Brighton, Hartland need wins to earn football playoff rematch
Brighton and Hartland will have to beat Lansing-area opponents to earn a rivalry rematch with one another in the state football playoffs.
Brighton will host Grand Ledge and Hartland will travel to Holt for the first round of the state Division 1 playoffs. Game times will be announced Monday, but similar matchups in the past have been played at 7 p.m. Friday.
The winners will play for the district championship the following week.
Brighton has the best record in the district at 8-1 with 79.333 playoff points, which ranks fifth in Division 1. Holt (6-3) ranks 19th with 64.833 points, Grand Ledge (7-2) 23rd with 62.278 and Hartland (6-3) 21st with 62.667.
Hartland lost 41-16 to Holt in the first round in 2010 in the teams’ only meeting.
Holt beat Grand Ledge head-to-head, 14-6, on Sept. 9. The Rams’ three losses are to quality opponents — Caledonia (8-1), Mason (9-0) and DeWitt (6-3).
"We got a little film on them," Hartland coach Brian Savage said. "Obviously, they're athletic. They seem to be pretty big and fly around. They play a pretty tough schedule with East Lansing, DeWitt, Mason. They played some really good schools in that Capital Area Conference.
"Now we know who we're gonna play and what we're practicing against this week. We know we'll be on the road, for sure."
In addition to the loss to Holt, Grand Ledge lost 42-28 to Lapeer on Oct. 7.
This will be the fourth playoff meeting between Brighton and Grand Ledge. Brighton won 51-20 in 1999 before Grand Ledge won 22-20 in 2000 and 45-21 in 2015.
“I started watching some film,” Brighton coach Brian Lemons said. “They look pretty darn good. Athletic dudes.
“You wait around. You have this idea it could be this person, could be that person. Finally, you find out for sure who it is. Getting in, getting your work done to prepare. That 24-hour span, that’s the coolest part about the playoff system we have.”
The district champion will play for the regional championship against Rockford (9-0), Caledonia, Grandville (7-2) or East Kentwood (5-4).
Brighton reached the state Division 1 championship game in 2019, but hasn’t won a playoff game since then. The Bulldogs were beaten by Novi in the first round two years ago and failed to qualify last season.
A veteran Brighton team won its first eight games this season before losing 42-3 to defending state champion Belleville Saturday in the KLAA championship game.
“We definitely took it as a preparation game,” senior lineman Jack Storey said. “We’ve got big games coming ahead, so we’re looking forward to those.”
“Twenty-four hours, then we’re locked in,” senior linebacker Hunter Harding said after the game. “We’re gonna watch the Selection Sunday together, eat, have a good time, then we’re on to the next.”
Hartland has five seniors who played in two heartbreaking first-round playoff losses to M-59 rival Howell. In both games, the Eagles led in the final minute of regulation time. A fumble with 1:46 left set up Howell’s winning drive in 2021 and a Howell touchdown with 7.5 seconds left in the fourth quarter set the stage for the Highlanders’ triple-overtime victory.
The Eagles are looking to win a playoff game for the first time since the 2008 team beat Grand Blanc and Howell before losing in the third round to Rockford. Hartland has been ousted in the first round in its last six playoff appearances.
Hartland has qualified for the playoffs the past three seasons, a first for the program.
“It’s kind of like a revenge tour,” said senior running back Joey Mattord, who scored touchdowns in both first-round losses to Howell. “We did this for the boys who couldn’t do it before. We’re on a streak right now. This is three year in a row we’ve made the playoffs. It’s good work.
“We worked all season long. The coaches worked us so well. Everyone just bought in. We’ve got to fight for this last week. We only get one more Monday; that’s the mentality.”
If Brighton and Hartland win, they’ll meet in the playoffs for the first time since 2015. The Bulldogs beat the Eagles, 9-7, on Sept. 9.
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillKhan.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Brighton, Hartland need wins to earn football playoff rematch
