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10/2/2008-Football
St. Mary's slips past Rice in a thriller
BY MARTY BUDNER--ECCENTRIC STAFF WRITER
LATHRUP VILLAGE--COUNTING THEIR LATEST BATTLE, BIRMINGHAM BROTHER RICE AND ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARY'S HAVE PLAYED 10 TIMES OVER THE PAST SIX YEARS.
BESIDES THEIR SIX SCHEDULED REGULAR-SEASON TUSSLES, THEY'VE MET TWICE IN THE CATHOLIC LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME AND TWICE IN THE POST-SEASON PLAYOFFS. THE EAGLETS ENJOY A 6-4 ADVANTAGE IN WINS AND RICE A 197-189 EDGE IN SCORING DURING THAT SPAN.
IT'S DEFINITELY BEEN AN INTENSE RIVALRY, AND SATURDAY EVENING'S GAME PLAYED BEFORE 2,500 FANS AT SOUTHFIELD-LATHRUP HIGH SCHOOL WAS NO DIFFERENT.
ST. MARY'S MADE IT TWO STRAIGHT OVER BROTHER RICE WITH A 31-28 VICTORY. EACH TEAM SCORED FOUR TOUCHDOWNS AND A FIELD GOAL. THE DIFFERENCE WAS ST. MARY'S MADE ALL ITS EXTRA POINTS AND RICE FAILED ON THREE OF ITS POINT-AFTER ATTEMPTS.
WARREN DE LA SALLE LEADS THE TOUGH CATHOLIC LEAGUE CENTRAL DIVISION STANDINGS WITH A 2-0 RECORD. DIVINE CHILD IS 1-0, FOLLOWED BY ST. MARY'S AT 2-1 AND BROTHER RICE AT 1-1. BROTHER RICE AND ST. MARY'S ARE 3-2 OVERALL.
THE RICE-ST. MARY'S GAME WAS A SEE-SAW BATTLE THE ENTIRE WAY.
ST. MARY'S SCORED FIRST ON A TWO-YARD RUN BY SAM FIORONI. RICE'S RYAN KELLY BOOTED A 25-YARD FIELD GOAL AND THEN FIORONI PUT HIS TEAM AHEAD 14-3 WITH ANOTHER SHORT RUN, THIS TIME FROM ONE YARD OUT.
HOWEVER, RICE SCORED TWICE TO CLOSE OUT THE FIRST HALF ON A PAIR OF RUNS BY DANNY HENNEGHAN FROM ONE-YARD OUT AND 57 YARDS AWAY. THE WARRIORS WENT FOR THE TWO-POINT CONVERSION AFTER EACH TOUCHDOWN, AND FAILED BOTH TEAMS. RICE DID MANAGE A SLIM 15-14 HALFTIME LEAD.
ST. MARY'S BEGAN THE SECOND HALF WITH A BANG AS RODNEY WOODLAND RAN THE KICK-OFF BACK 95 YARDS FOR A TOUCHDOWN. RICE QUARTERBACK FRANKIE POPP THEN TOSSED A 17-YARD SCORING PASS TO KEVONTE MARTIN-MANLEY, BUT THE WARRIORS MISSED THE EXTRA POINT AND THE GAME WAS TIED 21-ALL.
A FEW MINUTES LATER, KEEGAN DUPACK KICKED A 30-YARD FIELD GOAL TO GIVE THE EAGLETS A 24-21 LEAD.
LESS THAN A MINUTE INTO THE FOURTH QUARTER, RICE REGAINED THE ADVANTAGE, 28-24, AFTER POPP CONNECTED AGAIN WITH MARTIN-MANLEY FROM 14 YARDS AWAY.
WITH SIX MINUTES REMAINING IN REGULATION, ST. MARY'S REGAINED THE LEAD ON A ONE-YARD RUN BY QUARTERBACK ROBERT BOLDEN.
RICE GOT THE BALL BACK AND DROVE TO THE ST. MARY'S 20-YARD LINE, ONLY TO TURN THE BALL OVER ON A FUMBLE RECOVERED BY MIKE PADULA. THE EAGLETS THEN HELD THE BALL FOR THE GAME'S FINAL FOUR MINUTES BY REGISTERING THREE FIRST DOWNS, ONE OF WHICH CAME ON A FOURTH-DOWN PLAY FROM INSIDE THEIR OWN TERRITORY.
BROTHER RICE HAD 347 TOTAL YARDS TO 328 FOR ST. MARY'S. THE EAGLETS ENJOYED A 20-16 ADVANTAGE IN FIRST DOWNS. EACH TEAM HAD JUST ONE TURNOVER.
THE EAGLETS WERE LED OFFENSIVELY BY FIORONI WHO HAD 157 YARDS ON 30 CARRIES. BOLDEN COMPLETED EIGHT OF 12 PASSES AND RUSHED FOR 68 YARDS.
RICE'S HENNEGHAN FINISHED WITH 139 YARDS RUSHING ON 15 CARRIES. POPP COMPLETED 10 OF 12 PASSES, SIX OF THEM TO MARTIN-MANLEY FOR 88 YARDS.
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