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10/14/06-Football
At last. De La Salle going to Prep Bowl
BY CHRIS SILVA, FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
WARREN--Warren De La Salle senior quarterback Brian Lewis took one final knee before it was time to rejoice.
There were tears, hugs, howls and plenty of smiling faces.
De La Salle had just knocked off Catholic League foe Orchard Lake St. Mary's, 14-7, in its final home game of the season Friday, thrusting the Pilots into the Prep Bowl Championship game for the first time in 12 years.
"We wanted this so bad. We'd been practicing so hard," said senior wide receiver David Blackburn. "We wanted to get back to the Prep Bowl so bad."
The Pilots finally made it back.
Lewis completed 12 of 13 passes for 107 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and, more importantly, helped the Pilots eat up the time of possession.
De La Salle's offense had the ball for all but eight minutes of the first half. Its first drive from scrimmage lasted 8:43 and 17 plays, but the Pilots failed to reach the end zone.
On the Pilots' second possession of the game, Lewis hit Blackburn for a 25-yard touchdown pass, and the extra point gave De La Salle a 7-0 lead.
St. Mary's senior quarterback Justin Siller, who will play at Purdue next fall, scored on a one-yard touchdown run to close out the half and knot the score at 7-all.
De La Salle didn't score again until its first possession of the fourth quarter, when Lewis connected with senior wide receiver Don Fowler for a five-yard touchdown pass, followed by an extra point, to put the Pilots ahead for good.
Siller and Co. hardly had any time to operate. Siller completed 9 of 17 passes for 112 yards, while St. Mary's rushing game amassed only 90 yards.
"They did a great job of keeping us off the field," St. Mary's coach George Porritt said. "You've got to give their defense credit for us not executing."
Not only did the win snap a four-game losing streak against St. Mary's, but it also put De La Salle against Birmingham Brother Rice for the Prep Bowl crown.
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