The Brighton and Hartland football teams have a lot in commn going into tonight’s gam at Brighton.
Both are 1-3. Both teams’ only win was against Salem. Both are looking for better things tonight in a game that will be broadcast on The Livingston Post beginning t 6:50 p.m. Click here for the link.
“We’ve been putting the time in every week and we’re making some small progress here and there,” Brighton coach Brian Lemons says. “We just need to collectively put it together and turn it into a W.”
Hartland coach Thomas Stevenson sys his team is making progress, too.
“Watching film, you can see how close both of us are,” he said. “Speaking for us, we’re very close. If one player is just a little bit off or missing a block, that gas separated us. We’ve pated very competitive football games this season, and I expect a very competitive football game (tonight).”
Brighton is coming off 39-21 loss at Novi last week which saw the Bulldogs give up the lead after three quarters. Novi scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, two after interceptions and a third after a punt gave the Wildcats the ball deep in Brighton territory.
“We had a hard time keeping the ball,” Lemons said. “We’re getting more reps in practice and making sure we’re ready to go.”
The Brighton-Hartland rivalry hAs been a spirited one over the tears, although it’s been dominated by Brighton in the past decade. The Bulldogs have won the last nine meetings and 10 of the last 11. The last two meetings have been particularly galling for the Eagles, who lost 9-7 and 7-6 in 2022 and 2021.
“Our big focus is to go 1-0 every week,” Stevenson said. “We want to win this one game, because that’s all we can control this week.”
Players from both teams have been competing against each other since they were old enough to strap on pads. That gives each team a better knowledge of their opponent than against any other team with the exception of Howell.
“Knowing them for so long, I mean, obviously it’s going to be a heated battle on the field because we know each other so well,’ Brighton Brady Carruthers said. “There’s no friends on the field, so we’re ready to win. The key is just execute our game plan. Play together, and just play a mentally sound game.”
Stevenson says his Eagles are looking forward to the contest as well.
“These rivalry games are great in our county,” Stevenson said. “Our players love playing in them. They’re special events in the community. There’s going to be a ton of people from Hartland there. There’s going to be a ton of people from Brighton there. It’s going to be a great high school environment.”
A win tonight could be a catalyst for a turnaround for either team.
“I think everything’s still right in front of us,” Lemons said. “I mean, there’s five games left that we can we can do a lot of damage.”
