King is King once again

The final matchup of the High School Football season did not disappoint, as it saw Detroit King come away with the thrilling 25-21 victory over defending state champion DeWitt. This game had it all. Explosive plays, interceptions, fumbles, questionable calls, and everything in between. In fact, without the replay technology offered at Ford Field, this game would have gone much differently. Now, I’ll go over some stats from the game, highlight some of the top performers, then say a few words on each team. <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Quick Stats</span></strong> <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 105px;"> <tbody> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px;"></td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px;">King</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px;">DeWitt</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px;">Passing</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px;">228 yards, 1INT</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px;">158 yards, 2TDs, 2INTs</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px;">Rushing</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px;">140 yards</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px;">110 yards</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px;">Third-Down conversions</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px;">6/8</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px;">4/10</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px;">Time of Possession</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px;">19:46</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px;">25:52</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Standout Athletes</strong></span> <strong>Detroit King QB [player_tooltip player_id="30316" first="Dante" last="Moore"] </strong> Nobody deserved this championship win more than [player_tooltip player_id="30316" first="Dante" last="Moore"]. The #1 recruit in Michigan’s 2023 class and one of the top quarterback prospects in the nation had himself a great day completing 75% of his passes (18/24) while throwing for 228 yards and an interception. It was my first time watching Moore in person, and let me tell you, he looked like a college quarterback out there. It was insanely impressive watching him from the press box surveying the field and delivering amazing throws. I caught up with Moore after the game and here’s what he had to say about the victory. https://twitter.com/alex_pallone/status/1464811593267617794 <strong>DeWitt WR/DB [player_tooltip player_id="30211" first="Tommy" last="McIntosh"]</strong> The Wisconsin commit showed up and showed out, performing very well on both sides of the ball. He totaled 90 yards receiving and a TD on 6 receptions, plus 3 tackles on defense including a crucial tackle for loss. Watching McIntosh for the first time in person, I was very impressed by his route running as well as his insane hands. He came up with big catches down the stretch that put his team in a great position to win. <strong>Detroit King DL</strong> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11248650/Imani-Dowdell"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="30301" first="Imani" last="Dowdell"]</strong></a> Dowdell and the entire front 7, in general, were dominant over the entire game. He’s big and powerful and posted 2.5 sacks on the day, while the defense as a whole posted 5 sacks. It was incredible what the defense did in terms of pass rush, and Dowdell had a severe impact on the game. <strong>DeWitt WR/DB <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/13141836/Bryce-Kurncz">Bryce Kurncz  </a></strong> Kurncz played his heart out, especially on defense with 6 solo tackles, 2 tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and an interception-saving pass breakup. Offensively, he picked up 2 receptions for 50 total yards. Kurncz practically hit for the cycle on defense and had a great offensive performance. He’ll be back next season, and he’s going to be great. <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Detroit King</span></strong> King is King. They’ve done it again, and this time with an almost entirely new set of faces. Quite frankly, after watching 5 state champions be crowned before them, I hadn’t seen any team as delighted as King. This program is home to some of the hardest working, most talented athletes in the state and you could truly tell how much it meant for this team to win it all. This team won the war that was this game and came up with a goalline stand when it mattered most during a decisive 4th and goal. Here’s what it looked like after the final kneel down. https://twitter.com/alex_pallone/status/1464804000247730178 <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">DeWitt</span></strong> DeWitt has been one of the most elite teams in the state for some time now, and they come up just short in their efforts to defend last season’s title. As I said, this was a war, and DeWitt scratched and clawed, but ultimately came up a singular yard short of victory. Unlike some other teams, DeWitt will certainly be back in contention very soon. This is a program that is not a one-and-done, but an emerging powerhouse that will remain at the top for a long time.