Nine teams won, eight teams lost.
The victors won big, by an average of about four touchdowns, none bigger than Novi Detroit Catholic Central’s 42-0 humbling of Sterling Heights Stevenson on the turf of the “Big House” at the University of Michigan. After the start of the game was delayed for about two hours by a severe storm, the Shamrocks’ offense cranked up more than 400 yards on offense, while its defense limited Stevenson to a paltry 68 yards.
Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice scored three TDs in the second half to beat its neighbor, Birmingham Seaholm, 27-3; and Dearborn Divine Child celebrated its new $3 million stadium with a 35-20 conquest of Dearborn Heights Robichaud.
Other winners were Detroit U-D Jesuit, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, Detroit Loyola, Madison Heights Bishop Foley, Clarkston Everest Collegiate and Macomb Lutheran North.
On the negative side of the ledger were Allen Park Cabrini, Riverview Gabriel Richard, Royal Oak Shrine, Ann Arbor Fr. Gabriel Richard and Marine City Cardinal Mooney.
Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes lost 13-zip to Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, which will be joining the CHSL next year.
Former Macomb Dakota coach Mike Giannone’s debut at Warren De La Salle was spoiled by Lowell, 36-19.
However, Dakota, under new leadership, held off Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, 35-28, in a thriller played before nearly 6,000 fans on a gorgeous late summer evening at Dakota. The Eaglets, defending two-time Division 3 state champs, thought it had scored the tying TD with five minutes to play in the game, but a holding penalty nullified the play. What followed has to rank among the most agonizing chapters in St. Mary’s storied history.
The Eaglets imploded, called for four penalties in a row that set the line of scrimmage back to midfield.
St. Mary’s punted to Macomb’s 15-yard line. On the first play, the Cougars fumbled; the Eaglets recovered the ball to set the stage for possible redemption.
Twas not to be. St. Mary’s fumbled the pigskin back to Dakota, which methodically ran out the clock for the upset decision.
Coach George Porritt told the media afterwards: “We made a lot of mistakes, but we lost to a good football team.”
Fear not, there’s more than football on the CHSL athletic scene. Here are some samples:
- In boys cross country, Catholic Central won the Michigan Catholic Invitational at Dewitt, placing six runners along the top 10: Mitchell Horn, Eamonn McClory, Jack Borchanian, Aaron Maloney, Brendan Roberts and Patrick Murray. In the girls race, Dearborn Divine Child and Lansing Catholic tied for first place.
- In boys soccer, Nick Cross netted two goals to help lead Everest Collegiate past Austin Catholic Academy, 4-0.
- In girls golf, Alexandra Robb shot a 42 to pace Bloomfield Hills Marian to a 184-222 win against Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart.
- In girls field hockey, Marian defeated Sacred Heart Academy, 6-1. Natalie Groves and Claudia Schilling each contributed a pair of goals for Marian.
- In boys tennis, Riverview Richard won the Dearborn Muldowney/Snell Tournament.
- In girls volleyball, Cardinal Mooney 22-25-25-25 defeated GP University Liggett 25-14-23-19. Mooney was led by Anna Vorderbrueggen‘s 12 blocks and 16 kills. Lilly Wolf contributed 19 assists and nine kills, and Abbey Guilliat made 34 digs.
Don Horkey may be reached at [email protected].
