By Vito Chirco, Special to Detroitsports.org
Fans of Lincoln Park and Woodhaven had to buckle up for all the scoring that took place during the
2016 Detroit Sports Commission Prep Kickoff Classic opener Thursday, which ended up being a 52-49 victory for Woodhaven.
The combined 101 points broke a Prep Kickoff Classic record previously set in 2010 by Detroit Cass Tech and Ann Arbor Pioneer.
Elijah Cross, Devon Carson and company got it started offensively for Lincoln Park right away, but Woodhaven never relented and captured the comeback victory in an epic contest. Cross scored two of Lincoln Park's first three offensive touchdowns, all of which came in the first quarter. Cross used his legs for both touchdowns, with the first being from 40 yards out and the second being from 25 yards out. He had 118 yards on the ground by the end of the first half.
Woodhaven senior quarterback Alex Theisen wasn't too shabby himself, as he had 131 rushing yards after one half and finished with 192. He threw two touchdowns to end the half, the first being of the 36-yard variety to sophomore Bryon Wilkinson and the second being of the 20-yard variety to senior Cameron Mokrenski. Not to be outdone, the Railsplitters scored once more before the end of the half via a TD reception by the senior Carson.
The scoring slowed down in the third, with both squads scoring a lone touchdown each. However, things picked back up in the fourth when Theisen threw a six-yard TD pass to Morenski to cut the Lincoln Park lead to three, 49-46.
Senior Raequan Castelow, who finished with 118 rushing yards, made the dream of a comeback for the Warriors come to life, as he scurried in to the end zone from 16 yards out for the game-winning score.
Theisen, with 157 passing yards to go along with his big game on the ground, was awarded the Legacy Football Most Outstanding Player for Woodhaven.
Pulling off the comeback "meant everything" to Theisen. "This was the biggest game of my life," he added.
Cross finished as the Legacy Football MOP for Lincoln Park.
Game Notes
- Lincoln Park beat Woodhaven, 27-12, last season. It was the same score at the end of the first quarter Thursday
- Lincoln Park and Woodhaven combined for 313 yards in the first quarter. 313 is the area code for Wayne State, the site of the Prep Kickoff Classic
- 235 rushing yards for Woodhaven in first half
- 242 rushing yards for Lincoln Park in first half
- Lincoln Park had 279 yards from scrimmage in first half
- Woodhaven had 357 yards from scrimmage in first half
- 636 total yards from scrimmage in first half
- 685 total yards of offense in opening half (not counting Chastin Cross' 60-yard INT return for TD in the first quarter)
- Woodhaven senior LB Jalen Wellons had 18 tackles and three sacks.
- The combined 101 points scored by Lincoln Park and Woodhaven is a Prep Kickoff Classic single-game record.
- 509 total yards from scrimmage for Woodhaven
- 389 total yards from scrimmage for Lincoln Park
By Vito Chirco, Special to Detroitsports.org
