Cass Tech’s Donovan Johnson runs the ball to score a touchdown during a 35-7 win over Dearborn Fordson in Detroit.
These five high school football players used their legs to help their teams to victories in the state playoffs:
Donovan Johnson, Cass Tech
The 5 feet 11, 178 senior running back/defensive back carried the ball 13 times and gained 278 yards, scoring touchdowns on runs of 47, 7, 80 and 71 yards as Cass Tech hung on for a 43-42 Division 1 victory over Saline.
Mason Powell, LeRoy Pine River
The 5-11, 179 senior quarterback ran 12 times for 258 yards and touchdowns on runs of 64, 65 and 3 yards and also completed a pass for a 9-yard TD, as Pine River defeated Ravenna, 42-14, to earn the school’s first semifinal spot in Division 6.
RaShawn Allen, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s
The 5-9, 204 junior running back ran for 182 yards and touchdowns on runs of 24, 31 and 4 yards on 37 carries to help two-time defending Division 3 state champ St. Mary’s to a come-from-behind 35-28 victory over DeWitt.
Austin Fritch, Deckerville
The 5-10, 170 senior running back ran the ball 20 times, picking up 263 yards and scoring touchdowns on runs of 70, 17, 24 and 85 yards as Deckerville moved into the 8-player championship game with a 36-6 win over Wyoming Tri-unity Christian.
Bo Bell, Jackson Lumen Christi
The 5-9 senior running back had 230 yards total offense in the first half, rushing for 146 yards and scoring on runs of 31, 31 and 12 yards and caught an 84-yard touchdown pass, his 30th TD of the season, as Lumen Christi defeated Napoleon, 49-6 in a Division 6 game.
Contact Mick McCabe: 313-223-4744 or mmccabe@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mickmccabe1.
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