Pete Ziebron and Dick Kucharek have been the best of buddies since their late teens, for some six decades. Kucharek, 80, lives in Warren, but he grew up on a farm near Gaylord. He graduated from St. Mary High School there in 1953. Ziebron is 78 and resides in Grosse Pointe. He spent his youth on Detroit’s east side in the area of Van Dyke and Seven Mile. He graduated in 1955 from Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Prep.
Both retired at about the same time around 2001 — Kucharek after 40 years at Borg-Warner, Ziebron after 37 years teaching English at Macomb Community College. Dick was best man at Pete’s wedding, which prompts me to make a full disclosure: I’m the guy in the middle at 79, Pete’s classmate at OLSM and an usher at his wedding.
Since 1974 when he enrolled the first of his three sons at Warren De La Salle, Dick has been a fierce fan of the Pilots. Pete, a football, basketball and baseball star at OLSM, is just as loyal to the Eaglets. Down through the years, they’ve made it a point to attend together when these two arch-foes meet in competition.
And so, when the Pilots (defending Division 2 state champs) and Eaglets (defending Division 3 state champs) were scheduled for a highly anticipated CHSL Central Division showdown last Friday, I had an “Aha!” moment: why not join them in the stands? As is their custom, Pete and Dick sit for a half among each team’s fanbase. However, no matter from which angle you watched this game, the showdown became a showcase for De La Salle’s lopsided 31-8 victory, and a disappointing letdown for St. Mary’s.
Pilots coach Paul Verska proclaimed “this was the greatest team effort I’ve ever seen.” Understandably, a subdued St. Mary’s coach George Porritt said, “I hope we can bounce back. They beat our butts.” Dick wondered, “Where’s Number 22?” when De La Salle took the field for the opening kickoff. Allen Stritzinger, a junior running back who amassed 1,000 yards last season, was on the sidelines with a sprained ankle. He’s expected back in uniform in a couple of weeks, but senior Tru Wilson (26 carries, 116 yards) is one of several more-than-capable runners Verska can call upon to fill the void.
The Pilots limited the Eaglets to just two minutes with the ball in the first quarter, causing Dick’s observation “this will make a difference for St. Mary’s in the second half.” Indeed, De La Salle dominated from start to finish, running off more than twice as many plays and winding up 34 minutes off the clock to OLSM’s 14.
“I’m impressed with De La Salle’s variety of plays, with its deception and speed,” Pete said, all on display in a 15-play, 8-minute, 94-yard drive for the Pilots first TD, sparked by quarterback John Wilk’s dazzling scrambling on three third-down situations. He ended up with 129 yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns.
“That was the key for us,” said Verska. “The kids felt ‘we can do this.’”
Conversely, the Eaglets could do nothing. Trailing 10-0 at the half, OLSM’s chances for a comeback fizzled in the opening 66 seconds of the third quarter. Quarterback Brendan Tabone fired a pass over the middle to Tyler Cochran, who caught the ball, then fumbled it away. Two plays later, DLS capitalized to go up 17-zip on Myles Charley’s 29-yard dash to the end zone. While the Pilots offense was piling up more than 350 yards, its defense corralled St. Mary’s to less than 100. Senior Justin Myrick, cutting loose for nearly 500 yards in OLSM’s first four games, was held to a meaningless eight yards in eight carries.
“It’s too bad,” Dick said. “I wanted to see a closer game.” I couldn’t detect if he had his tongue in his cheek. A rematch is possible Oct. 24 in the Prep Bowl — if each can get past Catholic Central: OLSM on Oct. 9 and De La Salle Oct. 16.
Don Horkey may be reached at [email protected].
