Detroit King retained its spot atop MLive’s latest Top 50 high school football rankings, but four teams behind the Crusaders saw as much shuffling as a deck of cards at Motor City Casino, as a stunning upset created some movement heading into Week 5.
Second-ranked Detroit Cass Tech fell to Detroit Renaissance in one of the bigger high school football upsets you’ll see, but given the Technicians dressed just 19 players due to COVID-19 quarantine protocols, it’s a bit more understandable.
Nonetheless, Cass Tech dropped a few spots, which opened the door for Grand Blanc to climb from No. 5 to No. 2 following its big win over Davison.
Also making big leaps this week were Macomb Dakota, West Bloomfield, South Lyon, Muskegon Mona Shores, Clarkston, Romeo and Warren De La Salle.
Follow along to see where the state’s top teams stand after four weeks.
HONORABLE MENTION
Addison, Ann Arbor Huron, Cadillac, Davison, Essexville Garber, Frankenmuth, Grand Ledge, Grand Rapids Christian, Grand Rapids South Christian, Grand Rapids West Catholic, Harper Woods, Kingsley, Marine City, Michigan Center, Millington, Montague, New Lothrop, Muskegon Oakridge, Ovid-Elsie, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, St. Joseph, Traverse City West, Woodhaven
50. Temperance Bedford (3-1)
Division: 2
Last week’s ranking: 42
Week 4 score: Lost to Ann Arbor Huron, 31-30
Week 5 game: Home vs. Ypsilanti Lincoln, 7 p.m. Friday
49. ROCHESTER HILLS STONEY CREEK (2-2)
Division: 1
Last week’s ranking: No. 43
Week 4 score: Lost to West Bloomfield, 24-10
Week 5 game: Home vs. Southfield A&T, 7 p.m. Friday
48. ZEELAND WEST (1-2)
Division: 3
Last week’s ranking: 37
Week 4 score: Lost to Muskegon Mona Shores, 47-12
Week 5 game: At Muskegon Reeths-Puffer, 7 p.m. Friday
47. FREELAND (4-0)
Division: 4
Last week’s ranking: Honorable Mention
Week 4 score: Beat Essexville Garber, 43-14
Week 5 game: At Frankenmuth, 7 p.m. Friday
46. DETROIT COUNTRY DAY (3-1)
Division: 4
Last week’s ranking: No. 44
Week 4 score: Lost to South Lyon, 31-7
Week 5 game: At Harper Woods, 7 p.m. Friday
45. PEWAMO-WESTPHALIA (4-0)
Division: 7
Last week’s ranking: No. 50
Week 4 score: Beat Potterville, 54-0
Week 5 game: Home vs. Fowler, 7 p.m. Friday
44. LANSING CATHOLIC (4-0)
Division: 6
Last week’s ranking: No. 49
Week 4 score: Beat Eaton Rapids, 49-0
Week 5 game: Home vs. Ionia, 7 p.m. Friday
43. SOUTHFIELD A&T (2-2)
Division: 1
Last week’s ranking: No. 38
Week 4 score: Lost to Clarkston, 56-27
Week 5 game: At Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, 7 p.m. Friday
42. CEDAR SPRINGS (3-1)
Division: 3
Last week’s ranking: No. 46
Week 4 score: Beat Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills, 38-0
Week 5 game: Home vs. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern, 7 p.m. Friday
41. HOWELL (3-0)
Division: 1
Last week’s ranking: 43
Week 4 score: Beat Plymouth, 58-0
Week 5 game: Home vs. Salem, 7 p.m. Friday
40. JACKSON LUMEN CHRISTI (2-0)
Division: 7
Last week’s ranking: No. 41
Week 4 score: Beat Marshall, 27-20
Week 5 game: At Hastings, 7 p.m. Friday
39. SPRING LAKE (3-0)
Division: 4
Last week’s ranking: No. 40
Week 4 score: Beat Fruitport, 35-32
Week 5 game: At Hamilton, 7 p.m. Friday
38. DEXTER (3-1)
Division: 2
Last week’s ranking: No. 39
Week 4 score: Beat Ypsilanti Lincoln, 44-34
Week 5 game: At Ann Arbor Pioneer, 7 p.m. Friday
37. MACOMB DAKOTA (2-2)
Division: 1
Last week’s ranking: No. 48
Week 4 score: Beat Clinton Township Chippewa Valley, 27-23
Week 5 game: At Sterling Heights Stevenson, 7 p.m. Friday
36. GROSSE POINTE SOUTH (2-2)
Division: 2
Last week’s ranking: No. 29
Week 4 score: Lost to Romeo, 17-8
Week 5 game: Home vs. Utica Eisenhower, 7 p.m. Friday
35. PORTLAND (4-0)
Division: 5
Last week’s ranking: 34
Week 4 score: Beat Lansing Sexton, 35-26
Week 5 game: Home vs. Charlotte, 7 p.m. Friday
34. CHELSEA (4-0)
Division: 4
Last week’s ranking: No. 33
Week 4 score: Beat Pinckney (forfeit)
Week 5 game: Home vs. Adrian, 7 p.m. Friday
33. BYRON CENTER (4-0)
Division: 2
Last week’s ranking: No. 36
Week 4 score: Beat East Grand Rapids, 28-20
Week 5 game: At Grand Rapids Northview, 7 p.m. Friday
32. HUDSONVILLE UNITY CHRISTIAN (3-0)
Division: 4
Last week’s ranking: No. 32
Week 4 score: Beat Allendale, 46-7
Week 5 game: Home vs. Holland Christian, 7 p.m. Friday
31. HUDSONVILLE (2-2)
Division: 1
Last week’s ranking: No. 31
Week 4 score: Beat Jenison, 23-22
Week 5 game: At Rockford, 7 p.m. Friday
30. SOUTH LYON (4-0)
Division: 2
Last week’s ranking: No. 35
Week 4 score: Beat Detroit Country Day, 31-7
Week 5 game: At White Lake Lakeland, 7 p.m. Friday
29. NORTH FARMINGTON (3-1)
Division: 2
Last week’s ranking: No. 18
Week 4 score: Lost to Oak Park, 30-24
Week 5 game: At Rochester, 7 p.m. Friday
28. BLOOMFIELD HILLS BROTHER RICE (3-1)
Division: 3
Last week’s ranking: No. 21
Week 4 score: Lost to Warren De La Salle, 21-16
Week 5 game: At Detroit Catholic Central, 7 p.m. Friday at Lawrence Tech
27. EDWARDSBURG (4-0)
Division: 4
Last week’s ranking: No. 28
Week 4 score: Beat Vicksburg, 49-0
Week 5 game: At Plainwell, 7 p.m. Friday
26. SALINE (4-0)
Division: 1
Last week’s ranking: No. 27
Week 4 score: Beat Monroe, 34-7
Week 5 game: At Ann Arbor Skyline, 7 p.m. Friday
25. DEARBORN FORDSON (4-0)
Division: 1
Last week’s ranking: No. 26
Week 4 score: Beat Livonia Franklin, 44-20
Week 5 game: Home vs. Belleville, 7 p.m. Friday
24. LIVONIA CHURCHILL (4-0)
Division: 2
Last week’s ranking: No. 25
Week 4 score: Beat Wayne Memorial, 49-8
Week 5 game: At Dearborn, 7 p.m. Friday
23. ROMEO (4-0)
Division: 1
Last week’s ranking: No. 30
Week 4 score: Beat Grosse Pointe South, 17-8
Week 5 game: Home vs. Clinton Township Chippewa Valley, 7 p.m. Friday
22. DETROIT CATHOLIC CENTRAL (3-1)
Division: 1
Last week’s ranking: No. 24
Week 4 score: Beat Detroit U-D Jesuit, 28-14
Week 5 game: Home vs. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, 7 p.m. Friday
21. CALEDONIA (4-0)
Division: 2
Last week’s ranking: No. 23
Week 4 score: Beat East Kentwood, 35-9
Week 5 game: Home vs. Grand Haven, 7 p.m. Friday
20. ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARY’S (4-0)
Division: 3
Last week’s ranking: No. 22
Week 4 score: Beat Detroit Loyola, 34-21
Week 5 game: Home vs. Warren De La Salle, 7 p.m. Friday
19. EAST LANSING (2-2)
Division: 2
Last week’s ranking: No. 20
Week 4 score: Beat Portage Central, 20-15
Week 5 game: Home vs. Lansing Everett, 7 p.m. Friday
18. GRAND RAPIDS FOREST HILLS CENTRAL (3-1)
Division: 2
Last week’s ranking: No. 16
Week 4 score: Beat Lowell, 30-7
Week 5 game: Home vs. Greenville, 7 p.m. Friday
17. CLINTON TOWNSHIP CHIPPEWA VALLEY (3-1)
Division: 1
Last week’s ranking: No. 8
Week 4 score: Lost to Macomb Dakota, 27-23
Week 5 game: At Romeo, 7 p.m. Friday
16. RIVER ROUGE (3-1)
Division: 3
Last week’s ranking: No. 13
Week 4 score: Beat Hamtramck (forfeit)
Week 5 game: At Cleveland St. Ignatius, 4 p.m. Saturday
15. TRAVERSE CITY CENTRAL (3-1)
Division: 2
Last week’s ranking: No. 19
Week 4 score: Beat Traverse City West, 42-14
Week 5 game: At Petoskey, 7 p.m. Friday
14. BELLEVILLE (3-1)
Division: 1
Last week’s ranking: No. 15
Week 4 score: Beat Livonia Stevenson, 58-0
Week 5 game: At Dearborn Fordson, 7 p.m. Friday
13. STERLING HEIGHTS STEVENSON (3-1)
Division: 1
Last week’s ranking: No. 12
Week 4 score: Beat Utica Eisenhower, 42-14
Week 5 game: Home vs. Macomb Dakota, 7 p.m. Friday
12. WEST BLOOMFIELD (3-1)
Division: 1
Last week’s ranking: No. 17
Week 4 score: Beat Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, 24-10
Week 5 game: At Lake Orion, 7 p.m. Friday
11. MUSKEGON (3-1)
Division: 3
Last week’s ranking: No. 11
Week 4 score: Beat Grand Rapids Union, 58-0
Week 5 game: At Wyoming, 7 p.m. Friday
10. MONA SHORES (3-1)
Division: 2
Last week’s ranking: No. 14
Week 4 score: Beat Zeeland West, 47-12
Week 5 game: At Zeeland East, 7 p.m. Friday
The Sailors picked up their best win of the season by thumping Zeeland West, as Mona Shores scored touchdowns on its first seven possessions to pull away early. Quarterback Mark Konecny led the way with 166 yards on 11 of 15 passing and the two touchdowns, while adding 54 yards and three scores on the ground.
Up next is a Zeeland East team coming off a quality win over Muskegon Reeths-Puffer, giving the Sailors another chance to solidify their playoff résumé.
9. ROCHESTER ADAMS (4-0)
Division: 1
Last week’s ranking: No. 7
Week 4 score: Beat Rochester, 49-10
Week 5 game: Home vs. Birmingham Seaholm, 7 p.m. Friday
Adams defeated its crosstown rival in convincing fashion, and the Highlanders have continued to show that their Week 1 win over West Bloomfield was not a flash in the pan. Winless Birmingham Seaholm is up next, followed by an OAA White showdown with North Farmington.
8. ROCKFORD (4-0)
Division: 1
Last week’s ranking: No. 6
Week 4 score: Beat Grandville, 53-46 (2OT)
Week 5 game: Home vs. Hudsonville, 7 p.m. Friday
For the second consecutive year, Rockford and Grandville went to multiple overtimes, with the Rams again coming out on top with a narrow win in the second extra session thanks to a game-winning 1-yard run from quarterback Zak Ahern.
The Rams have another tough OK Red test this week when they host Hudsonville.
7. CLARKSTON (4-0)
Division: 1
Last week’s ranking: No. 9
Week 4 score: Beat Southfield A&T, 56-27
Week 5 game: At Oxford, 7 p.m. Friday
The Wolves ran roughshod over a talented Southfield A&T team, led by Ethan Clark’s 16 carries for 195 yards and two touchdowns to go along with two receptions for 59 yards and two more scores. Senior quarterback Mike DePillo completed 7 of 9 passes for 172 yards and four touchdowns for a potent Clarkston offense that just produced its highest point total since 2013.
Oxford is next, and while the Wildcats are just 1-3, those three loses were to Romeo, Rochester Adams and West Bloomfield, so they should not be taken lightly.
6. WARREN DE LA SALLE (3-0)
Division: 2
Last week’s ranking: No. 10
Week 4 score: Beat Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, 21-16
Week 5 game: At Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, 7 p.m. Friday
De La Salle pulled off one of the Week’s more impressive wins with a narrow victory over Brother Rice, which saw the Pilots score 21 unanswered points and avoid disaster when sophomore running back Rhett Roeser corralled an errant pitch on fourth-and-2 near midfield and picked up 15 yards to convert the first down. De La Salle went on to run out the clock, and Roeser finished with 129 yards on 20 carries.
It doesn’t get any easier for the Pilots this week when they visit undefeated Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, but a win could vault them into the top five.
5. DETROIT CASS TECH (2-2)
Division: 1
Last week’s ranking: No. 2
Week 4 score: Lost to Detroit Renaissance, 13-6
Week 5 game: Home vs. Detroit East English Village, 4 p.m. Friday
The most stunning upset from Week 4 was Detroit Renaissance over Cass Tech, but considering the Technicians dressed just 19 players and had 50 out due to COVID-19 quarantine protocols, it makes a bit more sense. It’s hard to penalize Cass Tech too much for what should be a mere hiccup in their season, and they’ll look to get back on track this week against East English Village.
4. GRAND RAPIDS CATHOLIC CENTRAL (4-0)
Division: 5
Last week’s ranking: No. 4
Week 4 score: Beat Grand Rapids South Christian, 28-6
Week 5 game: At Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills, 7 p.m. Friday
Catholic Central picked up a quality win over South Christian, despite losing starting quarterback Joey Silveri with an injury after getting hit low on a quarterback run. The Cougars led 7-0 at the time, and though Silveri didn’t return, they still pulled out the convincing win with senior wide receiver John Passinault moving under center.
Catholic Central was the favorite to win a Division 5 state title with Silveri steering the ship, so it will be interesting to see if he’s able to return next week against Ottawa Hills or what the team looks like in a full game without him.
3. DEWITT (3-1)
Division: 3
Last week’s ranking: No. 3
Week 4 score: Beat Holt, 51-28
Week 5 game: Home vs. Grand Ledge, 7 p.m. Friday
Led by all-state quarterback Tyler Holtz, DeWitt’s offense is a potent unit, but the Panthers’ defense made the play of the game in a Week 4 win over Holt, as Wisconsin-bound senior Tommy McIntosh returned a third-quarter interception 90 yards for a touchdown to stop the Rams from climbing within a score. There aren’t many holes on this DeWitt roster, but the Panthers will certainly be put to the test Friday, when they host undefeated Grand Ledge.
2. GRAND BLANC (4-0)
Division: 1
Last week’s ranking: No. 5
Week 4 score: Beat Davison, 43-7
Week 5 game: Home vs. Flint Powers Catholic, 7 p.m. Friday
One of the state’s most impressive résumés only got stronger in Week 4, as Grand Blanc rolled 2020 Division 1 state runner-up Davison by scoring 43 unanswered points after falling behind early. Each of the Bobcats first three wins were by a touchdown or less, so they have shown ability to execute in crunch time, but also put away a quality opponent with authority.
1. DETROIT KING (3-1)
Division: 3
Last week’s ranking: No. 1
Week 4 score: Beat Detroit Mumford, 47-0
Week 5 game: At Detroit Western, 4 p.m. Friday
There was no letdown after King’s Week 3 win over Cass Tech, as the Crusaders rolled to a 47-0 victory over Mumford, and they shouldn’t have too much trouble with a Detroit Western team that has just one game under its belt this season.
More high school football coverage
Michigan Associated Press high school football state rankings through Week 4
See Michigan high school football playoff picture heading into Week 5