West Bloomfield continues title defense
WEST BLOOMFIELD » Eye on the prize.
Eye of the tiger.
The defending Division 1 state champion West Bloomfield Lakers were laser focused Friday night, dispatching a very good Novi Detroit Catholic Central squad, 3521, at home in the “Swamp” to claim a fifth straight district football title.
Senior tailback Dillion Tatum (Michigan State) was all business rushing the rock against a rugged, battle-tested Shamrock defense. Tatum ran the ball 30 times for 185 yards and 3 touchdowns, including a one-yarder on the first possession of the second half that gave his Lakers a 35-14 lead and appeared to break Catholic Central’s spirit for good.
OAA Red champ West Bloomfield put Catholic League foe Catholic Central on the ropes late in the first half with back-to-back touchdowns in the closing two minutes of the second quarter to break a 1414 tie. Tatum found the end zone from two yards out at the 1:47 mark of the frame. Then, with 33 ticks left before halftime Lakers sophomore quarterback Reqez Nance zipped a 28-yard touchdown pass to senior slot back DeAngelo Thomas to make it 28-14 at the break.
“We balled out tonight,” Tatum said. “This was a total team effort, top to bottom. We’re gaining more momentum every week. Everyone is just as hungry as last year and that’s how we’ve been playing.”
Senior safety B.J. Rankin snagged a fourth-quarter interception midway through the fourth quarter that sealed the West Bloomfield victory.
“We’re not messing around, it’s another championship or we haven’t lived up to the expectation we set for ourselves,” said Rankin. “We hold each other accountable. We’re the LBoys. We make big plays when the game is on the line.”
Nance threw for 215
yards. He is in his first year as a starter under center. Lakers head coach Tyrice Grice is in his first year at the helm of the program, making the move from defensive coordinator after Ron Bellamy bolted for a college job at the University of Michigan in the days following the 2020 club winning the state crown.
West Bloomfield (11-1) has not lost since a Week 1 defeat at the hands of OAA White champ Rochester Adams (12-0). The Lakers will have a chance at redemption when they face Adams in a rematch next week in the regionals.
Catholic Central concludes the 2001 campaign with an 8-3 mark. The Shamrocks got touchdowns by junior running back Spencer Lyons (5 yards) and a 42-yard aerial hook up senior quarterback Declan Byle to senior receiver Owen Semp in the first half.