HUDSON — Coach Dan Rogers begins his seventh season at the helm of the storied Hudson football program with one goal in sight: a shot at another state championship for the Tigers.
“Our schedule is very challenging, and if we can stay healthy and compete, we should be prepared for the postseason,” said Rogers, whose team has won back-to-back Lenawee County Athletic Association championships, including an outright title in 2025.
The Tigers reached their fourth state championship game in school history last November but dropped a 31-20 decision to undefeated Harbor Beach in the Division 8 title game, finishing 13-1.
Junior Beckett Campbell had a career in one season as a sophomore running back, rushing for a team-best 2,453 yards and 36 touchdowns. “Pound-for-pound, our strongest athlete and has tremendous contact balance,” Rogers said of Campbell, who received Michigan High School Football Coaches Association all-state recognition and was named the Division 7-8 Player of the Year in 2025.
Six-foot-seven, 295-pound senior tackle Koen Hinzman returns for his fourth season starting on the offensive and defensive lines. “Big, physical, and very athletic for his size,” Rogers said of Hinzman, who has committed to Iowa State.
Junior linebacker Lucian Hepker recorded 88 tackles last season. Rogers said he’s “a fast and physical kid that loves playing the game of football.”
The Tigers graduated a strong senior class, as only three starters return on offense. Senior tackle Mason Reuter, a 5-foot-10, 230-pound lineman, joins Hinzman and Campbell.
Defensively, Rogers returns Hinzman, Hepker, and Campbell plus senior linebacker Owen Loop, senior defensive back Bradley Pickford, and senior defensive back Braden Jedele for Hudson, which allowed only 69 points in seven LCAA games last fall.
As the Tigers get ready for another season, Rogers’ expectations for the season are simple: he wants his players “to show up, work hard, and be part of the community.”
Addison: Coach Casey Ruthenberg is beginning his first season at the helm of the Addison program, which went 1-8
last season, including 1-6 in the Cascades Conference West Division.
Adrian: Coach Joel Przygodski’s Maples finished second in the Southeastern Conference White Division last year. They opened the Division 3 district tournament with a win over Ypsilanti Lincoln but fell to Fenton in the district final. But the Maples are ready for a new season, and the fifth-year coach has his program fired up for a new season on the gridiron.
“We bring back a lot of players with meaningful snaps from last season,” Przygodski said. “Our returning starters on the offensive line will all be three-year starters for us, and we return the bulk of our offensive production from last season.”
Junior running back Luke Bruggeman, who rushed for more than 1,700 yards and earned all-state honors last season, returns, along with three-year starter and senior defensive back Cooper Howard. Junior running back/tight end/defensive end Landunn Branch contributes wherever Przygodski puts him on the field.
Offensive lineman Brycen Pifer, Kasey Eichorn, and Jaymon Wilson and wide receiver Wyatt Snyder, all seniors, are returning, as are a number of juniors including quarterback Jaxon Dowling, Bruggeman, Branch, and wide receiver Ryder Borton on offense.
Defensively, senior lineman Dominic Bryan and junior lineman Liam Martinez return, and they are joined by junior linebacker Cassion DuBose. Branch is joined by defensive back Cooper Howard and Noah Yatzek, both seniors, and Max Heldt, a junior.
Blissfield: Coach Ryan Love and Blissfield look to improve on their lone win in 2025, a dominating victory over Hillsdale, as the Royals finished seventh in the LCAA.
Britton Deerfield: After back-to-back Southern Central Athletic Association White Division eight-man football championships, Britton Deerfield returns a talented group of seniors. But there are some early-season concerns for coach Erik Johnson.
“The 2026 team will have entirely new starting offensive and defensive lines,” said Johnson, who is beginning his ninth season at BD. “We will still have an experienced senior group and will rely on our overall team speed for advantages.”
Senior Tyler Karpinski returns to one of the running back positions, Johnson said. As a junior last season, Karpinski scored 114 points and rushed for a team-high 1,268 yards and 17 touchdowns. He earned MHSFCA all-state honors.
Meanwhile, several seniors return to lead the defense. Karpinski joins Cayden Allshouse at the cornerback positions. John Johnson, who plays a hybrid linebacker-defensive back position, returns at the Eagle spot for BD. Nick Bagby at linebacker and Kaiden Lidster at defensive end join Johnson defensively.
“We will rely on this senior group to bring along a small junior class — four players — and a talented and deep sophomore class to help fill important roles,” Johnson said.
Allshouse steps into the quarterback role. He rushed 86 times for 876 yards and 10 touchdowns last year. He also threw for 121 yards and a touchdown.
Johnson said he looks for junior Keeghan Taylor, a 6-foot-1, 260-pound center, to solidify the position, while Bagby and senior Zach Gonzalez get their opportunity to anchor the guard spots and keep the ground game moving.
“This senior group is ready to prove themselves and to leave their own mark on the BD football program,” Johnson said.
Clinton: Several key position players return for Clinton and coach Casey Randolph, but the reality is the Redwolves might struggle to find their way early in the season.
“We are going to be young and inexperienced at the varsity level, but we bring back several skill positions with experience,” Randolph said.
The team reached the Division 7 semifinals and fell to Schoolcraft last year. Five offensive starters are returning, including junior quarterback Gradyn Whelan. He’ll be joined in the backfield by junior running back Braxton Randolph and senior Dacari Garrison, a running back/wide receiver. Guard Owen Wright and tackle Jonah Hahn, both seniors, anchor the offensive line.
“We are excited about the potential of this team and the ability that we have,” Randolph said.
Lenawee Christian: Coach Jake Baker is taking over at LCS, which finished second last year in the Southern Central Athletic Association White Division. Last year, the Cougars just missed making the Division 2 eight-man football playoffs.
“Our team goals are to win our conference and make the playoffs,” said Baker, who had been the team’s defensive coordinator the past three seasons.
Senior quarterback JT Reatherford, a three-year starter for LCS, returns along with senior receiver/defensive back Drew Kirkendall. Junior lineman/linebacker Wesley Fansler, who led the team in tackles, was all-division at lineman.
Senior running back Judah Penney and sophomore receiver/defensive back Josiah Atkinson also return.
“We are returning an experienced group at the skilled positions,” Baker said. “We have a senior class that is athletic and experienced. We will need to develop offensive and defensive linemen to win the big games as we will be undersized. Our speed and skill on offense should allow us to throw the ball successfully as we have in the past.”
Madison: After a successful run at Lenawee Christian, coach Bill Wilharms returns to Madison and begins his second stint with the Trojans with specific goals in mind. “Be competitive in every game and have a blast,” said Wilharms, who has coached Madison for 18 years, including six as its head coach.
Linebacker/running back Krys Ramirez and wide receiver/linebacker Caidan Randall bring toughness and leadership to the program, Wilharms said. Linebacker/tight end Elliot Beagle, wide receiver/defensive back Derrel Tillman, offensive/defensive lineman Nathan Payne, and offensive/defensive lineman Aiden Traxler provide athleticism.
Kicker/punter Nathan Mullins is a talented special teams performer, Wilharms said. Wide receiver/defensive back Delante Garrison, running back/linebacker Gio Briggs, wide receiver/linebacker Isaiah Tiede, and wide receiver/defensive back Destyn Garcia bring experience and strong defensive play to the field.
Morenci: A late-season win in October of last year might serve as the motivation that Morenci needs as the Bulldogs enter 2026 under second-year coach Ryan McDowell.
“We finished at 3-6, obviously did not make the playoffs, but were able to go out on a high note with a home victory over Litchfield in our last game of the season,” McDowell said.
Senior running back/linebacker Skyler Trent was injured in the first quarter of the first game last year and missed half of the season. Even though he missed time, Trent averaged 6.5 yards per carry and rushed for 478 yards, the second-leading rusher on the team. “We will look for him to be our playmaker on offense,” McDowell said.
Junior quarterback/linebacker Drew Joughin also missed half of the season last year with injury, but has improved his strength and agility in the offseason.
Sophomore running back/defensive back Mason Cleveland rushed for 283 yards and averaged 4.6 yards per carry last year.
“The expectation is that we will compete and show some toughness,” said McDowell, whose team competes in the eight-man division. “Football is a physical game, and the kids need to embrace that aspect of the sport.
“More wins would be nice,” he added, “but ultimately the goal is to learn how to work hard when you don’t feel like it or when you aren’t winning at the clip you want to.”
Onsted: Coach Joe Gillies begins his first season with Onsted, looking to improve on its fifth-place finish in the LCAA. Gillies takes over the Onsted program with one goal in mind: be competitive each time out on the field.
“With a new coaching system in our first year, we are really striving to be competitive in every game we play,” Gillies said of the Wildcats, who return four starters on offense and on defense.
Running back Connor Kish, tight end Colton Chamberlain, wide receiver Carter Gillian, and tackle Carson Garrison, all seniors, plus junior tackle Trent Leyland and defensive back Jacob Ohlman, are returning.
Sand Creek: It is a new season for second-year coach Derek Hewitt and Sand Creek, which this year is joining the Great Lakes Conference, a new football-only conference made up of eight schools in Michigan and Ohio.
“We are looking to build on last year’s late victory and carry it into this season,” said Hewitt. A victory over Comstock at the end of the season allowed the Aggies to end last year on a positive note.
The Aggies return eight players on offense and eight on defense, Hewitt said.
Sophomore running back AJ Murdico, the leading rusher last season, joins senior fullback/linebacker Grady Thompson, junior quarterback Jackson Sutherland, and sophomore fullback/linebacker Noah Walters in the backfield. Junior offensive tackle/defensive end Caden Glinski and offensive guard/linebacker Juanie Ortega provide toughness for the Aggies. They are joined by senior linemen Chase Voorhees and Tucker Hulett, providing strength and experience in the trenches.
Tecumseh: Coach Greg Dolson and Tecumseh placed fourth in the SEC White Division and finished the regular season with a 6-3 record last season, but Dolson expects better things in 2026.
“We have young men who are eager to compete and earn their opportunity, and I expect several of them to surprise people,” said Dolson, who begins his 12th season at the helm of the program. “Our focus throughout the offseason has been on preparing everyone to contribute when their number is called.”
Senior tight end Brayden Baur returns on offense, along with junior quarterback Chance Gormley, junior wide receiver Gabe Abbott, and senior wide receiver Sam Abbott. A trio of linemen also return — Junior Jake Dolson, senior Jack Ferguson, and senior Mason DeCormier.
Baur returns on defense at defensive end, along with junior defensive back Cameron Loudermilk, senior linebacker Kyle Cooke, senior defensive back Ben Andrews and senior linebacker Cruz Torres.
“Our biggest concern heading into the season is overall depth,” said Dolson, whose team fell to Dearborn Divine Child in the Division 4 pre-district game. “This is the thinnest roster we’ve had in several years due to a combination of injuries and players choosing not to return. While many of those players were not projected starters, they provided valuable depth that is critical over the course of a long season.”
But Dolson is not deterred. He said his team is ready for the challenge.
“We are extremely excited about where we are at the quarterback position,” Dolson said of Gormley. “Chance brings outstanding athletic ability and valuable experience, giving us a strong foundation heading into the season. Around him, we return several key seniors who have been contributing at the varsity level since their sophomore year. That experience, leadership, and familiarity with our program should allow us to hit the ground running and continue building on what we’ve established over the past few seasons.”