Grand Rapids Area Dominates First Set of Michigan Girls Soccer Rankings with 13 Teams Earning State Recognition

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The 2025 season was a banner year for Grand Rapids-area girls high school soccer teams as three squads captured state championships. Byron Center, Unity Christian, and GR Catholic Central each hoisted the trophy, cementing their status as programs to watch.

The current campaign is shaping up to be another big one for local teams, with 13 squads earning a spot on the first set of state rankings from the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association.

"Many of the Grand Rapids area's best aren't wasting any time in facing quality competition," according to Patrick Nothaft, reporter for MLive.com. "With the second week of the season featuring seven matchups between state-ranked squads, these teams are establishing dominance early."

Division Leaders Eye Early Success

Unity Christian, ranked No. 1 in Division 2, enters the season as the defending state champion. The Knights are coming off an incredible 2025 campaign where they defeated New Boston Huron in last year's D2 state title game.

"Unity Christian enters the 2026 season ranked No. 1 in Division 2," the report states. "Their championship pedigree makes them one of the most formidable opponents on the schedule this year."

Forest Hills Central, the No. 4 team in Division 2, faces a challenging opening week. They play two ranked opponents, starting with D1 No. 8 Rockford on Tuesday.

Forest Hills Northern, the No. 6 team in Division 2, travels to face D1 No. 2 Byron Center on Wednesday. Byron Center is the defending state champion and will be looking to add to their 2025 title.

Catholic Central Loads Up the Schedule

GR Catholic Central continues its challenging slate with Monday's home game against D3 No. 14 West Michigan Aviation Academy. The Knights are already looking to build on their 2025 championship success.

"After opening its season with a 2-1 win over East Kentwood, Catholic Central continues its challenging slate with Monday's home game against D3 No. 14 West Michigan Aviation Academy," the article notes.

West Michigan Aviation Academy Faces Multiple Tests

The Aviators are coming off a 15-6 campaign last season and have loaded up their early schedule. After tying D3 No. 13 Fremont last week, they'll face both GR Catholic Central and D3 No. 6 West Catholic this week.

"The Aviators, who are coming off a 15-6 campaign, loaded up their early schedule this season, and after tying D3 No. 13 Fremont last week, they'll face both GR Catholic Central and D3 No. 6 West Catholic this week," according to the coverage.

Complete Schedule of Grand Rapids Area Showdowns

Here's the full breakdown of matchups for the 13 Grand Rapids-area teams in the girls soccer state rankings:

Monday, March 23

• D3 No. 14 West Michigan Aviation Academy (0-0-1) at D3 No. 1 GR Catholic Central (1-0-0), 5:30 p.m.
• D2 No. 15 Thornapple Kellogg (1-1-0) at Forest Hills Eastern (1-0-0), 6:45 p.m.
• East Kentwood (0-1-0) at D3 No. 6 West Catholic (0-0-0), 6:45 p.m.
• Jenison (0-0-0) at D2 No. 11 Zeeland East (2-0-0), 6:45 p.m.

Tuesday, March 24

• D2 No. 4 Forest Hills Central (1-1-0) at D1 No. 8 Rockford (1-1-0), 6:45 p.m.
• D2 No. 14 GR Christian (0-0-0) at D2 No. 7 South Christian (0-0-0), 6:45 p.m.

Wednesday, March 25

• D3 No. 6 West Catholic at D3 No. 14 West Michigan Aviation Academy (0-0-1), 5:30 p.m.
• D2 No. 1 Unity Christian (1-0-0) at Grand Haven (0-0-0), 6:30 p.m.
• D2 No. 6 Forest Hills Northern (1-0-0) at D1 No. 2 Byron Center (0-0-0), 6:40 p.m.
• NorthPointe Christian (0-0-0) at D3 No. 1 GR Catholic Central (1-0-0), 6:45 p.m.
• D2 No. 7 South Christian (0-0-0) at Holland Christian (1-0-0), 7:15 p.m.

Friday, March 27

• D2 No. 13 East Grand Rapids (1-0-0) at Ottawa Hills (0-0-0), 5:45 p.m.
• D2 No. 15 Thornapple Kellogg (1-1-) at GR Union (0-0-0), 5:45 p.m.
• D2 No. 1 Unity Christian (1-0-0) at Zeeland West (0-1-0), 6:45 p.m.
• D2 No. 4 Forest Hills Central (1-1-0) at D3 No. 1 GR Catholic Central (1-0-0), 6:45 p.m.
• Wyoming (0-1-0) at D3 No. 6 West Catholic (0-0-0), 6:45 p.m.
• Hamilton (0-0-0) at D2 No. 11 Zeeland East (2-0-0), 6:45 p.m.
• Forest Hills Eastern (1-0-0) at D2 No. 14 GR Christian (0-0-0), 7:45 p.m.

Saturday, March 28

• D1 No. 8 Rockford (1-1-0) at D2 No. 6 Forest Hills Northern (1-0-0), 11 a.m.
• D2 No. 7 South Christian (0-0-0) at Northview (1-0-0), 12 p.m.

More High School Soccer Coverage

The coverage extends beyond just the Grand Rapids area matchups. MLive.com also reports on:

• Flint-area prep sports, including Swartz Creek sweeping Birch Run in a doubleheader
• Saginaw sports highlights, where Alyson Peterson leads Frankenmuth to a soccer win over Valley Lutheran
• Rockford outlasting Forest Hills Central in a state-ranked girls soccer showdown
• An early goal that Northwest needed in their victory
• A Flint-area prep sports roundup featuring Flushing senior scoring four in the season opener

Looking Ahead to the Rest of the Season

This first week of intense competition sets the tone for what promises to be another exciting season in Grand Rapids-area girls soccer. With multiple division leaders facing off against ranked opponents, the state rankings should continue to shift as more games are played.

The defending champions – Byron Center, Unity Christian, and GR Catholic Central – will be looking to defend their titles. Meanwhile, teams like East Grand Rapids, Zeeland East, and South Christian are poised to challenge for their own championships.

"2026 has the makings of another banner year for local girls soccer," according to the reporting. "With this many high-quality matchups happening early in the season, fans can expect plenty of drama on the field throughout the year."