DETROIT — The Detroit Lions aren’t the only team restoring the roar at Ford Field this season. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s — making its first appearance in the MHSAA state finals since winning three straight titles from 2014-16 — added another one to its illustrious history, beating Byron Center, 35-19.
“This is where Orchard Lake belongs,” head coach Jermaine Gonzales said. “We’re used to playing after Thanksgiving. We wanted to bring that pride and that tradition back to the school and the football program.”
The Eaglets (11-3) hadn’t made a serious post-season run since 2019, missed the playoffs altogether in 2023, and finished fourth among six teams in the Catholic League’s Central Division with a 2-3 record this fall.
But the Eaglets seemed to improve from week to week, with lopsided victories in the first three playoff games before a heart-pounding overtime win against top-ranked Birmingham Groves in the semifinals, which got them to Ford Field.
“These boys, I told them from day one, this is a championship team,” Gonzales said. “They bought into it, they believed in it, and here we are.”
“Our boys were battle-tested all year, and I think we showed up tonight.”
Playing in its first championship, Byron Center (12-2) struck first, grabbing early leads of 7-0 and 13-7, but St. Mary’s answered each time. Darrin Jones capped a 62-yard drive with a 7-yard rushing touchdown that tied the game at 7-7, late in the first quarter. Although the Bulldogs responded with another touchdown, the Eaglets’ Jordan Savoury blocked the resulting extra-point kick attempt.
St. Mary’s took the lead for the first time, 14-13, after Bryson Williams’ 12-yard run and a successful extra point by Beckett Kiefer.
The first minute of the second half is when St. Mary’s started to take control. Defensive tackle Ryan Harrington forced the Byron Center quarterback to fumble, and Kyrie Williams picked up the loose ball, rambling to the Bulldog 3-yard line. From there, Williams punched it in, giving the Eaglets some breathing room with a 21-13 lead.
“I never really had a forced fumble this year, but to have one in Ford Field, in the state championship, it was a tide-turner, and the offense took it in right away,” Harrington said. “I thought my guy Kyrie was going to score, but it didn’t matter, because our offense was playing great, physical smash-mouth football and they scored.”
Gonzales described Harrington’s play as a game-changer.
“We knew that we needed to make a big play in this game, somehow, someway — offense, defense, special teams,” Gonzales said. “That sack-fumble was a big, big turning point for us. It got us going, and it gave us the momentum overall.”
With the newfound energy, St. Mary’s expanded its lead to 28-13 in the final minute of the third quarter. Facing fourth down and 17 from the 33-yard line, Angelo Chapman ran an out pattern and grabbed the pass from quarterback Axel Newell in stride, crossing the goal line. It took Byron Center about two minutes to respond with a touchdown, but Jones got St. Mary’s final score with a 4-yard rush with 3:33 to play.
The Newell-to-Chapman pass play was a rarity, as the Eaglets largely kept the ball on the ground. Jones was the game’s leading rusher with 181 yards on 21 carries. Williams, a Michigan State University commit, added 109, while Richard Goike ran for 71.
“We just knew going into this game it was going to be a physical game,” Gonzales said. “Byron Center’s a really good team, a well-coached team, and we just had to focus on all the little things, the details: (not committing) penalties, no turnovers.”
“Sometimes with kids you need those big plays because playing here is not the easiest thing if you’re not used to it and you haven’t been here before, with the bright lights, the big atmosphere and everything, so I thought that just got us going,” Gonzales said. “Up until then we were a little flat.”
Both Harrington and Gonzales said participating in the rugged Central Division of the Catholic League prepared them for Friday’s state-championship experience.
“We knew all year with our tough schedule that we were going to be battle-tested,” Gonzales said. “That’s what we want every year. I think the second half of that Catholic Central game checked all the boxes for me and showed me what this team’s all about. We’ve been playing lights-out on the defensive side of the ball, and the offense has been getting better and better each week.”
St. Mary’s Prep finished the season with an 11-3 record, with its losses coming at the hands of division rivals Detroit Catholic Central, Warren De La Salle and Toledo Central Catholic — by a total of 16 points.
Central Catholic seeking third straight title in Ohio
St. Mary’s fell to Toledo Central Catholic, 7-6, on Oct. 11. As the Eaglets were winning the MHSAA Division 2 state championship, the Fighting Irish escaped with another 7-6 win in a stadium 145 miles away from Ford Field.
At Elyria, Central Catholic had an exciting come-from-behind victory over Youngstown Ursuline in a state semifinal contest, setting up a rematch in the upcoming state championship game against Columbus Bishop Watterson.
Central Catholic (14-1) trailed the entire game until Ali Beydoun threw a touchdown pass to Preston Fryzel with 33 seconds remaining. Ursuline had a chance at a game-winning field goal as time expired, but the attempt sailed wide to the left.
Ohio’s Division III championship will be played 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, at Tom Benson Stadium in Canton, site of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Fighting Irish seek their third consecutive state championship.
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