HILLSDALE COUNTY — It was a rough Week 1 of the 2025 high school football season for area 8-player football teams.
Whether it was a tough matchup with an Ohio team, or a battle at home against one of the top SCAA-White teams, there was disappointment for each team in Hillsdale County.
Week 2 looks to be the bright light at the end of the tunnel for fans and coaches who are looking to erase the chalkboards and add their first wins into the portfolio for this fall. There will also be plenty of ways for fans to check out game action on Friday night.
We cover everything you need to know ahead of this week’s matchups, including our picks to win, players to watch and streaming options.
Let us know who you want to win each game in the online voting polls.
Tekonsha at Camden-Frontier
First-year coach Kevin Slusher and Camden-Frontier football (0-1) look to return home and take their first victory of the 2025 season. The RedHawks had plenty of standout plays, including two long touchdown runs from Luis-Castro Thilo and Colt Woodard. The RedHawks had a tough Week 1 matchup against Holgate (Ohio) — things should be more competitive with rival Tekonsha coming to town.
Facts, Players to Watch: Tekonsha has not won a football game since Oct. 20, 2023. Tekonsha gave up three passing touchdowns in their Week 1 game against Bellevue, where they lost 36-14. Camden-Frontier’s defense will be key to getting the home opener win — with Brayden Bever and Eryck Flores looking to make impacts.
The Pick: Camden-Frontier’s offense looked polished in their preseason scrimmage, so the struggles against a good Holgate team should not persist for the rest of the season. The RedHawks get the win at home.
Where to Tune In: The NFHS Network will have the live stream starting at 7 p.m.
Litchfield at Waldron
Waldron football (0-1) has less time to prepare for Week 2 after being the only Michigan high school team to play last Saturday. Their trip to Danbury ended in a 52-36 loss, but there’s plenty of positive to talk about for the Spartans in their home opener against rival Litchfield. Coach Langhann’s Terrier squad (0-1) failed to score points in their home opener against Concord (38-0 final). Both teams looked evenly matched at the preseason scrimmage.
Facts/Players to Watch: Waldron seniro Troy Shamplo handled the majority of the offensive touches for the Spartans last week. Expect him to match his more-than 150 all-purpose yards from the Danbury matchup. Hayden Thacker put in a nice game on the ground against Concord. The Terrier running back will be a player to watch going forward. Sophomore Gavin Gutting caught six passes — only netting 38 yards.
The Pick: The game will come down to which SCAA-B rival is able to dictate the game at the line of scrimmage. Senior quarterback Seth Williams’ command of the Spartan offense gives Waldron the edge in this early season matchup.
Where to Tune In: WCSR’s own Andy Brown will be live on air with all the game action on 92.1 — also streamed live on their Facebook page.
Game of the Week: Battle Creek St. Phillip at North Adams-Jerome
Coach Kody Hodshire’s North Adams-Jerome football team (0-1) had an impressive debut despite coming up short in a 36-28 final to Sryker (OH). The team was nearly inches away from having a shot to win the game, but failed to stop Stryker on a fourth down play near the end of the fourth quarter.
The loss stung — but the Rams have a chance to make it up with a visiting Battle Creek St. Phillip team. A win at home would be their first since Sept. 26, 2022.
Facts, Players to Watch: While we await the return of senior captain Kaleb Hale to anchor the Rams defense, Ryker Campbell and Conner Arsenault will look to put a stop to the St. Phil offense. Arsenault impressed in his first shot at quarterback — doubling down with a touchdown in the air and on the ground. He had 167 passing yards and 102 rushing yards. James Johnson was a breakout top performer in Week 1. The senior had two kick returns for touchdowns and contributed eight tackles.
On the Tiger side, St. Phillip is feeling the numbers crunch this season under new coach Kevin Bennett. The Tigers lost to Bangor 50-0 in Week 1. With nine freshman players, seven in starting roles, the experience factor is in favor of North Adams-Jerome. Their lone senior Ben Nelson — leader on the line — will a game-day decision. The Battle Creek Enquirer’s Bill Broderick had this to say about junior running back Brogan Lightfoot — whom the offensive production will run through:
“Lightfoot who was forced to play a lot last year due to injuries on the team and had 600 all-purpose yards.. will have the ball in his hands all the time this year.”
The Pick: North Adams-Jerome has a strong chance to impress this Friday night, and fans won’t want to miss out on the postgame celebration should the Rams win. We’ll take North Adams to end their home losing streak.
Where to Tune In: A livestream of the game is set to start at 7 p.m. over on the NFHS Network.
Pittsford at Burr Oak
Pittsford (0-1) looks to reset the chess board entering Friday’s matchup with Burr Oak. After a dissapointing 60-22 loss at home against state contender Britton Deerfield, coach Mike Burger’s squad looks to dial in for their first SCAA-Blue matchup of the season.
The Wildcats beat Burr Oak in the playoffs and during the regular season last year. However, this year’s matchup might be one to keep an eye on. It will be the start of a three-game road swing for the Wildcats.
Facts, Players to Watch: Under new coach Will Snyder, the Bobcats got their win 56-0 over Athens. Joshua Greene threw for two scores — meanwhile Coen Miller ran 141 rushing yards on just three carries, scoring three times. Last year, Pittsford senior signal caller Jake Drawe had 152 rushing yards, 144 passing yards and five total touchdowns. Turnovers plagued Drawe’s 2025 debut, and it will be something to watch as the cat teams duke it out on Friday night.
The Pick: Despite the lack of offensive production, the Wildcats have proven their success recently against the Bobcats — we’ll side with Pittsford for another week.
Where to Tune In: No current stream is available for this matchup.
Make sure to head over to hillsdale.net for the rest of our preview matchups from Week 2 of high school football, and vote in the latest athlete of the week poll.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Week 2 8-player football preview: Picks to win, key players and where to watch
Reporting by Joseph Flaherty, Hillsdale Daily News / Hillsdale Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
