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Thursday, October 20, 2005
It's déjÀ vu for Fracassa, Brother Rice
Longtime coach faces a first in having to play Orchard Lake St. Mary's for second straight week.
By Tom Markowski / The Detroit News
BIRMINGHAM -- Until this week, Birmingham Brother Rice coach Al Fracassa never had to prepare to play the same team two weeks in a row.
Fracassa is the state's leader in career victories, so there are few circumstances or situations that he hasn't experienced in a 49-year coaching career. But it has been an unusual week for him.
Brother Rice (7-1) plays Orchard Lake St. Mary's (8-0) for the Catholic League championship at 7 p.m. Saturday at Ford Field. St. Mary's defeated the visiting Warriors, 24-21, last Saturday to win the league's Central Division title.
"We know what they can do; they know what we can do," Fracassa said of playing the Eaglets in consecutive weeks.
"If we can be a little more crisp; we stayed with them. The execution, we're going to work on being a little quicker with our offense.
"They have speed. We have to compensate, and maybe we can give them more of a cushion. They're a big-play team. I've never seen so much talent."
It has been years since Fracassa was so upset after a loss.
Fracassa wasn't offended by the final score or the performance of his players. He was troubled by the alleged actions of a member of the chain gang at St. Mary's.
Members of Fracassa's coaching staff complained to the officials that a chain-gang member was signaling to the St. Mary's defense what play was called on the Brother Rice sideline. Game officials ejected the member of the chain gang in the second half.
St. Mary's coach George Porritt denies any wrongdoing by his coaching staff or himself.
"I would never do that," he said. "It bothers me that we were accused of doing that."
St. Mary's victory was its second straight over Brother Rice. The Eaglets upset the Warriors, 18-16, in a Division 2 district final last season.
Oddly enough, these teams could play for a third time this season in the state playoffs.
Pick: Brother Rice by 3
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