Plymouth's football team, off to its best start since 2019, faces unbeaten Northville on Friday, Sept. 25, for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

The Wildcats (3-1, 2-0 Kensington Lakes West) carry a two-game winning streak into the league matchup against the Mustangs (4-0, 3-0), who sit atop the division standings, according to MaxPreps. State Champs Sports Network named the game one of 10 to watch statewide for the week of Sept. 21.

The turnaround comes under interim head coach Matt Penn, who took over in July after Greg Souldourian resigned about six weeks before the season opener. Souldourian, who went 14-38 in six seasons, accepted a teaching job in another district, Hometownlife.com and the Detroit Free Press reported in July. Athletic director Chaka Johnson named Penn, then the defensive coordinator, as interim head coach. Penn also works as Plymouth's head of maintenance and had been on the football staff since 2016.

"If I hadn't done flag football this spring, I don't know if I would have taken over for Greg," Penn told Hometownlife.com and the Detroit Free Press in July. "Flag took me back to the purity of football, teaching the girls who were hungry and had a desire to learn, and that really fired me up to come back and lead the boys."

Penn still calls the defense. Plymouth has outscored opponents 116-77 through four games. In the Wildcats' Sept. 18 win over Canton, quarterback Cullen Dixon completed 11 of 23 passes for 119 yards and ran for 40 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Xavier Williams carried 28 times for 90 yards, according to Social House News.

Northville presents a different challenge. The Mustangs have won all four games, including a double-overtime 38-31 victory over Lake Orion to open the season and a 52-7 rout of Novi on Sept. 18, according to MaxPreps. Kicker Alex Baird Jr. has made 18 extra points and averages 38.4 yards per punt through four games.

Both teams beat Canton this season. Northville edged the Chiefs 10-7 on Sept. 3; Plymouth held on 24-20 15 days later.

The stakes extend beyond the standings. This is Plymouth's final season in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association (KLAA) before the Wildcats move to the Southeastern Conference in 2027, per Hometownlife.com and the Detroit Free Press.

After the Northville game, Plymouth hosts Crestwood on Oct. 2, travels to Novi on Oct. 9 and hosts Belleville at home on Oct. 16.