Bryce Underwood scores six touchdowns as Belleville shuts out Northville
BELLEVILLE, MICHIGAN -- As cloudy skies mixed with light rain showers covered Belleville High School, a top-10 showdown was the light of the night as No. 1 Belleville (9-0) defeated No. 8 Northville (8-1) 42-0 in a battle of the undefeated.
The first half was all Belleville as junior quarterback Bryce Underwood opened the game with two scores on the ground to give the Tigers a 14-0 lead with three minutes, 53 seconds left in the second quarter.
Underwood would then get it done through the air with two more touchdowns. He found senior Joseph Stephens III followed by senior Jalen Johnson to lead Belleville into halftime with a 28-0 lead.
The second half wasn’t much of a different story as Underwood connected with senior Kevin Simes to extend the lead, 35-0, followed by another passing touchdown to junior Marquis Peoples Jr. to close out the Mustangs and improve the Tigers to 9-0 on the season.
Here are three takeaways from the game:
Bryce Underwood is going to Bryce Underwood
It was nothing new for the top quarterback in the nation for the class of 2025, as he continued to display his generational talent en route to leading the Tigers over the Mustangs.
“Northville was very aggressive and prepared well; I could tell they picked up on some of our calls,” Underwood said. “They are a great team to go against. We just came this week working hard and came out on top.”
Underwood finished the first half of play with four total touchdowns as he would run for two and throw for two more, giving the Tigers a demanding 28-0 lead heading into halftime.
He then added two more in the second half with two passing touchdowns to bring his total to six on the night.
“We just have to be 1-0 every week now,” Underwood said. “Just focus on the little stuff so they don’t become big problems, that's our main focus.”
The five-star quarterback just recently traveled to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to visit head coach Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers.
“It was a great experience for being my first SEC game ever,” Underwood said. “They showed me a good time, it was a great vibe.”
Belleville’s defense makes a case for best in the state
The Tigers' defense displayed another strong showing on Friday night as they did not allow a single score from the Northville Mustangs.
It was the third consecutive week that Belleville has notched a shutout, and it marked its fifth shutout on the year so far.
Through nine games this season, the Tigers' defense has only allowed 46 total points scored on them from opponents.
“My defense and defensive coordinator just gets better and better every week,” Underwood said. “When you have that, they rely on you to put the points on the board.”
The attack of the Tigers
The depth of the Tigers is real, especially on offense. Their versatility in getting guys involved and the talent that stands with the Tigers could very well lead them right back to Ford Field this year.
“Being able to show that we have multiple weapons, teams can’t prepare for that,” Underwood said. “It’s such a great thing to have.”
Belleville’s top targets on the outside this year have been junior Adrian Walker Jr. and Kevin Simes, but tonight multiple others got their time to shine.
Stephens III, Johnson, and Peoples Jr. each caught a touchdown catch on the night to help spark the Tigers’ offense to a dominating 42-0 win.
