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New changes in the Detroit PSL this season
Detroit Cass Tech, and Detroit King capped off what was an exciting football season in the Detroit Public School League in 2013, with a thriller at Ford Field in the city title game. The Technicians won that game 20-14, refueling the rivalry between those two programs.
Both teams will be strong once again in 2014, but once again, won’t be playing one another in the regular season for the second straight year. Both teams have a fairly easy schedule, until Cass Tech meets up with East English Village again in week six. The Technicians won last year’s meeting in the city semifinals, 19-0. But the Bulldogs are a year older, and return just about everyone. Look for them to be even more competitive in the league.
King’s schedule isn’t the toughest, but they do have a few possible trap games in back-to-back weeks. They host an always tough Cody team in week four, and they go to Mumford in week five. The Crusaders beat both teams in 2013, 32-6, and 42-14 respectively.
Unlike previous years, there won’t be any divisions in the PSL this year, in order to keep balance, with the lack of parity in the league. Cass Tech, King, and East English Village Prep blew through their opponents in 2013, but the other teams should be a lot better this season.
Outside of those schools, Renaissance, Denby, Mumford, Cody, and Western maybe, could all compete for the fourth spot in the PSL. The league also adds a sixteenth team, in Communications and Media Arts (CMA). The Pharaohs have been around since 1992, but this is their first year playing varsity football.
The PSL Game of The Week is back this season, with intriguing match-ups between Cass Tech and East English Village Prep, King and Mumford, and Denby and Mumford just to name a few. But instead of having the games on a Friday night at 7 p.m., they’ll be on Saturday instead, at noon. The time change allows you catch more PSL games that week, but takes away from the night game experience.
The PSL will also have a consolation final at Ford Field, just before the championship game kicks off at 7 p.m. The top fours teams with the best record will compete for the city title, while the next four will compete for the consolation championship. Which begs the question, do you celebrate fifth place?
The PSL’s season kicks off August 28 with Tony Blankenship’s Denby Tars visiting Tony Elliott’s Renaissance Phoenix. The season will conclude on October 24 at Ford Field for all the marbles. It is also being dedicated to the memory of former Detroit Osborn head coach George Coker, who passed away suddenly in April.
