---
title: "Three Grand Rapids-Area Teams Hold Top Football Playoff Seeds"
url: https://www.heregrandrapids.com/2026/10/27/grand-rapids-area-football-playoff-pairings-first-round-2026/
date: 2026-10-27T07:04:22-04:00
modified: 2026-10-27T07:04:22-04:00
author: "Ezra Vasquez"
categories: ["High School Sports"]
site: "HERE Grand Rapids"
attribution: "HERE Grand Rapids"
---

# Three Grand Rapids-Area Teams Hold Top Football Playoff Seeds

> GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Two dozen Grand Rapids-area high school football teams open the state playoffs Oct. 30 and 31, and three of them will do it as the top seed in their region. Kenowa Hills, Byron Center and GR Catholic Central each landed a No. 1 seed, which gives them home games through the

*Source: [HERE Grand Rapids](https://www.heregrandrapids.com/2026/10/27/grand-rapids-area-football-playoff-pairings-first-round-2026/) — October 27, 2026 by Ezra Vasquez*

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Two dozen Grand Rapids-area high school football teams open the state playoffs Oct. 30 and 31, and three of them will do it as the top seed in their region.

Kenowa Hills, Byron Center and GR Catholic Central each landed a No. 1 seed, which gives them home games through the first three rounds. This is the first season the Michigan High School Athletic Association has seeded the 11-player bracket by region instead of by district, with eight teams per region and the top seed hosting the eighth.

In Division 2, top-seeded Byron Center (7-2) welcomes No. 8 Muskegon (4-5), and No. 2 Caledonia (7-2) hosts No. 7 East Lansing (4-5). Kenowa Hills (8-1) opens Division 4 at home against No. 8 GR Christian (4-5). In Division 5, Catholic Central (7-2) takes on No. 8 Comstock Park (4-5) and holds a 6-1 edge in the all-time series.

Unbeaten East Kentwood (9-0), the No. 2 seed in Division 1, hosts No. 7 Brighton (5-4). In Division 3, East Grand Rapids, sitting at 6-3, makes the trip to third-seeded Coopersville, which went 8-1. Second-round winners will still be crowned district champions.