Mason football finally gets over hump, tops Detroit King to reach MHSAA state final
The game had been over for some time when a Detroit King assistant coach congratulated some triumphant Mason players outside their locker room.
“Is that your state championship ring?” one of the players asked.
“Yes it is,” the coach said. “One of them.”
The players asked if they could see it and the coach held out his hand.
Mason moved one step closer to earning its own ring Saturday when the Bulldogs posted a hard-fought 26-20 win over King in a Division 3 semifinal game.
King advanced to Sunday’s 12:30 championship game against Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central at Ford Field.
SEMIFINAL SATURDAY: Michigan high school football playoffs: State semifinal scores
This game was even more meaningful for the Bulldogs (13-0) because King (7-6) had thoroughly beaten Mason in the previous two semifinal games before going on to win state titles.
“We played them for the third year in a row and we’re familiar with each other,” said Mason standout running back AJ Martel. “You get in those familiar games with good teams and they’re always going to be tough.”
The victory was like a weight being lifted off the program’s shoulders. The team had never been to the semifinals until two years ago and had not won a semifinal game until now.
“The word ‘cathartic’ comes to mind,” said Mason coach Gary Houghton. “It just felt that good to finally get over the hump. This community has been waiting for a team to go to the finals for as long and to be able to give that to them is an amazing feeling.”
This game nearly became tougher than need be. Midway through the third quarter quarterback Cason Carswell gained 7 yards on a draw, but was pulled down from behind.
Carswell had to be helped off the field and his status seemed questionable.
MORE FROM McCABE: 'Cason Carswell is legit': Mason quarterback continues to wow even his teammates
“I think it was just a little muscle injury in my leg, nothing I couldn’t bear,” he said. “I knew my team needed me so I had to step up big for them.”
But as he tried to run back onto the field, the trainer grabbed him around the waist and pulled him back to the sidelines.
“I don’t think he thought I was ready to go in the game, but I thought so,” Carswell said. “I did a little shuffling, running and more stretching to show him I was ready.
“I had to get back in for sure. I knew my team needed me. They were letting me know they needed me.”
Carswell re-entered the game and a few plays later and promptly scrambled for a 17-yard gain before throwing a 25-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Baker, who made a one-handed catch for a 17-13 lead late in the third period.
“We dialed it up, ran a couple of plays before it to set it up and it was coming,” Baker said. “Cason put it right where I could get it. I got it with my left hand, bobbled it a little bit, pulled it in and pointed to our cameraman.”
Houghton wasn’t surprised that Carswell insisted on returning as soon as possible.
“The fact that he came back in after that injury speaks to his fortitude,” Houghton said. “He’s an incredible athlete; he’s durable, he’s mentally tough.”
King freshman quarterback Darryl Flemister III was outstanding, and his 19-yard TD pass to Damon Stennis put King ahead, 20-17, with 9:34 left in the fourth quarter.
“He’s a great player,” Carswell said. “He’s a freshman. He’s got a ton of talent.”
The irony of praising a younger quarterback wasn’t lost on Carswell. Last year it was King’s Dante Moore, now at UCLA, praising Carswell, a sophomore then, speaking of his talents.
After falling behind, Carswell completed four straight passes to set up Martel’s 3-yard TD run with 7:09 remaining for a 24-20 advantage.
Mason recorded a safety when it appeared Kaleb Parrish blocked a punt attempt out of the end zone with 4:14 left.
“I didn’t block it,” Parrish said. “I pushed the dude into him. It was his personal protector and I pushed the dude into him and he hit it.”
Flemister did his best to lead King down the field one final time, but Nick Wells intercepted a pass on the game’s final play.
“We saw four verticals and my guy came underneath so I moved back and the ball just came back to me,” Wells said. “It was the most relieving feeling of my whole career.”
Meeting Mason for the third straight season was not ideal for the Crusaders.
“It definitely gave them an edge,” said King coach Tyrone Spencer. “Could we have won the game? Yeah, but when you talk about who wanted it more, yeah they want it, you beat them twice. We were a little younger and they took advantage of it.
“You tried to hide your flaws and where you’re weak at, but when things get exposed there’s only so much you can do about it.”
Flemister completed 14 of 24 passes for 188 yards and played with composure and poise you don’t expect from a freshman.
“The kid is tough; he’s gutsy,” said Spencer. “I thought at the end of the game we didn’t protect him as well as we should have, but I don’t get it. He’s tough as nails. He laid it out there for us.”
Carswell did the same thing for his Bulldogs. He skillfully avoided King’s pressure and completed 14 of 25 passes for 266 yards and two touchdowns.
This was a game Mason had to win. The Bulldogs were huge underdogs the last two years and it showed in the outcomes — losses of 52-17 and 46-7.
But this time Mason was the favorite and a loss would have been devastating to the program.
“We knew we were more experienced,” Carswell said. “We knew we had to come out here and play our best game and we did.
“The line really stepped big for me after I got hurt. They kept me protected for the rest of the game.”
Earning a trip to the state finals means the world to the team, the school and the entire town.
“I think it elevates the program,” said Houghton. “I think it puts us on a level that’s just never happened here at Mason. I think it’s great for the program because it excites the younger players that are coming up that were here to watch it.
“It’s going to do nothing but great things for the program.”
Mick McCabe is a former longtime columnist for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at mick.mccabe11@gmail.com. Follow him @mickmccabe1. Save $10 on his new book, “Mick McCabe’s Golden Yearbook: 50 Great Years of Michigan’s Best High School Players, Teams & Memories,” by ordering right now at McCabe.PictorialBook.com.
Road to Ford Field
Schedule for MHSAA football state finals on Saturday and Sunday at Ford Field:
Saturday
Division 8: Ottawa Lake Whiteford (13-0) vs. Ubly (13-0), 10 a.m.
Division 4: Grand Rapids South Christian (10-3) vs. Harper Woods (10-3), 1 p.m.
Division 6: Almont (12-1) vs. Kingsley (11-2), 4:30
Division 2: Muskegon (11-2) vs. Warren De La Salle (11-2), 7:30
Sunday
Division 7: Jackson Lumen Christi (12-1) vs. TBA, 9:30 a.m.
Division 3: Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (12-1) vs. Mason (13-0), 12:30 p.m.
Division 5: Grand Rapids Catholic Central (11-1) vs. Corunna (13-0), 4
Division 1: Belleville (13-0) vs. Southfield A&T (12-1), 7
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Mason football knocks off semifinal rival to reach first state final
