Michigan high school football: Week 1 takeaways (8/30/2024)

See notes on the top results throughout week one of Michigan high school football

Warren De La Salle quarterback Anthony Bitonti runs against Davison during second half of Prep Kickoff Classic at Wayne State's Tom Adams Field in Detroit on Thursday, August 29, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

The 2024 Michigan high school football season began this week, and after a summer of speculation, we finally got a look at what the season might have in store.

The schedule was full of preseason top-25 matchups, and teams and players throughout Michigan made their mark on the first week.

• MICHIGAN HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD

Here are some takeaways and notes from week one of Michigan high school football

Rockford makes Cass Tech pay

The Technicians traveled the 172.5 miles from Cass Tech High School to Rockford High School, but the Rams were not a welcoming hosts, scoring two defensive touchdowns in a 30-23 win. 

Logan Haglund took an interception to the end zone, and Sam Cummings scooped a fumble and returned it 61 yards for a touchdown.

Rockford celebrated the win Thursday night, but these are two teams that could meet deep into the MHSAA Division 1 playoffs.

Zeeland West takes down Muskegon

The Division 2 champions learned that their title defense wont come easy. The Zeeland West Dux upset the Big Reds 28-13 on Friday night. Trey Sloothaak was responsible for two touchdowns as the Dux defense slowed down the Big Reds' offense. 

Muskegon entered the 2024 season as the top-ranked team in Division 2 and one of the top teams in Michigan. Zeeland West, a Division 3 team, should vault up the rankings next week.

Freshman quarterback stars

Nehemiah Jeremy Patman of Madison made an impressive debut. The freshman went 22-of-33 for 458 yards and five passing touchdowns. He also ran for 64 yards and one touchdown in a 44-22 win over Bishop Foley. 

The win snaps a 17-game losing streak for Madison

Fake punt sparks De La Salle

De La Salle and Davison were locked in a defensive battle at the start of the second half. The Pilots lined up to punt, but punter Anthony Bitoni bobbled it, and with Davison defenders rushing at him, he decided to run with the ball. 

It felt like the best offense the Pilots had produced all night as he ran it 45 yards into the Davison red zone. The Pilots continued to put the ball in Bitoni’s hands in the second half.

He ran 10 times for 89 yards and three touchdowns in the second half. De La Salle defeated Davison 21-3.

Bryce Underwood can use his legs, too

The No. 1 Belleville Tigers downed the No. 11 Clarkston Wolves 35-28 at the Xenith Prep Kickoff Classic. Underwood ran for two long touchdowns to lead the Tigers to an opening win in 2024.

Read the full recap here.

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SBLIVE SPORTS LAUNCHES HIGH SCHOOL ON SI

High School On SI will serve as the premier destination for high school sports fans, delivering unparalleled coverage of high school athletics nationwide through in-depth stories, recruiting coverage, rankings, highlights and much more. The launch of a dedicated high school experience expands Sports Illustrated’s reach to even more local communities as fans can now truly follow athletes from “preps to the pros” on a single platform, bringing them closer to the action than ever before.

For more information, visit si.com/high-school.

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More Michigan high school football coverage from High School on SI:

Vote: Who is the top offensive lineman in Michigan high school football entering the 2024 season?

Vote: Who is the top defensive back in Michigan high school football entering 2024 season?

Vote: Who is the top linebacker in Michigan high school football entering 2024 season?

Vote: Who is the top defensive lineman in Michigan high school football entering 2024 season?

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— Jack Butler | butler@scorebooklive.com | @Butler917 on X