DETROIT — Herb Brogan, 76, for 46 years the head coach of Jackson Lumen Christi, is a dozen victories away from becoming the winningest high school football coach in the state after defeating Kingsley, 28-14, in the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 6 final Nov. 28 at Ford Field.
Jim Crowley had been the coach from 1968 when Lumen Christi was formed. The Titans won state Class B championships in 1977 and 1979.
Less than two months later, on the first Friday in January 1980, Crowley pulled into his driveway after picking up his 13-year-old daughter from an event. He sent his daughter into the house and then confronted a man he’d spotted in his yard. Moments later, Crowley was shot and killed. He was 45.
Brogan, a lifelong friend and one of Crowley’s assistant coaches, assumed head coach duties. “His spirit has always been with us,” he said in the aftermath of the Titans’ latest conquest. On another occasion, Brogan said, “A lot of the things are run the same way. Circumstances have changed, but the tradition has stayed the same.”
Brogan’s record of 432-93 is second to Farmington Hills Harrison’s John Herrington (443-112) and two more than Al Fracassa (430-117) of Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice.
Lumen Christi is one of three teams that have appeared in 18 state finals, winning 15 including the last four years in a row. Harrison won 13 and Novi Detroit Catholic Central’s title this year is its 11th.
Freshman halfback Ayden Gatewood’s 25-yard dash and fullback Sean Walicki’s 60-yard run gave the Titans a 14-0 lead midway of the first quarter. Kingsley (11-3) responded to tie the score at halftime.
After a scoreless third quarter, Lumen Christi (11-3) regained the lead midway through the fourth quarter via junior quarterback Benny Gaston’s 23-yard pass to junior Johnny Walters.
Walters, in the defense backfield, intercepted a Kingsley pass at the Titans’ 25-yard line to set the stage moments later for Walicki’s second touchdown run, a 34-yard effort.
Walicki rushed 11 times for 142 yards and two touchdowns and recorded a game-high 17 tackles. Gaston finished the day 8-of-13 passing for 111 yards and a touchdown.
“Everybody thinks, you know, you got things rolling it’s easy,” Brogan said in a post-game conversation. “It is hard. And every time you win, it becomes harder. You get to the point where the kids think it’s going to happen rather than thinking they have to make it happen. And to keep them believing that is a difficult job.”
Contact Don Horkey at [email protected].
