When Detroit's Public School League closed the doors of four high schools a year ago, those of us in the business wondered if 'the close down' would create a powerhouse effect in football or maybe basketball. One of those schools that closed down was MacKenzie High School. Friday afternoon at Ford Field, Detroit Martin Luther King was the direct beneficiary of that close down.

They were behind 14-0 in the second quarter when former MacKenzie star [db]Nick Perry[/db] turned the defense around with two vicious hits in the Midland backfield. Three quarters later, the PSL and King High enjoyed their finest moment in a state football championship.

Perry and his teammates earned themselves the Division 2 state championship trophy by defeating the Midland Chemics 47-21 in front of over 10,000 fans at Ford Field, the PSL's only state championship in Michigan high school football history.

Midland's head coach Terry Wilczek spoke about the turn-around.

"Champions gotta answer …" said Wilczek. "I thought we answered on a couple of occasions. I thought they REALLY answered in the third quarter. That's a great football team. They tackle well. They covered well on the special teams. That's just a really talented and well coached football team."

Heroes come in different shapes and sizes. The 'Cape' Crusaders of King High School certainly have their share.

On the short end of the stick is [db]Darrin Williams[/db] at running back, only 5-7 and 170 pounds. All Williams accomplished for the day was 25 carries for 169 yards and two touchdowns. The senior tailback is headed for Cincinnati to play for head coach Brian Kelly.

On the other end of the spectrum is [db]Flenard Whitfield[/db] at wide receiver, a 6-7 and 220 pound senior who is headed to Western Michigan to play basketball for head coach Steve Hawkins. Whitfield had two catches for 39 yards and a touchdown.

[db]Donovan Dickerson[/db] was spectacular at quarterback with 11 completions in 21 attempts and 176 yards and touchdown passes. Wide receiver Corey Chatman had five receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown. Senior fullback Samuel Lilly had seven carries for 58 yards. He might be the best kicker in the PSL. The Crusaders have some true offensive weapons.

"Really we have one great player (Nick Perry) and then a bunch of really good high school players," said head coach James Reynolds in his second appearance at the state championships.

Right coach.

"As good as their offense is, I really think King's team strength is in their defense," said Midland's coach Wilczek. "Each one of them really hit you. They tackle well. Their secondary coverage is excellent. Their stunts and twists up front are outstanding."

Enter Nick Perry. Michigan, Michigan State, USC, Miami, and Notre Dame all await this extremely talented 6-4 240 pound outside linebacker's decision which will probably be made sometime in January. This is THE MAN on this Crusader defense. He sets the tone. Defensive coordinator Dale Harvell calls Perry 'our homerun hitter' on the defensive side. His five solo tackles set the tone for this win over Midland. The Chemics had no one to block the state's best defensive player.

They also had no one to keep King's defensive players from returning interceptions for touchdowns. Dickerson and senior safety [db]Edgar Pouncy[/db] set an MHSAA state record for their 30 and 32 yards, the first time any team has done that in a state football championship game.

Meanwhile, Midland had a great run to the championship game, an improbable one at that. Senior running back Colter Robinson gained 80 yards on 20 carries and scored two touchdowns. He was solid for the Chemics.

Any kind of smile that head coach Terry Wilczek might have on his face after a 47-21 lambasting at the hands of the Crusaders must be attributed to his junior quarterback Andrew Maxwell. His numbers weren't great today against King (eight of 23 for 93 yards). But the 6-3 190 pound signal caller has immense talent and skill. It's always nice to have your leader and most talented player in your program back for one more season.

There's good news and bad news for Reynolds. The bad news is that he starts over in 2008, from scratch. They have three junior starters, the rest graduate. Martin Luther King will be young next season. The good news is great news. The 2007 seniors at King High on Lafayette Street now have set the standard for posterity's sake and have a Division 2 state championship trophy to show for their efforts.

Sorry coach. This ISN'T just a superstar and a bunch of really good high school players. This IS the most talented high school football team in the state of Michigan in 2007!

Craig Wind

Michigan Preps

Recruiting Analyst