Prep Bowl highlights Catholic school sports, academics
Rick Schulte of Special to the Michigan Catholic
Published September 27, 2006
Detroit — After beating Shrine Catholic High School, Royal Oak, by a 31-21 score in the C-D championship game of the Prep Bowl, various players from Notre Dame Prep, Pontiac, took turns hoisting the trophy they had worked so hard to earn.
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Photo by Gregg McIntosh
Notre Dame Prep teammates hoist their trophy and cheer. | There's the key word to the celebration – earn.
"We owed it to ourselves to show what we were capable of," said Notre Dame coach John Callahan. "It's a good lesson for the kids. You get out what you put into it. That's a real big lesson."
The Prep Bowl consisted of an entire day of honoring a wide spectrum of student-athletes, teachers and administrators.
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Photo by Gregg McIntosh
Shrine coach John Goddard talks to his team in the locker room during half-time. |
It's a day to recognize a great many accomplishments throughout the Archdiocese of Detroit. It hands out kudos to homecoming queens, provides the ultimate place for marching bands to perform, and shows just how many ways Catholic education works.
And of course, it's about football, too.
Although six teams played for the right to win championships in a trio of deciding games (two high school championship games, one Catholic Youth Organization championship game), only three of them were able to come out with the day's prize.
Just what did it mean to get there?
A man to remember
Winning is nothing new at Brother Rice, Bloomfield Hills.
Over the years, the Warriors have won 16 Prep Bowl championships, as well as several state championships.
Among the Prep Bowl crowns was Saturday's 24-21 win over De La Salle Collegiate, Warren.
But this championship had a special meaning to it.
Prior to the season, Warriors coach Al Fracassa dedicated the 2006 campaign to Mike Popson.
Popson, a former teacher, athletic director and assistant football coach at Rice, died in an auto accident earlier this year.
To commemorate Popson's work with the Warriors, a football sticker with his name imprinted on it was placed on the back of the team's football helmets.
The Warriors did their part by making sure there was something to celebrate.
In taking the Prep Bowl, Rice had to face an outstanding De La Salle team for the second time in three weeks. The Pilots were going for their first-ever Prep Bowl championship.
But Mike Cappetto, Andy Lentz and Caultron Ray all scored touchdowns for the Warriors. Dusty Greenbury also booted a 25-yard field goal for Rice, which improved its record to 9-0 with the victory.
Rice coach Al Fracassa referred to the Pilots as "a very good team. We were just honored to beat them."
A united community
There they were, decked out in their white t-shirts.
"The Sea of White" is how the fans of St. Edith Elementary School, Livonia, billed themselves.
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Photo by Gregg McIntosh
A St. Edith player keeps the ball despite a mid-air tackle. | It was an impressive site up in the stands, with all of their fans making a statement of enthusiasm and team unity.
Down on the field, the Eagles looked pretty good, too.
In battling to a 12-0 win over St. Regis, Bloomfield Hills, St. Edith scored on a trick play – a pass from tight end Mark Wagner to Joel Savalle. The Eagles also benefited from a 30-yard Justin D'Agustino field goal.
Winning aside, St. Edith coach Brad Hickey has established a well-oiled program.
"Brad has done a great job with everything, but he's also built an absolutely great Web site," said Paul Hess, St. Edith athletic director. "He gets the parents tuned into what's going on early on, and everyone is on the same page.
"When you've got the type of parents we do, and everyone communicates so well, you can see what the end result is."
Hickey said the team's emphasis on four key goals – God, family, school and football – created a real foundation.
"When everyone lives by this in the program, success is the only result," Hickey said. "And not by wins and losses, but everyday life."
Hard work pays off
With all the hoopla surrounding the day at Ford Field, this was all relatively new territory for Notre Dame Prep.
Even back when it was known as Pontiac Catholic, the school had never won a Prep Bowl.
So when the opportunity presented itself this time, John Callahan said his players knew what had to be done.
"The whole season has built up to this," Callahan said. He noted that when the Irish suffered a heartbreaking early-season loss to Detroit Catholic Central, Novi, everyone realized it was a game his club could have won.
"The Catholic Central game was a good lesson learned," Callahan said. "It set us back on our heels, and we learned a lot from it. We already knew we had the capabilities.
"It turned out to be the turning point in our season."
Quarterback Kyle McMahon scrambled his way in for three touchdowns to pace the Irish, giving them reason to celebrate.
"Between that, and getting ready to see where we wind up going in the state playoffs, it's an exciting weekend for all of us," Callahan said.
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