Listen live online Friday on the Slocum Sports Network as Portage Central hosts Portage Northern for week seven of the high school football season.   In a spring poll from Addix Gear, this football rivalry was voted as the best in all of Michigan.    Barring a postseason rematch, this will be the final time these teams will meet at McCamley Field.

Portage Central enters the game at 5-1 with wins over Mattawan (27-14), Battle Creek Central (26-14), Traverse City Central (49-34), Lakeview (31-0), and Niles (42-14).  Their only loss came in week three to unbeaten Lakeshore, 24-7. If the Mustangs top the Huskies, they would secure a playoff berth for the sixth consecutive year and for the 11th time in the last 12 years.

Portage Northern sits at 2-4 overall and must win their final three games to have a chance at getting a postseason spot via playoff points (they made it in at 5-4 last season).  The Huskies started 0-3 with defeats to Lakeview (28-14), Gull Lake (10-9), and St. Joseph (20-15).  They bounced back with wins over Niles (22-19) and Kalamazoo Central (21-6), followed by a heartbreaking double overtime loss last week to Lakeshore (30-27).

According to Michigan-Football.com, these schools have met 57 times since Portage Northern opened in 1965.  The Mustangs lead the all-time series 37-20 and won twice over the Huskies last season, 56-27 in the regular season and 21-14 in the Pre-District round.  Over the last ten years, Portage Central has won 12 of 14 meetings with Portage Northern.

Listen live online to Friday’s game on the Slocum Sports Network with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.