Harper Woods made sure that visiting Clarkston knew what type of game they were in for on the second snap of their OAA crossover showdown in Week 8 of the 2026 Michigan high school football season.
On the second offensive play, junior Pioneers defensive back Kentravious Terry popped a Clarkston ball carrier, forcing a fumble and immediately giving Harper Woods the early momentum. No. 17 Harper Woods did not relinquish it, controlling No. 5 Clarkston and allowing its playmakers to do what they do best in a 28-13 win on Friday, Oct. 16.
Harper Woods (7-1) has won seven straight, while Clarkston (7-1) picked up its first loss of 2026 after winning seven straight.
"Super proud of the guys for playing how we practice," Harper Woods coach Rod Oden said. "We over-emphasize physicality around here. We believe it is one of the trademarks of our program. And the guys accepted the challenge tonight."
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Harper Woods' offensive line leaned on the Clarkston defense immediately. After Terry's forced fumble, Harper Woods ran five times on an eight-play touchdown drive, capped by a pass from sophomore quarterback Austin Mitchell to senior receiver Dakota Guerrant (an Oregon commit) on a fade to the back pylon.
After two Clarkston possessions featuring just one total first down, Harper Woods doubled its lead with a big play from its other five-star recruit, Deandre Bidden. He took a shotgun handoff on the left side and used his track-champion speed to pull away for a 59-yard touchdown, making it 14-0 early in the second quarter.
"The key is staying on schedule," Oden said. "We can't get behind the sticks. The few punts we had, we had penalties that set us back."
Clarkston cut the lead to 14-6 midway through the second quarter with a touchdown pass from senior Alex Wazczenko to Wendell Childs. But Harper Woods blocked a field goal in the first half's final seconds to keep it there.
On the first play of the second half, Guerrant demonstrated why he's arguably the best in Michigan high school football. The senior lined up at QB in the Wildcat formation and ran left. Like Bidden, he followed his blocks and then obliterated all pursuit angles with his speed down the sidelines for a 77-yard touchdown.
"Coach was just like, we've got to get you the ball," Guerrant said. "I told him that I was going to score and that's what I did."
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Guerrant finished with 154 rushing yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, two catches for 12 yards and a touchdown, and completed one pass attempt for 18 yards.
Guerrant also played a majority of the Pioneers' defensive snaps at outside or stack linebacker. He transitioned from defensive back to linebacker to help the team in an area of need this season.
"A couple of guys got injured, and I am able to do it," Guerrant said. "[The versatility] is just in me. This is how I was born."
For Clarkston, the second half offered the same frustrations. The Wolves had a quick punt after Guerrant's touchdown run, and their second third-quarter possession lasted 15 plays, but ended with a turnover on downs.
Harper Woods defensive linemen Caleb Lane, Jeremiah McCall and Jeremy Upshaw were the catalysts on defense. The defensive line constantly won up front, plugging Clarkston's running holes and forcing Waszczenko to run often in dropback situations.
"We call them two-by-fours," Oden said about Lane and McCall. "Those two guys are going to demand four guys to block them, so the other guys on our D-line should run pretty free. Those two are veteran football players. They play hard, play the right way with great leverage and violent hands. They are what make us go defensively."
The Pioneers have put themselves near the top of the Division 3 playoff points pecking order, with one regular-season game left against Mason, which was upset by Hastings on Friday for its first loss.
Harper Woods was shocked by a great Chelsea team running a new offense in Week 1 but has taken dramatic steps forward in the two months since.
Entering the playoffs in two weeks, Harper Woods has found its form as a bona fide title contender in Division 3.
"It is night and day," Oden said. "We had no identity. We were the brown paper bag boys. And we quickly found out a lot about ourselves. You can learn a lot in a loss, and I think we did. We understand Chelsea is a really great team and we wish we can have that one back. If all the things work the way they are supposed to, we may see those guys again."
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Jared Ramsey covers high school sports for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jramsey@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dakota Guerrant muscles Harper Woods past Clarkston in MHSAA football