Your whole life, you have been training for a championship. Training for a chance to compete at the highest level of high school sports. After watching the seniors of last year lead the program to its first district title since 2008, you are looking to take charge for a championship that you can call your own.
And then the buzzer sounds. The fragile glass of the dream shatters.
The last week of February provides memories of a lifetime for boys basketball players across the state. Every high school is invited to districts as part of the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) tournament, with each district champion receiving a berth into the main bracket of 32 teams. As has been the case for the last few years, Brighton competed for said berth in a district consisting of Hartland, Howell, Fenton and Milford. On Feb. 23, 2026, Milford advanced past Fenton in the district play-in, 54-32, before losing 31-47 in the semifinals against top-seeded Hartland on Wednesday. With Fenton hosting all 13 district tournament games, Brighton and Howell began warmups on the same court just minutes after Hartland’s win over the Mavericks, with the schools now battling for the right to face the Hartland squad during the championship on Friday.
Intense would be an understatement for the contest that ensued. The teams went back and forth for most of the game, with Howell’s senior Daniel Hampton and sophomore Avery Livermore putting up a combined twenty-five points. However, BHS senior Dylan Edgeworth made plays late, posting 20 points and five rebounds throughout the night as the Bulldogs pulled away for a 47-36 victory.
Following the dramatic win, Edgeworth said the locker room was pumped for a chance to take districts in back-to-back years.
“Going off a hot game [against] Howell, we definitely had strong passion coming in,” he said.
While Hartland was down their star senior Parker Sundman due to injury, the Eagles were favorites to move on to regionals with their experienced guard play.
“We had already played them twice and split. Especially us being seniors, and that’d be the last time we play them, we definitely wanted to get that edge over them and finish it off two to one,” Edgeworth said.
The game started off well for Brighton. They jumped out to an early lead, carrying a four-point advantage into halftime. However, Hartland was not going to lay down easily. Despite a six-point deficit as the third quarter turned to the fourth, the Eagles began to heat up. A transition pass from junior Zane King led to a dunk by senior Kane Meyer, boosting their momentum. Then, after a controversial foul call on a John Eichburg three-point shot, Brighton received a technical foul that led to a slew of free throws for Hartland. Finally, with the Bulldogs clutching to a one-point advantage with under a minute left, senior Brody DeLaBarre scored his first points of the night, intercepting an inbounds pass and taking it coast to coast for his team’s first lead of the game.
Brighton ultimately had one more chance, with the team taking their last timeout down two with eight seconds left. On the inbounds pass, the ball entered play cleanly, but a tenacious Hartland defense ended up forcing a tough three at the buzzer, and Brighton Senior Ty Langenderfer’s desperation heave rolled in and out of the cup. Hartland completed the comeback, 43-41.
Edgeworth would put up another impressive statline for the Bulldogs, leading the team with five rebounds and sitting just behind sophomore Isaac Gardener’s eleven points with ten of his own. Reflecting on the chaotic contest, he praised the fans and student section for making the trek to Fenton, mentioning that it “felt awesome seeing everyone come out to support [them].” Looking at the week as a whole, he said he’ll “remember it as ‘don’t take anything for granted.’”
“It sounds very common, but just really looking back towards the season, [you think] about things you could do better and areas you could correct,” he added.
Still, though, with his career having come to a close, he said he’s “just grateful for all the moments [they] had as a team.”
