Lansing Catholic rides dominating defense to third title

If the old saying, “defense wins championships,” still holds true, then Lansing Catholic is Exhibit A.

In an almost textbook outing, Lansing Catholic earned its third title with a bend-but-don’t-break approach Friday night against Warren Michigan Collegiate, 16-6, in the Division 6 final at Detroit’s Ford Field.

The Cougars (13-1) locked down Collegiate’s dual-threat quarterback Deion Black, who was harassed for most of the game as he went 10-for-25 for 225 yards with four interceptions and just23 yards rushing.

Lansing Catholic’s defense was stifling in the opening half as Collegiate (11-3) mustered only 53 yards of total offense — 14 passing and 40 rushing — and just two first downs.

Catholic's senior quarterback, Joey Baker, was 11-for-25 passing for 141 yards, but Lansing Catholic ran for minus-14 yards while taking a 9-0 advantage.

Lansing Catholic increased its lead to 16-0 with 2:06 left in the third when Baker scored on a 1-yard keeper. That was set up by Dan Shipman's interception near midfield (tipped by teammate Brandon Lewis) which was returned 29 yards.

Collegiate got its only points on Black’s 37-yard TD pass to Teshawn Thomas with 36 seconds left in the third. Black then tried to run for a 2-pointer, but stopped just short.

Collegiate was thwarted again with 8:07 left in the fourth when Jack Jacobs stripped Jamarion Willis on a 20-yard catch and apparent first down, recovering it himself to help protect a 16-6 lead.

Interceptions by Lewis and Mason Knippen in the final four minutes helped seal the win for Catholic.

Yards were painfully hard to come by for both teams in the opening half.

But Catholic began to show some offensive life late in the second quarter through the air as Baker, who was 17-for-39 for 181 yards and two interceptions before the half, connected with Owen Biergans for a 10-yard TD with 34 seconds remaining.

That came after Catholic moved into Collegiate territory for the fifth time, driving down to the 3 before setting for a 20-yard field goal by Jonah Richards with 4:58 left in the half.

Catholic forced a turnover on Collegiate’s opening possession when Alex Watters picked off a pass at the Cougars’ 33 and returned it to the 25, but Catholic couldn’t capitalize on the field position as La’Darius Abston sacked Baker for a 1-yard loss on third down.

Richards tried a 39-yard field goal that fell short with 9:26 left in the first. The Cougars got good field position again after Michigan Collegiate went three-and-out, but came up empty again on fourthand-18 after getting down to the 17.

Collegiate’s Alfonso Gray III intercepted a pass at his own 27, but it couldn’t spark the offense. (Gray, meanwhile, added an interception in the fourth quarter.)