The Division 2 Region 4 District 1 championship in the MHSAA Football State Playoffs featured a rematch of OAA White Division rivals. Oak Park, the division champion, defeated Southfield 24-18 in week 4 of the season. Both teams came into todays game beating two Detroit PSL teams. The Knights of Oak Park defeated Cody 35-20, while Southfield took down King 22-19. The game started with both teams struggling to move the ball on a cold night, resulting in a 0-0 tie at the end of the first quarter. But on the very first play of the second, Jeff Madison of Southfield took a pass from fellow senior QB Tre Walton for a td to give the Blue Jays a 6-0 lead. On Oak Park’s ensuing drive, the Knights drove all the way down to the Blue Jay one, but failed to put points up on the board. The final scoring of the half for either team came on a Malik Washington td run to tie the game at 6 heading into the lockers. The third quarter was very similar to the third. Both offenses struggled to find weakness’ in their opponents defenses, resulting in a tie to head to the final quarter of regulation. Southfield running back Gerald Gates powered in for the Jays to give them a twelve point advantage with 6 minutes remaining. But on Oak Park’s first play from scrimmage, Malik Washington scampered in from about 60 yards to tie the game at 12. Southfield had one last drive to try to win the game, but a Tre Walton pass intended for Brandon Bean was picked off in the end-zone to send the game into overtime. Oak Park got the ball to start overtime and scored on a controversal touchdown call that gave the Knights a 19-12 advantage. On Southfield’s turn, Oak Park stopped the Blue Jays inside the one yard line giving them the victory. Southfield ends their season with a record of 7-4 while the win gives Oak Park a 9-2 record. The Knights will travel to Wyandotte to take on the Bears Friday night for a chance to win a regional championship.
This Weekends Games
31 OctAfter the first round of the MHSAA State Playoffs, only two teams remain from the PSL. Those teams are East English Village and Cass Tech. Last week,The Village beat Marysville, while the Technecians took out Grosse Pointe South. This week we move onto the District Championship. The Bulldogs will travel to St. Clair to play on Saturday at 7:00 PM, while Cass Tech will return for a home game to battle the Pioneers of Dearborn High on Saturday as well with a 1:00 PM kickoff. These two teams could very well end up at Ford Field playing for MHSAA State Championships. Please show your support for these two teams in their journey for greatness.
Southfield 22 King 19
28 Oct
In a game where two teams meet in the opening week of the season, no one expects one team to beat another team twice in one season. But that was not the case for this pre-district contest between Southfield and King. This game was nail biter and no team in this game deserved to lose. The first quarter breezed by with both teams unable to put points on the board, but in the opening minutes of the 2nd quarter, Southfield qb Tre Walton scored on a td qb sneak to put the Blue Jays up 7-0. Later in the 2nd, Gerald Gates of Southfield scampered up the middle for a 30 yard td to put the Jays up 14-0. But the Crusaders would score on a Mycial Allen td to go into the lockers with a deficit of only seven. King would come out hot in the 2nd half. Avonte Maddox cut the Blue Jay lead to only one on a td run. Later in the 3rd, Northern Illinois recruit Mycial Allen hauled in a 77 yard td pass from Devaun Williams to give King the lead. That would be all the scoring for King the rest of the way. The Crusader defense did not allow a touchdown for the most of the 2nd half. But Southfield scored when they had to, on their last possession, Gerald Gates scored and Jeff Madison got the two to put Southfield on top by 3. King would drive all the way inside the Blue Jay 10, but a 4th down desperation pass from Devaun Williams would fall incomplete giving Southfield the win. King’s remarkable season finishes at 6-4, but not without a Detroit Public School League City Championship. The Blue Jays now move onto the district Championship to face Oak Park, winners of the OAA White Division. Who defeated Southfield 24-18 in week four of the season.
Game of the Week 10/26/12
26 OctMy game of the week selection usually takes place on Thursday, but for this week it will happen on a Friday. The game of the week for the first round of the MHSAA State Playoffs will feature a rematch of the Prep Kickoff Classic, with Martin Luther King leaving the City of Detroit to battle the Blue Jays of Southfield High School. If you remember the game back in August, the Crusaders had control for most of the game, but stalled in the fourth quarter due to their seven turnovers. The defense looked very good for MLK, only allowing a total of 21 points to a team that ended up beating perennial power Farmington Hill Harrison. Southfield’s offense is quite interesting from what we have seen from them in the years past. Their quarterback Tre Walton, a converted wide-receiver, lines up in the pistol with a running back in a three-point stance directly behind him. They will send a receiver in motion trying to create a triple option and try to take advantage of Walton’s running ability. If the Crusaders find a way to figure the offense out, they will most likely have no problems winning the game. But I am not convinced that after last weeks city championship performance, where they gave up 48 points to East English, they will be able to contain this potent Blue Jays Offense. Who needs to stop the ball when you score 51 points? That is what the Crusaders did last week. Devaun Williams was flawless connecting with Mycial Allen for two touchdowns. King also got production on special teams with Avonte returning a kickoff for 81 yards. This game will be a shootout. The Blue Jays will give the Crusaders a battle, but King will march on to the district final.
Southfield: 35 King: 42
Enjoy the first round everyone!
2012 MHSAA Playoff Teams from the PSL
23 OctCongratulations to all of the 2012 MHSAA State Playoff participants from the PSL. A good majority of the teams selected from the DPS could very well end up playing at Ford Field for the State Championships. Here are the six teams that qualified, their first round opponents and the start time for each game.
Cass Tech @ Grosse Pointe South (Friday 7:00 p.m.)
Cody @ Oak Park (Friday 6:00 p.m.)
King @ Southfield (Friday 4:30 p.m.)
Marysville @ East English Village (Friday 7:00 p.m.)
Central @ St. Clair (Saturday 7:00 p.m.)
Douglass @ Grosse Pointe University Ligget (Saturday 3:00 p.m.)
The Prep Ball Report 