Davison Earns 1st-Time Football Glory
November 30, 2019
By Tom Kendra
Special for Second Half
DETROIT – Davison senior wide receiver Latrell Fordham strolled into the postgame press conference with his left arm in a sling, and an enormous smile on his face.
Fordham played a huge role in Davison’s 35-25 victory over Brighton in the MHSAA Division 1 Final on Saturday at Ford Field – before landing awkwardly and fracturing his left elbow late in the second quarter.
“It hurts a lot, and I need surgery, but winning a state championship overrides all of that,” said Fordham, a 6-foot-3 Ball State commit who had four catches for 88 yards before his injury, including an electrifying 74-yard sprint along the Davison sideline that helped his team assume control in the second quarter.
Davison (12-2) won the first football Finals championship in school history and the first title for a Saginaw Valley League school since 1999 Saginaw High, which was led by Charles Rogers and also featured LaMarr Woodley.
The Cardinals, who had won their first four playoff games in come-from-behind fashion powered by their running game, shifted gears completely Saturday.
Davison never trailed and pulled away behind an impressive passing attack, as 6-3 junior quarterback Brendan Sullivan completed 14-of-19 passes for 290 yards. He connected with six receivers.
Brighton coach Brian Lemons said after the game that his team was committed to shutting down the run, which made it susceptible through the air.
“We had to pick our poison,” said Lemons, whose team stunned top-ranked Belleville 22-19 in the Semifinals to earn its first Finals appearance. “We had some single coverage, and they did a great job of connecting in those situations.”
Sullivan opened the scoring on a one-yard plunge in the first quarter set up by a crucial two-yard, fourth-down completion to Fordham and a 14-yard pass to Harrison Terry on the next play. Terry led all receivers with six catches for 94 yards.
After a Brighton field goal narrowed the lead to 7-3 in the second quarter, second-year Davison coach Jake Weingartz seized on an opportunity to go for a home run.
“We had trips (three receivers) to one side and Latrell by himself on the other side,” explained Weingartz. “He had single coverage and the safety shaded to the trips side. We had to take a shot. We’re not going to beat our head against the wall and try to run against a loaded front.”
Fordham took off on a straight go route along the Davison sideline and Sullivan delivered a strike, which Fordham caught in stride as he sprinted the rest of the way for a 74-yard score and 14-3 lead.
“We were waiting for the right moment, and on that play we had the matchup we wanted,” explained Fordham, who expects to miss a good portion of basketball season, but hopes to be back by March. “Brendan made a perfect throw. I just had to grab it and take it to the house.”
That play brought the huge crowd from Davison to its feet and seemingly opened the floodgates. The Cardinals scored on a one-yard run by Carter Cryderman before halftime and a 10-yard scramble run by Sullivan early in the third quarter to take a seemingly comfortable 28-3 lead.
Brighton (11-3) showed no quit, however, led by dual-threat senior quarterback Colby Newburg and junior running back Nicholas Nemecek.
The Bulldogs scored 16 points in a row – on a one-yard run by Nemecek and a 27-yard pass from Newburg to Nemecek (along with a pair of 2-point conversions) – to close to within 28-19 with four minutes remaining, bringing the orange-clad Brighton fans to life.
Newburg, a 6-0, 190-pound senior, completed 16-of-28 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns, and also ran 22 times for 83 yards.
“All I can say is that I’m super proud of everybody,” said Newburg. “We fought to the end.”
With Brighton back within striking distance, Sullivan took his turn in the quarterback shootout.
He connected with senior Caleb Smith on a 63-yard pass down to the 1-yard line, which Cryderman took in on the next play to push the lead back to 35-19.
Even then, Brighton was still not done, as Newburg completed six passes on the next drive, including a three-yard TD connection with Austin Lin with 43 seconds remaining. It wasn’t until the ensuing 2-point conversion pass fell incomplete that the game was decided.
Davison finished with a slight 441-425 edge in total yardage, but it was the efficiency of Sullivan through the air which proved to be the difference.
“I told my coach to trust me in this game,” said Sullivan, who stepped up as a junior on the biggest stage. “I want the ball in my hands in those pressure situations.”
The game featured two schools making their first appearances in the Finals, which is becoming more and more rare after 45 years of MHSAA Playoffs, which began in 1975.
That first-time excitement was apparent as both communities turned out in droves at Ford Field, Brighton in orange and Davison in gold.
Adding to the excitement was the fact neither team was expected to make a long playoff run after finishing second in their respective conferences – Davison in the Saginaw Valley League Red (behind Lapeer) and Brighton in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West (behind Plymouth).
Davison senior linebacker Logan Pasco was all over the field with a game-high 16 tackles, while Smith had nine tackles and defensive end Harry Unger made seven stops. Ian Hummel led Brighton with eight tackles, and Cole Riddle and Carson Billig each made six.
PHOTOS: (Top) Davison celebrates its first MHSAA Football Finals championship Saturday at Ford Field. (Middle) Brighton’s Ruben Salinas (1) keeps his eyes on a pass as Davison’s JayLen Murray Flowers works to deflect it.
1st & Goal: 2026 Week 9 Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 22, 2026
By Saturday night, the 2026 football regular season will be over and every league championship race decided. By Sunday evening, the playoff season will be set to begin, with several more championship opportunities ahead.
And a lot can still happen to influence how the first ends up and the second gets started.
Most of the games listed below will affect league title races, playoff qualification and positioning, or both. Make sure to keep an eye this weekend on the Playoff Point Summary page as teams move in (or out) of potential MHSAA Playoff fields, and stream the NFHS Network at 5 p.m. Sunday to find out what’s next for all 288 teams that qualify to continue their seasons next week.
Games highlighted are tonight unless noted. Tune in to the NFHS Network to watch the majority and follow the MHSAA Scores page for results as they’re submitted.
Bay & Thumb
Chelsea (8-0) at Linden (6-2)
Both of these teams will play in the Division 3 bracket starting next week, with Chelsea entering this matchup No. 3 on the playoff points list and Linden No. 13. The Bulldogs haven’t had a single-digit game since their Week 1 nine-point win over Harper Woods, while Linden’s losses have come by a mere eight and seven points, respectively. Chelsea won last year’s meeting 35-28.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Unionville-Sebewaing (6-2) at Saginaw Valley Lutheran (6-2), Algonac (6-2) at Flint Powers Catholic (6-2), Armada (5-3) at Frankenmuth (7-1), Goodrich (8-0) at Gladwin (5-3).
Greater Detroit
Jackson Lumen Christi (7-1) vs. Dearborn Divine Child (7-1) at Ford Field – Saturday
Two of this weekend’s Prep Bowl games will have implications for Catholic High School League championship races, with this a winner-take-all in the CHSL AA. It’s also a matchup of reigning Finals champions, Divine Child in Division 4 and Lumen Christi in Division 6. The Falcons are coming off their lone loss, to Warren De La Salle Collegiate, while Lumen set up this opportunity with a one-point Week 8 win over Detroit Country Day.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Gibraltar Carlson (8-0) at Allen Park (7-1), Walled Lake Western (7-1) at Milford (7-1), Madison Heights Madison (7-1) at Ecorse (7-1). SATURDAY Detroit Catholic Central (8-0) vs. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (6-2) at Ford Field.
Mid-Michigan
Ithaca (8-0) at Beal City (8-0)
Beal City is seeking to finish off a second-straight perfect regular season and defeated Ithaca 39-8 last year to complete the first. The Aggies haven’t played a single-digit regular-season game over the last two years, and no opponent has come closer than 19 points this fall. Ithaca’s closest win this season was last week’s 35-0 shutout of Fowler – the Yellowjackets’ third shutout over the last four weeks.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Harper Woods (7-1) at Mason (7-1), Okemos (5-3) at DeWitt (6-2), Temperance Bedford (7-1) at Grand Ledge (8-0), Northville (7-1) at Howell (8-0).
Northern Lower Peninsula
Harbor Springs (7-1) at East Jordan (7-1)
Nearly every season, the Traverse City schools’ Patriot Game owns its week on the schedule in Northern Michigan. But this matchup deserves plenty of attention as well. Harbor Springs has posted three shutouts over the last four weeks and will attempt to claim a share of the Northern Michigan Football Conference championship from East Jordan, which clinched a share last week and has defeated the Rams in five straight meetings.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Oscoda (5-3) at Frankfort (5-3), Fowler (6-2) at McBain (6-2), Traverse City West (5-3) at Traverse City Central (4-4), Manton (6-2) at Johannesburg-Lewiston (3-5).
Southeast & Border
Clinton (7-1) at Monroe Jefferson (8-0)
Jefferson is coming off clinching the Huron League championship outright with an 8-6 win last week over Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central, and the Bears have navigated only two single-digit wins as they’ve pursued a first perfect regular season since 1993. Clinton’s chance at 9-0 dissolved with a Week 6 loss to Hudson, but the Redwolves hung on to claim a share of the Lenawee County Athletic Association title and could add another major highlight heading into the postseason.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY New Boston Huron (6-2) at Adrian (7-1), Tecumseh (5-3) at Adrian Madison (6-2), Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (7-1) at Hanover-Horton (7-1), Berrien Springs (8-0) at Hudson (7-1).
Southwest Corridor
Portage Central (7-1) at St. Joseph (7-1)
These two didn’t play in the same league this season for the first time since 2008, Central winning the larger-school division of the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference and St. Joseph winning the SMAC division made up of the smaller schools. Portage Central’s victories this season have all come by 11 points or more since falling Week 1 to Toledo Central Catholic, while the Bears have been little challenged since suffering their lone defeat in Week 2, by a point, to Lowell.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Cassopolis (7-1) at Galesburg-Augusta (7-1), Portage Northern (5-3) at Stevensville Lakeshore (7-1), Paw Paw (7-1) at Vicksburg (7-1), Hastings (6-2) at Battle Creek Harper Creek (6-2).
Upper Peninsula
Marquette (6-2) at Kingsford (8-0)
Both are riding notable winning streaks – Kingsford hasn’t lost at all this fall, and Marquette hasn’t lost again since starting 0-2. Both are league champions, and both still have plenty to gain – Kingsford sits No. 8 on the Division 5 playoff-points list and could make a jump defeating a strong Division 3 opponent, while the Sentinels are No. 18 on the Division 3 list amidst a large pack of teams with similar averages vying for a home playoff game.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY Negaunee (5-3) at Iron Mountain (6-2). FRIDAY Menominee (7-1) at Bark River-Harris (7-1), L’Anse (4-4) at Calumet (5-3), Manistique (4-4) at Ishpeming Westwood (3-5).
West Michigan
Hudsonville (6-2) at East Kentwood (8-0)
East Kentwood has taken down all challengers by at least 21 points and last week earned a share of the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red championship. But Hudsonville is the two-time reigning league champ and can still earn a share this season despite falling to Caledonia in Week 5. These two also have met in the playoffs the last two seasons, with Hudsonville winning the regular-season meeting by a point last fall but the Falcons claiming the rematch in the Regional Final by 24.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Coopersville (8-0) at Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills (7-1), Grand Rapids Catholic Central (7-1) at Grand Rapids South Christian (7-1), Traverse City St. Francis (6-2) at Grand Rapids West Catholic (6-2), Montrose (7-1) at Kent City (6-2).
8-Player
Mio (5-3) at Rogers City (6-2)
The North Star League Big Dipper will be decided by these two with Rogers City seeking its first league championship since 2022 and Mio a second-straight after sharing the Little Dipper title last season. But there’s much more on the line as well. Mio sits No. 17 on the Division 1 playoff-point list, a fraction of a point from making the field, and Rogers City is No. 20 and one of two 6-2 teams not currently set to qualify in that division but working to climb.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY St. Ignace (7-1) at Central Lake (6-2). FRIDAY Portland St. Patrick (8-0) at Dansville (7-1), St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic (6-2) at Grand Rapids Sacred Heart (7-1), Dryden (8-0) at Kinde North Huron (7-1).
MHSAA.com's weekly “1st & Goal” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Click to connect with MI Student Aid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTO A Boyne City receiver attempts to get his hands on a pass over Charlevoix defenders during the Rayders’ 28-12 Week 2 victory. (Photo by kishba media.)