King Avenges Early Defeat to Reign Again
November 24, 2018
By Tom Kendra
Special for Second Half
DETROIT – Rematches are rare in high school football, especially for teams located on opposite sides of the state.
But Detroit Martin Luther King on Saturday got the chance to avenge a Week 2 loss at Muskegon, and star senior quarterback Dequan Finn and his talented supporting cast made the most of it.
Finn, a 6-foot-1,190-pound senior who has committed to sign with Central Michigan University, threw four touchdown passes and ran for another as the Crusaders’ offensive versatility was the difference in a 41-25 victory over previously unbeaten Muskegon in the Division 3 Final at Ford Field.
“So many great King teams have lost to Muskegon, and it felt great to be the first to beat them,” said Tyrone Spencer, who has two MHSAA titles and a Semifinal appearance in his three years as King’s head coach. “They are a great program with a rich tradition, and it feels good to beat them for a state championship.”
King (12-2) won its third Finals championship in four years, after claiming back-to-back Division 2 crowns in 2015 and 2016. The Crusaders have won four titles overall, with their first also in Division 2 in 2007.
Muskegon (13-1) was shooting for its seventh MHSAA title, but instead finished runner-up for the fifth time, and saw its state-best 27-game winning streak snapped.
The final championship game of the weekend was a matchup between arguably the two best quarterbacks in the state – and neither disappointed.
Muskegon junior Cameron Martinez (5-11, 190) was once again the workhorse for the Big Reds, carrying 37 times for 211 yards and two touchdowns. He completed only 1-of-4 passes, but that completion was good for a 13-yard touchdown to senior Ali’vonta Wallace.
Finn, meanwhile, was deadly with his arm and feet.
Finn completed 9-of-13 passes for 173 yards and the four scores, as his offensive line gave him plenty of time to pick apart the Muskegon secondary. He was also King’s second-leading rusher with 11 carries for 73 yards and another touchdown.
“I’m just happy with the whole team, the effort that we gave,” said Finn. “It’s a surreal moment right now. I’m lost for words.”
The quarterback matchup went back-and-forth for three quarters, and when Martinez plunged in from two yards out late in the third quarter to draw his team within 21-17, it appeared the stage was set for a fantastic finish.
Instead, King’s myriad offensive weapons overwhelmed Muskegon over the final 12 minutes.
Three players scored in the fourth quarter as the Crusaders pulled away – senior receiver Ahmad Gardner on a 22-yard pass from Finn, junior running back Peny Boone on a 52-yard run and senior receiver Darrell Wyatt on a three-yard pass from Finn that was nearly intercepted in the end zone.
“There were a lot of plays that could have been big for us, but there were dropped passes and a missed interception,” said Martinez, who finished his junior year with a school-record 2,527 rushing yards. “In a game like this, you can’t afford to make mistakes.”
Muskegon, which was playing in an MHSAA Finals game for the sixth time in seven years, got off to a great start.
The Big Reds forced a punt on King’s first possession, and despite taking over at their own 3-yard line, marched 97 yards in 13 plays behind their dominating offensive line. Martinez sprinted in from 10 yards out for a 7-0 lead.
Making openings for Martinez were four seniors up front – tackles Anthony Bradford (6-5, 360) and Evan Towers (6-4, 285) and guards Marquis Cooper (6-1, 330) and Da’Quarious Johnson (6-0, 260) – along with junior center DeAndre Mills-Ellis (6-0, 290).
King countered with the passing of Finn, who connected with senior wideout Dominick Polidore-Hannah on a pair of first-half touchdown passes covering 42 and 22 yards as the Crusaders took a 14-10 halftime lead.
The third quarter was even as Finn and Martinez each had scoring runs, but King’s athleticism prevailed over Muskegon’s size and strength during the final quarter.
“We won 27 games in a row, and you have no idea how remarkable that is,” Muskegon ninth-year head coach Shane Fairfield told his huddled team on the Ford Field turf afterwards. “It hurts and it should hurt, but we haven’t felt this in a while.”
Boone made Muskegon pay for spreading out to cover the pass, hammering his way for 111 yards on 14 carries. Gardner and Polidore-Hannah each caught three passes. Leading King defensively was junior free safety Joe Frazier with 11 tackles, sophomore safety Jaylen Reed and senior safety Ray Williams with 10 tackles apiece and senior linebacker Rich Miller with nine stops.
The victory was sweet revenge for the Crusaders and especially Finn. In the Week 2 meeting, he mishandled a snap with 35 seconds remaining. Muskegon’s Billie Roberts recovered the fumble, and the Big Reds held on for a 24-21 win at Hackley Stadium in Muskegon. They went on to be ranked No. 1 in Division 3 the entire regular season and heading into the playoffs
“Our kids didn’t have any quit in them,” Spencer said. “I told them to give more effort, and that’s what they did. We got some breaks tonight, but (Muskegon) had some breaks when we went to their place and played. It’s a part of the game, and I’ll take it all day. Our guys never quit, and I’m proud of them.”
Senior Demario Robinson was the second-leading rusher for the Big Reds with 47 yards on six carries, while senior Carlos Hernandez booted a 37-yard field goal on the final play of the first half. Wallace led the defense with seven tackles, junior linebacker Tarran Walker had six and senior defensive back Isaiah Moore made five stops.
Muskegon, the winningest team in state history with 844 victories over 124 years of football (dating back to 1895), beat Farmington Hills Harrison last year for the Division 3 title. The Big Reds also have lost twice to Birmingham Brother Rice (2012 and 2013), twice to Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (2014 and 2016) and now King in championship games.
Fairfield scheduled the regular-season game against King to help prepare his team for the type of athletes it might see at Ford Field. He did not expect to see King again, as the Crusaders have traditionally slotted into the Division 2 bracket. But a drop in enrollment put both teams in the same division – and on a collision course.
Both had to survive Pre-District playoff scares, as Muskegon edged East Grand Rapids by one score (42-35), while King beat River Rouge by just one point (7-6).
After that, both teams rolled over their next three opponents en route to Ford Field.
Saturday’s matchup was the second time the two schools have met in an MHSAA Finals game, with the first meeting in the Class A Final in 1989 at the Pontiac Silverdome. Muskegon, which is now 5-1 all-time against King, prevailed in that title game 16-13.
PHOTOS: (Top) Detroit Martin Luther King raises the Division 3 championship trophy Saturday night at Ford Field. (Middle) Crusaders defenders work to bring down a Muskegon ball carrier.
1st & Goal: 2022 Week 3 Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
September 9, 2022
With Labor Day behind us, all Michigan high schools are back in session – and just in time for league competition to begin for several conferences across the state.
League matchups make up most of our “games to watch” as we prep for Week 3, with the most intriguing from every region highlighted below.
Games are Friday unless noted. Click for the full schedule from MHSAA.com and check out the broadcast schedule from MHSAA.tv.
Bay & Thumb
Armada (2-0) at Croswell-Lexington (2-0)
The way this season has begun – and the way last season ended – makes this matchup look like a potential title-decider in the Blue Water Area Conference. Croswell-Lexington was last year champion, thanks in part to holding off co-runner-up Armada 30-14 in the final game on the league schedule. The Pioneers have outscored their first two opponents this fall by a combined 95-14, while Armada made a loud statement immediately with a 28-27 season-opening win over Marine City, last season’s Division 5 runner-up.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Marlette (2-0) at Ubly (2-0), Grand Blanc (1-1) at Saginaw Heritage (2-0), Traverse City Central (1-1) at Davison (1-1), Hemlock (1-1) at Millington (2-0).
Greater Detroit
Livonia Churchill (1-1) at Belleville (2-0)
Belleville is off to another strong start this fall coming off last season’s Division 1 championship. But tonight’s matchup could help the Tigers do one better this fall in their repeat attempt. Churchill last season won the Week 3 meeting 28-21, handing Belleville its first regular-season loss since 2016 and only loss of 2021. But the Chargers must bounce back quickly to make this game another classic after seeing a seven-game winning streak against Westland John Glenn end with a 21-20 loss last week.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Clarkston (1-1) at Rochester Adams (2-0), Utica Eisenhower (2-0) at Clinton Township Chippewa Valley (2-0), DeWitt (2-0) at Detroit Catholic Central (1-1), Warren Michigan Collegiate (2-0) at Detroit Country Day (2-0).
Mid-Michigan
Fowler (2-0) at Bath (2-0)
The Bees are off to their best start since 2017, already avenging one loss from when the team finished 2-7 a year ago. But this matchup could tell a lot more about where Bath is headed in 2022. The Bees fell to Fowler 47-14 last season and will be seeking to break a five-game losing streak to the Eagles. Fowler has opened with wins over 2021 playoff qualifiers Carson City-Crystal and Petersburg Summerfield, both by 20-plus points.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Saginaw Nouvel (2-0) at Ithaca (1-1), Fowlerville (1-1) at Mason (2-0), Pewamo-Westphalia (1-1) at Dansville (2-0), Durand (2-0) at Ovid-Elsie (1-1).
Northern Lower Peninsula
St. Ignace (2-0) at Frankfort (2-0)
The Saints own one of the best rebound stories of the early going after finishing 2-7 a year ago and winning one game in 2020. They’ve outscored their first opponents by a combined 74-6. Granted, both opponents are winless so far this season and were winless last year as well, but Frankfort will give St. Ignace a better idea how it measures up in what should be a super-competitive Northern Michigan Football League Legacy division. The Panthers have followed their best finish (6-4) since 2017 with a pair of big victories including last week over 2021 playoff qualifier Mancelona.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Mount Pleasant (2-0) at Cadillac (1-1), Boyne City (2-0) at Grayling (1-1), Charlevoix (2-0) at Mancelona (1-1), Bay City Western (1-1) at Traverse City West (1-1).
Southeast & Border
Napoleon (2-0) at Manchester (2-0), Saturday
This Saturday showdown presents some interesting possibilities as both look to rise in the Cascades Conference. Napoleon was a contender into October last season before losing the final two games on the league schedule, but was in play in part thanks to a 20-18 win over Manchester in Week 3. The Flying Dutchmen have factored into the race a couple of times since their league title season of 2015, and edged reigning Cascades champion Addison 29-26 last week to re-enter the mix.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Grosse Ile (2-0) at Milan (1-1), Hanover-Horton (1-1) at Addison (1-1), Hastings (1-1) at Jackson Lumen Christi (0-2), Centreville (1-1) at Sand Creek (1-1).
Southwest Corridor
Lawton (2-0) at Constantine (1-1)
Lawton is off to another solid start coming off last season’s run to the Division 7 championship game, and additionally the Blue Devils have won 12 straight regular-season games and 25 of their last 26. All but two of those 25 wins were by double digits – with the lone loss to Schoolcraft in 2020 – but Lawton also hasn’t played Constantine since 2017. The Falcons saw their 15-game regular-season winning streak end with a 22-20 loss to reigning Division 8 champion Hudson last week. Before that, no regular-season opponent had come within single digits of catching Constantine since the second game of 2020.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Schoolcraft (2-0) at Kalamazoo United (2-0), Battle Creek Lakeview (1-0) at Portage Central (0-2), Plainwell (2-0) at Sturgis (1-1), Allegan (2-0) at Berrien Springs (2-0).
Upper Peninsula
Gladstone (2-0) at Menominee (1-1)
The Maroons regained the Great Northern Conference title last season, sharing it with Kingsford, but earned that claim also because they were able to survive a 35-34 challenge from Gladstone. Menominee has won three straight in this series, but is coming off a rough outing last week against an opponent from Illinois. Gladstone, meanwhile, is off to its third 2-0 start in four seasons but looking to get to 3-0 for the first time since 2017. There’s a little more reason for excitement this time though – both of those first two wins came against 2021 league champions.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Houghton (2-0) at Iron Mountain (1-1), Cheboygan (1-1) at Sault Ste. Marie (2-0), Ishpeming Westwood (0-2) at Calumet (0-2). SATURDAY Gaylord (2-0) at Marquette (0-2).
West Michigan
Zeeland East (0-2) at Zeeland West (2-0)
On first glance, this might not seem like much more than the next chapter in a rivalry. But there is some near-uniqueness to this rivalry – it’s one of the few in Michigan where the schools are next door to each other. West has won the last four meetings, including a matchup during the 2019 playoffs, and has rocketed to wins over Stevensville Lakeshore and Cedar Springs – two playoff teams from last season. East’s losses, however, also have come to 2021 playoff qualifiers – Williamston and Spring Lake – and the Chix lost to the Lakers by just seven points.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (2-0) at Byron Center (1-1), East Kentwood (1-1) at Grand Haven (1-1), Grand Rapids West Catholic (2-0) at Spring Lake (1-1), Ludington (2-0) at Fremont (2-0).
8-Player
Lake Linden-Hubbell (2-0) at Norway (2-0)
Two-time reigning Division 2 champion Powers North Central has set the pace lately in the Great Lakes Conference West. But the league is full of contenders. The Jets are ranked No. 1 this week, but Crystal Falls Forest Park is No. 3, Lake Linden-Hubbell is No. 5 and Norway could make its way into the Division 1 top 10 with a win over the Lakes. The Knights won last season’s meeting 30-8 and have opened this fall outscoring its first two opponents by a combined 102-12. Lake Linde-Hubbell’s margin is a similar 119-30.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Adrian Lenawee Christian (2-0) at Pittsford (2-0), Bridgman (2-0) at Mendon (1-1), Merrill (2-0) at Fulton (1-1). SATURDAY Marion (2-0) at Mesick (2-0).
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PHOTO: A trio of Muskegon defenders bring down an East Kentwood ball carrier during the Big Reds’ 20-14 season-opening win. (Photo by Tim Reilly.)