DETROIT DOMINANCE: Catholic Central, Cass Tech Lead Michigan Football Rankings Entering Week 9

DETROIT, Mich. — The road to Ford Field is beginning to take shape, and Metro Detroit’s top high school football programs are making their presence felt across Michigan.

With the final week of the 2026 regular season approaching, Detroit Catholic Central and Detroit Cass Tech remain undefeated at 8–0 and occupy the top two positions in the Associated Press Division 1 state rankings released October 20.

Catholic Central holds the No. 1 ranking with all five first-place votes, while Cass Tech sits directly behind the Shamrocks at No. 2.

But the region’s championship hopes extend well beyond those two programs.

Romeo, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, Brother Rice, Detroit King and Harper Woods are among the Metro Detroit teams entering the final week with legitimate postseason ambitions.

Catholic Central Continues to Set the Standard

The Shamrocks have been one of Michigan’s most consistent programs throughout the season.

Catholic Central improved to 8–0 following a dominant 42–0 victory over Toledo St. Francis de Sales, further strengthening its position atop the Division 1 rankings.

The Shamrocks have earned 50 points in the latest AP poll, receiving every first-place vote.

With the playoffs approaching, Catholic Central has positioned itself as one of the teams everyone else will be chasing.

Cass Tech Keeps Finding Ways to Win

The Technicians are also unbeaten, but their latest victory came in dramatically different fashion.

Cass Tech escaped with a 21–20 victory over Detroit King in the Detroit Public School League championship game at Ford Field, securing its fifth consecutive PSL title.

The narrow victory demonstrated the pressure Cass Tech can withstand in a championship environment.

While Catholic Central has established itself through dominant performances, Cass Tech has already experienced the intensity of a close championship contest.

The Technicians enter Week 9 ranked second in Division 1 with 44 points in the AP poll.

Romeo Remains Perfect

Romeo deserves a place in the conversation.

The Bulldogs improved to 8–0 with a convincing 56–14 victory over Roseville and climbed to seventh in the latest Division 1 AP rankings.

Romeo has continued to build momentum throughout the regular season and remains one of several undefeated Division 1 programs looking to make a deep postseason run.

Division 2 Has Its Own Metro Detroit Contenders

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s leads the Division 2 AP rankings despite carrying a 5–3 record.

The Eaglets received three first-place votes and finished ahead of Muskegon Mona Shores in the latest poll.

Brother Rice sits third in Division 2, followed immediately by Grosse Pointe South at No. 4.

The rankings demonstrate that voters are considering more than overall records when evaluating the state’s strongest programs.

For St. Mary’s and Brother Rice, difficult schedules have not prevented either program from remaining near the top of the Division 2 championship discussion.

King and Harper Woods Keep Division 3 Interesting

Detroit King and Harper Woods are also worth watching closely.

King’s 21–20 loss to Cass Tech showed how little separates the Crusaders from one of Michigan’s top Division 1 teams.

Harper Woods, meanwhile, enters the final week at 7–1 after an impressive 28–13 victory over Clarkston.

The Pioneers have continued to establish themselves as a serious Division 3 contender.

Both programs have the potential to become major storylines once the postseason begins.

The DVS Perspective: Rankings Are Only the Beginning

Metro Detroit has no shortage of championship contenders, but the real test is still ahead.

Catholic Central and Cass Tech have earned their positions atop Division 1. Romeo remains undefeated. Brother Rice and St. Mary’s have navigated difficult schedules, while King and Harper Woods have shown they can compete against high-level opposition.

The biggest question now is which programs can turn regular-season success into postseason victories.

With Week 9 approaching, the championship race is about to get much more interesting.

Metro Detroit Teams in the AP Week 9 Rankings

Division Team Ranking Record

D1 Detroit Catholic Central No. 1 8–0

D1 Detroit Cass Tech No. 2 8–0

D1 Romeo No. 7 8–0

D1 Clarkston No. 8 7–1

D2 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s No. 1 5–3

D2 Brother Rice No. 3 6–2

D2 Grosse Pointe South No. 4 7–1

Detroit Varsity Sports | The Varsity News Desk