Clarkston Sits Atop Division 1 Playoff Points as Metro Detroit Powers Crowd the Top 10
CLARKSTON — The Michigan high school football postseason is still weeks away, but one Metro Detroit powerhouse has already positioned itself at the top of the Division 1 playoff picture.
Through games reflected in the Oct. 1 MHSAA playoff-point standings, Clarkston sits No. 1 in Division 1 with a 5-0 record and 77.000 playoff points.
The Wolves are ahead of Romeo (72.400) and East Kentwood (71.200), while several other Metro Detroit programs are clustered near the top.
Division 1 playoff-point leaders entering Week 6:
Clarkston — 77.000
Romeo — 72.400
East Kentwood — 71.200
Detroit Catholic Central — 70.850
Northville — 70.800
Howell — 70.000
Grand Ledge — 68.800
Saline — 68.400
Cass Tech — 66.800
Grand Blanc — 65.600
Clarkston’s Résumé Is Paying Off
Clarkston reached 5-0 by surviving one of its biggest tests of the season, defeating previously unbeaten Oxford 31-28 in Week 5.
That victory followed wins over South Lyon, Stoney Creek, Troy Athens and Rochester Adams. The Wolves have scored 168 points while allowing just 51 through their first five games.
And there’s an interesting contrast developing between the traditional rankings and the playoff-point standings.
The most recent STATE CHAMPS!/WDIV statewide Power Poll had Clarkston at No. 10, behind Detroit Catholic Central and Cass Tech among several others. Yet the MHSAA playoff-point calculation has Clarkston sitting above everybody in Division 1.
That’s because playoff points aren’t an opinion poll. They are part of the system the MHSAA uses to determine and seed the postseason field.
And beginning this season, that carries additional importance.
New Playoff Format Makes Those Points Even More Important
The MHSAA approved a significant change for the 2026 football postseason, moving to regional seeding for the 11-player playoffs.
The eight qualifying teams in each regional will be seeded according to their playoff-point averages. Seeds 1, 4, 5 and 8 will form one district, while 2, 3, 6 and 7 form the other.
That means finishing near the top isn’t merely something to brag about.
It could directly influence Clarkston’s postseason path.
Metro Detroit Controls Much of the Division 1 Picture
Clarkston isn’t alone.
Detroit Catholic Central sits fourth, Northville fifth and Cass Tech ninth, putting four Metro Detroit-area programs inside the Division 1 top nine through the Oct. 1 snapshot.
Cass Tech has since moved to 6-0 after a dominant 65-0 victory over Western International, while Clarkston’s Oct. 1 playoff-point total still reflects its 5-0 start.
With the second half of the regular season underway, those numbers will continue to move.
But right now, when it comes to Division 1 playoff points, the road starts with Clarkston.
