ROYAL OAK — Let’s be honest: unless you’re a soccer aficionado, sitting through 80 minutes of a usually low-scoring game can be — well, a bit like watching paint dry.
Multiply that experience by three — as the Catholic High School League did last Saturday at Royal Oak Shrine to crown three divisional champs in girls soccer on a glorious sunshiny day — and you definitely have a case of overload.
Yes, the athleticism and skill of the players are noteworthy, and soccer is worldwide popular. But there is another aspect of the sport: namely, it offers opportunities for friends or strangers observing from the stands to make new or renew acquaintances with minimal interruption — such as when someone kicks a ball past the goaltender.
That occurred a mere 15 times in 240 minutes in the CHSL showdowns. In some cultures, you’d have 15 outbreaks of mayhem, some of it quite serious. On this particular occasion, the usual response was: “What happened?”
In the first game, while Farmington Hills Mercy (8-4-5) and Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood (7-6-1) were in combat for the Bishop Division trophy, it presented an opportunity to chat with Brandon Malinowski, the Mercy athletic director, and congratulate him on being selected the Tom Kelly Athletic Director of the Year, an honor that will be bestowed on him at the CHSL Hall of Fame banquet June 10.
Three years ago, Brandon succeeded his mother, Nancy Malinowski, who was Mercy’s AD for 33 years. Brandon had served as an events coordinator for eight years in the CHSL office under Vic Michaels, who will be feted as a “Catholic League Legend” at the same banquet.
During Brandon’s brief tenure, the Marlins have won four state championships (two in golf, swimming and volleyball) and a dozen CHSL championships: two in lacrosse, soccer, bowling, three in swimming, track, field hockey and three in softball.
The game: Mercy defeated Cranbrook Kingswood, 3-1, to end a soccer title drought that went all the way back to 1993 and their sixth in history. Junior Brianna Mikha scored twice, and Madison Linton once for Mercy. Carola Gorlier scored for the Cranes.
While Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Prep (14-2-1; Division 2, No. 13) and Macomb Lutheran North (13-2-3; Division 3, No. 2) were facing off for the Cardinal Division title, it was a chance to talk to Gary Morris about basketball.
Morris, 68, will be starting his 29th season coaching this winter, 21 years at Mercy. His record of 483-181 was compiled at Detroit Dominican in 1979, at Madison Heights Bishop Foley (1992-98) and at Mercy since 2005, making him the current winningest girls basketball coach in the CHSL following the retirements of Mary Cicerone at Bloomfield Hills Marian (707) and Diane Laffey at Warren Regina (668) and 19th winningest overall in the state.
“The longer you coach,” Morris said, “you emphasize the fun aspect of coaching, but you still have expectations and demands about how the kids practice and play.”
Kids come with a lot of talent, he said, gained from playing on travel teams or getting individual training. “It’s becoming more and more common for freshmen to be playing on the varsity.”
“I’ll keep going as long as I have my health and energy to do it,” Morris said, “and the kids keep listening to me.”
And they’re all having fun.
The game: St. Mary’s won, 3-1. Cameron Cole had two goals, and Caroline Kopmeyer one. Gabrielle Hatfield scored for Lutheran North. It was the first appearance in the soccer finals for both schools.
While Allen Park Cabrini (9-3-1) and Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart (9-5) were competing for the St. Anne Division trophy, CHSL associate director Mike Evoy took a moment away from his responsibilities to make sure the event runs without a hitch, that officials and teams are properly assembled, that postgame medals and trophies are presented, that all goes well for players and parents and spectators.
“This is important to the student athletes,” he said, “because it’s their only time in the championship game, especially in their senior year. It’s important to them, it’s important to the parents. So we gotta make it important. I bring it up to the athletic directors in the meetings we have every season. We gotta do a good job for the kids.”
Evoy, who has been involved in the CHSL for 15 years, said his job doesn’t get tiresome. “Every year is different, every year is unique because of the student athletes, the coaches. There’s always something new and fresh every year” — laughing — “with the exception of Vic and myself since we’ve been around so long. We have to try to improve on everything every year.”
He added: “The freshmen playing today are going to be a part of the Catholic League centennial in the 2026-2027 academic year.”
The game: Cabrini routed Sacred Heart, 6-1. Madelynn Glazier had the hat trick, Kaitlyn Jabczenski two goals and Madisyn Smith one, Magnolia Marsh scored for Sacred Heart. Cabrini was a finalist in 2014 and 2015.
Contact Don Horkey at [email protected].
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