Top rivalries in Michigan high school football

The Wolverine State has plenty of tradition and competition

Rivalries are the pinnacle of high school football, and Michigan is full of great ones throughout the state. 

Some have been played for over 130 years while others have produced multiple NFL players. 

SBLive selected 17 rivalries in Michigan to highlight. The following rivalries will be placed in a poll on Monday for you to vote on which one you think is best.

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Top Michigan High School Football Rivalries

Battle Creek Central vs. Kalamazoo Central

First played in 1893, the rivalry between the Bearcats and the Maroon Giants is the longest standing in the stand, according to MHSAA. Battle Creek leads the series 63-53-4. Kalamazoo Central took this year’s matchup 26-0 after losing 30-20 in last year’s meeting. 

Negaunee vs. Ishpeming

The Miners and the Hematites have been facing off since 1895, with a total of 149 meetings to date, the most between any active rivals. The Miners took this season’s meeting and the bragging rights that come with it, 32-16, and outright leads the all-time series 72-65-12. 

Ludington vs. Manistee

The Orioles and Chippewas’ rivalry sits just behind that of Negaunee and Ishpeming in terms of total meetings. Since first meeting in 1895, the programs have duked it out a total of 145 times. Despite the school’s 25-plus mile distance, it’s become a mainstay rivalry state-wide — one which the Chippewas lead 71-64-11. Last season Ludington topped Manistee 45-21, but on Sept. 29 of this year, Manistee got its revenge with a 44-23 victory. 

Detroit Martin Luther King vs. Detroit Cass Tech

The Crusaders and the Technicians have long produced the best rivalry the city of Detroit has to offer. Both teams are routinely among the top of the state and both have produced a slew of collegiate players. Since 1950, the Crusaders lead the series 38-32 in a back-and-forth that has featured multiple meetings in each of the last three seasons due to playoff structuring. This season, the Technicians narrowly edged out the Crusaders, 24-23. 

Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice vs Detroit Catholic Central

The two Catholic League Central Division teams have faced off since 1963, with the Shamrocks leading 36-30-1 all time. For over four decades, the matchup also staged an excellent coaching battle between Rice’s Al Fracassa and Central’s Tom Mach. While Rice has limped to a 0-8 season, which included a 33-7 home loss to Central, the Shamrocks are a perfect 9-0 with state title aspirations. 

Ann Arbor Pioneers vs. Ann Arbor Huron

Pioneer and Huron is a premiere rivalry in the Ann Arbor area. The River Rats had taken the last three games, helping to battle back from what was previously a 41-10 Pioneers edge over them, historically. But, after Huron blew Pioneer out 57-0 last season, the Pioneers came out on top this season in a narrow, 40-38 win. Pioneer is the second all-time winningest program in the state. 

Chelsea vs. Dexter

It’s been a remarkably one-sided affair between Chelsea and Dexter, of late — a rivalry among, if not the biggest in its area. The Bulldogs have taken every game since 1995, but that could change in this season’s finale on Sept. 20. Chelsea (7-1) visits Dexter (6-2) with huge playoff implications on the line. 

Muskegon vs. Mona shores

Muskegon has long been a powerhouse in western Michigan and is the winningest all-time team in Michigan high school football history (896). Since 1950, Muskegeon, not unlike the other competition the Big Reds face, has dominated Mona Shores with a 33-8 record, but the Sailors have had a strong run of late. They won in 2014, 2015 and 2020, before losing the last two (55-35 last season and 42-21 in 2023). 

Tawas vs. Oscoda

The Braves and Owls represent one of northeast Michigan’s finest bouts. After first playing in 1954, the neighboring schools have constructed a back-and-forth rivalry in which each has had its moments. Oscoda leads the series 37-31, but that’s only after finishing on top in the past seven meetings. In Week 5 of this season, the Owls earned their most recent win, 38-23. 

Niles vs. Dowagiac

Tucked away in the southwestern most region of Michigan, straddling the Indiana border, Niles and Dowagiac high schools lay just under 15 miles apart. The two began playing in 1896 and have played 105 total games with Niles leading the way 51-49-5. The two schools halted play between 2005 and 2020. The two did not play in 2023, but in last season’s meeting, Niles took down Dowagiac 53-7. 

Montague vs. Whitehall

Yet another one of the state’s longest standing rivalries — named the Battle for the Bell — was kicked off in 1921. The Montague Wildcats lead the all-time series 64-51-2, but Whitehall has seized the last two in commanding fashion, 60-6 in 2022 and 35-0 this season. The rivalry includes a trophy, called the Victory Bell, which appears at each matchup. 

Plainwell vs. Otsego

The Bulldogs have captured just two victories this season, but one of them came vs. the rival Trojans, and it was a big one. Otsego’s 48-21 win in Week 7 of this season marked the first time the program had beaten Plainwell since the 2011 season, when the 7-3 Bulldogs beat the Trojans 37-12. The two have met 122 times, with Plainwell out ahead holding a 71-45-6 all-time record. 

Grosse Pointe North vs. Grosse Pointe South

Just five miles apart, hugging the western side of Michigan outside of Detroit, the Grosse Pointe high schools come together in their season finale each year. South has largely dominated the last decade, but few North teams during that time frame have had a shot to win, let alone finished with winning records. This year, the Norsemen (6-2) travel to face the Blue Devils (7-1) in a game that could hold important playoff ramifications. 

Swan Valley vs. Freeland

The rivalry between the Vikings and the Falcons has been relatively one-sided of late, as Freeland has captured the last four matchups in convincing fashion. Swan Valley, however, holds a 21-16 overall series lead. The schools are just over 10 miles apart, but didn’t start playing until 1991 due to their standings in different conferences. Each year, the game’s winner earned the King of the Mountain Trophy. 

Canton vs. Plymouth

These schools share a campus and have been fierce competitors since the Plymouth Wildcats program got underway in 2004. Canton holds a 17-8 overall lead in the series, which has included multiple playoff meetings — in which the Chiefs are 3-2 — but the Wildcats took the most recent matchup, 35-14 this season. 

Fenton vs. Linden

These neighboring Genesee County schools have produced quite the rivalry between two teams consistently in the playoff hunt. Due to each team’s prowess, it’s often a game that shows up as a deciding factor in the playoff picture. Of late however, the Fenton Tigers have utterly dominated the series, winning the last 11 meetings, including a 40-32 victory this season. 

Macomb Dakota vs. Chippewa Valley

Dakota versus Chippewa Valley has developed into a top rivalry in the state. Chippewa Valley defeated Dakota 28-21 this season, ending a three-game win streak for the Cougars in the rivalry. These two battle in the Macomb Area Conference - Red Division, and the Dakota Cougars lead the all-time series 23-14.

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Records and information as of 10/19/2023

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