ASHTONDELANEY.

Michigan · Week 1 · 2026 Season

Ashton Delaney of Grand Ledge earned his place on this week’s board the hard way: 30 carries, 195 yards, and three touchdowns in a 40-21 win over West Ottawa on Thursday night. That is a feature-back workload in a season opener, and Delaney never let the Comets lose the thread. Grand Ledge needed someone to take the ball, wear down a West Ottawa front, and finish drives. Delaney did all three. Thirty touches is trust. One hundred ninety-five yards is production. Three scores is the difference between a close game and a statement. This was not a surprise to anyone who watched him last fall. Delaney has been a two-way piece for Grand Ledge — linebacker first, then a growing force on offense. What stands out is the style. Delaney is not a one-cut-and-hope runner. He takes the extra carry, keeps his pads down, and turns a long night into a winning one. West Ottawa stayed within striking distance early, then Delaney’s volume took over. By the time Grand Ledge reached 40, the game had the look of a team that found its identity on the first Thursday of the year. Grand Ledge is 1-0. The Comets opened against a West Ottawa program that came in ready to compete, and Delaney was the reason the score never flipped. That is how you start a season if you are the player your coaches lean on when the script gets physical. Congratulations to Ashton Delaney. 30-195 & 3 is a Week 1 night worth remembering. Keep running. The rest of the CAAC has been put on notice.