Bill Khan's predictions for Week 1 Livingston County football games

After three weeks of writing about Livingston County high school football teams, it’s finally time to see what they are actually capable of on the field when facing live bullets.

Everyone is optimistic in August when all teams have a zero in the loss column. We all know that some of that optimism is justified, while some teams won’t live up to the expectations they had during preseason camp.

The way the schedule has worked out this year, I will have an opportunity to catch three season-opening games in person, something I’ve been fortunate enough to do only one other time in my four decades covering high school football.

Brighton’s noon game Thursday at Michigan Stadium and having Fowlerville’s game at Corunna switched from Thursday to Friday will allow me to see three of the county’s five teams in person.

I’ll know more about those teams after seeing them close up, but for now I’ll have to make an educated guess based on what everyone is bringing back. I did OK with my picks last year, going 30-13.

Here’s a breakdown of Week 1 games involving Livingston County teams:

Brighton vs. Dearborn Fordson

Brighton has been tested against the best teams in the East Division in the four seasons that the KLAA has had crossover games. The games are done on an alphabetical basis, so the Bulldogs have taken on Belleville, Churchill, Dearborn and now Fordson.

The first three games were tough battles, and this one should be no different at noon Thursday at Michigan Stadium.

Fordson will be a formidable foe, having qualified for the state playoffs 16 straight seasons. The Tractors had some big graduation losses from a team that lost 12-7 to state champion Belleville in the third round, most notably Michigan State recruit Antonio Gates Jr. at receiver and Alex Osman at quarterback.

This could be the year Brighton makes another long playoff run with returning talent at every position. The Bulldogs will learn right away how they stack up with the big boys in Division 1.

Prediction: Brighton 17, Fordson 14

Hartland at Westland John Glenn

Hartland had a three-way quarterback battle going during the preseason which hasn’t been fully settled.

The Eagles plan to use all three quarterbacks against John Glenn, a luxury they can get away with against a team that has struggled in recent years.

Hartland will have to be aware of junior Damon Powers, who had 112 tackles last year and is the Rockets’ most dangerous rusher. John Glenn had ball-security issues in its scrimmage at Brighton, which should play into the hands of a defense led by linebacker Chase Kern and safety Sam Clay.

Prediction: Hartland 28, John Glenn 7

Howell at Livonia Stevenson

Howell graduated a great senior class, but the Highlanders got plenty of experience for younger players last season.

It will be the first start at quarterback for senior Dru Taylor. That first start can be rough at times, but he has running backs like Cole Quattlander and Levi Curtin to ease some of the burden.

Stevenson is coming off a 4-5 season that included losses to three teams that reached at least the third round of the state playoffs.

Prediction: Howell 21, Stevenson 14

Ann Arbor Skyline at Pinckney

With only two returning starters, a small roster of 32 players and a new head coach, Pinckney is a mystery heading into 2022.

The Pirates need a positive start more than most teams. They should get that against a Skyline team that was 0-9 last season, losing 48-21 to Pinckney in the season opener.

Brady Raymond looked good throwing the ball in the scrimmage and is a threat with his legs. If you’re going to be strong at one position, quarterback is a great place to start.

Prediction: Pinckney 28, Skyline 21

Fowlerville at Corunna

Fowlerville won only two games last season, one of them being a 22-13 decision over Corunna in the opener.

It turned out to be a quality victory, given the fact the Cavaliers reached the third round of the state Division 5 playoffs. Corunna comes back with a young team that has a tough act to follow.

The thing I’m most interested to see from the Gladiators is their passing game, something they haven’t always featured. Being less predictable should also improve a run game that struggled last season.

Prediction: Fowlerville 21, Corunna 20

Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@gannett.com.  Follow him on Twitter @BillKhan.

This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Bill Khan's predictions for Week 1 Livingston County football games