Southfield A&T football on the right track, falls in district finals

SOUTHFIELD — Southfield A&T’s season may be over, but there’s a lot to be excited about heading into the 2023 season.

The team headed into the district finals championship Nov. 5, hosting Cass Tech in a rematch of the week one scoring barrage that ended in a 56-54 Southfield A&T win.

They earned a trip to the district finals after a dominating 58-0 win over Troy High School in the pre-districts.

Junior quarterback Isaiah Marshall continued his regular season dominance, throwing for two touchdowns and rushing for two as well in the win against Troy. Junior wide receivers Jawon Jarrett and Xavi Bowman each tallied a touchdown catch in the win.

With a senior-heavy group and a healthy number of juniors, Isaiah Marshall said the team’s ability to work together was key to the team’s success this season.

“I think we’re all on the same page,” Marshall said. “I’ve been playing with these guys since we were little, so we’re all on the same page.”

Marshall tallied eight total touchdowns (six passing and two rushing) and over 450 total yards in their first meeting with Cass Tech, and was electric once more. He opened up the scoring, giving Southfield A&T a 7-0 lead on a 22-yard touchdown run.

Southfield A&T coach Aaron Marshall said Marshall’s dual-threat ability was explosive for the offense all year.

“He drops back to pass, and everything is covered, and then he’s not covered; he’s not taking off for 3 or 4 yards, but 50-60 yards at a time,” Marshall said. “It’s a nightmare for teams to have someone like that.”

Cass Tech would tally two scores to take a 13-7 lead, but Marshall shined again on a 4-yard touchdown run to give Southfield A&T a 14-13 lead.

Unfortunately, the team’s scoring would stop there as Cass Tech would score 12 unanswered points en route to a 25-14 win.

While the result wasn’t in Southfield A&T’s favor, their eight wins this season was the team’s highest win total since 2016. They were previously 16-27 since 2017, with their highest win totals being four wins in 2017 and four in 2019.

Behind their offensive firepower and strong defensive core, Southfield A&T has rejuvenated the program into a team that should be considered a playoff threat each year.

“The great part about that is they’re very coachable,” Marshall said. “They believe in our coaching staff who have that playoff experience, and they’ve really bought in.”

Marshall had a stellar season under center for Southfield A&T, throwing for 2,464 yards and 27 touchdowns while adding 1,050 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.

Jarrett, who will also return next season, was the primary receiving threat for Southfield A&T, accounting for 1,252 yards and 14 touchdowns on the year.

While Marshall and Jarrett headline the returning group in 2023, juniors Jalen Todd (CB), Tashi Braceful (WR) and Parker Kennedy III (WR) will look to make significant impacts as seniors leaders next season.

With the returning talent and momentum from this year’s success, look for Southfield A&T to mirror this season’s success in 2023.

“This year we kind of gave them (the community) something to be excited about, so we’re really happy they’re excited,” Marshall said.