Knock, knock, knock. Cass Tech has been knocking on the doors of Ford Field for a few seasons, but for seven straight years, they’ve had the door slammed shut. Backed against the wall, Cass Tech found a way to not just win- but dominate down the stretch.
Below, you’ll find analysis of Cass Tech’s whole season; preseason, regular season, postseason, and a 2025 outlook.
Preseason
Last season, Cass Tech went a respectable 7-4, having faced an ultra-difficult schedule. However, nobody could have been truly satisfied, as they fell to the eventual state champion for the second straight year. For most programs, you can live with being a consistent Regional Finals team. At Cass Tech, the standard is State Championships. So, heading into this season, the hype was as great as the pressure.
This year, the Technicians came into 2024 with quite a bit of excitement- facing off at West Michigan powerhouse Rockford to begin the season.
Regular Season
With 10,000+ in attendance, Cass Tech fought but ended up falling short to Rockford. They gave up 30 points, struggled offensively, and some of the most passionate in the Cass Tech fanbase began calling for change. Two weeks later, they fell to King- another disappointing loss to begin the 2024 season.
So, it’s week 4, and you’re 2-2, having lost your only two competitive games. Ahead, you’ve got an easy league schedule, another game against King, then the postseason. Everyone in the Cass Tech program felt the pressure. Would the Technicians rise to the occasion or crumble amidst the pressure?
Well, here’s how the rest of the regular season went down.
Week 5: 40-6 W vs. East English
Week 6: 56-0 W. vs. Renaissance
Week 7: 40-0 W vs. Western International
Week 8: 30-14 W vs. King
The turning point of the 2024 season. It was obvious that Cass Tech had improved tremendously since Week 3
Week 9: 40-0 W vs. Medina
Playoffs
I’m not sure how Cass Tech was being perceived heading into the postseason, but I was quite bullish. I could see the improvement. To begin the postseason, Cass Tech faced off against SH Stevenson, a usually tough MAC Red team who had been struggling to close out the regular season.
41-0 W for Cass Tech. Easy.
District Finals roll around, and a very hot Dearborn team come into town. Could this be a close game?
Nope- 42-7. Another dominant W for Cass Tech and their 7th-straight win.
Next up, Dakota. A team that is extremely similar to Rockford. Big, physical, disciplined. Throughout the season, Dakota was one of the best defensive teams in Michigan while having a physical, smash-mouth run game. On paper, this game was a coin-flip.
Boom. 21-14 Victory. Explosive touchdowns from Corey Sadler and Alex Graham ended up being the difference.
Even though Cass Tech had won 8 straight, they came into the semifinals as HEAVY underdogs. According to my Twitter Poll, Cass Tech had a lowly 8.5% chance to beat Detroit Catholic Central (+1080 odds). Most were picking Catholic Central to beat Cass Tech by 3 scores.
Well, it definitely wasn’t a three-score game. It was a hard-fought defensive battle, and it was Cass Tech that came away with the victory after straight-up better play. A made field goal for Cass and a blocked CC field goal made all the difference.
State Championship
From being major underdogs in the semifinals, Cass Tech were suddenly slight favorites in the State Championship. Still, they were set to face off against one of the hottest teams in the state, Hudsonville, who were on a 12-game winning streak, having beat teams like Rockford and Howell.
Well, the game kicked off, and this time, Cass Tech left zero doubt. 14-0 after one quarter. 27-0 at halftime. 42-0 final. Freshman QB Donald Tabron II connected with Corey Sadler and Alex Graham for scores. The defense played lights-out, and they completely silenced the Hudsonville crowd.
Cass Tech wins the State Championship in dominant fashion, and they take a well-deserved victory lap.
2025 Outlook
I believe that Cass Tech has an excellent opportunity to defend its state title. Yes, a lot of talent is set to graduate. On the same coin, a LOT of talent is set to return. Let’s take a look at Cass Tech’s graduating and returning players.
Top Class of 2025 Depratures
DB | Alex Graham
DL | John Baker IV
DL | Logan Howell
ATH | Cashus Shivers
DB | Derrick Jackson III
LB | Cameron Summerour
Top Returning Players
QB | Donald Tabron II | 2028
(Pictured)
ATH | Corey Sadler | 2026
T | Khalief Canty | 2026
LB | Brian Stovall Jr | 2026
DL | Darius Summers | 2026
LB | Collin Sumpter | 2027
RB | De’Mari Hendrix | 2027
With this amount of returning talent, why shouldn’t Cass Tech be the 2025 State Championship favorite? They’ve got a returning star QB, a great RB room, great offensive linemen, receivers, and a few promising young defenders. With other teams like Hudsonville, Belleville, and Howell losing a ton of talent, I’ve got Cass Tech as my way-too-early State Championship favorite.
