HIGH SCHOOLS

Saturday’s prep football: Cass Tech rolls past East English

By Al Willman
Special to The Detroit News

The two most challenging games on Detroit Cass Tech’s schedule, on paper, are back-to-back games at home.

On Saturday, Cass Tech manhandled Detroit East English, 56-16. It hosts undefeated Detroit King (5-0, 4-0) at noon next Saturday.

However, Cass Tech coach Thomas Wilcher said there is still much for Cass Tech to do ahead of next week’s city rivalry game.

“We’ve got a long way to go,” Wilcher said. “We’ve got to keep working. We have to stay physical, stay disciplined.”

Cass Tech quarterback Rodney Hall, a Northern Illinois commit, was 2-of-6 passing for 21 yards and a touchdown. He added a 1-yard rushing touchdown for Cass Tech (5-0, 4-0 PSL).

Donovan Johnson (40 yards), Jaylen Kelly-Powell (9 yards), and Jaren Mangham (2 yards) each had rushing touchdowns for Cass Tech.

Normally an offensive standout, Donovan Peoples-Jones made his impact on defense with a 64-yard pick-six and a 40-yard fumble return for touchdown. He also had a catch for 20 yards.

“We ran the ball today,” Wilcher said.

Cass Tech was penalized eight times, for nearly 100 yards.

Delvin Washington was 7-of-16 for 169 yards and a touchdown, and rushed for a 1-yard touchdown for East English (3-2, 3-1), which hosts Detroit Osborn (3-2, 2-2) on Friday.

Liggett runs over Parkway Christian

In Dan Cimini’s 16 years at Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett — eight as defensive coordinator and the rest as its coach — he says this year’s offensive and defensive lines are the best he’s seen.

That’s part of what he attributes to Liggett’s perfect start, after Saturday’s 47-16 win over Sterling Heights Parkway Christian.

The other factor, Cimini said, is Liggett’s offense.

“We’ve had really good balance offensively,” he said. “If you want to take away the run, we throw it. If you want to take away the pass, we’ll run it.”

Liggett trailed 16-7 in the first quarter. Once Charles Caine’s rushing touchdown put Liggett on the board, a pick-six thrown by quarterback Connor McCarron, and a 10-yard touchdown run put Parkway ahead.

“We gave them two quick touchdowns,” Cimini said. “I told my team that great teams have adversity sometimes.”

After that, Parkway didn’t score again. Liggett (5-0, 3-0 MIAC) scored 40 unanswered points, behind Caine’s 29 carries for 238 yards and four touchdowns. He also had six catches for 79 yards and another score.

“He’s been a workhorse for us,” Cimini said of the Colgate commit, who already has 22 rushing touchdowns this season. “He’s a really, really, really good player.”

McCarron was 5-of-9 for 109 yards and two touchdowns.

“He leads this offense,” Cimini said. “He’s the one who makes this offense go.”

Brady McCarron, the younger brother of Liggett’s quarterback, had 10 carries for 130 yards and made 20 tackles on defense.

Liggett led 16-13 at halftime, and scored on each of its drives the rest of the game.

Liggett plays at Lutheran Westland (2-3, 1-2) on Friday. Parkway Christian (2-3, 2-1) hosts Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest (3-2, 2-1) in its homecoming game on Friday night.

More football

Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood 40, Macomb Lutheran North 7: Aaron Wiggins rushed for 228 yards on 17 carries for three touchdowns for Cranbrook (4-1, 1-0 Catholic League). Torrell Williams had two interceptions, a fumble recovery and five tackles.

Charles Kruse scored on a 12-yard quarterback keeper for Lutheran North (2-3, 0-1). He was 4-of-7 for 88 yards and had four carries for 18 yards before leaving in the second quarter with an apparent knee injury.

Detroit Loyola 34, Dearborn Divine Child 24: Price Watkins was 3-for-6 for 110 yards and a touchdown, and had five carries for 40 yards and a touchdown for Loyola (4-1, 1-0 Catholic League). Malcolm Mayes rushed 13 times for 230 yards and three touchdowns. Jimmie Chappell made eight tackles.

Theo Day was 14-of-20 passing for 155 yards and three touchdowns for Divine Child (4-1, 0-1).

Hamtramck 37, Detroit University Prep Science and Math 0: Jerrice Duhart, Jr. had four carries for 126 yards and two touchdowns for Hamtramck (3-2). Kameron Bell recovered a fumble, returning it 34 yards for a touchdown and returned a punt 52 yards for a score. Lawrence Napier was 9-of-14 for 222 yards and had a 64-yard rushing touchdown.

UPSM is 1-4.

Warren Michigan Collegiate 42, Detroit University Prep 6: Junior quarterback Tracy Hubbard had eight carries for 118 yards and three touchdowns and senior running back Shawn Jackson had 12 carries for 117 yards and two touchdowns to lead Warren Michigan Collegiate (4-1, 2-0 Charter).

Senior linebacker Ervin Butler had a 38-yard interception return for a touchdown.

University Prep dropped to 2-3 overall, 0-2 Charter.

SATURDAY’S SCORES

Catholic League

Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood 40, Macomb Lutheran North 7

Detroit Catholic Central 28, Birmingham Brother Rice 21, 2OT

Detroit Loyola 33, Dearborn Divine Child 24

Waterford Lakes 54, Marine City Cardinal Mooney 13

Charter Schools

Southfield Bradford Academy at Romulus Summit Academy, n

Detroit PSL

Detroit Cass Tech 56, Detroit East English 16

Macomb Area

Warren Fitzgerald 30, Warren Woods Tower 26

MIAC

Lutheran Westland 31, Southfield Christian 24

S.H. Parkway Christian 47, G.P. Woods Uni. Liggett 16

Other

Allen Park Cabrini 49, Dearborn Heights Star Int. 6

Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard 32, Toledo (Ohio) Scott 0

Hamtramck 37, Detroit University Prep Science and Math 0

Al Willman is a freelance writer

Twitter: @AlWillmanSports