The difference between the boys’ basketball teams at Brighton and Hartland during a titillating Division I district final Friday night may have been the missed three-point shot taken by Brighton that danced a tantalizing strip tease across the front of the rim in the dying seconds before finally falling harmlessly to the ground.
Hartland coach Kevin Blouin said silently to himself “Thank God.”
One of his forwards John Eichburg had a thought of his own: “I’m getting that rebound.”
In the aftermath of the missed shot Hartland faithful swarmed the court and embraced the Eagles who survived a fire and brimstone 43-41 victory over Brighton.
Maybe the difference between Hartland and Brighton was a steal and layup by Hartland guard Brody DeLaBarre who turned a one-point deficit into a 42-41 Hartland lead with 0:44 remaining in the game.
Whatever the difference, it was razor thin. They battled for 96 minutes over three games to determine who was the superior team between the two.
For newcomers to this rivalry this was a high intensity, hang on to your britches and grab your chest Bulldog-Eagles encounter. For players and coaches, it was business as usual in a game filled with expected twists and turns. This is simply what Hartland and Brighton do when they battle on the court.
“It was a battle all the way,” Hartland coach Kevin Blouin said. “We sort of took one step forward and two steps backwards until the very end. I am proud of our kids’ toughness. We didn’t do everything well tonight. We did things well enough. So did Brighton. They are a good team and they are well coached. We respect them immensely.”
Hartland (20-4) wrestled the district title from Brighton (16-8) who won this district title a year ago. The Eagles advance to the Division I regional semifinals against Canton (15-8), a team that finished third in the KLAA West behind champion Hartland and second place Brighton.
Things did not begin well for the Eagles. Their star player Parker Sundman pumped fists with teammates while wearing a blue Hartland sweater. It would be his 16th game missed because of an ACL injury. After Sundman sent his guys out, they immediately fell behind 8-1
Hartland kept chipping away at the lead and finally tied the game, 26-26, with 4:15 remaining in the third quarter. Brighton pulled ahead by three points. Hartland countered with a three-point bucket by Essenmacher (14 points). But Brighton freshman guard Austen Suardini fired a neat pass to junior Nathan Stahl for a bucket and 38-36 Brighton lead.
Brighton center Dylan Edgeworth finished with 16 points, but had a rough go of it due to the defense of Eichburg and Layne Broker.
“For me it's don’t do too much,” Eichburg said. “Make the smart, easy plays.”