Catholic High School League claims four state championships at Ford Field
DETROIT – The Detroit Catholic Central football team’s mantra of “Finish what we started” definitely resonated with Benny Eziuka – just not in the way he might have predicted.
The Penn State commit ─ who’s also notable as a heavyweight wrestler ─ achieved a defensive lineman’s dream when he saw the football floating toward him late in the MHSAA Division 1 state championship game, a 42-19 victory over Detroit Cass Tech.
“I was just in the right place at the right time,” the senior captain said. “I caught the ball, my teammate Connor Ryan was throwing me a block, so I was like, ‘He made the effort, so I’ve got to try to score. I made the cut and saw green grass. I was like, ‘That’s a long way, but I’ve got to try.’”
So the 300-pounder lumbered up the right sideline, and teammate Jack Janda cleared the path by pushing the last Cass Tech defender out of the way. Eziuka crossed the goal line – eventually – and sent the Catholic Central bench and fan base into a frenzy.
“When I was in the end zone, I had to make my way to the barrier because I was not standing up for very long,” he said. “I definitely needed oxygen, but it was a great play for the entire team.”
While no one is going to confuse his sprinting ability with other Shamrock skill players such as Samson or Gideon Gash, Eziuka put the cap on Catholic Central’s blowout win over the state’s top-ranked team. It was the program’s first state football title since 2009, and 11th overall.
“CC football is back to where it should have been, and it really feels good to be back on top,” Samson Gash said. “After we lost to Cass Tech last year, we knew we should have beaten them, but Coach Cessante said, ‘We didn’t prove it.’ Just working every day with my brothers and my best friends for life, it means everything to us to go out on top, for sure.”
Catholic Central’s defense shut down Cass Tech’s blue-chippers, making two interceptions, recovering a fumble and shutting the Technicians out in the first half, when the Shamrocks jumped out to a two-touchdown advantage.
But the Shamrock offense provided plenty of fireworks throughout the day as well. Gideon Gash caught three long touchdown passes from Duke Banta, as the junior duo hooked up on plays covering 41, 37 and 48 yards. Those were the only three receptions Gash had all night, but that was enough as Banta completed 9 of 11 attempts for 156 yards overall.
“All year, me and my quarterback had that connection,” Gideon Gash said. “We’d been practicing all year, working at it, so when the time was right, I knew I could count on him delivering me that ball and me to run that route.”
“Me and Gideon, and Samson and all our other receivers, have been doing this all year,” Banta said. “I’m nothing without my O-line; they protected me all year long. I didn’t get touched once today. All thanks to them, and having the best brother duo in the state helps you out so much ─ knowing I’m going to be able to throw it to them and they’re going to come down with it every time.”
Catholic Central also got short rushing touchdowns from Joshua Peters and Cedric Williams. The Shamrocks led 20-7 after three quarters before tacking on 22 more points in the game’s final eight minutes.
The victory enabled Catholic Central to finish undefeated in 14 games, but perhaps more importantly, avenge a loss to Cass Tech in a 2024 semifinal contest, prompting the Shamrocks’ motto for this fall. Cass Tech (13-1), the prior state champions, had also defeated the Shamrocks in head-to-head finals meetings in 2016, 2012 and 2011.
“It was kind of ‘Enough is enough.’ We were ready to get over the hump,” Head Coach Justin Cessante said. “We knew that we had to go through Cass Tech to get a state championship, and regardless of stats, we had a lot of confidence in our football team and what we were able to do, and the work that we put in all year.”
“We knew that last year we were a better team than them. We honestly played a really bad (semifinal) game and they got us; they deserved that win, and this year, we didn’t back down from anyone else all year,” Samson Gash said. “Today we just came out and proved it. We tried not to think about it, but they were always in the back of our heads. There’s no better way to end it than to beat Cass Tech in the state championship.”
Catholic Central’s win capped a weekend where four Catholic High School League teams claimed state titles, as Dearborn Divine Child, Jackson Lumen Christi and Orchard Lake St. Mary’s all won on Friday. In addition, Toledo Central Catholic won its semifinal in Ohio, but former CHSL member Pontiac Notre Dame Prep fell to another Catholic school, Grand Rapids West Catholic.
GRAND RAPIDS WEST CATHOLIC 42, PONTIAC NOTRE DAME PREP 14
Just like in Notre Dame Prep’s 2024 trip to the MHSAA Division 5 state championship game – a victory over Frankenmuth ─ a couple of early big plays set the tone. But that script was flipped this year, as the Fighting Irish watched Grand Rapids West Catholic roll up a 28-0 first-half lead and that margin held for a 42-14 final.
Just four-and-a-half minutes into the game, West Catholic scored on a 79-yard touchdown pass from Grady Augustyn to Thomas Puksta. Then the Falcons got the ball back five plays later after recovering a Fighting Irish fumble, and that led to a 56-yard scoring drive, capped by Augustyn’s 1-yard run.
West Catholic (13-1) also scored on its next two possessions to take a 28-0 lead, on Connor Olszewski’s 3-yard run and another Augustyn-to-Puksta pass covering 25 yards.
Notre Dame Prep (11-3) got a glimmer of hope in the final minute before halftime, on Anthony Tartaglia’s 2-yard touchdown run to get within 28-7. But that optimism was short-lived, as the Falcons returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the first two minutes of the third quarter.
The Fighting Irish got one final touchdown on the second play of the fourth quarter, when backup quarterback Drake Roa found a wide-open Brody Sink for a pass play covering 60 yards. Roa had switched from H-back after starter Sam Stowe suffered a shoulder injury on his throwing arm.
“That was a great football team we played today,” head coach Pat Fox said. “We thought it was going to be a dogfight. We didn’t think it would roll this way, but it got away from us a little bit early. We’ve been beaten twice (previously) this year and we’ve won 10 in a row. We’re a very good football team, but that team across the field from us today beat us.”
TOLEDO CENTRAL CATHOLIC 21, CUYAHOGA VALLEY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 20
The football season continues for yet another Catholic League member school, as Toledo Central Catholic will play in its fourth consecutive Ohio championship contest.
For the third year in a row, Greg Dempsey’s squad will face Columbus Bishop Watterson in the Division III final, slated for 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5 at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton. Central Catholic beat Bishop Watterson to win the 2023 state championship, 27-7, while Bishop Watterson turned the tables on the Fighting Irish last year, 19-14.
Central Catholic (10-4) punched its ticket last Friday with a come-from-behind semifinal victory over Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, 21-20, at Fostoria High School.
Trailing 20-7 after three quarters, Central Catholic’s Ali Beydoun threw touchdown passes down the stretch to Jerome Davis (10 yards) and Jeremiah Fuller (23 yards). CVCA had a final shot to win, but a 29-yard field goal attempt sailed wide as time expired.
