Metro Detroit —The Catholic League celebrated four state titles in fall sports — not to mention a fifth champion from the Archdiocese of Detroit — and five schools were double winners in the CHSL fall champions tournament.

The Catholic League’s Warren De La Salle, Detroit Loyola and Orchard Lake St. Mary’s won state championships in football, as well as Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central, a non-CHSL school within the archdiocese.

In Division 2, the Pilots finished off a dramatic mid-season turnaround by dominating Muskegon Mona Shores, 44-8, for their first state crown. A fired-up Loyola squad won its first state championship by handling Ishpeming, 29-8, which had beaten the Bulldogs for the past two titles. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s controlled the ball for the last 6:37 of the game to win a defensive struggle against Muskegon, 7-0, for Division 3 and the Eaglets’ sixth state title. And Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central snapped juggernaut Ithaca’s 69-game winning streak to capture the Division 6 crown.

Bloomfield Hills Marian won the Division 2 swimming and diving crown for the school’s third state title, to go along with championships in Division 1 in 2007 and Division 3 in 2008.

CHSL state runners-up included Farmington Hills Mercy, losing the Division 1 swim championship on the last race to Saline by a margin of 5.5 points; Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook was a finalist for the Division 2 boys soccer and Division 3 boys tennis and girls golf; and Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice was runner-up in Division 1 boys tennis.

They won for teammate’s mom in heaven: The death of running back Brandon Adams’ mother from cancer on Thanksgiving Day “fueled us,” Orchard Lake St. Mary’s senior lineman Josh Dabney said. “That broke our hearts. We had a meeting the day after Thanksgiving and said we are doing this for him. That was the sole purpose. We weren’t doing it for ourselves and we weren’t doing it for the ring. We were doing it for him, to make him happy and to make his mom happy in heaven.” Adams scored the Eaglets’ only points with a touchdown run and extra-point kick.

 

CHSL fall champions

Brother Rice, Novi Detroit Catholic Central, Royal Oak Shrine, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes and Farmington Hills Mercy were double winners in the Catholic League’s fall sports schedule.

The Warriors won the Division 1 boys tennis title for the fourth year in a row and the Division A-B football crown.

The Shamrocks returned to the winner’s circle in Division 1 boys soccer for the first time since 1993 and won the boys cross country title for the eighth consecutive year.

The Lakers won the C-D football trophy for the second year in a row, while the girls made it three in a row in C-D Division volleyball.

Shrine boys and girls won their respective Division 3-4 cross country championships.

Mercy won in girls golf for the third year in a row and the CHSL swimming championship for the 48th time (1960, 1967-1989, 1991-2014).

The other fall champions:

BOYS TENNIS — Pontiac Notre Dame Prep won the Division 2 title for the first time since 2006.

BOYS SOCCER — In Division C-D, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Prep was a first-time winner.

FIELD HOCKEY — Bloomfield Hills Sacred Heart Academy was the champ for the first time since 2006.

CROSS COUNTRY — Warren Regina won its third consecutive Division 1-2 girls trophy.

FOOTBALL — Coach John Callahan’s Detroit Loyola repeated in the Prep Bowl wild card game for the third time; coupled with C-D titles in 2010 and 2011, the Bulldogs are Prep Bowl winners five years in a row.

VOLLEYBALL — Bloomfield Hills Marian outlasted defending champion Notre Dame Prep in a five-match set for the A-B Division crown.

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Don Horkey may be reached at [email protected].