ROYAL OAK – It was way back in 1991 when Royal Oak Shrine and Allen Park Cabrini first engaged one another on the gridiron.
Though Shrine holds a 20-7 advantage in the won-lost column, the teams have split the last four contests.
Perhaps the most exciting game in the series happened Friday, Sept. 26, when the teams raced from end zone to end zone before Cabrini was able to claim a 27-26 victory with just 1:28 left to play to the delight of Cabrini’s fans and the dismay of Shrine’s followers assembled to wind up week-long homecoming festivities on a happy note.
The sign of things to come occurred less than two minutes into the game when the Monarchs defensive tackle Richard Escobar pounced on a fumble by Shrine’s quarterback Jack Tisko.
In less than three minutes, Cabrini grabbed a 6-0 lead on a 29-yard pass from quarterback Evan Bergdoll to senior wide receiver Lender Emerick, speeding past Shrine’s defenders.
Shrine responded with a 10-play, 66-yard drive to retake the lead, 7-6. Junior scatback Jaycee Foster accounted for 58 yards in seven carries, including a stretch of three times in a row for 11 yards each. Tisko sneaked a yard for the touchdown. Senior Adam Imai kicked the extra point.
That was just the first quarter. There was more to come in a crazy and wild second quarter.
First, quarterback Bergdoll and receiver Emerick switched roles, Emerick passing to Bergdoll on a 33-yard flea flicker to put Cabrini back in front, 13-7.
Then, 1:02 later, Shrine retook the lead, 14-13, on a 47-yard dash by Foster down the left sideline.
Cabrini used up the remaining 1:20 to halftime to go back in front, 20-14. Bergdoll connected on passes totaling 63 yards to three different receivers, the last a four-yard toss to Emerick.
In the third quarter, Shrine’s sophomore linebacker Nikolai Kollenberg covered a fumble by Bergdoll to set up the opportunity for Tisko’s 47-yard pass to senior wide receiver Caydin Barbato to tie the score at 20-20 and set the stage for a heart-thumping fourth quarter.
The drama started when Shrine couldn’t convert a fourth-and-8 on its own 37-yard line. The Monarchs took a 27-20 lead on Bergdoll’s 26-yard aerial to Emerick.
Madisyn Smith, the first girl football player in Cabrini’s history, kicked what turned out to be the difference in the Monarchs’ victory. It was her third extra point of the game and the 19th for the season.
Shrine took the ensuing kickoff to Cabrini’s 33-yard line –and to the 3-yard line when the Monarchs were cited for two back-to-back 15-yard penalties for pass interference and a face mask violation.
Foster dashed around the left end for a touchdown. His bid for two potential game-winning extra points was smothered short of the goal line.
Cabrini kept a spotless 5-0 record (2-0 and first place in the Catholic High School League Intersectional 2 Division).
Quarterback Bergdoll completed 12 of 14 passes for 202 yards and three touchdowns, pushing his season totals to 972 yards passing and 18 TDs.
“He’s very composed,” said third-year Coach R.J. Chidester (a 2004 Cabrini grad). “I've coached college quarterbacks for a long time, and that kid's got all the moxie and attitude that it takes to go.”
Cabrini travels to Madison Heights Bishop Foley (0-5, 0-2) Friday, Oct. 3.
Shrine’s record fell to 4-2 overall (1-1 in the league). They lost the season opener, 27-26, to Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood.
“Heartbreak,” said a subdued Chris Kelly, a 2015 Shrine grad and first year as the Knights coach. “We’ve lost two games by a combined score of two points. I told the boys we made some plays, but they just made more. That’s reality. But we’ll get back to work. There’s a lot of season left to play.”
Jackson carried the ball 20 times for 144 yards and a touchdown. Tisko completed four of 12 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown.
Shrine hosts Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes (3-2, 1-1) Friday, Oct. 3.
5-0 starts across the league
Cabrini 5-0 start is its best since 8-0 in 2007.
Dearborn Divine Child (5-0) had a 6-0 start in 2017 and a school-best 7-0 in 1996.
Ann Arbor Fr. Gabriel Richard (5-0) also was 5-0 two years ago and 6-0 in 2017.
Macomb Lutheran North (5-0) was 5-0 in 2016 and 7-0 in 1998.
Novi Detroit Catholic Central (5-0) had a season-long perfect 14-0 enroute to a state championship in 2009.
Contact Don Horkey at [email protected]
