PKC Recap: Cass Tech vs. Southfield, Eastpointe vs. River Rouge

<p><span data-preserver-spaces="true">The Xenith Prep Kickoff Classic, a tradition in Metro Detroit to kick off the regular season of high school football, took place on Aug. 26-28, 2021, at Tom Adams Field, the home field for Wayne State University. There is a lot at stake in these games despite it being the first game of the season. The top teams want to make a strong impression and win their matchup at the Showcase event. On the recruiting side of things, there is a ton of buzz about potential player matchups as we inch closer to signing day for the Class of 2022.</span></p> <p><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Dave Beachnau, Senior Vice President of the Detroit Sports Commission, stated in a press release from June, "The Detroit Sports Commission is proud to once again kick off the high school football season in Michigan with an exciting lineup of games at a great setting in the heart of Midtown Detroit." "The 2021 event will feature a tremendous collection of schools and also highlight the colorful pageantry of bands and cheerleaders for fans to experience at this signature event." (</span><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://detroitsports.org/news/2021/6/15/2021xpkcmatchups.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><span data-preserver-spaces="true">DSC</span></em></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true">)</span></p> <p><span data-preserver-spaces="true">I watched/covered Saturday's matchups at Wayne State. Let's break down those matchups from the opening weekend of football and how players impacted the game. </span></p> <p><strong><em><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Eastpointe</span></em><span data-preserver-spaces="true"> vs. </span><em><span data-preserver-spaces="true">River Rouge</span></em></strong></p> <p><span data-preserver-spaces="true">River Rouge easily defeated Eastpointe 56-0 on Saturday afternoon. The Panthers quickly went up by 28-0 in the first quarter and never looked back. [player_tooltip player_id= "30139" first= "Davonte" last= "Miles"], a top 20 player in the class of 2022, was the Iron Man Award winner presented by the staff at Prep Kickoff Classic. He plays a dominant game on both sides of the ball and has massive lower body strength. Another standout for the Panthers was [player_tooltip player_id= "30320" first= "Davon" last= "Jackson"], who shows excellent mirror ability at the defensive back position along with the athleticism to make a play on the ball in the air. He's currently ranked #14 in the class of 2023 rankings on Prep Redzone Michigan. Rouge plays Renaissance in a non-league matchup next week while the Shamrocks of Eastpointe face Port Huron Northern in a crucial bounce-back game for them. </span></p> <p>https://twitter.com/BallySportsDET/status/1431674215116193797?s=20</p> <p><em><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Detroit Cass Tech</span></em><span data-preserver-spaces="true"> vs. </span><em><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Southfield High School for the Arts &amp; Technology</span></em></p> <p><span data-preserver-spaces="true">This game was one of the most anticipated matchups at the Prep Kickoff classic. Cass Tech quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="193362" first="Leeshaun" last="Mumpfield"] threw for 280 yards and SIX touchdown’s, including two touchdowns in the first half to standout wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id="80487" first="Jameel" last="Gardner"], in the 49-22 win over Southfield. The Technicians seemed to dominate in the trenches to give Mumpfield plenty of time to throw, and it was confirmed on film as linemen like [player_tooltip player_id= "30143" first= "Jackson" last= "Pruitt"] and [player_tooltip player_id= "162650" first= "Jalen" last= "Thompson"] had massive games on both sides of the ball to set their team up for victory. Southfield quarterback [player_tooltip player_id= "77216" first= "Isaiah" last= "Marshall"] threw for 245 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and while he did his best to keep his team in, but they were no match for the explosive offensive performance that Cass Tech displayed. Southfield will look to rebound against Groves in Beverly Hills next week. Groves recently lost to Dexter in their first game of the season, 40-8. Cass Tech will be hoping to keep adding momentum after this big win as they face off against Muskegon in what should be an exciting matchup. </span></p> <p>https://twitter.com/statechampsmich/status/1431989811368370183?s=20</p> <!-- wp:paragraph --><!-- /wp:paragraph -->