Football season ends: Tigers fall short to West Bloomfield in OT, 35-34

By Bob Mytych
Independent Sports Writer
The Belleville High School Tiger football team came up one point shy in double overtime in the state semifinals and lost to West Bloomfield, 35-34, last Saturday at BHS.
In a winner-take-all final play, the Tigers opted to go for a 2-point conversion, following their turn in the second overtime stanza and needed to reach the endzone, which would’ve given them the victory.
The called play was a fake hand-off and a pass into the endzone which came up incomplete, giving the Lakers the victory and a trip to the state finals. Belleville finished the season at 10-1.
Belleville recovered a Laker fumble in between a pair of interceptions thrown by Tiger quarterback Christian Dhue-Reid but neither team would capitalize as the three turnovers took place midfield that didn’t benefit either team.
Trailing 7-0 at the half, the Tigers tied the game on their first possession of the second half and took a 13-7 lead into the fourth quarter, thanks to 54-yard run from Cameron Jones.
The two teams exchanged scoring drives before the Lakers tied the game 21-21 with 2:42 left in regulation. The Tigers did have a final chance to take the lead late with a 38-yard field goal attempt which was blocked at the line.
The first overtime session saw the Tigers start with a score and extra-point conversion, followed by the same result from West Bloomfield. In overtime, both teams got 4 downs to reach the endzone starting from the 10-yard line.
The next sequence of OT had the Laker offense up first this time, which proved successful with the Tigers getting their chance to tie the game on their series of downs. Belleville did respond with a touchdown but needed the extra point to take the game to a third round of overtime when they decided to go for the win with a two-point conversion attempt at 4th and goal, which would’ve ended the game, if successful.
The playoffs had been postponed several times because of coronavirus rules for high school athletics set by the state.