Roseville head coach Vernard Snowden leads his team during a game last season.
By: Jonathan Szczepaniak | Metro | Published August 9, 2024
METRO DETROIT — It’s been some time since a Macomb Area Conference team hoisted a state championship title — Clinton Township Chippewa Valley in 2018 to be exact — but the MAC is still as strong as ever.
Below is C & G Newspapers’ projected standings for the 2024-2025 MAC football season (regular season and division records from last year in parentheses).
MAC Red Division
Macomb Dakota (8-3, 3-2)
Chippewa Valley (9-3, 4-1)
Romeo (4-6, 3-2)
Utica Eisenhower (9-2, 4-1)
New Baltimore Anchor Bay (2-7, 0-5)
Sterling Heights Stevenson (4-6, 1-4)
It will be a feeling-out year for the MAC Red with longtime Chippewa Valley coach Scott Merchant moving to Lawrence Technological University and Utica Eisenhower and Romeo each graduating a core of talent, but don’t be surprised if Macomb Dakota is league champion when it’s all said and done.
Chippewa Valley, who won a share of the league last year with Eisenhower, was the thorn in Dakota’s side both in the regular season and the playoffs, eliminating the Cougars in districts.
Like Eisenhower and Romeo, Chippewa Valley graduated four all-region players including longtime quarterback Andrew Schuster, who is now at Grand Valley State University.
Eisenhower lost its four-year starter at quarterback, with Preston Crum now with Merchant at LTU, while also graduating all-region players Hayden Bills, Devin Steele and Cody Raymond, who anchored a defensive unit that allowed 15.6 points per game against MAC Red opponents.
For Dakota, the return of senior quarterback Jadon Ford, who missed some action due to injury last year, will be a key boost along with the return of all-region players Brady Hamby (RB/LB), Nick Battaglia (OL), Tyler Torey (DL) and Michigan State University commits Di’Mari Malone (LB) and Justin Bell (OT).
It’s the MAC Red, so home field advantage and breather weeks don’t tend to exist in this space. Since 2010, Dakota leads the head-to-head series against Eisenhower 10-9, Romeo 12-6, and Chippewa Valley 13-9.
As much attention as the top four teams received last year, Anchor Bay and Stevenson were playing solid brands of football to put multiple league opponents on potential upset alert.
Stevenson suffered one-score losses to Romeo, Dakota and Eisenhower in three straight weeks after starting the season 2-0, while Anchor Bay had one-score losses to Chippewa Valley, Eisenhower and Dakota after starting its season 2-0.
You’ll never know how the tide might have turned if Anchor Bay or Stevenson squeaked out a win against one of the heavyweights to move to 3-0, but you certainly have to keep your eyes wide open for them this season in the MAC Red.
MAC White Division
Grosse Pointe South (9-2, 5-0)
Roseville (8-4, 3-2)
St. Clair Shores Lakeview (7-3, 4-1)
Utica (4-6, 2-3)
L’Anse Creuse (4-6, 1-4)
L’Anse Creuse North (2-7, 1-4 Blue)
Roseville was looking like an unstoppable force last year after beating Romeo in the second game of the season, but a loss to league rival St. Clair Shores Lakeview spun the Panthers’ wheels out of control.
That’s life in the MAC White, and Grosse Pointe South has owned the MAC White for the past two seasons, posting a 10-0 league record and back-to-back league titles.
Returning Jack Lupo (QB) and all-region talents Vince Vachon (WR), Lex Wilson (LB), and Wyatt Hepner (DB), South is retooled for another strong season in the league.
The only thing that stopped South’s reign in the MAC White was its two years in the MAC Red in ’20 and ’21, but prior to that, the Blue Devils were league champions for four straight seasons.
To put it in perspective, South last lost a MAC White regular season game on Sept. 4 of 2015 to Romeo, who is now in the MAC Red.
Until proven otherwise, the MAC White belongs to the Blue Devils.
Roseville still has impact players in Desmond Straughton (RB/DB), Eric Slater (WR) and Jordan Simes (QB), along with returners on the defense, and even got the better of South in the playoffs, but will have to make it happen in the regular season in order to be league champions.
Lakeview still has a puncher’s chance to make some noise, but graduating all-region players Branden Harris (RB) and David Osagiede (DL) along with Corion Lattimore, Keonte Woolf and Tucker Weddle will make it tough.
MAC Blue Division
Port Huron (7-3, 5-0)
Warren Mott (6-4, 3-2)
Port Huron Northern (7-3, 4-1)
Warren Cousino (6-4, 4-1 Gold)
Fraser (4-5, 2-3)
Utica Ford II (2-7, 0-5 White)
Going for its fifth straight MAC Blue title, Port Huron continues to put on a clinic in league play.
Warren Mott gave Port Huron a run for its money, but ultimately ended up on the losing side of a 32-31 affair.
Port Huron is 2-0 against Warren Mott since Mott rejoined the MAC Blue in 2022, but Port Huron Northern will look for its rubber match against Mott this season as both schools are deadlocked at 1-1.
Cousino, who tied with Grosse Pointe North and Warren Fitzgerald for first in the MAC Gold last year, is intriguing because the Patriots have a chance to rewrite a rather disappointing finish to their time in the MAC Blue in 2019, when a winless season dropped Cousino to the MAC Gold.
MAC Gold Division
Grosse Pointe North (7-4, 4-1)
Warren Fitzgerald (4-6, 4-1)
Madison Heights Lamphere (7-3, 3-2 Silver)
St. Clair Shores Lake Shore (3-6, 2-3)
Warren Woods Tower (2-7, 1-4)
Sterling Heights (0-9, 0-5 Blue)
Grosse Pointe North was able to extend its league-winning streak to two, tying with Warren Cousino and Warren Fitzgerald for first, but it has to be kicking itself for not winning it outright after falling to Warren Fitzgerald in the final league game of the season.
North would eventually eliminate Fitzgerald in the first round of districts, but it was just the type of loss you shake your head at after North beat Fitzgerald 50-0 a year prior.
Warren Fitzgerald has athletes and is going to give North another fight this year in the league, but keep tabs on Madison Heights Lamphere, who has posted four straight seasons with seven or more wins.
MAC Silver Division
Marine City (9-2, 5-0)
Marysville (8-3, 4-1)
Eastpointe (1-8, 0-5 Gold)
Center Line (3-6, 2-3 Bronze)
St. Clair Shores South Lake (3-6, 1-4)
St. Clair (2-7, 0-5)
Marine City has won five straight MAC Silver titles with its last regular season league loss coming on Sept. 14 of 2018.
Marysville will likely put up a fight and have people wondering if this will be the year Marine City goes down, but until proven otherwise, the MAC Silver belongs to the Mariners.
MAC Bronze Division
Hazel Park (4-5, 3-2)
Clawson (7-3, 5-0)
Warren Lincoln (5-4, 4-1)
Clinton Township Clintondale (4-6, 2-3 Silver)
New Haven (1-8, 1-4)
Madison Heights Madison (0-9, 0-5)
The MAC Bronze could have one of the more exciting finishes this season with four teams potentially fighting for the top spot in the league.
Hazel Park has hung around the past two seasons and given Clawson a fight when they play, but you can’t count out Warren Lincoln or Clintondale either as teams who could make some noise.