Week 9 Downriver area football games and predictions

The News-Herald staff of Alex Muller, Cory Linsner, and Samantha Elliott will predict winners for games involving all of the Downriver-area based high school football teams. Here is a look at the Week 9 slate of games. [LAST WEEK: Alex — 11-3 | Cory — 8-6 | Sam — 10-4]...

High school football: Breaking down the top games in Week 9

This is it for the Kensington Lakes Activities Association. The league was formed 18 years ago. Now, thanks to conference realignment, it’s calling it quits, with 12 teams headed to the Southeastern Conference next school year and Northville and Novi moving to the Oakland Activities Association. That makes Friday’s KLAA championship game between Gold Division winner Howell (8-0, 6-0) and Black winner Northville (7-1, 5-1) the final football game in league history. And, boy, are there plenty of storylines to help the KLAA go out with a bang. Howell is looking to three-peat as league champion, an impressive feat considering it had to knock off Belleville to claim its first two titles, including upsetting Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood to win in 2024. More: Subscribe to our high school football newsletter “For Howell to win KLAA championships, that’s something special with how good Belleville has been over the years,” Howell coach Brian Lewis said Oct. 19. “To be in that category speaks volumes of this program. Winning championship game trophies and keeping the hardware at home, even in our rivalry games, that just shows the commitment of the players in our program.” But Howell must figure out how to beat Northville.

High school football Week 9 scouting report: Previewing Lenawee County matchups

Conference play has wrapped up for, well, almost every team in the county. Sand Creek will be the only team facing a conference opponent in the final week of the regular season. Here’s a look at the Week 9 scouting reports for every Lenawee County program: More: Hudson, Clinton share conference title after Week 8 of high school football More: Sign up for our new Michigan Sidelines statewide high school sports newsletter Camden-Frontier at Britton Deerfield WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday WHERE: Britton Deerfield High School RECORDS: Camden-Frontier 2-6 (2-4 SCAA-B), Britton Deerfield 6-2 (2-1 SCAA-W) LAST WEEK: Camden-Frontier beat North Adams-Jerome 70-0, Britton Deerfield beat Burr Oak 50-12 LAST MEETING: Britton Deerfield won 63-14 in 2025 SERIES HISTORY: Britton Deerfield leads 2-0 SCOUTING REPORT: The Patriots will lead off this week’s action when they host Camden-Frontier on Thursday. Britton Deerfield has outscored opponents 150-25 over the last three weeks. With a win, the Patriots will enter the playoffs on a five-game winning streak. New Boston Huron at Adrian WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday WHERE: Adrian High School RECORDS: New Boston Huron 6-2 (5-2 Huron League), Adrian 7-1 (5-1 SEC-W) LAST WEEK: Huron beat Flat Rock 41-33, Adrian beat Jackson 43-13 LAST

Michigan schools confront AI as one district embraces but limits its use

NORTHVILLE — Kristin Mathis keeps the lights low in her classroom at Northville High School. Students put their phones in the pouches of a closet organizer hanging on the wall. On a back shelf sits an object that perhaps feels rare in classrooms in the year 2026 — a bucket of freshly sharpened No. 2 pencils. On this October day, her 10th graders will need those pencils. They have physical papers in their hands, a prompt from Jon Krakauer's book "Into the Wild" about a man named Chris McCandless who died in Alaska at the age of 24 after venturing into the wilderness underprepared. Projected onto the classroom's front screen are four options for categorizing McCandless: Was he a tragic hero? Arrogant and misguided? A reckless fool or a true idealist? The students rise from their desks and pick a corner of the room based on their answer to that question. They gather with others who believe the same and together make a case for why they interpret this man's behavior this way. Each group then shares with the class, and if a student feels persuaded, they can move to the other side of the room. They have to read

Photo gallery of D2 No. 5 Gibraltar Carlson vs Allen Park in a Week 9 football matchup

Two of the top high school football programs both in the Downriver League and the entire local area met up in a big Week 9 matchup Friday night when Gibraltar Carlson traveled to Allen Park. A 27-8 victory over Lincoln Park the week prior earned Carlson at least a share...

Michigan public universities see 2% enrollment drop, after three years of increases

A new report shows the state’s public universities are again feeling the effects of what is referred to as an “enrollment cliff." Across Michigan’s 15 public universities, enrollment fell 2% year over year, according to an annual report compiled by the Michigan Association of State Universities. After three years of increases, the state saw more than 5,000 fewer students enroll in college this fall.

Michigan Schools Close After Chemical Release Near Toledo

What Michigan residents should know about the Toledo chemical release including air quality concerns, emergency orders, and school closures.

Michigan Ross Loses A Quarter Of Its International MBAs In One Year

The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business has released its full-time MBA Class of 2028 profile, and the numbers point in two directions. The incoming class is smaller and significantly less international than last year’s, yet its academic credentials are among the strongest Ross has reported in many years.

UM Health-Sparrow offers $40,000 in loan repayment to nursing, respiratory therapy students

LANSING, Mich. (News 10) - University of Michigan Health-Sparrow is working to address the growing shortage of nurses and respiratory therapists in Mid-Michigan by offering eligible students up to $40,000 in loan repayment through its UM Health-Sparrow Scholars Program. The program provides financial assistance to nursing and respiratory therapy students...

Detroit Breaks Ground on $50 Million Arts-Focused School to Open in 2027

The Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) broke ground on Oct. 19 for a new Pre-K-8 school in Southwest Detroit that they will call the Southwest International Academy of Arts and Culture. This new school will focus on the arts along with the main educational curriculum. "In addition to their core content classes, we're providing them with exposure to the arts, such as music, dance, theater, etc.," said Machion Jackson, DPSCD Deputy Superintendent of Operations, according to CBS Detroit.

Ferndale district ups security after threats found in school restroom

Threatening messages found at an Oakland County middle school have prompted school district officials to beef up security as parents asked why they hadn't learned sooner about the threat or why more information wasn't provided. Ferndale Public Schools said "threatening messages" were recently found in a student restroom at Ferndale Middle School. The letter did not say when the threat was made or when the threatened action would take place. Parents said the threat referenced Oct. 27. District administrators currently are working with police to identify a suspect, Superintendent Camille Hibbler said in a letter to students, families and staff. "That work includes reviewing security camera footage and speaking with student and staff," the letter said. The news of the threat came than a month after the Michigan Supreme Court agreed to send the case of Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley to the state Court of Appeals . 'Students are scared' Erin Molnar said her child found the threat just before lunch on Oct. 12. The child told their teacher and he relayed the information to administrators. She said the date of the threat was Oct. 27. Molnar said her child informed her about the threat the following morning.

Milan Middle School Cadettes Learn About Local Government

Note: On Oct. 20, cadettes from Girl Scouts Troop 40548 attended a Milan City Council work session and the public comment part of city council. At the beginning they learned from a council member about local, state and federal government and how ideas become laws so they could earn their democracy badge. In addition, one cadette wrote the below article about her experience, earning the scribe badge. The troop is led by Rachel Royal and Angie Creech.

Former Cheboygan football star making impact at Ann Arbor school

PINCKNEY — Killian Miller knows the drill. Wake up early in the morning, make the 45-minute trip to Ann Arbor, go to class, head to football practice, then get home at some point later in the evening. He knows the traffic is wicked, but he’s fine with it. He knew transferring from Cheboygan High School to Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard following his junior year would be a tough decision. He also believed it was a necessary one to make in terms of his football future. FOOTBALL PARTICIPATION: How Michigan high schools are addressing problem of low football numbers POWDERPUFF FOOTBALL: Girls flag football game grabs Cheboygan homecoming spotlight in 2026 THOUGHTS, PICKS WEEK 8: Thoughts, predictions for Week 8 of Cheboygan-area football season “I wanted to change schools for football and see if we could get to the playoffs and get a little more exposure just because I was interested in playing in college,” Miller said. “Playing downstate and a lot closer to colleges and against better teams has helped with that.” With the Fighting Irish, Miller is making a name for himself with significant impact on both sides of the ball for the Irish, just as he did

'War of the World's at Fenton High School

Jackson College food hub sees growth despite economic challenges

Food insecurity continues to be a challenge for college students, and Jackson College has been working to address student needs through its new on-campus food pantry.

Martians dismantle Tigers for Metro Crown

Fenton —The Goodrich varsity football team continued its march toward Ford Field with a 49-14 rout of the Fenton Tigers in the Flint Metro League Championship game Friday night. With the victory, the Stars Division champion Martians extended their perfect season to 8-0. The Stripes Division champion Tigers fell...

LISD Earns Perfect School Bus Inspection Score for 15th Time in 16 Years

ADRIAN — Michigan State Police inspectors found no violations or mechanical defects in Lenawee Intermediate School District buses during their annual safety inspections. The district says its Transportation Department earned a perfect score for the fifteenth time in sixteen years. Inspections cover brakes, tires, steering, emergency exits, warning lights...

Chelsea School District: Advertisement for Campus Wide Renovation Bids

2019 Bond, Series 3: 2027 Campus Wide Renovations and Improvements Clark Project No. 19-2835 | Bid Release No. 11. The Chelsea School District Board of Education is soliciting sealed bids for renovations and improvements at multiple district facilities as part of the 2019 Bond, Series 3, Bid Release 11. PROJECT...

Report: Ann Arbor named second-best college town in U.S.

Ann Arbor, the home of the University of Michigan, has been named the second-best college town in the U.S., according to a new WalletHub report.

Harvest Elementary Climbs to No. 19 in Michigan School Rankings

Saline school rises 117 places in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings. Harvest Elementary School in Saline has climbed 117 places to become one of Michigan’s top 20 public elementary schools, according to the newly released 2027 U.S. News & World Report rankings. The school rose from...