The stakes are high, higher than they’ve ever been in this battle ground fight.
Emotions will run high as usual, but players cannot let emotions get the best of them. It is Howell-Brighton II, the sequel Friday night at Howell High School for a Division I district title.
The Brown Jug is not on the line. Howell secured that with its regular season victory over Brighton. However, a distract title is.
For Brighton players this is a chance for revenge, although revenge is not the most important reason for beating Howell. The Bulldogs (8-2) want a championship, something that alluded them during the regular season.
For the Highlanders (10-0) it is a chance to continue this magic carpet ride. It is the next step to becoming a state championship. We keep asking the question how many times can the Highlanders bring their A game filled with manly strength and athletic richness in important games?
Howell is playing its fifth straight game with everything on the line.
Four weeks ago, the Highlanders beat Novi, 35-21 to gain a share of the KLAA West Division title. A week later they thumped Brighton,36-14, for the outright West division crown. Then the Highlanders stunned the high school football world by edging Belleville 30-29 to win the KLAA championship and ending Belleville’s 30-game reign of terror where it beat 30 consecutive KLAA opponents by an average of 43.1 points a game.
Last week the Highlanders won their first district game since 2021 against Kalamazoo Central. Friday night’s game is for a district championship against a bitter rival.
“We are going to mash face and be on our way,” Howell lineman Shawn Turpin said. “They are just another team in our way.”
Brighton has won five of its last six games, the only loss coming to Howell on the same field.
“This game is good for Howell. It is good for Livingston County,” Howell coach Brian Lewis said.
Howell running back Justin Jones ran the ball 30 times for 218 yards and two touchdowns against Belleville, which allowed Howell to control the clock and limit Belleville’s possessions. He is excited to meet Brighton again but realizes he must control his emotions and think about victory and not about upstaging the Bulldogs.
“It’s still a rival,” Jones said. “But it is the next team in our way of our goal. We can’t let that distract us from the fact that this team is standing in the way between us and a title. We must respect that, but that is not going to change us at all.”
Howell lineman Tanner Baidel said the key is to play Howell football and not get caught up in the hype.
“Honestly, we are going into it as another game,” he said. “We are going into it expecting the best out of them. We must be Howell, fast and physical. We look forward to playing Brighton.”