METRO DETROIT — Saturday will be the Day of Champions for the Catholic High School League.
Bowling pins will be knocked around starting at about 8 in the morning, pucks flying in the mid-afternoon and early evening, and basketballs bouncing later into the night.
When it’s all over and done with, the CHSL will add eight more champions to its 92-year-old archives.
Here’s a chronological listing:
BOWLING – 8 a.m. at Oaks Lanes in Westland.
Some 16 boys teams and 12 girls teams vie respectively for West and East titles. The defending champions are Warren De La Salle (Boys East) and Riverview Gabriel Richard (Boys West); Warren Regina (Girls East) and Allen Park Cabrini (Girls West).
GIRLS HOCKEY – 3:30 p.m. at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s
Farmington Hills Mercy (15-3-3; 4-0) vs. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood (6-13-0; 3-1). The records reflect overall and CHSL results in both the CHSL and the Michigan Metro Girls High School Hockey League. Senior Libby Bartells and sophomore Grace Nieto lead Mercy’s attack with 17 goals apiece. Cranbrook is the defending champion.
BOYS HOCKEY – 6 p.m. at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s
Allen Park Cabrini vs. Grosse Pointe Woods Liggett for the Division 2 honors. Ann Arbor Fr. Gabriel Richard won it all last year.
BOYS BASKETBALL – Detroit Mercy Calihan Hall
At 5 p.m., for the C-D Division trophy, Royal Oak Shrine (12-6) and Ann Arbor Greenhills (15-2) split the two games they played one another this season. The Knights won in early December, 54-52; the Gryphons, three weeks ago, gained their vengeance with a 65-51 romp.
Shrine has been in the finals 10 times in its history, and won three: most recently in 2016, 1978 and 1948. This will be Greenhills’ first appearance since it joined the CHSL two years ago.
At 7 p.m., for the A-B Division title, Detroit U-D Jesuit (16-2) for the third time this season comes up against Novi Detroit Catholic Central (13-2). The Cubs squeezed past the Shamrocks in December, 60-59, but had an easier time in the rematch, 74-52.
Catholic Central last won this championship in 2012, which was also the last time they made it to the finals. Jesuit has dominated since, winning six in a row.
There’s a lot on the line. The Cubs have been ranked atop Division 1 all season long. They want to maintain that lofty position and momentum going into the state tournament. For CC, it’s all about pride.
Whew! Sunday will be a day of rest.
