Southfield A&T, Marshall End Belleville's 2-Year Reign with 1st Finals Championship
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
November 27, 2023
DETROIT – Isaiah Marshall took a second Sunday night to think about the interception he’d just thrown that led to Belleville taking a late lead in the Division 1 Football Final.
But just a second.
When Marshall and his Southfield Arts & Technology teammates took the field down four points with 4 minutes, 47 seconds remaining at Ford Field, the interception wasn’t on his mind. Neither was the raucous Belleville crowd that had awoken on the home side of the stadium.
He wasn’t thinking about stopping a three-peat or snapping a 38-game Belleville win streak. He wasn’t thinking about the talk he’d heard during the week leading up to the game, that his team was on its way to getting blown out like so many of those previous 38 opponents.
All Marshall was focused on was doing his job.
“As soon as I threw the pick, I knew what I had to do differently,” Marshall said. “I just wasn’t thinking about that last play. As soon as I threw the pick, I just thought about it on the bench, then as soon as I came out, it wasn’t on my mind at all. I just knew I had to go down the field and score.”
Like he had all night, Marshall came through when the Warriors needed him most, leading his team on a 69-yard scoring drive, finishing the final 11 with his legs for the go-ahead score in Southfield A&T’s 36-32 victory against Belleville.
His defense finished the rest, as Dorian Freeman intercepted a pass during the final seconds, sealing the first Finals title for Southfield.
“It’s special,” A&T coach Aaron Marshall said. “It’s special for the community. It’s a long time coming. All week I’ve been getting calls from guys I’ve never met just congratulating the boys on making it. We had never even made it to the championship game, let alone won one. It’s real big for the community. I’m really proud.”
To do it, the Warriors needed to overcome the team that has dominated Division 1 for the past three seasons in Belleville (13-1). The Tigers had won the past two Division 1 Finals, and hadn’t dropped a game since Sept. 10, 2021.
They entered Sunday having outscored opponents this fall by an average of 49-7. They also featured the nation’s No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2025 in quarterback Bryce Underwood.
But Sunday, none of that mattered to Marshall and the Warriors (13-1). Well, except maybe the last part.
“Just a little bit,” Marshall said when asked if he was out to prove he was the state’s top quarterback. “I do think I’m the best player in the state. Me proving that tonight, and showing what I can do on the big stage shows that, I think.”
He finished the night completing 20 of 31 passes for 281 yards with two touchdowns, as well as two interceptions. He also rushed for 134 yards and the go-ahead score, as well as the two-point conversion that put his team up four.
“He came out there and played like I thought he was going to play,” said Belleville star linebacker and running back Jeremiah Beasley, who has committed to Michigan. “He’s a real tough player. Since we were little, he’s always been tough. He came out there and played with all his heart, and they came out on top.”
Underwood certainly had his moments, finishing 11 for 24 for 164 yards and a touchdown to go along with one interception. He also had five rushes for 39 yards.
And A&T was certainly cognizant of what Underwood could do, especially when he got the ball back with 47 seconds to play and a chance to take the lead. But by playing coverage, they didn’t allow the Tigers to push the ball down the field, and eventually pressure from senior defensive tackle Reggie Gardner forced the throw that Freeman intercepted to clinch the game.
“My coaches just told me to spy the quarterback, and whatever he did, I would go,” Freeman said. “Then it was just right in my zone.”
A&T led for most of the game, getting a pair of rushing touchdowns from Mathias Davis during the first half, the second score giving them a 12-7 lead.
After a 31-yard field goal from Belleville’s Brayden Lane made the score 12-10, Marshall engineered an 80-yard drive over the final three minutes of the second quarter to give his team a 10-point lead at the half. He accounted for 79 of the 80 yards with either his legs or his arm, finishing it off with a 13-yard TD pass to Tashi Braceful with 13 seconds remaining in the half. Braceful finished the night with 10 catches for 152 yards.
The Warriors nearly added to that halftime lead, as well, recovering a squib kick at the Belleville 43. Marshall hit Tyjuan Esper for a 38-yard gain on the next play, but he was tackled as the first-half clock expired.
Early in the third quarter, Marshall and the Warriors did stretch their lead when he threw a 19-yard TD pass to Xavi Bowman on a 4th-and-14. DaMario Quarles’ conversion run put them up 28-10 with 3:39 to play in the third quarter.
Of course, Belleville didn’t go away.
The Tigers responded immediately with a 45-yard TD pass from Underwood to Jalen Johnson. And after stopping Marshall on a 4th-and-2 run near midfield, they needed just three plays and 30 seconds to pull within three points of the lead as Beasley scored on a 15-yard run.
On the next A&T possession, Marquis Peoples put Belleville right back in business with an interception that he returned to the 35-yard line. Beasley again cashed in three plays later, with a 22-yard TD run that gave Belleville a 33-27 lead with 4:47 remaining.
Beasley finished the night with 106 yards and the two touchdowns on the ground.
“He’s a senior ball player; he did exactly what he was supposed to do,” Belleville coach Calvin Norman said of Beasley. “He came through in the clutch. When he ran the ball, he did his thing. I have nothing but love for the young man.”
Belleville cornerback Adrian Walker made one of the more remarkable plays of the weekend late in the first quarter, intercepting a Marshall pass deep in A&T territory.
Walker got both hands on the pass, deflecting it up and toward himself as he was spinning up the field. The ball went over his head and Walker reached behind his back to make the catch at the A&T 26.
Four plays later, Belleville was on the board with a 16-yard Colbey Reed touchdown run, and the Tigers led 7-6.
PHOTOS (Top) Southfield A&T quarterback Isaiah Marshall stretches for the game-winning touchdown during Sunday’s Division 1 Final. (Middle) The Warriors ended the night by raising their first championship trophy. (Below) Belleville’s Adrian Walker (2) makes a stunning behind-the-back interception. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
1st & Goal: 2025 Week 5 Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
September 26, 2025
Football falls always seem to move fast, and we’ve already reached the midpoint of this 2025 regular season in what again feels like record time.
It’s never too early to start considering playoff possibilities, and you can follow along with by keeping an eye on MHSAA.com’s Playoff Point Summary page, which shows how all teams rank in their respective divisions, updating as scores are received all weekend. Remember, the top 32 in 11-player divisions and top 16 in 8-player will continue once the regular season concludes Oct. 25.
Scores for every game across the state this weekend will be posted on the MHSAA Scores page as they conclude. Tune into several on the NFHS Network, including those with “WATCH” linked below.
Bay & Thumb
Port Huron (3-1) at Port Huron Northern (3-1)
The midpoint of the regular season is also the midpoint of the Macomb Area Conference Blue schedule, and the standings show these two as the only teams undefeated in league play after two games. They’ve split their last eight, with two of those matchups in the playoffs. Reigning league champion Northern’s loss this season came to still-undefeated Madison Heights Lamphere by a 3-2 score, and the Huskies won last year’s showdown with the Red Hawks 30-23.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Clio (4-0) at Goodrich (4-0) WATCH, Unionville-Sebewaing (3-1) at Harbor Beach (4-0) WATCH, St. Clair Shores South Lake (3-1) at Marine City (3-1), Traverse City Central (2-2) at Midland Dow (3-1) WATCH.
Greater Detroit
South Lyon (4-0) at Walled Lake Western (3-1) WATCH
South Lyon is seeking to make the playoffs this season for the first time since 2022, and also sits alone atop the Lakes Valley Conference after Western saw its league winning streak end at 28 games with a Week 3 loss to Waterford Mott. The Warriors have defeated South Lyon the last three seasons, including 49-7 a year ago. But the Lions already have avenged 2024 defeats to White Lake Lakeland and Milford.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Farmington (3-1) at Birmingham Seaholm (4-0) WATCH, Rochester Adams (3-1) at Clarkston (3-1) WATCH, Detroit Community (4-0) at Melvindale Academy for Business & Tech (4-0), Grosse Pointe South (4-0) at Roseville (3-1).
Mid-Michigan
Michigan Center (4-0) at Leslie (4-0) WATCH
These two are only a game into the Cascades Conference East schedule but the only teams undefeated overall in the league with the next-best 2-2. This fall has seen nearly a direct reversal of Michigan Center’s 1-3 start a year ago, when the Cardinals then fell to 1-4 with a 33-31 loss to the Blackhawks. Leslie is the reigning league champion and last week avenged its lone 2024 regular-season defeat by downing Grass Lake.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Northville (4-0) at Brighton (3-1) WATCH, Grand Rapids Catholic Central (4-0) at Middleville Thornapple Kellogg (3-1) WATCH, Montrose (4-0) at Ovid-Elsie (3-1) WATCH, Williamston (4-0) at St. Johns (4-0) WATCH.
Northern Lower Peninsula
Traverse City St. Francis (4-0) at Kingsley (3-1) WATCH
The Northern Michigan Football Conference Legends division has at least one premier matchup every week, and this might be the best as these were two of the three co-champions a year ago and have a rivalry going back to the start of the league in 2014. St. Francis holds a 9-3 advantage during that time, and claimed last year’s meeting 49-20, but the series is knotted 3-3 since 2019.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Escanaba (4-0) at Cheboygan (2-2) WATCH, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (2-2) at East Jordan (2-2) WATCH, Clare (3-1) at Ogemaw Heights (3-1) WATCH, Midland (3-1) at Traverse City West (2-2).
Southeast & Border
Dearborn Divine Child (4-0) at Jackson Lumen Christi (2-2) WATCH
Divine Child has reached the playoffs the last three seasons, and this year has become one of the most intriguing stories of the first half. The Falcons have yet to give up a point, outscoring their four opponents by a combined 172-0. They’ve fallen 35-7 and 35-0 to Lumen Christi during their two seasons together in the Catholic High School League AA, and the Titans are certainly used to challenges with one of the state’s toughest schedules already featuring a pair of state champions and a semifinalist.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Hudson (4-0) at Adrian Madison (3-1) WATCH, Chelsea (4-0) at Dexter (3-1), Union City (3-1) at Quincy (4-0) WATCH, Adrian (3-1) at Ypsilanti Lincoln (4-0) WATCH.
Southwest Corridor
Buchanan (3-1) at Berrien Springs (3-0) WATCH
Berrien Springs is the reigning champion and Buchanan last season’s runner-up in the Lakeland Conference thanks to the Shamrocks’ 31-6 win over the Bucks last October. Berrien Springs actually has won the league the last two seasons and Buchanan won the first championship in 2022. The Shamrocks have had two weeks to prep for this matchup as they didn’t have a game for Week 4, but Buchanan should be riding high after bouncing back from a three-point Week 3 loss with a big win over Niles Brandywine.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills (4-0) at Battle Creek Harper Creek (3-1), Vicksburg (3-1) at Three Rivers (4-0) WATCH, Watervliet (2-2) at Kalamazoo United (2-2) WATCH, Hastings (3-1) at Battle Creek Pennfield (2-2) WATCH.
Upper Peninsula
Pewamo-Westphalia (4-0) vs. Bark River-Harris (3-0) at Gaylord WATCH
Whichever teams wins, this is a great result for both after both faced the likelihood of sitting home this week after losing their previously-scheduled opponents. Instead, they’ll meet in Gaylord, both among the top small-school teams on their sides of Mackinac Bridge this season. P-W, which already is facing an open date next week, has given up a combined 12 points this season and topped 50 all of its last three games. The Broncos’ Week 4 game was canceled but their early run has included a 30-22 win over Iron Mountain.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Menominee (4-0) at Houghton (2-2) WATCH, Calumet (3-1) at Kingsford (3-1) WATCH, Iron Mountain (2-1) at L’Anse (4-0) WATCH, Sault Ste. Marie (0-4) at Marquette (2-2) WATCH.
West Michigan
Zeeland West (3-1) at Zeeland East (3-1)
West has won the last nine meetings between these neighbors, going back to 2019. But there seems to be a bit more buzz around this matchup again, perhaps because the Dux –reigning champions in Division 3 – took a loss to Whitehall in Week 3, although the Chix also suffered their first last week to Hudsonville Unity Christian.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Reed City (3-1) at Big Rapids (4-0) WATCH, Rockford (3-1) at Grandville (3-1), Hudsonville (4-0) at Jenison (3-1), Cedar Springs (3-1) at Lowell (4-0) WATCH.
8-Player
Norway (4-0) at Pickford (4-0) WATCH
Pickford has won all three games between these two over the last two seasons, and last year’s Division 1 runner-up has been putting up video-game numbers again outscoring its first four opponents by a combined score of 234-14. But don’t sleep on the Knights, who have put up 212 points and given up only 30 so far, with a 58-8 win over otherwise-unbeaten Powers North Central. Likewise, Pickford handed Newberry its only defeat, 53-6.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Breckenridge (3-1) at Blanchard Montabella (4-0) WATCH, Kingston (4-0) at Brown City (3-1) WATCH, Hillman (4-0) at Indian River Inland Lakes (4-0) WATCH. SATURDAY Bay City All Saints (3-1) at Onekama (4-0) WATCH.
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PHOTO Cass City quarterback Preston Dorland (11) prepares to hand off to one of his backs during his team's 17-14 overtime win over Millington last week. (Photo by Terry Lyons.)