Howell hangs on to punch first regional ticket in over a decade

With a massive tailgate cheering on their state-title hopefuls, Howell held on Friday to beat an upset-minded Brighton 35-33 in the district final.

The two high-powered offenses traded shots throughout the first half, lighting up the scoreboard in what promised from the start to be an intense battle.

Howell, one of the state’s top-ranked teams, especially after defeating Belleville in the regular-season finale, took a slender 28-20 lead into halftime.

Brighton won the third-quarter battle, holding Howell scoreless while crawling to within two of the lead entering the final quarter, now trailing just 28-26.

Howell, sporting Packers colors of green and yellow, might have thought they were playing at Lambeau Field Friday night with raucous support for their team.

Both teams fought until the very end, but Howell survived the scare to advance to regionals for the first time since 2010.