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10/26/2008-Football
Brother Rice clinches playoff spot with win
Warriors get best of St. Mary's, 28-21
By CHRIS LAU • DETROIT FREE PRESS
DETROIT--With 47 seconds left in the game, the ball wobbled toward Birmingham Brother Rice hands-team member John Farney. He caught it, secured it and fell.
After the Warriors offense killed the remaining ticks off the clock, they celebrated their 28-21 victory over Orchard Lake St. Mary's in the Catholic League wildcard game Saturday at Ford Field.
Farney's play finalized the Warriors' sixth win, which is how many a team playing nine games needs for a guaranteed playoff spot. Brother Rice is 6-3.
“We have great chemistry,” said Farney, a senior. “To keep this going at least one more week is great.”
Brother Rice got the first break three minutes into the game. On third-and-long, a Frankie Popp pass intended for Kevonte Martin-Manley (4 catches, 89 yards) went through his hands, but deflected to Nate Saldivar-Garcia for a 40-yard touchdown.
After two field goals (30 and 32 yards) from the Eaglets' Keegan Dupack, Martin-Manley went deep for a 58-yard touchdown catch from Popp late in the first half.
St. Mary's quarterback Robert Bolden scored on a 1-yard sneak early in the fourth quarter, and Brother Rice answered with a 1-yard bull rush for a touchdown by Jimmy Pickens.
Pickens, the free safety, joined the team's short-yardage package just two weeks ago, and hit pay dirt for the second straight game.
With two minutes left, Rice corner Michael Brown returned a pick 40 yards for a score, making it 28-14.
St. Mary's answered quickly with another touchdown — a 2-yard pass from Bolden to Rodney Woodland (6 catches, 79 yards).
But the comeback attempt ended on the ensuing kickoff the moment Farney hit the turf.
“This league is so tough,” Rice coach Al Fracassa said. “It's unbelievable every time we play each other, how close the scores are.”
St. Mary's ended its season 4-5.
“We lost a lot of tough games,” coach George Porritt said. “There was a lot of character. These kids never quit.”
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