By David Perry
Special to The Leader
After a statement win over rival Munford, the Brighton Lady Cardinals (11–6) entered Monday night’s matchup riding high on a three-game winning streak. Hosting the Lakeland Lions, one of the toughest programs in the area, Brighton knew it was in for a battle.
And a battle it was. Although the Lady Cardinals ultimately fell in straight sets, the scores reflected just how razor-thin the margins were. Lakeland claimed the opener 25–21, then squeaked out a nail-biter in the second, 26–24. Brighton fought to the very end in the third, rallying late before the Lions held on 25–23.
“We were proud of them for the way they fought—every set was close,” head coach John Garrett said.
Despite the loss, Garrett stressed that the effort and grit on display will serve his team well as they move forward. Brighton’s defense dug deep against Lakeland’s heavy hitters, and the Cardinals forced the Lions to earn every single point.
“We scheduled it because we knew it would be a tough out-of-conference game to help keep us sharp,” Garrett said.
While it goes down as a non-region loss, the matchup gave Brighton a valuable measuring stick against a playoff-caliber opponent.
“Sometimes the ball doesn’t go your way, but things are fixable,” Garrett added. “And it’s Monday—I told them I’m going to quit scheduling Monday games,” he joked.
Brighton won’t have long to dwell. The Lady Cardinals return to district play Wednesday against Houston before renewing their non-region rivalry with Covington on Thursday.
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