Fordson football holds off Livonia Churchill w/ PHOTO GALLERY
The Fordson football program returned to game action on Friday night looking to right the ship.
Hoping to avoid their first 1-5 start since 1965, the Tractors trekked over to Livonia Churchill, which entered the matchup with an identical 1-4 mark and riding a four-game losing skid.
It was a back-and-forth battle but a late touchdown in the final seconds propelled Fordson to the 31-28 victory over the host Chargers.
The win for Fordson (2-4, 2-3 KLAA East) snapped a two-game losing skid and upped the team’s head-to-head record vs Churchill to 5-0 since joining the Kensington Lakes Activities Association in 2018.
"To be honest, we all know that this has not been a typical year for us," Fordson coach Fouad' Zaban said. "I'm just so proud of the perseverance that they showed today, they just kept fighting through it."
Both teams put up a zero in the opening quarter, though Churchill did miss a 27-yard field goal in the final seconds. The home team did draw first blood, however, midway through the second. Fordson countered with a touchdown of its own on the ensuing drive, setting off a seesaw affair.
Every time the Chargers put up a score, Fordson tied it back up. The teams alternated the first six touchdowns of the game, a stretch that extended into the early stages of the fourth quarter. The capper of the six-score pendulum swing between both sides was an 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Fordson's Ahmed Harb, evening things up at 21-21.
Harb had a rushing touchdown in the third quarter, as well, the only score for either side in that stanza. Hassan Shinawah also punched one in on the ground for the locals.
After the Harb kickoff return score, Fordson then forced a Churchill three-and-out to get the ball back. The Tractors were able to navigate downfield and into scoring position, ultimately settling for a Hassan Tlays field goal from 32 yards out, making it a 24-21 Fordson lead.
A few hours earlier, Tlays had suited up for the Tractors’ soccer team, which defeated Livonia Stevenson 2-0 to earn at least a share of the KLAA East title and a spot in the KLAA Championship Game on Oct. 10. Tlays was also a perfect 4-for-4 on his point-after tries.
It appeared the field goal was good enough for Fordson. Churchill, however, needed just two minutes and change to go down and reclaim the lead on what was Jonathon Lytle-Montgomery's second rushing touchdown of the game.
Lytle-Montgomery and Messiah Amerson each had two scores on the ground for the hosts. Churchill however was slapped with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the touchdown. That plus a kickoff out of bounds set up Fordson with a short field and just under 90 seconds to answer.
Despite committing multiple penalties on the drive that negated positive plays, a Mahdi Jaber pass and a Shinawah catch-and-run set up Fordson with a goal-to-go situation. Two plays later, Jaber lobbed it up to Mstafa Aljanaby in the back of the end zone for the game-winner with 18 seconds to go.
"We were making the mistakes for us to have to fight through those mistakes," Zaban said. "That has really been our big downfall this year. I know we're young but that is no excuse. Limiting mistakes is definitely the one thing we have to improve on. It's been so hard, we haven't quite gotten over that yet."
Churchill had one last gasp, a long bomb from about midfield. Chargers quarterback Evan Snead's pass made it to the goal line but the ball was batted down, securing the win for Fordson.
"Our defensive staff tried to figure some things out and made some changes," Zaban said. "We got guys banged up and guys not playing. But this is football and those things happen. You have to make adjustments. I'm proud of the coaches and proud of the kids.
"Last week (against Belleville), we got destroyed. But I felt that they still played hard. Ultimately we were just outmatched and outcoached. But from game one, we've killed ourselves with penalties. We have not played complementary football all season. But I would say that, in some portions today, we did play complementary football."
It won’t get any easier for the locals, as they will visit unbeaten Livonia Franklin next week and then face rival Dearborn High, which is having a strong season.
Zaban knows it will be a stiff challenge but if anything, he knows Friday's win should give his team an extra boost of energy.
"I think it's more confidence for the kids," Zaban said. "It's coming in with extra confidence and trying to build on this win. This is probably one of the better Franklin teams I've seen in a while. (Franklin coach Chris Kelbert) does such a great job, I have a ton of respect for him. He always has that engine going for them."
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