HILLSDALE COUNTY – Welcome to Week 9 of the high school football season. Time flies when gridiron action is happening on Friday nights, and the end of the regular season is already here.
For most teams, it will be the final shot to make improvements for underclassmen, and for seniors – a final shot at making history for their schools.
For Jonesville, a win on the road in the Cascades crossover matchup with Manchester could solidify their chances of a home playoff game, a loss could put them on the road to start the Division 7 playoffs.
A win at home for No. 9 Pittsford over Climax-Scotts could give them home field advantage in the 8-player, D2 playoffs, and a potentially more favorable first round matchup. A loss could very well send them on the road to face the No. 1 ranked team.
For the rest of County football, Week 9 presents an opportunity to go out with one last win in the books, or for Hillsdale – a chance to bring an end to a two-season losing streak.
Week 9 Schedule – 11-player
Blissfield at Hillsdale
The Hornets are closing in fast on two full seasons without a win in the books. The Hillsdale varsity football team has made significant progress on the gridiron, but it hasn’t yet led to a victory. The Hornets head into their regular season finale coming off a lopsided 86-8 loss to Hudson, a team that earned an LCAA title and is ranked No. 1 in Division 8 polls.
Hillsdale ends the season with a unique matchup, facing LCAA rival Blissfield for a second time this season. The 1-7 Royals beat Hillsdale 47-28 in Week 2, but this time they have to travel on the road to face a hungry Hornets team. Junior quarterback Evan Towne made an explosive second-half comeback attempt that ultimately fell short in that Week 2 battle.
The Royals head into the game coming off a disappointing 29-21 loss to Dundee in overtime.
Reading at Centreville
After an impressive 3-1 run in conference play in the middle of the season, the Reading Rangers dropped two disappointing showings to Union City and Bronson, ultimately dropping them below the playoff points cutline for Division 8.
While there is a precedent for 4-5 teams making the postseason, and the Rangers currently just sit two spots below the cutline, it is unlikely they make it in without some help. What could help their case would be a Week 9 home victory against a visiting 4-4 Centreville squad. The Southwest 10/Big 8 crossover opponent ran into a particularly tough conference that features many D8 playoff contenders. Should coach Rick Bailey’s squad find a way to take down the Bulldogs at home, there might be hope of a postseason appearance.
Jonesville at Manchester
Despite both teams appearing to be locks for the D7 and D8 playoffs, there’s a lot at stake in this Week 9 Cascades crossover battle between two familiar foes. This will be a battle for playoff seeding.
While Jonesville and Manchester will compete in separate Divisions, this game could mean the difference between hosting and traveling for a first-round playoff game. There’s a chance the tournament field shakes out with both winner and loser traveling in Week 10, but we’ve already seen before what this matchup could entail for the loser.
You just have to look back at last year’s 12-6 double-OT loss at home for Jonesville against the Dutchmen to see how competitive this matchup will be. In a season where Jonesville lost four games by less than a score, that finale against Manchester ended their season.
At the end of the day, putting aside all outside noise, both coaching staffs and teams will be looking at this game like any other – a chance to get better and put another win on the board.
8-player Schedule
Climax-Scotts at Pittsford
At 7-1 overall, the Wildcats have punched their ticket to the postseason for the third straight season. However, who they play won’t be determined until Selection Sunday this weekend. They have begun a budding rivalry matchup with Climax-Scotts in season finale home-and-home matchups since joining 8-man. While the visiting Panthers have set the tone, winning every game so far, the winner of this matchup could very well have playoff seeding implications despite both teams playing in separate divisions.
It will also be senior night for the Wildcats, and it will be a chance to put the finishing touches on what could be the most regular season wins for the program since 2017.
Camden-Frontier at Britton Deerfield
The Camden-Frontier RedHawks have won three of their last four games, all wins coming by double digits. However, they will have to travel to D2 No. 6 Britton Deerfield (7-1).
The only loss on their season so far is No. 1 Mendon in a 28-24 final. The Patriots are a state contender this season, and it could be a tall task for the visiting RedHawks. Regardless of the results, it was an impressive first season under coach Kevin Slusher and company.
North Adams-Jerome at Colon
After an impressive first two weeks of the regular season, North Adams-Jerome football and first-year coach Kody Hodshire have stared down a laundry list of injury reports that have hampered their ability to put together wins in the conference.
At 2-6, they will have a tough task going against a 5-3 Colon team, whose only losses this year have come to some of the best teams in 8-player football. The Magi have won three straight, outscoring its three opponents 153-12. The Rams will have a tough task in Week 9, but it should be another opportunity for younger Rams players to get meaningful reps against strong competition.
Litchfield at Morenci
Litchfield football has won three straight games, all by double digit leads, to position themselves with a chance to end 2025 with a winning record.
The defense has been one of the Terriers’ biggest strengths in the second half of the season, and that could be the key to them defeating a struggling Morenci squad on the road in Week 9. The Bulldogs have lost four games in a row by double digits, with their last win coming in Week 4 against Camden-Frontier.
Waldron at Stryker (OH)
After a tough SCAA-B title game loss to Pittsford, the Waldron Spartans and coach Anthony Roney sit at 5-3 overall. While the team is locked into another winning season, they were hoping to be in the conversation for an 8-player, D2 playoff berth.
Currently, the Spartans sit one spot out of the playoff field. With five teams sitting with 26 playoff points, it will be a tight race for the final spot in the postseason. As things stand, the Spartans will need help to get into the playoffs. A combination of losses for Marion (15th in the standings) or Hillman (16th in the standings) could put the Spartans in. But first, they need to win their second trip to Ohio this season. The 2-6 Stryker Panthers should prove to be no match for a Spartan offense that has scored more than 40 points a game in all but two matchups this season.
The Picks
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Previewing the final games of the 2025 prep football regular season in Hillsdale County
Reporting by Joseph Flaherty, Hillsdale Daily News / Hillsdale Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
