Detroit King football gave the reigning Public School League Blue champions a scare, but a key defensive stop and junior quarterback Donald Tabron II's play was just enough for Detroit Cass Tech.
No. 2 Cass Tech beat rival No. 6 King, 21-20, in the PSL Blue championship game on Friday, Oct. 16, at Ford Field in Detroit, stuffing a 2-point conversion that would have given King the lead late in the fourth quarter.
The win extends the Technicians’ streak over their city rivals to five games, gives them their fifth consecutive PSL title and keeps them undefeated after eight weeks of Michigan high school football, with one more week left before the MHSAA playoffs.
Down by seven points with less than five minutes to play, King orchestrated an 11-play, 55-yard drive that included two fourth-down conversions and an 11-yard touchdown run from running back Willie Walker to bring the Crusaders within one.
A false start penalty sent the Crusaders back five yards on the 2-point attempt. Interior pressure from the Technicians' defensive line forced King quarterback Amir Forris into an incompletion.
"I just wanted to get a timeout and get my guys composed, let their [defensive coaches] tell them what they needed to do to win the game," Cass Tech coach Marvin Rushing said about the defensive stop.
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Tabron, a junior who committed to Texas A&M before the season, finished 14-for-19 for 111 yards and two touchdowns, looking every bit like the top-rated quarterback the Technicians needed him to be Friday, even after a struggle-filled first half that included four consecutive scoreless drives.
Donald Tabron leads second-half comeback
Tabron's two touchdowns included the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter that gave Cass Tech its first lead of the game. And though he looked masterful in the second half, the win didn't come easy.
He found a wide-open Peyton Robinson for a 29-yard touchdown pass with 9:23 left in the fourth to give the Technicians a 21-14 lead, their first of the game. And as Robinson crossed the end zone for his second score, Tabron ran to the sidelines with his arms up and ready to celebrate.
"Just staying calm and collected," Tabron said. "I trusted my guys, Peyton, to go make a play. Our guys made plays today."
And considering how Cass Tech's defense rebounded while down in the second half, Tabron had every reason to be confident.
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With the game tied at 14, the Technicians forced a fumble on King receiver Ashton Snorden on King's first offensive play of the fourth. Cass defensive back Kaden Johnson recovered the ball on the King 33-yard line, which gave Tabron and the Cass offense a short field for their go-ahead possession.
Techinicians running back Julian Taylor, held to just 26 yards rushing in the first half, had started the fourth with a 5-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 14. That score was also set up by Tabron, who whirled through traffic and connected with Robinson on the run for a 25-yard completion that set up first-and-goal right before the third quarter ended.
It was one of several pro-looking plays for Tabron, who has every right to be called the best quarterback in Michigan and one of the best in the 2028 recruiting class.
Crusaders control first half
King got out to a 7-0 lead on a 10-play, 59-yard drive that included a fourth-down conversion, a 32-yard completion from Forris to receiver Jeremiah Sims and a drive-capping touchdown run from running back Khari Majors Jr.
On the next drive, Walker busted through on a 68-yard touchdown run on the second play of the drive that gave the Crusaders a stunning 14-0 lead.
Even more impressive than King's offense early on was its defense, which held the high-powered Technicians to four straight scoreless drives in the first half, including a three-and-out to start the game. And it almost held the Technicians to a fifth straight pointless drive with less than two minutes left in the second quarter, even when Cass started at the King 25-yard line following a 15-yard punt return from junior Cortez Lucas.
But with 18 seconds left, Tabron found Robinson for an 8-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal to cut the deficit in half. The score also silenced the King sideline, which was pumping up the crowd in the hopes of forcing Cass into a turnover on downs.
"It made our confidence go up, boosted our energy, and we brought the energy back in the second half to score two more times and win the game," Tabron said.
King had a chance to take a two-score lead to open the second half after putting together an 11-play, 55-yard drive that took them down to the Cass Tech red zone. But the Technicians defense beefed up, forcing the Crusaders into a 4th-down attempt before a sack brought down Forris and brought the drive to a conclusion.
After the game, Rushing took the opportunity to dig at his rival, boasting his five straight wins against King and his team's five straight city titles. He also took the time to point out the overall record between the two rivals, something potentially even more important than a PSL championship.
"The series is even now," he said.
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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Donald Tabron helps Cass Tech beat King in another rivalry classic