Detroit Cass Tech’s Donovan Peoples-Jones returned an interception and a fumble for touchdowns against Detroit East English, Saturday, Sept. 23.
Detroit Cass Tech coach Thomas Wilcher was hot — and he had every reason to be.
Whether they were looking ahead to next week’s showdown with unbeaten Detroit King or were just plain lethargic, his Technicians didn’t look good early against visiting Detroit East English Village Saturday afternoon.
But that was before Donovan Peoples-Jones put on a show, helping Cass Tech (5-0, 1-0) roll up 35 points in the second quarter on the way to a 56-16 win.
“We had to get our bearings,” said Wilcher. “Every team is going to come out there very, very tough and very aggressive. We just have to make sure we’re able to maintain.”
Cass Tech’s offense got off to a rough start when quarterback Rodney Hall was tackled in the end zone for a safety with 7:01 left in the first quarter.
Then a heated Wilcher had to call a timeout when his punt return team was confused and didn’t have enough men on the field with 5:17 left in the first quarter.
“You have to be great on special teams’ ” said Wilcher. “Special teams are a very important part of the game.”
A high snap on the punt forced East English’s Desjuan Johnson to be tackled at his own 22. Then Peoples-Jones drew his second pass interference penalty, giving Cass Tech a first down at the Bulldogs’ one. Two plays later, Hall jogged into the end zone to give the home team a 7-2 lead.
East English had a 37-yard TD pass called back because of an illegal procedure penalty. Undaunted, 235-pound quarterback Delvin Washington scored from two yards out with 10:16 left in the first half to give the Bulldogs an 8-7 lead.
Donovan Johnson’s ensuing 70-yard kickoff return was called back because of holding. But Johnson made amends for that miscue, scoring from 35 yards out up the middle of the Bulldogs defense to make it 14-8.
The Technicians had finally found their footing, marching 44 yards and using a 22-yard run by Jaylen Kelly-Powell to set up Charles Highbaugh five-yard TD run to make it 21-8 with 5:37 left in the first half.
Johnson tacked on his second TD of the half from 23 yards out to make it 28-8.
Peoples-Jones then made the play of the game when the ball bounced off a Bulldogs receiver and into his arms. After stopping for a split-second, 64 yards later he was in the end zone for a 35-8 lead.
To put a cap on his big first half, Peoples-Jones then scooped up a Washington fumble and raced 39 yards for his second score in a two-minute span.
“We were in two-deep and I was running to get to the ball,” said Peoples-Jones. “I saw the ball come up in the air. I caught it. I didn’t know it was a live play. Coach told me to go and I ran it in. On the fumble recovery, the big quarterback ran in the hole and somebody got a good strip on him. I just saw the ball and picked it up.”
Things didn’t get better for East English after halftime, as the Bulldogs lost a fumble on the opening kickoff, and Cass Tech’s Kelly-Powell quickly scored on an eight-yard run.
Contact Perry A. Farrell: 313-222-2555 or pafarrell@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @farrellperry.