Don HorkeyDear reader, stay with me. Look for my cue when I need you to provide some audio so I can better convey the impact of the dramatic turning point of an intense lacrosse confrontation 10 days ago between Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice and Novi Detroit Catholic Central.
Going into the contest, Rice and CC were ranked 1-2 atop a slate of 127 high schools in Michigan by LaxPower.com, a respected online service that rates high school and college lacrosse teams across the USA.
Spectacular goal tending on both sides had fans oohing and aahing, particularly by the Shamrocks’ Hunter Braun. The Warriors offense peppered 31 shots at him, coming away with just two goals. Rice’s Ross Reason faced half as many shots with just one slipping past him to give his teammates a shaky 2-1 edge at halftime.
“Stay positive and keep shooting,” advised Warriors coach Ajay Chawla. Junior Nick Capatina fired up CC to get the third quarter under way, going some 75 yards unassisted to tie the score at 2-2. In less than five minutes, the Shamrocks built a 4-3 lead.
OK, here’s where your part comes in: snap your fingers and utter a loud “Boom!” Just like that, Rice erupted for eight unanswered goals in 12 minutes spanning the third and fourth quarters for an 11-4 lead en route to an 11-5 victory. Senior Morgan Macko paced the assault with three (of his game-high four) goals.
“You can’t hold them off forever,” CC coach Dave Wilson philosophized. “Forever” is an apt transition because it seems that long ago when Rice lost to CC, or to any other CHSL Central Division squad. In 12 seasons, dating back to 2005, the Warriors are a perfect 83-0. It breaks down to 27-0 vs. Detroit U-D Jesuit, 25-0 vs. Catholic Central, 17-0 vs. Warren De La Salle, and 14-0 vs. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s.
Brother Rice has won the CHSL championship 13 consecutive years, and 18 of 19 years since the league first sponsored a lacrosse tournament in 1997. The glitch in the streak occurred in 2002, when De La Salle won the title. Brother Rice is among a handful of schools that dominate CHSL regular season-ending championship tournaments. The Warriors have won boys swimming the last 18 years.
The others (these are all current): Dearborn Divine Child, 14 years in competitive cheering; Catholic Central, 21 years in wrestling and nine years in cross country; Bloomfield Hills Marian, seven years in girls skiing; Detroit Loyola, six years in Prep Bowl; U-D Jesuit, four years in basketball. Topping them all: Farmington Hills Mercy, 25 years in girls swimming and 48 of the last 49 years. Marian won the 1990 crown.
However, in lacrosse, Brother Rice is in a class all by itself. Since 2005 — and as of May 7 — the Warriors have an overall record of 236-29 under coaches Rob Ambrose (2005-13; 185-19) and his successor, Chawla (51-10).
Against out-of-state teams, the Warriors are 70-28. Inside Michigan’s borders, Rice is 166-1 against 35 schools. The Warriors won 133 in a row before losing an 8-7 overtime contest to Detroit Country Day in 2014. Since, Rice has resumed its unbeaten string with 33.
The Michigan High School Athletic Association sanctioned lacrosse in 2005. The Warriors have won all 54 tournaments games, including 11 Division 1 state titles, certainly the longest championship victory streak in state annals.
This year’s CHSL championship game will be played May 14. Most likely, the Warriors (13-3) will bump into Catholic Central (11-3), giving the Shamrocks another opportunity for redemption.
State tournament action begins May 21, winding down to the championship game June 11.
Go ahead. Say it: “Wow!”
Don Horkey may be reached at [email protected].
