Amazon Prep Kickoff Classic | August 26, 2017 | 21:37

Indianapolis Cathedral entered its first appearance at the Xenith Prep Kickoff Class Saturday night without its best offensive lineman and Michigan recruit Emil Ekiyor, the top player in Indiana, who was out with an injury.

Detroit Martin Luther King (1-0), making its seventh trip to Wayne State, wasn't about to play engaging hosts, especially with talented tailback Markese Stepp, headed to Notre Dame next year, in the backfield.

Junior Dequan Finn was cool under pressure all night, accounting for more than 100 yards on the ground and through the air to lead King to a tight 38-35 victory.

Finn, running for his life at times and through the Cathedral defense on others, drove the Crusaders to the 25, where he hit Rashawn Williams in the back of the end zone with six minutes, 54 seconds left to give the two time Division 2 football champions a 24-21 lead.

He finished with 169 yards on the ground and another 149 in the air.

"He his special,'' said winning coach Tyrone Spencer. "I told somebody he's going to be a lethal weapon this year and he is. He has bought in. He put on 20 pounds in the weight room. He did everything we asked him to do. He's going to be a problem.''

Finn put the topping on his great night with a one-yard run with 2:57 left to put the winners up 10, 31-21.

King kept Stepp, the third-ranked player in Indiana, in check until he broke loose for a 74-yard with 2:37 left to trim lead to 31-28.

Jalen Jackson responded for King with a 55-yard burst to make it 38-28. The River Rouge transfer had 145 yards on 15 carries.

"You never know what you're going to get when you get a transfer, but he showed he can carry the load,'' said Spencer.
Stepp finished with 128 yards on 17 carries.

"I'll take that,'' said Spencer.

After King took the lead Tyrece Woods came up with a huge sack against Cathedral on fourth down and three, sacking quarterback Roman Purcell and giving the Crusaders the ball at the Fighting Irish 39.

Finn stunned the Fighting Irish early, bursting up the middle untouched on a 71-yard TD run just 65 seconds into the game to give the Crusaders a 6-0 lead.

King used another explosive play to go up 12-0 when Finn completed a screen pass to star senor Jae'Veyon Morton for a 56-yard touchdown as the

Crusaders went up 12-0. The only thing that wasn't working was extra-point attempts.

The Fighting Irish finally struck, and quickly.

Sophomore quarterback Roman Purcell spotted Daijon Collins behind the Crusaders secondary for a 54-yard TD pass to get the visitors to within 12-7.

Bo Sanders intercepted Finn as the first quarter ended and raced to the King 13 as the first quarter ended to give Cathedral great field position heading into the second quarter.

Two plays later Purcell scored from the one and the Fighting Irish took the lead, 14-12. Jackson's 62-yard kickoff return set King up at the Cathedral 31.

Finn capped off the drive with an 11-yard TD run, his second of the game, to give the Crusaders an 18-14 lead.

Cathedral got a huge break when Max Wirth intercepted a Finn pass inside the 10 and returned it to the King one.

One play later Steppe scored with 3:03 left in the third to give the Fighting Irish a 21-18 lead.

King drove to the Cathedral 22, but Finn was stopped cold on fourth down and one, turning the ball over to the Fighting Irish.

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram