Only two weeks remain in the 2026 regular season, and we will begin crowning league champions and setting the playoffs this weekend! Week 7 went a long way in helping set the scene for those two weeks, and there were no shortage of stories to choose from for this week’s ‘Four Downs’…. let’s a take a look a the four biggest stories from week seven in west Michigan (& beyond) HS football!

 

FIRST DOWN: Falcons For Real

We knew East Kentwood was for real already, the reigning state semi-finalists have been perfect in 2026 –  dominating on both sides of the ball, but a trip to a charged-up Caledonia for Scot homecoming vs. the #2 team in the power poll in a battle for the top spot in the OK-Red wound up being the final elixir to any thought that this EK team isn’t ready to contend for a state title.

The Scots threw the first punch(es) going up 14-0 with a long pass TD to Robert Restau along with an Aaron Collins Pick-6. But EK was unflappable, rattling off 21 unanswered to go on top, and ultimately taking a 21-21 game into the locker room. There they dominated the 2nd half pulling away 42-27 for a statement win.

Maybe no bigger statement was made than the one by junior all-around star Austin Nelson, who accounted for an interception returned for a TD in the first half and took the first two Caledonia kickoffs of the second half back to the end zone to serve as the breaking point early in half number two as EK began to pull away.

The Falcons will travel to WO this week before closing with Hudsonville as they look to wrap up a perfect season and OK-Red title.

 

SECOND DOWN: Who Wins the White?

There are a load of great conference chases coming down to their final week(s), but one of the most interesting that will have it’s final league games this Friday is in the OK-White, where West Catholic sat unbeaten in the conference and controlled their own destiny before they fell in upset fashion in an OT thriller vs rival GR Christian on Friday 29-28.

That loss now puts Forest Hills Eastern even with one league loss (their head to head vs W.C.) even with the Falcons headed into the conference’s final game. West will take on 1-6 Wayland as FHE will see 4-3 Spring Lake. Spring Lake and GR Christian are each also 2-2 in the conference and could find their way into a share for the league crown is WC were to falter and Spring Lake takes care of business vs the hawks.

 

THIRD DOWN: D1 Playoff Chase

The fight to get into the postseason in division one is going to be extremely spirited, with some massive head-to-head matchups coming up as well that will control destiny for several west Michigan teams.

After getting thumped 49-0 to rival Rockford, the Grandville Bulldogs are licking their wounds but will be in need of two wins to get to 4-5 and secure a postseason spot. Those final two games will be against Jenison (who also is 2-5 and in need of 2 wins) and Grand Haven, who at 4-3 may be safe – but will be battling a hungry Bulldogs team in a must-win situation in week 9.

How those teams all align in then through-the-region seeding debuting in 2026 will be interesting, as we discussed in past weeks – But the race to see if Grandville can keep their playoff streak alive for an 8th straight year, or if Jenison and/or Grand Haven spoil the party will be interesting to watch (both of those games will be Live on MSR, by the way…).

 

FOURTH DOWN: Kings of the Lakeshore

Mona Shores and Muskegon is simply one of the great rivalries in this state, and typically has been a preview of a coming playoff matchup, or two teams in separate divisions each on their way to making a state title run.

This year has been a bit of a struggle for the Big Reds, as injuries have derailed and changed some of the high hopes that the school had for 2026 becoming a return year to glory and maybe to Ford Field. The Big Reds are now 3-4 after they were dominated by their powerhouse rival to the south Mona Shores 4-21 on Friday night, as the Sailors left no doubt who the king of the Lakeshore is in 2026.

At 3-4 the playoff math is getting interesting for Muskegon, who has GR Union and D1 power Clarkton left on their gauntlet of a schedule. Taking care of business vs. Union will likely be enough to get them in, but it still could down to some close playoff math at the end and leave Big Reds nation on pins and needles if they are to make the playoffs and look for a deep run run with what is still a super talented core of players.

Mona Shores simply now needs to handle business in their final league game against a talented Forest Hills Northern (who are fighting for their playoff lives at 3-4) squad and they will be OK-Green champions… and begin turning their attention to the playoffs and that looming likely rematch with Byron Center!