Before Champions were Crowned. Looking back on Michigan High School Football History
- Sal Madonna
- Jan 5
- 4 min read
Updated: Jan 5
I compiled a list of every mythical Michigan high school state champion from 1894–1974, a time before the modern playoff era as we know it. Some of these schools still exist today, others have closed, merged, or faded into history. From 1899–1905, the Michigan High School Athletic Committee (Predecessor to the MHSAA est. 1924) briefly experimented with sanctioned playoffs/championship games, culminating at Regents Field at the University of Michigan. The 1905 championship, held at Ramona Park in Grand Rapids, would be the last of its kind for nearly 70 years. The MHSAA wouldn’t adopt a modern, statewide playoff format again until 1975, marking the end of the mythical era and the beginning of championships decided on the field, not on paper or now… virtually.
Key Guide
*School was closed
+School was consolidated
-School No longer sponsors football
Class A
1894 - Detroit Central
1895 - Detroit Central
1896 - Grand Rapids Central-
1897 - Detroit Central
1897 - Ann Arbor Pioneer
1898 - Ann Arbor Pioneer
State-Sponsored Tournament 1899-1905
1899 Regents Field - Ann Arbor
Pontiac 6-5 Plainwell
1900 Regents Field - Ann Arbor
Ishpeming 12-5 *Orchard Lake Michigan Military Academy
1901 Regents Field - Ann Arbor
Ishpeming 27-21 Kalamazoo Central
1902 Regents Field - Ann Arbor
Ishpeming 35-12 Benton Harbor
1903 Regents Field - Ann Arbor
Benton Harbor 22-0 Escanaba
1904 Regents Field - Ann Arbor
Escanaba 16-5 Mt. Pleasant
1905 Ramona Park - Grand Rapids
Ishpeming 17-5 Grand Rapids Central-
1906 - Benton Harbor
1907 - +Saginaw
1907 - Escanaba
1908 - Pioneer
1908 - Escanaba
1909 - Ann Arbor Pioneer
1910 - Detroit Central
1911 - Bay City Eastern-
1912 - Grand Rapids Central-
1913 - Detroit Central
1914 - Detroit Central
1915 - Detroit Central
Michigan's only High School Football National Champions.
1916 - Detroit Central
1917 - JW Sexton
1917 - Detroit Northwestern
1918 - JW Sexton
1919 - JW Sexton
1920 - Muskegon
1921 - Muskegon
1922 - *Flint Central
1923 - Muskegon
1923 - Ann Arbor Pioneer
1924 - *Grand Rapids South
1924 - *Flint Central
1925 - *Flint Central
1925 - Grand Rapids Union
1925 - Port Huron
1926 - Muskegon
1927 - Muskegon
1928 - Muskegon
1928 - Bay City Central
1929 - Bay City Central
1929 - Benton Harbor
1930 - Hamtramck
1930 - Jackson
1930 - *Grand Rapids South
1930 - *Flint Northern
1931 - Hamtramck
1931 - Grand Rapids Union
1931 - JW Sexton
1932 - Grand Rapids Central-
1932 - *Flint Central
1933 - *Flint Northern
1933 - Muskegon Heights
1934 - Muskegon Heights
1934 - Lansing Eastern
1935 - Muskegon Heights
1936 - Muskegon
1937 - JW Sexton
1937 - Muskegon
1938 - Detroit Catholic Central
1928 - JW Sexton
1939 - JW Sexton
1939 - *Flint Northern
1940 - *Detroit Cooley
1941 - *Detroit Cooley
1942 - Jackson
1942 - Wyandotte Roosevelt
1942 - Muskegon
1942 - *Flint Northern
1942 - Detroit Catholic Central
1943 - Ann Arbor Pioneer
1943 - Dearborn Fordson
1943 - Grand Rapids Catholic Central
1944 - +Saginaw
1944 - Muskegon
1944 - *Grand Rapids South
1944 - *Detroit Mackenzie
1945 - Muskegon Heights
1946 - JW Sexton
1946 - Muskegon Heights
1947 - Muskegon Heights
1947 - *Flint Central
1948 - Grand Rapids Union
1949 - Grand Rapids Catholic Central
1950 - *Flint Northern
1951 - Muskegon
1951 - Grand Rapids Catholic Central
1952 - Utica
1952 - Ann Arbor Pioneer
1953 - Detroit Pershing
1953 - Ann Arbor Pioneer
1954 - Battle Creek Central
1954 - Ann Arbor Pioneer
1954 - Grosse Pointe South
1955 - Ann Arbor Pioneer
1956 - *Flint Northern
1957 - Midland
1958 - Bay City Central
1959 - Grand Rapids Catholic Central
1960 - *Flint Northern
1961 - *Bay City Handy
1962 - Ann Arbor Pioneer
1963 - JW Sexton
1964 - East Lansing
1965 - Bay City Central
1966 - Battle Creek Central
1967 - Bay City Central
1968 - Midland
1969 - Bay City Central
1970 - North Farmington
1971 - Muskegon
1972 - Bay City Central
1973 - +Saginaw Arthur Hill
Class B
1959 - *Kalamazoo University
1960 - *Kalamazoo University
1961 - Marysville
1962 - Bad Axe
1963 - *Ypsilanti Willow Run
1964 - *Albion
1965 - +Jackson St. John
1966 - *Saginaw Buena Vista
1967 - *Saginaw Buena Vista
1968 - Riverview
1969 - Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central
1970 - Grand Rapids Northview
1971 - Chelsea
1971 - +Hackett
1972 - Hillsdale
1973 - Dearborn Divine Child
1974 - Muskegon Catholic Central
Class C
1962 - Galesburg-Augusta
1963 - +Hackett (K-Zoo United)
1964 - Middleville
1965 - Middleville
1966 - Galesburg-Augusta
1967 - Galesburg-Augusta
1968 - Frankenmuth
1969 - Frankenmuth
1970 - Galesburg-Augusta
1971 - North Muskegon
1972 - Hudson
1973 - Hudson
1974 - Hudson
Class D
1967 - *Bay City St. Joseph
1968 - +DeTour (Cedarville)
1969 - *Cheboygan CC
1970 - Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart
1971 - Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart
1972 - Indian River Inland Lakes
1973 - Traverse City St. Francis
1974 - Traverse City St. Francis
Notes
Orchard Lake Mich. Military Academy Eaglets 1878-1908
Often referred to as the ‘2nd West Point’. OLMMA's original academic building is now Orchard Lake St. Mary's Preparatory.
Grand Rapids Central Rams 1849-2013 Consolidated with Creston, now Innovation Central (doesn’t sponsor football).
Grand Rapids South Trojans 1917-1968
Notable Alum President 74-77 Gerald R. Ford ‘31
Flint Central Indians/Phoenix 1875-2008
Flint Northern Vikings 1928-2012
Detroit Cooley Cardinals 1928-2009
Detroit Mackenzie Stags 1928-2006
Saginaw Arthur Hill Lumberjacks 1904-2024 & Saginaw High Trojans 1865-2024, merged into Saginaw United High School.
Saginaw Buena Vista Knights 1959-2013
Albion Wildcats 1967-2011
Bay City Handy Wildcats 1946-1989
Bay City St. Joseph Gaels 1938-1967, merged with St. Joseph & St. Stanilaus into Bay City All Saints Central High School.
Kalamazoo University High School Cubs 1912-1966, is now Western Michigan's Heritage Hall Alumni Center.
Jackson St. John 1888-1967, merged with Neighboring Jackson St. Mary into the Perennial powerhouse we all know today as, Jackson Lumen Christi.
DeTour Raiders started Co-Op with neighboring school Cedarville in 2004.
Kalamazoo Hackett Fighting Irish Co-Op with neighboring school Kalamazoo Christian in 2014.
Cheboygan Catholic Central Eagles 1952-1985
Ypsilanti Willow Run Flyers 1955-2013, merged with Ypsilanti High School to form Ypsilanti Community High School.
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