KLAA Season Recap

The High School Football Regular Season is over, and the KLAA was arguably the most entertaining conference to follow all season. Both the KLAA East and West produced some amazing games, some amazing programs, and amazing athletes. This conference is near the top of the list regarding recognition, and I think it's in the "Big 4" Conferences being the OAA, OK, MAC, and KLAA.   Final Standings   EAST   1. Belleville (7-0)   2. Livonia Franklin (6-1)   3. Dearborn (5-2)   4. Stevenson (4-3)   5. Glenn (3-4)   6. Fordson (2-5)   7. Churchill (1-6)   8. Memorial (0-7)   WEST   <ol><li>Brighton (7-0)</li></ol>   2. Northville (6-1)   3. Novi (5-2)   4. Hartland (4-3)   T5. Canton (2-5)   T5. Howell (2-5)   T5. Plymouth (2-5)   8. Salem (0-7)   KLAA Championship   Belleville defeated Brighton 42-3   Team Notes   Belleville   This isn't just the team to beat in the KLAA, this is the team to beat in Division 1. Until another team proves otherwise, Belleville is the #1 team in Michigan. The D Zone had Brighton ranked 13th, but the Tigers absolutely demolished the Bulldogs. The program that's being built here is nothing short of incredible, and this dominance Belleville is enforcing is nothing short of spectacular. I think this is a better team than their State-Championship team last season, and although Division 1 is full of amazing programs, I have a hard time seeing anyone beating Belleville.   Brighton   Brighton should be incredibly proud of the season they've had, but to go very far in the postseason, they'll have to beat Belleville. This is a team full of talent, great coaching, and, well, money. This should be a strong program for a long time into the future, and I'm excited to see them progress further in the coming years. But now, the focus is on the playoffs, where they'll be going in as the #5 team in terms of playoff points.   Livonia Franklin   The more I watch of this team, the more I like them. Franklin is a legitimate state-championship contender in Division 2, and they've dominated the entire KLAA with the exception of Belleville. The strength of schedule is there, and the talent is there. Don't be surprised if you see this team at Ford Field, and don't be surprised if they demolish your favorite team in the postseason.   Northville   If just one game had some a little differently, we'd all have a different perception of Northville. This team lost to Brighton by just three points and is an overall well-above-average D1 team. This program has had its ups and downs, but I hope this "up" keeps on heading up. Watch for this team in the postseason, but again, they could face Belleville early, which won't end well.   Dearborn   It was a successful regular season for Dearborn, as they defeated Fordson for a second-straight season and ended on a 6-game winning streak. This is a team with a very good array of talent from different classes, so I think this team can be even better next year. But before them, they have the playoffs to worry about!   Novi   So far this season, Novi was the team that came so close but so far. They had a close win against Hartland, but got blown out by Brighton and didn't play great against Dearborn. This is a team that is full of seniors, so I'm curious to see how this team potentially rebounds heading into next season.   Stevenson   This was a team that won the games they were favored in but did not capitalize when they were the underdog. This program is sometimes sneaky-good, but not this year.   Hartland   Overall, a good season for Hartland! Now, I know they lost three games, but they lost to Brighton, Novi, and Northville by only 1 score. Although this is disappointing, they'll have a chance to make up for it in the postseason. I think this is a much better team than people give them credit for.   Glenn   Glenn only won three games this season, but they did win against Fordson and Churchill, which is something to be happy about. At least they improved from their 2-win record last season?   Canton   Nobody expected Canton to be so low before the season. I mean, they went 7-4 and beat Saline last season! I don't know what it was, but this team just didn't click this season. This is usually a very good program, and we'll have to see if they rebound.   Fordson   This may be the biggest surprise. Fordson was simply not the same team after losing guys like Antonio Gates. They had a big senior class last season, and it showed this season. This was an inexperienced team, but this is still a great, prideful program. Fordson will be back.   Howell   After 8 wins last season, 4-5 is a disappointment. They dominated the bottom half of the KLAA for the most part but struggled mightily against some of the top teams.   Churchill   Although 1-6 in the East, Churchill defeated Canton and Plymouth from the West. Still, this is a disappointing season for Churchill who went 8-3 with a playoff win last season.   Plymouth   This team didn't have many rights this season. A win against Canton always looks nice, but it was a big down year for them. They were also competitive against Fordson, which is also hopeful.   Memorial   What can I even say? This team scored 6 points in the first 6 weeks of the season. To be fair, they put up some points in the last three weeks, but they still weren't at all competitive in any game.   Salem   Their one win came against Memorial. Other than that, no competitiveness whatsoever.

The High School Football Regular Season is over, and the KLAA was arguably the most entertaining conference to follow all season. Both the KLAA East and West produced some amazing games, some amazing programs, and amazing athletes. This conference is near the top of the list regarding recognition, and I think it's in the "Big 4" Conferences being the OAA, OK, MAC, and KLAA.