The Brandon Blackhawks will host the Goodrich Martians at 7 p.m., Aug. 30.  The rivalry game will feature special ‘Never Quit’ football jerseys for both teams to honor Oakland County Deputy Eric Overall.  Photo by Patrick McAbee. 

By David Fleet
Editor
It’s on again.
After a year hiatus old rivals will meet again as the Goodrich Martians visit the Brandon Blackhawks at 7 p.m., Aug. 30 at Brandon Blackhawk Stadium. The game will honor Deputy Eric Overall and other emergency personnel and first responders who bravely and actively work to serve and protect our communities. All retired police officers, firefighters, paramedics, EMTs and any other emergency personnel are encouraged to attend this game.
To honor Deputy Overall, both teams will be wearing special cause uniforms. Overall, who served as a Brandon School liaison officer and in Brandon Township was killed in the line of duty on Thanksgiving 2017. All proceeds from the event will be going into a scholarship fund in Deputy Overall’s name.
“It’s more than football this year,” said Blackhawk Head Coach Brad Zube now in his third season. “It’s exciting to be part of the rivalry and next year it’s going to be a league game.  We are going to play this game with a neighboring community whom we have 100 percent respect for and care about. Let’s honor Overall and all the emergency personnel and make it a special night. Of course we want to win but we are a tight knit communities with mutual respect for each other.”
The Brandon-Goodrich game will become a yearly event as beginning in 2019 the Martian will now be one of the 12 Flint Metro League teams which include the Blackhawks.
According to the Michigan High School Historical Game-by-Game results, the Brandon-Goodrich rivalry dates back to 1952 and continued until 1992. In 2014 the rivalry was rekindled as the Martians won 33-7. Then in 2015 Zach Clements hit the game winning 37 yard field goal propelling the Blackhawks to a 11-10 victory over the Martians. It was the first win for the Blackhawks since 1986 and narrowed the overall series to 30-12 in favor of Goodrich. Then in 2016 Blackhawk Kevin Bickett raced for four touchdowns as the Blackhawks topped the Martins 35-14 at a packed Roy U Stacey Stadium in Goodrich. The win was the second straight for the Blackhawks over the Martians and was the debut for new coach Brad Zube.
“It’s a big game no doubt,” said Martian Head Coach Tom Alward, now in his 27th season. “They are like our cousins who we’ll now play each season. We are looking forward to getting the Milk Can Cup back this year. We are 1-2 with Goodrich and we need to get back to .500 this year. There’s plenty of interaction with the students during the school year and it’s a battle for bragging rights. Brandon is class organization and very well coached—the game is exciting for everyone.’
For three out of the past four years the Blackhawks have kept the Milk Can Cup trophy awarded to the winner of the rivalry. The can was donated by Brandon Township’s Cook’s Farm Dairy and is a symbol of both communities’ rich farming tradition. Each year the score and date are etched on the cup, with the winning team keeping the cup until the next season.