Devin Church, senior running back for Brother Rice, capped an outstanding record-breaking year by leading the Warriors to the Division 2 State Championship. He had a career game with 243 yards rushing on 33 carries, the sixth most in MHSAA Finals history. Church was named Maxpreps Player of the Week for his Championship Game effort. It was the fifth time Church was honored with the Maxpreps weekly award. He is now being honored as the Player of the Year for Brother Rice.In his two previous Varsity seasons, Church split time between wide receiver, defensive back and running back. This year, he was the lead running back for the Warriors, although he did play some in the defensive backfield and he was used often as a slot receiver. He was a versatile, athletic, hard-nosed competitor who played much bigger than his 5’9” 182 lbs. He was the fastest player on the team and he put that speed to good use, returning two kick-offs for touchdowns of 96 and 94 yards. In limited action in the defensive secondary, he had two interceptions. He had several long runs from scrimmage—four games with runs in excess of 50 yards. He had 100+ yards rushing in 11 games during the season and he had 200+ all-purpose yards four times, including the Semi-Final and Championship Game. Church set or broke into the top five in 12 Brother Rice records. Five of those records were established in the Championship Game. Church broke John Goebel’s record of 1,917 rushing yards in a season by one yard—finishing the year with 1,918. He broke Goebel’s records of Most Points Scored in a Season (132), Most Touchdowns Scored in a Season (22) and he broke Mark Goebel’s record for Most Rushing Attempts in a Season with 288. He broke Jason Wolf’s record for Most Touchdowns Rushing in a Season with 20. He also broke Wolf’s record for Best Average Yards per Kick-off Return with 52.2—besting the previous record by 19 yards per carry. He broke Danny Henneghan’s single game record of Most Yards Per Rush with 19.1 against North Farmington. Churc
Devin Church had the best game of his career to cap an outstanding five game playoff series to lead Brother Rice to the Division 2 State Championship. For his record-breaking play at Ford Field in the Championship. Church has been named Maxpreps Player of the Week. It is the fifth time this season Church has been honored with this award. Church scored all three Rice touchdowns in the 24-14 victory. He opened the scoring with a 7 yard run in the 1st quarter. He broke a 7-7 tie when he scored on a 53-yard run just before halftime and he gave the Warriors a commanding 24-7 lead with five minutes left in the game on a 15-yard run. Church had a season-high of 243 yards on 33 carries. That gave him 1,918 yards rushing for the season—breaking the Brother Rice record held by John Goebel (2005) by one yard. Church also had 13 yards receiving on two catches. His 256 all-purpose yards exceeded the total offense of the Lowell team (247). Church’s rushing yards were the sixth most in MHSAA Finals history. Church’s performance in the Lowell game helped him establish five Brother Rice records.. He set records for Most Rushing Yards in a Season (1,918); Most Rushing Attempts In a Season (288); Most Touchdowns Rushing in a Season (20); Most Points Scored in a Season (132); Most Touchdowns in a Season (22). Church was an All-Catholic selection in the Detroit Catholic League Central Division and was a 1st Team All-North selection by the Detroit News. He is headed to Northern Illinois University in the Mid-American Conference next year.
Devin Church led Brother Rice to a 27-26 semi-final victory over Detroit M.L. King and was named Maxpreps Player of the Week. It's the fourth time this year he has earned the Maxpreps honor. Church gave the Warriors the early momentum when he went 56 yards on the first play from scrimmage to set up the first Rice score. He then scored from two yards out on Rice's second possesion. Church was the workhorse throughout the game--carrying the ball 33 times for 209 yards--his tenth 100+ yard rushing game this season. Church also returned two kickoffs (32 yards). His 241 all-purpose yards was the third time this season he has exceeded 200 all-purpose yards in a game. Church's rushing performance in this game gave him 1,675 yards for the season and moved him into second place all-time among Rice running backs. He also moved into first place in average yards per kick-off return with 50.2. He is close to breaking a number of other Rice records. Church has committed to play at Northern Illinois University next year.
Jordan Rabban is a first-year starter for Brother Rice at strong safety. He has started every game except one, and has been one of our best defensive players all year. Rabban played the best game of his career in our win over Southfield for the Regional Championship, and for that effort he has been named Maxpreps Player of the Week. In the Southfield game, Rabban had a career high of 15 tackles (leading both teams), including 8 solo and 1 tackle-for-loss. He was part of a trio of players who blocked a punt, which resulted in a safety to increase our early lead to 9-0. In the secondary, Rabban had two pass break-ups. The offense didn't score in the second half, so it was up to our defense to hold off a charging Southfield. Rabban was the leader of the defense on this day. In the 3rd quarter, Rabban was carried off the field with an ankle injury. He missed about a quarter of play, but he came back in the game and picked up right where he left off--making key tackles and protecting on deep passes. For the season, Rabban has been one of the team's hardest hitters and is 4th on the team in tackles with 87 (43 solo) and he is also 4th in tackles-for-loss with 5.
Our offensive line has played very well this season. In the District Championship game against nationally-ranked Farmington Harrison, the five big guys up front had their best game of the season. The best of that group was senior right guard, Alex Oles. For his play in this crucial victory, Oles is the Maxpreps Player of the Week for Brother Rice. Oles is a two-year starter on the offensive line. He played tackle last year and switched to guard this season. He has developed into an outstanding blocker, particularly on plays that call for him to pull and lead the runner downfield. In the Harrison game, he excelled at this and recorded pancake after pancake throughout the game. His blocking opened gaping holes and contributed to three of the four touchdowns in the game. This effort was against one of the state's most highly-rated defenses. Alex excels in the classroom and has a cumulative 4.163 GPA. He is uncommitted for next year, but is a prospect for Ivy League and major Division 2 programs.
Senior cornerback and team captain, Cody Ellwanger, is a three year starter for the Warriors. He had one of the best games of his career in our playoff opener vs. North Farmington, For this performance, Cody has been named Maxpreps Player of the Week. Ellwanger had eight tackles, including two for a loss (4 yards). He also had a key pass break-up of a deep sideline pass, which prevented a touchdown. Six of his tackles were solo, leading the team in that category. Many of these were in the open field--preventing potentially long runs. Cody is one of the surest tacklers on the team, making up for the lack of size by playing with heart, aggressiveness and intelligence. He is especially adept at hitting the runner low, thus able to bring down much larger players. For the year, Ellwanger has 44 tackles (31 solo), which is fifth on the team--trailing only the three starting linebackers and the strong safety--the primary tacklers in the Rice defensive scheme.
Junior Defensive Back, Anthony Dalimonte started his first game this week against Chandler Park Academy. Our defense held Chandler Park to -16 yards, forcing them to pass on most plays. They attempted 33 in the game and completed only 10. Much of this was due to the play of our secondary, which had two starters out for this game. Dalimonte led the re-vamped secondary and for his excellent play, he was named Maxpreps Player of the Week. Anthony has been a hard worker in practice all season on our scout team. He earned his first start this week and performed brilliantly,with lock-down coverage on his man throughout the game. He ended up with four pass break-ups, which tied the Brother Rice record set by Jimmy Pickens in 2006 against Pittsburgh Penn Hills. Dalimonte's last break-up occurred in the end zone and prevented a Chandler Park touchdown. Unfortunately, on that play, he was injured and forced to leave the game. His status is uncertain, although he may miss the rest of the season. On the positive side, he returns next year and will be one of our key players in the secondary.
Brother Rice traveled to Cincinnati in Week 8 to play one of Ohio's top teams--LaSalle, from the Greater Catholic League South. Rice lost its fourth close game of the year to the Lancers, but the team gave a great effort and almost rallied to pull off the come-from-behind victory. Senior wide receiver and team captain, Brian Roney, led the offensive effort and was named Maxpreps Player of the Week. Roney scored Rice's first touchdown on a 15 yard pass from Cheyne Lacanaria at 5:03 of the 1st Quarter. Roney caught the short pass at the six yard line, broke two tackles and dragged two more defenders into the end zone. It was a superb individual effort that gave the Warriors the early 6-0 lead. Later in the game, trailing 21-6, Rice was running its two-minute offense in an effort to get on the board and have a chance for the win. The drive looked like it had stalled at the LaSalle 41 yard line as the Warriors faced a 4th and 16. Lacanaria again found Roney deep down the sideline for a 28-yard completion. Roney leaped over LaSalle's best defender to haul in the ball. The resulting first down kept the drive alive and led to a Rice score five plays later to close the gap to 21-13. A first year starter, Roney has had an excellent season and is one of our most improved players. He leads the team in receiving with 15 catches for 282 yards, an average of 18.8 yards per catch. Brian also returns punts and leads the team in that category with 129 yards, an average of 16.1 yards per return. Roney excels in the classroom and currently has a 4.16 cumulative grade point average.
For the third time this season, Devin Church was the most valuable player for Brother Rice and has been named Maxpreps Player of the Week. Church had a career rushing day with 161 yards on 24 carries and two touchdowns. He also returned a kick-off 29 yards to give him 190 all-purpose yards in the game. which was a 21-19 loss to Detroit Catholic Central. Those yards came against one of the state's toughest rush defenses. On the season, Church has nearly 800 yards in seven games and leads the team in scoring with nine touchdowns--all on the ground. He is second on the team in kick-off return yards and leads in all-purpose yards with 132 per game. Devin has committed to play next season for Northern Illinois University in the Mid-American Conference.
In the second overtime loss to a league foe in three weeks, we had a strong effort from our defense in holding a potent Orchard Lake St. Mary's offense to 156 yards rushing and 17 yards passing. The leader of the defense was Junior linebacker, Jon Reschke. For his stellar play in this tough loss, Jon is our Maxpreps Player of the Week. It's the second time in three weeks that Reschke has earned this honor. Reschke had a career best 18 tackles (seven solo) in the game, leading both teams in that category. He was all over the field and even on plays when he wasn't credited with a tackle or an assist, he was right there ready to make a play. Reschke is a high profile Division I recruit and, while still a Junior, he has a number of offers, including one from Michigan State.
Brother Rice recovered from its overtime loss to DeLaSalle in the Warrior Classic II with a decisive 42-7 victory over upset-minded UD Jesuit. After UD scored on the second play of the game, it was all Brother Rice and the Warriors were led by Devin Church, who was named Maxpreps Player of the Week. Church scored Brother Rice's first three touchdowns on runs of 22, 3 and 28 yards. He finished with 119 yards rushing on 18 carries to lead both teams. For the season, Church has 529 yards rushing and seven touchdowns in five games to lead the team in both categories. This is the second Player of the Week honor for Church this season. He will be playing in the Mid-American Conference at Northern Illinois University next year.
The Warrior Classic II was the first-ever game played on the Brother Rice campus. The game featured arch-rivals Brother Rice and DeLaSalle, both ranked in the Top 10 in Michigan. It was a hard-fought defensive battle that was tied 14-14 at the end of regulation. DeLaSalle won in overtime 21-20 despite an outstanding defensive effort by Junior linebacker Jon Reschke. For his play during the game, Reschke was named Maxpreps Player of the Week. Jon is rated as one of the best players in Michigan in the Class of 2013. He already holds several Division I offers, including one from Michigan State. His play in this week's game certainly justifies his 4-star ranking. He was all over the field on defense, making key tackles from his linebacker position and on the kick teams. One stop wsa on a 4th and 1 from DeLaSalle's own 46 yard line. Reschke and a teammate stopped the runner for a two-yard loss, turning the ball over to the Warriors for a go-ahead touchdown drive. Reschke also saw spot action at Tight End and on Rice's last offensive play of regulation he caught a screen pass and advanced the ball 14 yards to put the team into position for a game-winning field goal. Reschke finished the game with 13 tackles (5 solo, 8 assists), leading both teams in that category. For the season, Reschke is second on the team in tackles with 43 in four games.
Devin Church, senior running back, is the Brother Rice Player of the Week for his performance in the 42-9 victory over Toledo St. Francis at The Glass Bowl on the campus of the University of Toledo. It may be a sign of things to come since Church will be playing his college ball in the Mid American Conference at Northern Illinois University. Church led all rushers with 122 yards on just 10 carries. His longest run from scrimmage was 37 yards, which went for a touchdown to give Rice a 35-3 lead in the second quarter. Church's biggest play, however, was a back-breaker for St. Francis. Early in the second quarter, St. Francis had kicked a 34-yard field goal to get on the scoreboard at 14-3. On the ensuing kick-off, Church took the ball on his own 4 yard line and sprinted untouched 96 yards for the momentum-turning touchdown. It was the third-longest kick-off return in Brother Rice history. In the first three games this season, Church leads all Brother Rice rushers with 325 yards on 46 carries--a 7.1 yards per carry average. His play throughout the game, which included two touchdowns and 218 all-purpose yards, earned Devin Church Player of the Week honors.
James Hendrix, a senior defensive back, was named player of the game in Brother Rice's 27-14 win over Ann Arbor Pioneer. For the second game in a row, Hendrix had an interception. Against Pioneer, it was the key play of the game. After a scoreless first quarter, Rice opened the scoring three minutes into the 2nd Q. On the ensuing Pioneer drive. Ann Arbor had the ball 3rd and 8 and its own 37 yard line. A deep pass over the middle was picked off by Hendrix at the Rice 46 yard line. Hendrix returned the ball 54 yards through the entire Pioneer team for the touchdown and a 13-0 lead, which ended up being the final margin of victory. Hendrix is one of the team captains, a returning starter and a solid Division One prospect. At 6'0" 180 lbs., with great speed, James is a natural corneback, but he has played free safety in the first two gams to help the team. In addition to his two interceptions in two games, he is 6th on the team in tackles, with many of these tackles coming deep in the secondary as the last line of defense.
DeShun is a junior running back who has worked his way into the starting lineup after missing most of last season due to an injury. In our opener against Detroit Martin Luther King, we faced an extremely large and talented defense. Our game plan was to run the ball and DeShun Brown led our ground effort, which resulted in a 28-21 victory. Brown led Brother Rice in rushing yards with 107 on 14 carries. His 7.6 yards per carry led both teams. Brown also had two touchdowns on runs of 8 and 21 yards, and he had a number of key runs, including gains of 18.19 and 10 yards. Five of his rushes resulted in first downs. DeShun runs with speed and power and we're counting on the junior to be one of our top playmakers this season. He'll also play some safety on defense. Our game with King was part of the Big Day Prep Showdown at Eastern Michigan University. The event sponsor named DeShun Brown Brother Rice's Most Valuable Player in the game. I concur with that selection.