The Michigan high school football season kicks off on Thursday, Aug. 29 with the 15th annual Xenith Prep Kickoff Classic at Wayne State University in Detroit. There will be six games over three days featuring some of the top teams in the state.
Organized by the Detroit Sports Commission, it is the premier high school football showcase in the Michigan. It was created to provide a unique and memorable experience for players, coaches, fans, cheerleaders, and band members. The event moved from Eastern Michigan University to Wayne State University in 2012. Formerly known as the Big Day Prep Showdown, the event has been recognized as the Outstanding Locally Created Event by the National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC) for excellence in all aspects, including attendance, marketing, promotion and community presence.
Tickets are available online at detroitsports.org/pkctickets with a portion of the proceeds benefitting each school. One ticket grants admission to both games on that particular day.
Xenith is the main sponsor of the event. The company is improving football through protective and performance gear designed, first and foremost, for athletes.
Below is the schedule for the 2019 Xenith Prep Kickoff Classic:
The classic opens with the first-ever clash between the Catholic High School League’s Warriors and the Eagles from the Macomb Area Conference. Brother Rice is coming off a 7-4 season and a MHSAA district title game loss to crosstown rival Birmingham Groves. Eisenhower finished 2018 with a 6-4 record and a first-round playoff loss to MAC Red division rival Clinton Township Chippewa Valley. Both squads have quarterbacks returning that saw time under center a season ago. Senior Greg Piscopink will be the season-opening starter for the Warriors. Senior Blake Rastigue enters the season as the starter for the Eagles.
7 p.m.
The Big Reds and the Hornets nearly met in the MHSAA Division 1 championship a season ago, and now will face off in the season-opener for the second consecutive campaign. In last season's first ever meeting between the two programs, the Big Reds came out on top, 31-26. Senior running back Myren Harris will be one of the players asked to carry the offensive load in 2019. He rushed for a game-high 103 yards on 17 carries in last season's opener vs. Saline. Saline, which lost last year in the state semifinal round to Clarkston, returns a pair of playmaking linebackers in middle linebacker Alex Morrison and outside linebacker Monty Green.
Saturday, Aug. 31
1 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 30
4 p.m.
The Blue Devils and Falcons will participate in the Prep Kickoff Classic for the first time. Groves finished with at least 10 wins for only the third time in program history in 2018 (10-3), while South finished with eight wins for only the fifth time since 2000 (8-2). Groves advanced to the semifinal round of the MHSAA playoffs last year and returns several impact players, including senior quarterback Markis Alexander, senior linebacker/running back Ralph Donaldson and senior outside linebacker/weak-side safety Kaleb Coleman.
7 p.m.
The Pilots and Big Reds square off in a rematch from the 2018 season opener, which Muskegon won, 36-21. Two-time defending MHSAA Division 2 champion De La Salle is looking to three-peat in head coach Mike Giannone's fourth season, while Muskegon is looking to get back to the Division 3 state championship game for the fourth straight season. The Pilots will have their hands full trying to contain dual-threat Big Reds passer Cameron Martinez, who possesses offers from Michigan and Michigan State, among many.
Thursday, Aug. 29
4 p.m.
About the Detroit Sports Commission: The mission of the Detroit Sports Commission is to market and sell metro Detroit as a premier destination for regional, national and international amateur sporting events. The DSC is a not-for-profit charitable organization, IRS 501 (c)(3), and a subsidiary of the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau.
About Xenith: Detroit-based Xenith was founded on a mission to put athletes first and improve football safety. Their progressive approach to helmet technology disrupted a long-complacent industry for the better – and season after season, Xenith keeps raising the bar. Designed for the committed athlete, Xenith products enable the athlete's pursuit with advanced fit, feel, style, and an innovative approach to safety & technology. Every Xenith helmet achieves top safety ratings, which enables every athlete to take the field with the confidence to play at their best. This athlete-centric philosophy doesn't stop at safety. Xenith designs for needs that transcend protection, pushing the boundaries of fit, feel, comfort, durability, performance and style.
The Crusaders and Shamrocks will meet for the sixth time ever and the first time since 2001. Reigning MHSAA Division 3 champion King has won three championships in the past four years. Catholic Central, the winner of 10 state championships in its history, was bounced in the district championship round of the 2018 playoffs by West Bloomfield. King returns several offensive weapons, including senior wide receiver Rashawn Williams and senior running back Peny Boone. Williams and Boone, each equipped with offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Syracuse, Indiana and Kentucky, have committed to Indiana and Maryland, respectively. In 2019, the Shamrocks will be spearheaded by senior running back/strong safety/outside linebacker Cole Price and senior fullback/linebacker Brendin Yatooma.
4 p.m.
The powerhouse Technicians will clash with Illinois power Wildcats. Cass Tech, led by Thomas Wilcher, has won three MHSAA titles since 2011 (the last in 2016). Meanwhile, Wendell Phillips, led by Troy McAllister, has won two state titles in the past three years. The Technicians will look to bounce back from a disappointing 41-14 loss in the Division 1 district championship round to Dearborn Fordson a year ago. It broke the Technicians' streak of eight consecutive seasons of at least making the state semifinal round of the playoffs. The Technicians field a new quarterback, senior Sebastian Brown, who replaces Jalen Graham, who will be playing at Purdue in the fall.