Brighton — The players didn’t need to be reminded of the routine as the sun beat down at Brighton’s stadium.
At 3:15 p.m. on the dot, the collection of high school football players who, just minutes ago, were scattered around the end zone chitchatting before the opening practice, marshaled themselves into a neat rectangle near the goal line.
Heat haze rose from the almost-brand-new turf at Brighton’s stadium (it’s only been down for a matter of weeks) as players’ faces hid behind black facemasks and white helmets. All that differentiated them were orange practice jerseys for offense and gray for defense. One thing was clear: The 2026 football season has arrived.
“This is a wonderful time, man,” Brighton head coach Brian Lemons said. “Everything leading up to this point is as exciting as all get out.”
After a brief warmup, Lemons gathered the players at the orange Bulldog logo at midfield for a knee, briefly addressing them as Brighton dives in fully to the 2026 season.
Then they moved quickly into drills, with Lemons coaching up the linebackers on some coverage rules, including not allowing free releases for inside routes against them.
“Can’t let ‘em run an inside route on us!” Lemons said as he barked directions for the drill.
It’s a meaningful season for Brighton — and all teams in the Kensington Lakes Athletic Association — as the league will shutter following the 2026-27 academic year.
Brighton finished as runners-up to Howell in the KLAA West division in 2025, with both teams going 6-1 in the league but Howell prevailing head-to-head.
“I think everybody’s trying to leave that last lasting imprint on the league, you know?” Lemons said. “This is the last chance for us all to be together. Luckily enough, some of us that have been playing each other for a few years, we’re gonna continue to play each other in the new league. But we’re gonna ride this season out and take care of business, and hopefully, at the end, we’ll have a nice memory of what it was.”
Brighton’s ticket to competing in the KLAA and making some noise in 2026 likely lies on the offensive side, particularly in the run game and on the offensive line.
And it’s ultimately the mix of juniors who played extensively as sophomores in 2025 — running back Dom Nauss, wide receiver Jamo Parsell and quarterback Dom D’Agosta, among them — and a strong crop of seniors led by the likes of Michigan State offensive tackle commit Jack Carlson that has Lemons excited about this Brighton team’s ceiling.
“We had 10 sophomores that spent a considerable amount of time on the field last year and our senior group this year is really seasoned,” Lemons said. “And they spend a lot of time working and put all kinds of effort into getting ready for the season. So the mix of those two groups together, it’s gonna be really good.”
Andrew Graham is a freelance writer.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Brighton football has big hopes behind ‘seasoned’ upperclassmen
Reporting by Andrew Graham, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Andrew Graham, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
