Saturday, Oct. 24, and Sunday, Oct. 25, are two important dates on the football calendars of a handful of Catholic League teams. One marks the end of the regular season, the other the beginning of “Season 2,” the playoffs for the state championship.
On Saturday, the CHSL stages its annual gridiron extravaganza, the Prep Bowl, at Ford Field in downtown Detroit. The two top teams in the Central, AA and Intersectional Divisions meet for the A-B, C-D and Prep Bowl championships. (Confused? One of the games is for the Prep Bowl title of the event known as the Prep Bowl. That contest over the years used to be called the “tri-sectional” game or the “wildcard” game until 2010.)
But I digress. I had a chance last weekend to preview three of the teams that will be on the Prep Bowl (the event) schedule.
Last Friday evening, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s assured itself a place in the 7 p.m. A-B Championship game with a must-win 14-6 victory over Novi Detroit Catholic Central.
The Eaglets held a precarious 6-0 edge until 1:26 left in the game, when junior halfback Justin Myrick scooted 26 yards for a touchdown. The Shamrocks responded with a TD with 38 seconds to play.
Catholic Central could find itself facing St. Mary’s in the Prep Bowl’s A-B tilt, but its chances are slim. It would have to upset unbeaten Warren De La Salle this Friday (Oct. 16), creating a three-way tie in the Central standings. A somewhat complex tie-breaking formula would be used to determine the Prep Bowl finalists.
Then, last Saturday afternoon, I watched the two squads that will be in the 4 p.m. Prep Bowl C-D game, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes and Riverview Gabriel Richard, the No. 1 and No. 3 teams respectively in the CHSL Intersectional standings.
(May I digress again: Lakes and Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood are tied for first place, each 6-0. They play Oct. 17. Because Cranbrook is an “associate” member of the CHSL, it isn’t allowed to play for the CHSL championship. That’s how third-place Richard gets in. The same predicament holds true for Macomb Lutheran North girls in CHSL soccer and volleyball, where they are current league leaders.)
Anyway, back to the game: Lakers QB Clay Senerius connected for five touchdown passes to lead a 35-8 romp over the Pioneers.
There’s nothing to think the outcome won’t be similar when the teams meet again. It looks like the same for the 1 p.m. Prep Bowl game of the Prep Bowl event featuring Detroit Loyola and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, No. 1 and No. 2 in the CHSL AA Division. Loyola handled the Fighting Irish back on Sept. 15, 42-17.
On Sunday, Oct. 25, at 7 pm. on Fox Sports Detroit, the MHSAA sponsors “Selection Sunday,” when it announces the schools that qualify for the state playoffs by winning six games of an eight-game schedule or five games of a seven-game or fewer schedule.
The CHSL qualifiers are: Division 2 defending champ De La Salle (6-1); Div. 3 defending champ St. Mary’s (6-1); Notre Dame (6-1) and Cranbrook (7-0) in Div. 4; and Our Lady of the Lakes (7-0) in Div. 8. Needing one more win are Catholic Central (5-1) in Div. 1, Div. 7 defending champ Loyola (5-2), and Riverview Gabriel Richard (5-3) in Div. 7.
Outside of the CHSL but within the archdiocese, Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central, defending Div. 6 champ, qualifies at 7-0.
CORRECTION: In last issue’s column, the first name of De La Salle’s quarterback was incorrect. The name of the quarterback, who amassed an outstanding 129 yards on the ground and two touchdowns in a victory over Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, is Joshua Wilk.
Don Horkey may be reached at [email protected]. MORE SPORTS: log on to themichigancatholic.com, click on Features.
