Remember all the hullabaloo earlier this year about the Loyola Bulldogs being “forced” to play a pair of Catholic League Central Division powerhouses? Coach John Callahan mulled forfeiting the games, citing safety concerns.
To put the record straight: Loyola, the defending Division 7 state champion and a powerhouse in its own right, wasn’t “forced” to put Division 3 defending champ Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, or the defending Division 2 titlists, Warren De La Salle, on its schedule.
The school agreed to a compromise proposal that Loyola would move up to AA, based upon its domination of all other gridiron teams in the CHSL, and its string of three consecutive appearances in the Division 7 state finals.
The Bulldogs showed up Aug. 29 at Wayne State as part of the Tim Hortons Prep Kickoff Classic to take on OLSM, and after it was all done, walked off with heads held high, trailing only 14-6 going into the last quarter, finally coming up short 24-12.
“We had our chances (to win),” Callahan said. “We let it slip away.”
Eaglets coach George Porritt had high praise for the Bulldogs: “They were tough. It was a great challenge for them, but it’s a great way to get better. They’ll be fine.”
“The kids learned a lot from playing St. Mary’s,” Callahan said, but he learned something, too, that bodes well for another shot at a state title: the Bulldogs have a tenacious defense.
You might not think so looking at the raw statistics. St. Mary’s rushed for 277 yards and passed for 59 (compared to Loyola’s 82 on the ground and 120 in the air). However, the Eaglets ran with the ball 62 times and passed on 11 downs. That’s 73 plays, nearly three times Loyola’s total of 27.
That’s a lot of punishment the Bulldogs’ defense absorbed and a lot of time spent on the field on a sunny, slightly humid afternoon. What’s the cliché? They bent but didn’t break.
The Bulldogs’ 6-foot-2, 215-pound junior linebacker, Kailen Abrams, seemingly was in the thick of every tackle, apropos for the “Superman” nickname by which his teammates know him. “He’s a tremendous kid, who has been overlooked,” Callahan said.
A defining moment came late in the second quarter. St. Mary’s had the ball on Loyola’s
22-yard line with 55 seconds remaining in the half, eager to expand on a 14-6 lead before going into the locker room. The defense stopped the charge at the 6-yard line with four seconds to play.
OLSM’s offense was led by senior scatback Justin Myrick, who carried 27 times for 134 yards to get a head start on another 1,000-yard season, but only one carry was in double figures, an 18-yarder. He scored the Eaglets’ first two TDs on 3-yard plunges. Senior running back Pierce Bauer scored from 8 yards out and John Kwiecinski booted a 42-yard field goal for OL’s other points.
Both of Loyola’s touchdowns came via the pass. The first was “compliments” of Eaglets’ QB Brendan Tabone. His toss bounced off the fingertips of his intended target, wide receiver Clay Antishin, into the arms of junior cornerback Price Watkins, who scampered 63 yards down the right sideline to the Eaglets’ seven.
From there, senior fallback Joshua Stewart crashed into the end zone.
The Bulldogs’ second score came on a pass from their own QB, senior Nick Lee. He heaved the pigskin some 50 yards from his own 20 to Blaine Woodland, who caught the ball in stride to complete an 80-yard play.
Loyola won’t face the other Central foe, De La Salle, until Oct. 2. They have what appears to be a rugged confrontation this weekend against Oakridge High in Muskegon, winners of their opener over defending Division 8 champ Muskegon Catholic Central.
The Catholic League had a successful first week of action, winning 12 of 16 season openers.
Don Horkey may be reached at [email protected].
