EAST KENTWOOD, Mich -- It was a superb matchup on paper and Saturday's game between Brighton and East Kentwood lived up to that expectation. It was Kionte Blakely getting the Falcons on the board in the first quarter to tie it up. East Kentwood would trail by as many as fourteen in the second quarter until Kyle Dent found Stephan Bracey for an 85 yard touchdown strike, the game would be tied at 28 going into intermission.
In the second half, just three points were scored and it was Falcon kicker Christian Tanner connection on the 37 yard field goal. Brighton would miss an attempt to tie it late in the fourth quarter as the Falcons advance, 31-28.
"It's amazing," East Kentwood head coach Tony Kimbrough said, "This group of seniors is a special group. They're really a tight knit group, family oriented, we have each other's back and to have one more week with these guys is just amazing, it's a blessing."
Meanwhile, Falcon senior Stephan Bracey spoke about his crucial catch in the second quarter that got the momentum rolling.
"It low-key felt like it was slow motion so I had to maintain focus and have good concentration," Bracey said, "eventually the ball bobbled into my hands and I just secured it. I didn't even feel my heartbeat, it was crazy but once I caught it, it was a big relief."
East Kentwood will play for the district championship next week on the road at Saline.
