General | August 30, 2024 | 18:23

Quarterback Bryce Underwood, the nation's No. 1 recruit for the Class of 2025, started his goal of a third high school championship Friday afternoon at the Xenith Prep Kickoff Classic at Wayne State's Tom Adams Field.

Underwood's 55-yard TD run with one minute, 18 seconds left was the winning score as the Tigers won 35-28.

Before taking a knee twice after Ray-Mond Smith Jr.'s interception to end the game Underwood, normally flinging the ball over the field, ran seven times for 177 yards, proving hard to tackle in the open field.

He had two touchdown passes, an interception and 90 yards passing.

"We have a lot of things to clean up,'' said Belleville coach Calvin Norman. I didn't think we got into a rhythm in the first half. We told the guys to get going. We had a lot of mistakes. We had a tough game here last year.''

Said Elijah Dotson, who had a big game on defense: "Bryce is a dawg. He's going to do whatever it takes to win. You didn't see the real Belleville today, but it's coming.''
Underwood's first TD of the season was a flip to Adrian Walker Jr., who swept left end for a 27-yard score to give the Tigers a 6-0 lead.

Aided by Tigers' penalties (personal foul and facemask), the Wolves marched to the Bellville eight where Griffin Boman took it in with 10:57 left in the first half to give Clarkston a 7-6 lead.

Walker's great punt return gave Belleville the ball on the Clarkston 28 with 4:15 left in the first half.

Clarkston pounded the ball against the Tigers, who kept getting in their own way with penalties and mistakes.

Scoring just six points in the first half, the high-powered offense was nonexistent.

After a good yelling from coach Calvin Norman, the Tigers came to life in the third quarter.

Andre Thomas Jr. returned the kickoff 45 yards and on the next play Underwood went 37 yards for a touchdown on a sweep to give the Tigers a 13-7 lead.
Clarkston fumbled on fourth with Dotson recovering at the Wolves 28.

Underwood hit Charles Britton III with a 14-yard score with 9:17 left in the third to make it 20-7.

Clarkston used a 65-yard pass from quarterback Alex Waszczenko to Benny Adams to set up Boman's three-yard TD run, trimming the deficit to 20-14. He finished wit 223 yards passing.

It didn't stay that way long with Thomas Jr. sprinting 80 yards untouched to give the Tigers a 28-14 lead after he ran in the two-point conversion.
Brayden Bower fumbled the punt with Belleville tackling him at the Wolves' 31.

Wasczcenko hit Adams for a 34-yard pass, setting up Lukas Boman's one-yard TD run to trim Belleville's lead to 28-20.

Underwood's feet were more effective than passing for the most part, rushing for 112 yards on his first four carries.

Clarkston made a crucial error on a Belleville fourth down at the Wolves 12 when they were called for an illegal substitution, giving the Tigers a first down at the five.
Smith fumbled at the three with Clarkston's T.J. Schafer recovering with 5:29 left.

 Hank Harnung beat a Tigers' defender on a fly route and raced 84-yard for a touchdown with 3:20 left.

Brady Beck threw a two-point conversion pass to Brody Roush to tie the game at 28-28 with 3:20 left.