King blows out Southfield 39-0, extends win streak to 15
DETROIT - Martin Luther King had never beaten Southfield High, now Southfield A&T. They lost to them at the same event in 2012, 21-20, in double-overtime, then a playoff loss followed that same year. Southfield blew King out 40-12 in the playoffs in 2014, so to say that this game was personal for King, would be an understatement.
The Crusaders took it very personal, handling Southfield from start to finish, en route to a 39-0 win at Wayne State University. It took a three-hour weather delay to get the game started between the two, which is another story in itself.
"That was really the only thing we were concerned about, the weather," King first year head coach Tyrone Spencer said, after getting his first career win. "I could not tell my kids that we were going home. I wasn't going to do it. So, we played, got the job done, and it felt good."
King (1-0) wore special jerseys in the win over Southfield, with late head coach Dale Harvel's name on the back. Harvel passed away just weeks before the season was supposed to begin, and the players wanted to dedicate the season to him. It was bound to be a special game for King. Both teams got off to a very slow start, though, with each team combining for a total of five consecutive punts in the first quarter.
King broke the ice with 10:49 left in the second quarter, when speedster Ambry Thomas found himself on an island with one of Southfield's cornerbacks, which resulted in him scoring on a 34-yard touchdown catch from sophomore quarterback Dequan Finn. Minutes later, Southfield fumbled the ball, and King capitalized on the turnover with a 7-yard touchdown run from senior running back Kevin Willis to give them a 13-0 lead with 8:13 to go in the half.
Willis had himself a good time with the Southfield run-defense, going for 157 yards on the ground, and scoring four total touchdowns. In fact, he scored three times in the first half, including a touchdown catch from Finn from nine yards out that gave King a 27-0 lead at halftime.
"I was behind a big-time player last year in (Martell Pettaway), and everything I learned was from him," Willis said. "I came out today and made some big plays. I couldn't have done it without my offensive line. I'm not that big, but, I'm shifty, I run hard, and that helped me out today."
"Today's game was a nice win for us. I thank the guys upfront for doing their job. The rest of the team came through with big-time plays when we needed them, and we just came out and played ball."
Southfield (0-1) came out with zero fight in the second half, allowing Willis even more yards on the ground, and capping the opening drive of the third quarter off with a 4-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 33-0 with 6:21 to go in the third. King would add another touchdown late, from sophomore Marvin Grant.
"Willis had a great offseason," Spencer said. "He put on like 10-pounds of muscle, and we knew he would have a great year. He came out hungry and focused, and you can tell with how he was running the ball. I'm just really proud of that kid. He worked really hard."
Thomas caught three balls for 111 yards and a score, and shutdown Southfield's 6-5 wide receiver Brandon Gray. He was all over the field making plays for King, and whenever his team needed a play, he came up with a big one. He caught a screen-pass in that second half hat went 62 yards, and helped set up Willis' second touchdown.
"He opens up a lot for us," Willis said of Thomas. "Ambry Thomas is a big-time player, and he makes big-time plays. I thank him for everything he does for the team."