chiefs’ first play from scrimmage and sprinted 80 yards for a touchdown.

Canton followed Sanders’ TD with a 11-play, 85-yard drive that featured a rare pair of pass completions totaling 38 yards to set up Steven Walker’s 21-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter.

Fordson moved to Canton’s 7-yard line, but its 27-yard field goal attempt was blocked. Five plays later, Jake O’Donnell threw a pass to a wide open Brennon Pelland, who had to wait for the pass and then rumbled 70 yards for a 21-0 lead with 6:40 left in the second quarter.

Fordson showed signs of life by moving 80 yards in nine plays, with Ahmed Sabbagh scoring on a 3-yard run with 1:56 left in the first half.

But Canton killed what momentum Fordson might have had by scoring on a 5-yard TD pass from O’Donnell to Colin Troup for a 28-7 halftime advantage.

The Chiefs received the second-half kickoff, but on first down Shajrah intercepted a pass, and Elzayat followed with a 24-yard run to set up his 39-yard TD run to pull Fordson within 28-14.

Following a Canton punt, Elzayat completed a 32-yard fourth-down pass to Basel Musaed to cut Canton’s lead to 28-20 with 4:20 left in the third quarter.

Sharjah’s second interception set up Elzayat’s 20-yard touchdown run to pull the Tractors within 28-26 leading into the fourth quarter.

A 40-yard TD pass to Musaed gave Fordson the lead midway through the fourth quarter, but Canton regained the lead with 2:27 left to play on Julian Thornton’s 27-yard run.

That set up Fordson’s unforgettable theatrics.

Contact Mick McCabe: 313-223-4744 or mmccabe@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mickmccabe1.

Mike Sawchuk’s Hall of Fame night ruined by Utica Eisenhower

River Rouge’s Lee Payton runs the ball during the second half of River Rouge’s 34-16 win Saturday at Wayne State.

Brethren 40, Traverse City Christian 22

Caledonia 55, Fenton 52

Camden-Frontier 86, Elyria Open Door, Ohio 8

Coopersville 36, Fruitport 13

Detroit Catholic Central 42, Sterling Heights Stevenson 0

Detroit Collegiate 20, Ann Arbor Richard 15

Detroit King 39, Southfield 0

East Kentwood 31, Farmington Hills Harrison 24

Gogebic Miners 56, Three Lakes/Phelps, Wis. 0

Hudsonville Unity Christian 37, Allendale 35

Menominee 31, Marinette, Wis. 14

Montague 51, Muskegon Orchard View 14

Oscoda 47, Potterville 12

River Rouge 34, Chelsea 16

Westland Lutheran 60, Marine City Cardinal Mooney 28

Postponements and cancellations

Detroit Cass Tech vs. Oak Park, ppd. to Sunday

Aug. 26 Michigan high school football scores
Aug. 25 Michigan high school football scores