Howell is accustomed to being underdogs.
The town. The school. And the football team.
So, it isn’t surprising that the Howell football team enters Friday’s KLAA championship game against Belleville as huge underdogs to one of the most powerful teams in the state – perhaps the nation.
It is the battle of the unbeatens when the two teams clash Friday night at Howell High School. Howell (8-0) is enjoying a wonderful season. However, Belleville (8-0) is enjoying a dynasty.
Belleville has won 30 games in a row against KLAA foes by an average of 44.1 points a game. Twenty nine of the 30 wins have been by 27 points or more. The last time Belleville lost to a KLAA team was Sept. 10, 2021, 28-21 to Livonia Churchill.
The Tigers were upset by Southfield A&T in last year’s Division I state finals, which spoiled their bid for a three-peat and motivated players to do better this season.
The good news for Howell is that Belleville has slowed down a bit this season. The Tigers are only outscoring teams by 33 points per game. This might be a tougher assignment than the Miracle on Ice United States upset of the Soviet Union during the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid.
None of those gawdy statistics bother the Highlanders. They want to follow their motto of “Live in the Moment” and not get caught up in the Tigers tidal wave.
“We know we have to play to our fundamentals,” running back Justin Jones said. “We can’t let them affect us. We just have to play our game.”
Jones must become a one-man wrecking crew if Howell is to pull off an upset. There is a path to victory. Howell often overpowers opponents and must do so again with a relentless ground game and stout defense that limits possessions and keeps the clock moving.
Jomes is the key. He not only must run the ball effectively but must execute his share of trick plays to pull this off. Quarterback Preston Barb has improved the last two seasons and often makes smart decisions to prevent the Highlanders from playing behind the chains.
“I feel pretty confident,” said offensive lineman Tanner Baidel. “I know we have players who can make plays so I am not too worried about it.”
Howell overcame a 3-5 season in 2023 to become KLAA West Division champions. There was a lot of hardship along the way along with trust issues among players and lack of chemistry. But it all came together this season as the Highlanders remained a ground and pound team that mixed in a little flare and surprising big-play ability.
Jones is a monster to catch and bring down. He can also pass and catch passes as the most potent triple threat in Howell football history. Sophomore running back Bryce Kish is expected to take over for Jones next season. Currently, he is Jones’ wing man before becoming the man in Howell’s attack.
“Everybody’s got a journey,” said head coach Brian Lewis. “And that was part of ours. As hard as it was at the time I believed in our kids and their work ethic. I believed in the Howell community.”
Belleville is led by 5-star quarterback Bryce Underwood, who committed to LSU, and shot down rumors of receiving a $4 million NIL deal to flip to Michigan. One of his better games came against Dearborn when he completed all 15 of his passes for 260 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for a fifth.
Lewis understands the magnitude of playing Belleville, but his team won’t back down from the challenge.
“People have been doubting us all the time,” Lewis said. “Doubting the community, doubting the football team, who we are. These guys have done a great job embracing it and believing in it. We are going to play. We are going to play. That’s what we do.”