It is going to be a year of change for high school sports in Livingston County as Bill Khan moves out to pasture in Tennessee and the KLAA comes to an end.
At this point Bill’s replacement has not been hired so I’ll be handling football coverage for the paper for one game a week but hopefully not for long since as a writer, I am a hell of a photographer.
Still, I’m going to try and supplement some coverage here on this website until we have a replacement and that means I’ll keep doing my weekly picks.
In all honesty, I’ve never been good at week one picks and that has always been with the foresight of reading Bill’s season previews, so I am going to try and wing it here week one.
Traverse City West at Howell
First up is the game I will be covering on Thursday night as Traverse City West travels to Howell to take on the Highlanders.
Last season Howell rode their intense running game to a 9-2 record and a second-round playoff loss to East Kentwood in a high scoring affair.
I expect more of the same from the Highlanders as Bryce Kish returns to lead a strong group of running backs.
Traverse City West had a middle of the road season narrowly making the playoffs at 5-4 with a 21-20 overtime victory against Traverse City Central only to lose to the same Central team the following week in a first-round playoff match-up.
Howell should win on a neutral field where neither team had to make a big drive but factor trip down from Traverse City and Howell should win easily.
Howell over Traverse City West by 22
Oxford at Hartland
Hartland looks to improve on a 5-4 season under second year coach Aaron Metz but the start of the season won’t be any easier than last year as they again face Oxford who the Eagles lost to 23-7 in Oxford.
Oxford had another strong season with a 7-2 record in the always tough OAA Red and will return to the Red again this year.
This is where it is going to be tough for me this year as I haven’t had a chance to see the Eagles practice (day jobs suck), but I am anticipating a much closer game than last year as Metz has another year with his team under his system and home field advantage.
Oxford over Hartland by 2
Brighton at Dexter
Last year Brighton started the season out with a lopsided loss to Dexter on their own turf and coach Lemons and his squad will surely want to avenge that. The Bulldogs return Dom D’Agosta as starting quarterback and punishing running back Dom Nauss. Expect that duo to dominate opposing teams for much of the season.
The Dreadnaughts rolled to an 8-1 record in the 2025 season with their only loss in the regular season coming to a strong Saline squad and then having their season ended at Ford Field by Orchard Lake St. Mary’s.
I am expecting at least a slight surge forward from the Brighton squad and a bit of a fall off from Dexter this year which should make this a much more competitive game.
Brighton over Dexter by 6
Waverly at Fowlerville
In 2025, the Gladiators squeaked into the playoffs with a 5-4 record only to draw a tough Chelsea team in the first round.
Waverly on the other hand has gone 2-16 over the previous two seasons. This really should not be a very competitive game.
New Fowlerville head coach Zach Douglass will have a lot fewer options offensively this year as Sam Shrader graduated and the receiving corps lost 128 catches for 1,514 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Still, even with those negatives, expect the Gladiators to come out on top in a close game.
Fowlerville over Waverly by 10
Owosso at Pinckney
Pinckney is looking to make a leap forward in coach Buck West’s second year after a disappointing, injury riddled 1-8 season in 2025…
Owosso on the other hand is coming off a 6-3 season and a first-round shellacking in the playoffs by Dewitt.
Pinckney looks to return two 1000+ yard passers as Jax Raymond is healthy after an injury in 2025 and his replacement last year, sophomore Easton McGlothin will also be back.
According to West, look for Raymond to handle the QB1 duties with a few different looks thrown in for McGlothin who will see time at defense as well as some reps at receiver.
West served on Carpenter’s staff last year and is familiar with the talent, so I expect the Pirates to take a big step forward and maybe even make a last week run at the playoffs.
I hate looking like a homer, but this is a toss-up in my mind but still, I’m not doing a pick-em game.
Pinckney over Owosso by 1