Warriors win the Division One State Crown.
Written Sunday November 26th at 11:35 PM
It was never an easy road for the Warriors and Coach Aaron Marshall.
It was a four year project for Southfield Arts and Tech that a lot of ups and a lot of downs. They have had constant battles with Clarkston, West Bloomfield, Groves, Harper Woods, and others.
Then came Sunday night.
Belleville, the top team in the State, ranked in the nation, had a 38 game winning streak, and has the best quarterback in the State as a junior.
It didn’t phase them
The Warriors stunned Belleville 36-32 on Sunday night in the Division One State Finals.
Southfield Arts and Tech has a very proven senior heavy class. They’ve been through the battles. The moment did not phase them.
It wasn’t just Isiah Marshall who was spectator despite throwing two picks. The offensive line controlled the game all game long. The running game was great and the passing game was outstanding.
The defense was fantastic. They limited Bryce Underwood and made timely plays when they needed it. Southfield Arts and Tech defensive lineman Reggie Gardner played a man possessed. He caused Underwood to throw the ball.
Isiah Marshall had to be the best player on Sunday night.
And he was.
The hype he had in seventh grade, he lived up to it but it wasn’t just him.
It was the entire team.
The game plan was perfect, the Warriors had to control tempo and strike first, which they did with a Mathias Davis four yard touchdown for a 6-0 lead.
The Tigers answered but the Warriors didn’t blink.
Davis answered again behind a great attack from the offensive line giving Southfield Arts and Tech a 12-7 lead.
The Warriors defense held again holding the high octane Belleville offense to three points. They started to get some confidence.
They got another score from Marshall to Tashi Braceful late in the half stunning media pundits across the State and they were five yards away from getting another score but settled for a 20-10 lead at the half.
Southfield Arts and Tech got another defensive stop then the offense went to work with Marshall connecting with Xavier Bowman for a 19 yard touchdown sending media experts into a shock with the Warriors up 28-10 in the third quarter.
The Warriors knew Belleville was going to make a rally and they did. They had a 50 yard passing touchdown to make it 28-18 and then Southfield Arts and Tech went for it on fourth and two but didn’t get it at mid field which led to another Belleville score. Then Marshall threw his second interception of the night which set up the Tigers third score.
Then all of a sudden it was 32-28 Belleville.
So many teams across the State would panic after blowing a 28-10 lead. The Tigers had all the momentum and they went through Saline, Northville, and Davison and beat them handily.
So many people in the media thought this game would be over right???
WRONG
The Warriors have been here before. Everything they have been through, the painful losses. The loss to West Bloomfield this season but they’ve been here before.
Last week against the Lakers in the Division One State Semifinals it was a very similar story.
They didn’t panic.
Marshall ran the ball on the quarterback draw at the Belleville 10 yard line and behind that very good offensive line ran to his right and went through three Tigers to give his team the 36-32 lead with 47 seconds left in the game.
Dorian Freeman will forever be in the history books at Southfield Arts and Tech as the one who picked off Underwood but it was Gardner who pressured him to throw that arrant throw sealing their first ever State title.
Belleville had won 38 straight games, Underwood had never lost a high school game at quarterback.
That all changed on Sunday night.
It wasn’t just Marshall it was the entire team and community that stood out on Sunday night at Ford Field.