DIVISION 1: Detroit Cass Tech rolls over Detroit Catholic Central
BY DAN STICKRADT
CORRESPONDENT
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
DETROIT — Speed kills.
And Detroit Cass Tech has plenty of it.
The top-ranked Technicians put that firmly on display Saturday afternoon at Ford Field, posting a resounding 49-20 victory over No. 2-ranked Novi Detroit Catholic Central in the Division 1 state finals in a battle of unbeatens.
It marked the fourth time in six seasons that Catholic Central has lost in the state championship game and third time to Cass Tech.
“I told them to just stay focused, the whole game, and that’s what we did,” said Cass Tech coach Thomas Wilcher. “We stayed with the game plan. We didn’t let the interception (returned for a touchdown) bother us. We just stayed focused.”
The Technicians trailed 14-7 in the second quarter before scoring 42 unanswered points over parts of the second, third and fourth quarters.
Catholic Central took a 14-7 lead with one second left in the first quarter when Jack Morris returned an interception 35 yards of the score.
That awoke a sleeping green giant in Cass Tech’s arsenal of weapons.
The Technicians — who captured state crowns in 2011 and 2012 and lost in 2015 — tied the game when Rodney Hall hooked up with Teone Allen for a 20-yard scoring toss.
Donovan Johnson put the Technicians up for good at 21-14 with a 60-yard touchdown run with 4:39 left in the second quarter.
“It’s different when you watch them film to when you actually see (their speed) on the field and realize how fast they really are,” sighed Catholic Central coach Tom Mach. “They are so quick at getting to the outside and getting the ball over (the top). They were the better football team today.”
Cass Tech opened up the second half with four more touchdown drives — Parker caught a 42-yard strike from Hall, Donovan Peoples-Jones hauled in a 49-yard pass from Hall, Donovan Johnson scored on a 2-yard plunge and Peoples-Jones caught a 13-yard stroke from Hall — to put the game well out of reach.
Hall finished 10-for-18 passing for 220 yards. Peoples-Jones had six catches for 118 yards, Allen added three catches for 60 yards and Johnson had six carries for 89 yards for Cass Tech.
“It feel great to win it in our last game,” said Peoples-Jones, whose team overcame the first-quarter interception. “We knew we had the speed and the guys that could catch the football.”
Allen opened the scoring for Cass Tech when he caught a 33-yard TD pass from Hall.
Catholic Central tied it at 7-7 when Isaac Darkangelo scored on a 1-yard run.
Nicholas Captatin was held in check with 85 yards on 12 carries. The Shamrocks had only 189 rushing yards and 18 passing yards.
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