They are the best of friends, close buddies, lifetime pals, though their lives together add up to a brief 35 years: Grant 18, Parker 17.
Their families live across from each other on Union Lake in Commerce Township. Sports is a year-around activity, whether it was horsing around with brothers and other cousins or organized on the elementary or middle school or high school levels.
“I’m super competitive,” said Grant.
“I always want to succeed,” said Parker.
“But we’re happy for each other’s successes,” Grant quickly added.
Parker’s brother, Spencer, was an outstanding running back for St. Mary’s a year ago who led the Eaglets to the Division 3 state title, earning him a football scholarship to the University of Miami (Ohio).
Their grandfather, Jack LeBlanc, who introduced the hugely successful rowing program at St. Mary’s, was a major influence in his grandsons’ decision about high school. “We really had no choice,” Grant said. “We both played football and rowing for a couple of years, but we decided to focus on football.”
St. Mary’s is happy they did.
The backfield of Niemiec (6-foot, 225 pounds) and McInnis (5-11, 180) formed the best duo of running backs in the Catholic League in recent history. They were virtually unstoppable. Together, they carried the ball 518 times for 3,535 yards and 53 touchdowns, representing about 90 percent of the team’s ground attack. Grant set a school single-season record with 1,910 yards in 277 carries.
Parker’s 1,625 yards realized a personal goal. “I wanted to beat my brother’s yards from last year.”
Grant (28 carries, 168 yards, 3 TDs) and Parker (25 carries, 269 yards) put on a dazzling offensive show in their last high school game, the Division 3 final at Ford Field that St. Mary’s lost 40-37 in overtime to Grand Rapids Christian.
Head coach George Porritt described them as “the toughest runners I’ve ever had” in his 24 years at St. Mary’s.
“They competed every day. They enjoyed practices. They loved the physicality of football.”
This season, Grant played both sides of the ball as a linebacker on defense, racking up 128 tackles (nearly 10-per-game average), 77 of them unassisted, 11 for losses, and seven sacks.
The two Detroit daily newspapers named him to their Dream Teams — one on offense, the other on defense.
Grant has accepted a scholarship from Miami (Ohio), where he’ll join cousin Spencer. “But I’ll play linebacker. I like it more.” Parker is undecided what to choose from a handful of college offers.
This means the parting of the ways for these cousins-friends.
What’s it going to be like without Parker in the huddle? Grant laughs: “Well, we’ve never discussed our feelings. It’s a man’s thing, you know, but it will be different. We’ll handle it.”
Grant is leaving behind another formidable school record. He was the campus pierogi-eating champion four years in a row, stuffing down a dozen of the Polish dumplings in a minute. “It was a big-time upset my freshman year.”
Credit for this feat goes to his other grandfather. “He’s 100 percent Polish. He made the best pierogi.”
Don Horkey is a freelance writer from Shelby Township.
