The first week of the 2026 Michigan high school football season did not waste any time delivering a result that stood out from the crowd. With dozens of games spread across the opening week schedule, one of the early headlines came from Chelsea, which beat Harper Woods 29-20 at home in a matchup that qualified as the opening-week shocker.
A busy Week 1 across Michigan
Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026 marked the start of the MHSAA football schedule, and the slate quickly expanded into Friday with dozens more Week 1 games. That is the kind of opening that gives fans an immediate read on how the season may begin to take shape, even if September is still ahead and the sample is small.
The result involving Chelsea and Harper Woods was notable not just because it was an early upset, but because it arrived in a week when the state was already watching a wide range of games. The Free Press had already picked the scores of five of the best Week 1 games, made state champion predictions in all eight divisions, identified 10 sleeper teams to watch, ranked the state's top 50 players and revealed preseason Super 25 teams and top 10s in each division.
That makes the 29-20 Chelsea win over Harper Woods more than just another opening-night line. In a week built around big-picture expectations and preseason evaluation, it was a reminder that Week 1 can still produce results that cut against the script. Michigan high school football scores often tell the first version of the story; this one gave the season an immediate twist.
