It was the biggest high school football play of the year. Detroit King wins the state championship on a Hail Mary pass in the endzone as time expired.
But Detroit King couldn't have imagined the crushing loss they would be dealt with just weeks before the new season.
King Head Coach Dale Harvel died on July 23, 2016. He was 57. He coached the program for 30 years, and was the heart and soul of the team.
He suffered a fatal heart attack in front of his players after a team scrimmage. He was rushed to the hospital but they couldn't revive him.
"I think what really helped us was just coach. His spirit, what he stood for, he really left that with us," Tyrone Spencer said. He is now King's head coach.
"He was like a father to me, he did it all for us," Donnie Corley said. Corley played at King and is now a freshman WR at Michigan State. " He alwasy had the greatest speeches before games and stuff. He's an amazing guy."
Harvel was tough, and he expected his player to be the same way. When faced with a loss, you must come back stronger than ever. Now, the Crusaders have a state title to defend, and Spencer has to transition from defensive coordinator to head coach.
The players at King have dedicated the entire season to Harvel, and even wore his name on their jerseys for the first game, a game they won 39-0.
