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2010– The Year in Review
(11-3) MHSAA Division 3 Runner-Up
Coming up a tipped ball short in 2009, the 2010 Eaglets turned their attention to another run at what’s been an elusive fifth state title in school history through a minefield of tough opponents. For the first time in 72 years, St. Mary’s played its home games at Msgr. Milewski Field under the lights (installed in August 2010) with games on Friday and Saturday nights. The Eaglets opened the season at Grand Rapids West Catholic and overwhelmed a good Falcon team, 42-6. Returning home to begin a four-game homestand, the Eaglets returned the favor and beat the Polar Bears of Highland Park, 27-6, followed a week later by a rout of Hamilton (Ont.) St. Thomas More, 48-7. Hosting the Detroit Jesuit Cubs on Homecoming Night, the Eaglets had to come from behind and score twice to win 28-19. The final game of the homestand saw the Eaglets shut out the visiting Columbus (OH) St. Francis de Sales , 24-0, holding the Stallions to 29 yards in total offense, recovering three Stallion fumbles along with two sacks and eight tackles-for-losses.
St. Mary’s traveled to Berkley to play Birmingham Brother Rice on a Saturday in the rain. Playing like a team with its season on the line, the Warriors took advantage of four Eaglet turnovers to end St. Mary’s five-game unbeaten streak, 26-3. Needing a win to stay in contention for the CHSL Central Division title, St. Mary’s next visited Warren De La Salle, and scored early and often to beat the favored Pilots, 21-3. The Eaglet defense neutralized a Pilot offense that had been averaging over 30 points a game.
St. Mary’s returned home to face a defending state champion Catholic Central team that had its 20-game winning streak snapped the previous weekend by Brother Rice. The Eaglets went head-to-head with the Shamrocks and played flawlessly to win, 14-7. The victory gained St. Mary’s a share of the CHSL Central Division title for the first time since 2007, and the right to play Brother Rice for the CHSL A-B Championship in the Prep Bowl.
The Prep Bowl came down to one play, a fourth-down and two from the Brother Rice two-yard line with nine seconds left. Everybody at Ford Field, including the Brother Rice defense, knew that, when St. Mary’s declined to kick a field goal to send the game into overtime, the ball was going to 270-lb running back Cortez Riley. The Warriors stopped Riley a ½ yard short of the goal-line to win the game and the championship, 17-14. The victory was also the first time the Warriors had beaten St. Mary’s twice in the same season.
Going into the state playoffs with a 7-2 record, the Eaglets hosted Lapeer East and routed the Eagles, 54-13, scoring early and often to lead at halftime 40-7. The following week the Eaglets hosted the high-scoring Yellowjackets of Auburn Hills Avondale, and scored a record-high 71 points to win by 27, 71-44. The Eaglets again scored early and often to lead at halftime, 49-14. The regional championship matched Eaglets against Redford Thurston at Msgr. Milewski Field, and the result was no different than the outcomes of the two previous playoff games. St. Mary’s won 45-7, outscoring the Eagles, 31-0, in the second half to advance to the semifinal round for the tenth time in school history. #3-ranked St. Mary’s met the #5-ranked Dewitt Panthers for a second consecutive year and again prevailed, 41-20. The Eaglets again used a punishing ground attack and a pressure defense to subdue the Panthers in the second half after leading 19-14 at the half.
The Division III Championship again pitted the Eaglets against the undefeated East Grand Rapids Pioneers, winners of the last four consecutive state championships and ten overall, including games with St. Mary’s in 2007 and 2009. The game was a seesaw battle in the first half with the Eaglets down by seven at halftime. The Pioneers went up by 14 in the third quarter, but the Eaglets responded to narrow the gap to a touchdown. Early in the fourth quarter, the Pioneers extended their lead to 15, and with 3:39 left St. Mary’s scored to get within eight. East Grand Rapids controlled the ball until the final gun to win 35-27. St. Mary’s finished the season at 11-3.
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