Stars Shine as Belleville defends D1 Championship
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The Belleville Tigers have defended the most difficult title in Michigan. The Division 1 Championship game had all the big offensive plays, defensive plays, and star power you could ever ask for. This was a true best-in-the-East vs. Best-in-the-West matchup…
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Continue ReadingThe Belleville Tigers have defended the most difficult title in Michigan. The Division 1 Championship game had all the big offensive plays, defensive plays, and star power you could ever ask for. This was a true best-in-the-East vs. Best-in-the-West matchup that should be remembered for a long time. The season should be celebrated for both programs, and the offseason officially begins. Now, enjoy this detailed review of the Divison 1 State Championship!
Box Score
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | FINAL | |
Caledonia | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
Belleville | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
Players of the Game
QB | Bryce Underwood Bryce Underwood 6'3" | 205 lbs | QB Belleville | 2025 State MI | Belleville | 2025
Underwood showed us why he’s in the running for #1 Quarterback in the country. He was lights-out today, and extremely clutch. He did miss on some balls in the 1st-quarter, but he settled in and played one heck of a game. He seemed to get better and better as the game went on, and Caledonia had no answers for him. Underwood’s processing, footwork, IQ, accuracy, etc are already elite, and he’s surely grown in multiple areas over the past year.
Stats: 15/25, 155yds, 2TDs, 10 carries, 150 yds, 1TD
LB/TE/FB | Derek Pennington Jr. | Caledonia | 2024
Pennington is an unrelenting beast. It seemed like he was around the ball every play, either making a big hit or sprinting full-force toward contact. He’s tall and well-built, and it’s obvious he’s put in a ton of work in the weight room and with conditioning. This is a player I’ve been wanting to see all season, and now I’m surprised he doesn’t have more offers. Offensively, they threw it his way quite a bit, but most passes sailed high.
Stats: 5 solo, 0 assist (not accurate), 1 TFL, 1 FF, 2 rec, 31 yds
RB/LB | Jeremiah Beasley Jeremiah Beasley 6'2" | 200 lbs | LB Belleville | 2024 State MI | Belleville | 2024
Beasley was all over the field on offense and defense. Offensively, he was Belleville’s strongest runner. Defensively, he was the teams leading tackler and was crucial in closing the game out.
Stats: 4 rush, 57 yds, 1TD, 5 Solo, 2 Assist, 1 PBu
QB | Mason Mckenzie Mason Mckenzie 6'0" | 170 lbs | QB Caledonia | 2023 State MI | Caledonia | 2023
Mason didn’t overly impress me, but he ran the ball better than I thought he would. The three-star Qb ran hard, and he ran with subtle movements that gave him extra yards. He isn’t the most athletic guy, but he’s extremely efficient. The pass game was a bit more hit or miss. Early on, he was solid when he was asked to throw. He threw one interception at the goalline- it was tipped so a tad unlucky, then another INT when the team was in desperation mode. Some passes sailed high, a few were short, and some were pinpoint, but tight coverage knocked it away. All in all, Cal wouldn’t have had a sliver of a chance without Mason.
Stats: 6/18, 77yds, 0TD, 2INTs, 23 carries, 134 yds
1st
Belleville was stalled on their opening drive after a few costly errors. Multiple false starts, incompletions, and unsuccessfully running the ball forced Belleville to punt. Then, Caledonia drove right down the field and scored, making one heck of a statement. Belleville ran down the field and scored, tying the game, then Caledonia ended a promising drive with a goalline interception. This quarter was truly balanced, and I thought Caledonia came out the gate very strong. There were more than a few questionable penalties on Belleville, and Bryce Underwood Bryce Underwood 6'3" | 205 lbs | QB Belleville | 2025 State MI missed a few passes he usually connects with. Belleville receivers are getting open, and Cal rushing lanes are open against an elite front 7.
2nd
The second quarter shifted the momentum to Belleville a bit. The Tigers game up a touchdown on Cal’s first drive, but they were great the rest of the way. Cal turned the ball over on downs, then Belleville scored a great touchdown with less than 30 seconds with Bryce Underwood Bryce Underwood 6'3" | 205 lbs | QB Belleville | 2025 State MI leading the air attack. It’s also notable that Derek Pennington and Kevin Simes Kevin Simes 5'9" | 185 lbs | WR Belleville | 2024 State MI both got injured this quarter. Pennington returned, but Simes did not.
3rd
The third quarter started with a cheeky squib kick by Belleville, but Caledonia was able to set themselves up with excellent field position near midfield. It wasn’t for anything, as they quickly went three and out. Belleville also stalled on their next drive. Then, Cal got things going. They put together a nice drive, converting multiple 3rd downs and running the ball well. They had to settle for a field goal, but the Scots were happy to have a 17-14 lead. On the next drive, the Tigers got their offense clicking as well. They were able to lossen up the Cal defense a bit with the passing game, then hit paydirt with their longest run of the game; a 36-yarder by Jeremiah Beasley Jeremiah Beasley 6'2" | 200 lbs | LB Belleville | 2024 State MI . The quarter ended with Belleville leading 21-17. At his point, I’m thinking this is a much better game than I thought.
4th
Caldonia looked worn down in this quarter, and this is where Belleville pulled away. There were a few risks that Caledonia had to take, and they didn’t convert. Belleville took a few risks, and they converted on those. This quarter, the Tigers made plays, and The Scots did not. At the end, the score looked like the expected outcome. Still, I think Caledonia played a stronger game than Adams did last season.
Final Thoughts
For Caledonia, this championship run was incredible and will be celebrated. For a second-year coach to turn a mid-tier Wing T team into a championship-caliber spread team is extremely impressive, and Caledonia has the youth to make consistent runs in D1 or D2, and they’ll be the favorites to win the OK-Red next season.
Belleville is a bit more complicated moving forward. Of course, today’s game was coached by interim Head Coach DeJuan Rogers, as he fills in for Jermain Crowell. With a gigantic head coaching vacancy, DeJuan of course wants the job. If Belleville decides to hire him full-time, that’s yet to be determined. The drama surrounding the program didn’t seem to distract from a state title, but things could change as we head into the offseason.