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1979: Rice Meets Moeller in 'Biggest Game Ever'

August 30, 2019

By Ron Pesch
Special for Second Half

DATELINE: Cincinnati, Ohio, 1979

“The Brother Rice-Moeller game is the biggest game any Michigan high school football team has ever played.”

Hal Schram - ‘The Swami’
Detroit Free Press

“I’m nervous as heck,” said Birmingham Brother Rice coach Al Fracassa to Free Press sportswriter Mick McCabe. “This is the biggest challenge of my life.”

On Saturday, September 22, 1979, Fracassa’s Warriors travelled 270 miles south from the hotbed of Michigan high school football to the hotbed of Ohio high school football for a first-ever showdown with Cincinnati Moeller. Heading into the 1980s, many would argue that Brother Rice was the top football (and perhaps the top boys prep sports) program in the state of Michigan. At the same time, many would say Moeller had replaced Washington Massillon High School as the premier grid program in the Buckeye State, and that Moeller also represented the nation’s top prep football team. To quote McCabe in his pregame write-up:

“Moeller had a 53-game winning streak snapped last fall after winning Ohio’s Class AAA state championship the previous three years. It also won the mythical national championship in 1976 and ’77. Seventeen players from (the 1978) Moeller team received college scholarships, including wide receiver Tony Hunter at Notre Dame and Larry Gates, the backup quarterback at Purdue.”

Moeller was coached by 44-year-old Gerry Faust – soon to become a Notre Dame legend. But in the fall of 1979, he was still building his impressive resume at Moeller.

While both were all-male Catholic schools and maintained three football teams – varsity, JV and freshman – there were stark differences. Fracassa’s varsity coaching staff at the time included three members: Mike Popson, Ron Kalczynski and Mike Cieslak. In comparison, Faust had 17 assistant coaches on his varsity staff (and 25 student managers).

“Every year is a rebuilding year for us,” said Faust. “We average between 24 and 38 seniors a year and about 20 of them start.”

“Their second team is as good as most teams around here, and I’m not exaggerating,” Fracassa told McCabe.

Entering the contest, Faust had posted a 152-17-2 record in 17 seasons at Moeller, while Fracassa, in his 20th year as a head coach, was 123-31-8. A former Detroit Pershing and Michigan State quarterback, Fracassa was named head football coach at Royal Oak Shrine in June 1960. After eight seasons at Shrine, Fracassa moved to Brother Rice and compiled an 86-14-3 mark, including a Class A mythical state title in 1974. His Warriors began an impressive 24-game winning streak in 1976, earning an MHSAA Class A playoff title in 1977, but the streak was ended by North Farmington in the Semifinal round of the MHSAA tournament in November 1978.

Faust arrived at Moeller in 1960 to start a football team and had guided the squad since the school began playing varsity ball in 1963. He first started bringing outstate teams to Cincinnati in 1977 with a game against Monsignor Farrell High School of Staten Island, NY. Jesuit High from Dallas, Texas, followed with a visit to Moeller in 1978.

Both Moeller and Rice were undefeated to start the 1979 season. Faust’s Crusaders had allowed only three first downs over three games, including a big 34-7 win over city rival Cincinnati Princeton, the school that had ended Moeller’s long winning streak, and a 30-13 victory over powerhouse Pittsburgh Penn Hills, a school with an enrollment of 4,200 that had compiled consecutive Class AAA Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League championships in the three previous years under coach Andy Urbanic. With the defeat of Penn Hills, the Crusaders were a flawless 3-0 against teams from across state lines entering the Brother Rice contest.

Undefeated in two games, Brother Rice was rated fourth in Class A in Hal Schram’s initial Top Ten rankings. Inexperienced following the graduation of quarterback Jon English (Michigan State) and receiver Marty Martinez (Stanford), the Warriors had downed St. Clair Shores Lake Shore, 21-7, then Grosse Pointe North, 13-7.

Game Time

A crowd of 20,792 (including members of the Brother Rice pep band) packed the University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium for the 8 p.m. prep version of the Michigan-Ohio State game. Moeller did not have its own field, playing games at Nippert, Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium (home to the NFL’s Bengals and MLB’s Reds), or a nearby high school field. Moeller dominated the first half with 282 yards of total offense to Brother Rice’s 64, but held only a 13-7 lead at the half. Senior wingback Eric Ellington awed the crowd with touchdown runs of 43 and 61 yards during the first quarter. Rice rebounded with a five-yard touchdown on a bootleg by 5-foot-11, 170-pound senior quarterback Brian Brennan following a fumble recovery by Emil Nagengast during the second period.

Starting their first possession of the third quarter on their own 33-yard line, Ellington ripped off a 34-yard run to the Rice 33 on Moeller’s first play of the drive. Three plays later, he went left for 10 yards and his third touchdown of the game. The Crusaders opened up a 33-7 lead in the fourth quarter before Rice got back on the scoreboard. Fracassa went to the playbook for some “razzle dazzle.”

Operating from their own 32-yard line with 2:19 left to play, “Brennan tossed a deliberate bounce pass on a lateral to reserve quarterback Dave Yarema,” wrote Randy Holtz in the Cincinnati Enquirer. “Yarema then fired a 68-yard touchdown to the wide open Steve Allen to finish the game’s scoring.”

“We’ve been using it a long time,” said Fracassa, commenting on the play with limited delight following the 33-14 loss. “We told the kids before the game that this would be one of the best teams they were ever going to play against. They’re really a tremendous team. If you can’t contain Ellington, you’re in trouble. You’ve got to be something else to catch this kid.”

Ellington ended with 178 yards on 10 carries.

“Eric really ran well,” added Faust. “He’s a great back, but you’ve got to give credit to (our) line up front.”

Due to the early format of the MHSAA playoffs, which were introduced in 1975, the defeat likely had eliminated Brother Rice from the state playoff picture. A 10-7 loss to Catholic League opponent Detroit Catholic Central in Week 5 of the season and a 6-3 regular-season record ensured no postseason play for the Warriors in 1979. Detroit Catholic would end the year as Class A state champ with a perfect 12-0 record.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association had begun its football playoff system in the fall of 1972. To little surprise, Moeller went on to win the state’s Class AAA title for the fourth time in 1979, defeating Parma Padua Franciscan 41-7. Moeller again was proclaimed national champion by the National Sports News Service. (For those interested, highlights can be found here).

College Comes Calling
Back in Michigan, in February 1980, Fracassa applied for the head coaching position at Michigan State to replace Darryl Rogers, but wasn’t interviewed. When Frank “Muddy” Waters was named as MSU’s new coach, he offered Fracassa the position of offensive coordinator. But Fracassa chose not to go. In the fall, his Warriors again won the Class A championship. It wouldn’t be his last opportunity to jump to the college game.

The Great Experiment
In Ohio, Faust’s Crusaders would win the state and national titles again in late November 1980. After more than a month of rumors, on the day after winning the state title, Gerald Anthony Faust was officially announced as “the only head coach Notre Dame has ever selected from the high school ranks.”

Another Chance at MSU
Fracassa was a back-up signal caller at Michigan State. “I was always stuck behind the All-Americans,” he told the Detroit Times in 1960 shortly after taking charge at Royal Oak Shrine.

“First, he understudied Al Dorow,” wrote Wally Dwyer in the Times. “Then it was Tom Yewcic and finally Earl Morrall.”

Morrall’s son Matt, Leon Hart’s son Kevin, Tobin Rote’s son, Rocky, Roger Zatkoff’s son David and Jack Simmons’ son, Terry, were the offspring of past Detroit Lions who played on Fracassa’s 1974 champion.

In December 1982, George Perles was named to replace Waters as head coach at Michigan State. A former teammate of Fracassa’s at MSU and, later, a coaching friend and rival when Perles coached Detroit St. Ambrose and Fracassa guided Shrine, Perles spoke to Fracassa about the possibility of joining the Spartans’ defensive staff. Again, Fracassa chose to remain at Brother Rice.

A Legacy Sealed …
In the fall of 1983, Fracassa’s Warriors grabbed another Class A title. It was the third of nine MHSAA championships his teams would ultimately earn. When he retired following the 2013 season, he was the state’s all-time winningest football coach with a 430-117-7 mark.

… and a Legacy Altered
In November 1985, Faust resigned from his position at Notre Dame.

“Faust said the job was ‘the fulfillment of a lifelong dream,’” wrote Mitch Albom in the Free Press, days after the announcement. “And he did it proud on most counts. He worked feverishly, turned out good men, a clean program. And technically, a winning program, 30-25-1. But nowhere near winning enough for Notre Dame.”

“Faust knew it.”

To the dismay of countless Irish fans, Notre Dame continued to honor its contract despite the losses. “No matter how loudly the fans yelled,” noted Albom, “the school would not fire Faust.”

“So, with a choked voice and moist eyes, he saved the university the ugliness of firing him by resigning with one game left on his contract.”

“We probably won’t see another Gerry Faust experiment again,” added Albom at the time. “Everyone will point out that it didn’t work the first time …”

“College football was once a game of its name. College kids playing football. That was long ago. Today it is a multimillion-dollar industry …”

The great experiment certainly altered memories of Faust, the structure of coaching contracts, and the path for all high school coaches who aspired to lead at a higher level. One might even say it was a turning point for winning and losing, and what would be ‘acceptable’ at all levels of sports across America.

P.S. Moeller and Rice again met in 2007, with the Crusaders again topping Brother Rice, this time 14-6. Both schools had entered this match-up with identical 2-1 records.

Ron Pesch has taken an active role in researching the history of MHSAA events since 1985 and began writing for MHSAA Finals programs in 1986, adding additional features and "flashbacks" in 1992. He inherited the title of MHSAA historian from the late Dick Kishpaugh following the 1993-94 school year, and resides in Muskegon. Contact him at [email protected] with ideas for historical articles.

PHOTOS: (Top) Brother's Rice's Brian Brennan looks for an opening while a Moeller defender pursues. (2) Brother Rice coach Al Fracassa. (3) Moeller coach Gerry Faust. (4) A Moeller bumper sticker tells of its many successes during the 1970s. (5) Eric Ellington starred for Moeller against Brother Rice. (6) Faust left Moeller for Notre Dame in 1980. (Photos gathered by Ron Pesch.)

Drive for Detroit: Week 3 in Review

September 16, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

"We're here," and "We're better than last year." 

If Michigan high school football teams collectively had a few messages to pass on during Week 3, those came through the loudest. 

Whether it was Portage Northern, Oak Park, Holland Christian or others, a number of contenders announced with their play that they will be factors deep into the fall. 

And more teams than should be listed in one sentence continued to equal or better their successes of a year ago – and we continue to make mention of many of those in this week's review below.  

"Drive for Detroit" is sponsored by MI Student Aid.

Bay & Thumb

HEADLINER Flint Hamady 25, Flint Beecher 6 The Genesee Area Conference is down to just four teams, and this matchup may have decided the eventual champion. Hamady (3-0) ran its regular-season winning streak to 16 with a third-straight win over the Bucs (1-2), and its remaining two league opponents have started a combined 0-6. Click for more from the Flint Journal and see highlights below from WJRT.

Watch list Flint Powers Catholic 28, Kalamazoo Central 22 The Chargers are 3-0 for the first time since 2012, and this one likely will be quite memorable as Kalamazoo Central (1-2) is a league title contender that was coming off a big win over Portage Central after suffering its other loss by just a point.

Remember this one Flint Kearsley 29, Flushing 21 With their first win over Flushing (0-3) since 2006, the Hornets (3-0) tied their win total from last season and their most in a season since going 4-5 in 2012. The Raiders are better than their record, with close losses also to Detroit Country Day and Temperance Bedford.

More shoutouts Carrollton 29, Millington 27 The Cavaliers (1-2) also equaled their win total from all of last season, dealing a third loss to a Cardinals team that suddenly must win out to guarantee extending their 15-season playoff streak. Midland Bullock Creek 33, Hemlock 31 The Lancers (2-1) went 2-7 the last two seasons and haven’t won more than two since going 3-6 in 2014, but they are on pace to equal or surpass that success after handing Hemlock (2-1) its first defeat.

Greater Detroit

HEADLINER Oak Park 64, Clarkston 41 The Knights (2-1) needed just about all of their 64 points to extend their winning streak against Clarkston to three, as the Wolves (1-2) led 41-40 with just under six minutes to play. A six-point Week 1 loss to West Bloomfield gave an indication Oak Park would be strong again this fall, but this comeback backs that up as the Knights now prepare for a massive Oakland Activities Association White matchup this week against Birmingham Groves. Click for more from the Oakland Press and see highlights below from State Champs Sports Network.

Watch list Plymouth 15, Canton 13 The Wildcats are 3-0 for the first time since 2014, and after defeating the Chiefs (1-2) should carry some serious momentum into this week’s league matchup with reigning Kensington Lakes Activities Association West champion Brighton.

Remember this one Dearborn Heights Robichaud 32, Redford Thurston 31 After four straight losses to end last season, Robichaud (3-0) has bounced back with this win over the annually-strong Eagles (2-1) its best so far.

More shoutouts West Bloomfield 17, Southfield Arts & Technology 8 The Lakers (2-1) rebounded quickly from a Week 2 loss to Groves with a win over another program in Southfield (1-2) that’s rumbled through one of the state’s toughest early schedules. Lake Orion 36, Rochester Adams 31 The Dragons (3-0) added to one of the most impressive starts, edging Adams (2-1) to stay a step ahead in an OAA Red that could be the state’s strongest league this fall.

Mid-Michigan

HEADLINER Clare 42, Harrison 40 The Pioneers scored to go-ahead points with 40 seconds left to keep in step in a league that again has multiple contenders after three shared the title a year ago. Clare is one of three teams in the Jack Pine Conference off to a 3-0 start, and this was a good win to get out of the way especially with co-leaders Beaverton and Sanford Meridian still needing to face the Hornets (2-1) later on. Click to see more from the Mount Pleasant Morning Sun.   

Watch list Beal City 13, Lake City 0 The Aggies (3-0) averaged nearly 10 wins per season from 2010-16, but won a combined six games over the last two seasons. They’ve opened this fall with a combined scoring margin of 90-8 after earning their second shutout by downing 2018 Division 7 semifinalist Lake City (1-2).

Remember this one Fowlerville 20, Williamston 14 The Hornets (2-1) shared last season’s Capital Area Activities Conference Red title, but the Gladiators (3-0) are looking like a team to chase in the league as they chase a first winning season since 2016.

More shoutouts Lansing Everett 21, Lansing Waverly 14 The Vikings (2-1) haven’t won more than two games since 2015 but have another chance to take a big step after also opening 2-1 last season and ending 2-7. Perry 36, Carson City-Crystal 30 There’s always an eye on the Ramblers (2-1) as they play to make the playoffs for the first time, and this fall they are a three-point Week 1 loss from a 3-0 start.

Northern Lower Peninsula

HEADLINER Ludington 45, Manistee 14 The Orioles (3-0) have made the playoffs two of the last three seasons, but this has been their most impressive start in more than a decade. Ludington has outscored its first three opponents by a combined 135-38 and opened Lakes 8 Conference play by handing reigning champion Manistee (2-1) its first regular-season defeat since 2017. See highlights below from MI Sports Now.

Watch list Evart 7, Manton 6 The Wildcats are 3-0 for the first time since 2013 and after winning two games all of 2018, claiming these first three victories by a combined 22 points.

Remember this one Houghton Lake 8, McBain 6 Moving from the Jack Pine Conference to Highland Conference this fall, Houghton Lake (1-2) is another strong bounce-back candidate after going 2-7 in 2018. The first two losses this fall were to still-unbeaten Oscoda and Beal City, and McBain (1-2) won eight games last season.  

More shoutouts Traverse City West 26, Holt 21 The Titans (2-1) opened with a tough nonleague slate but picked up their second straight win with a last-minute score against the Rams (2-1). Kingsley 43, Grayling 16 The Stags (3-0) will bring a 38-ppg average into this week’s matchup with nemesis Traverse City St. Francis.

Southeast & Border

HEADLINER Milan 28, Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 21 The Big Reds (3-0) couldn’t have put themselves in better position to start the Huron League season as they aim for their first league title since sharing in 2016. Two weeks ago they nearly tripled up reigning champion Grosse Ile, and Friday put up a late score to get past rival St. Mary (2-1) and stay in the league lead with Riverview. Click for more from the Monroe Evening News.

Watch list Hillsdale 46, Erie Mason 36 The Hornets (3-0) needed to score big to stay ahead of an Erie Mason team that fell to 2-1 but has been among the highest-scoring in the state early this fall, and this could end up as one of the key victories as Hillsdale looks to repeat after sharing the Lenawee County Athletic Association title in 2018.

Remember this one Brooklyn Columbia Central 26, Ida 8 The Golden Eagles (3-0) also were LCAA co-champs last season, and Ida (1-2) has been a contender the last six seasons and champion three of those years.

More shoutouts Jackson Lumen Christi 38, Coldwater 21 The Titans (3-0) were able slow a Coldwater offense that had been on a tear during a 2-0 start. Britton Deerfield 34, Petersburg Summerfield 28 The Patriots (2-1) beat Summerfield (1-2) for the first time since 2013 and now have as many wins this season as the last three combined.

Southwest Corridor

HEADLINER Portage Northern 56, Portage Central 26 This meant a lot Friday night and could the rest of this season. The Huskies (3-0) had lost five straight to Central (1-2) and six straight during the regular season, including by just a point a year ago. With a win over Stevensville Lakeshore as well in Week 2, Northern finds itself in nice position in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference West, tied for first with St. Joseph and with wins over two of the other annual contenders. Click for more from the Kalamazoo Gazette.

Watch list Battle Creek Lakeview 27, Battle Creek Central 13 The Spartans started 0-3 a year ago, losing to rival Central by 15. This time they’re 3-0 with a 14-point win over the Bearcats (1-2) that gave Lakeview more wins this fall than all of 2018.

Remember this one Cassopolis 15, Centreville 0 The reigning Southwest 10 Conference champion Rangers (3-0) have yet to give up a point this season, even more impressive considering Centreville (2-1) had scored more than 50 in each of its first two games.

More shoutouts Niles Brandywine 45, Saugatuck 10 The Bobcats are independent this season, but the going has been good so far with their first 3-0 start since 2014, a 151-18 combined scoring margin and this avenging of last year’s 48-12 loss to Saugatuck (1-2). Schoolcraft 54, Ottawa Lake Whiteford 24 The Bobcats (1-2) may be off to their toughest start since 2011, but Schoolcraft (3-0) also has put up a combined 170 points over three games in picking up where they left off last fall.

Upper Peninsula

HEADLINER Calumet 14, Ishpeming Westwood 8 This was the key matchup as Calumet won the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference Copper title a year ago, and it surely will have an impact on this season’s race as well. The Copper Kings (3-0) kept Westwood (1-2) off the board until the final minute to keep pace with Iron Mountain atop the league and heading into two weeks of nonleague play before Calumet meets the Mountaineers in Week 6. Click for more from the Houghton Daily Mining Gazette.

Watch list Menominee 42, Gladstone 6 The Maroons (2-1) fell back last season to 2-7, their first sub-.500 finish since 1995, and in addition to equaling last season’s success this win also was a good sign because the Braves (2-1) had opened with two wins.

Remember this one St. Ignace 26, Charlevoix 21 Although this was the Saints’ second win in two years over the Rayders (2-1), Charlevoix also was off to its best start this fall since its last playoff run in 2016 – and St. Ignace also is looking to get back to the playoffs for the first time since that season.

More shoutouts Negaunee 28, Hancock 19 After opening with a pair of losses to Iron Mountain and Calumet, the Miners (1-2) got on the board by handing Hancock (2-1) its first loss. Marquette 31, Sault Ste. Marie 0 The Redmen (1-2) did the same, coming off two losses to strong opponents by handing the Blue Devils (2-1) their first defeat.

West Michigan

HEADLINER Holland Christian 27, Hudsonville Unity Christian 13 For the first time in three years, these teams didn’t combine to score 80 points. And for the first time since 2012, Holland Christian came out on top. The Maroons (2-1) bounced back from a Week 2 loss by holding on against the reigning Division 5 champion Crusaders (2-1), earning an early edge in what’s stacking up as an even more loaded than usual Ottawa-Kent Conference Green. Click for more from the Holland Sentinel and see highlights below from FOX 17.

Watch list Muskegon 28, East Grand Rapids 23 We already knew Muskegon (3-0) was arguably the state’s best team after its wins over Warren De La Salle Collegiate and Detroit Martin Luther King. But this close loss spoke volumes for East Grand Rapids (1-2) despite its deceptive W-L record.

Remember this one Grandville 32, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central 29 The Bulldogs (3-0) head into the O-K Red schedule looking good to best last season’s 4-5 finish and with this win coming over one of the likely contenders in the O-K White.

More shoutouts Byron Center 42, Hamilton 27 These are two more reasons the O-K Green looks so tough; Byron Center (3-0) has equaled last season’s win total, and Hamilton (2-1) needs only one more victory to do the same. Grant 8, Reed City 6 The Tigers (2-1) scored just one more point this season than in big losses to Reed City in 2016, 2017 and 2018. But eight points with tough defense is all they needed for their first win over the Coyotes (1-2) in the six seasons they’ve been together as part of the Central State Activities Association Gold.

8-Player

HEADLINER Powers North Central 20, Pickford 14 As noted in last week’s preview, these two could both find themselves playing for 8-player championships at the Superior Dome, in separate divisions. So this was everything expected of a meeting between arguably the two best 8-player teams in the Upper Peninsula, with the Jets (3-0) handing Pickford its first regular-season loss since Week 3 of 2016 and Pickford holding North Central to its fewest points since a 2017 playoff defeat. Click for more from the Escanaba Daily Press.

Watch list Pellston 32, Au Gres-Sims 30 Coming back from an 18-point halftime deficit, Pellston moved to 3-0 and reversed last season’s 0-3 start against the same opponents. After last season’s big jump to 4-5, the Hornets find themselves two wins from a first winning record since 1995, while Au Gres-Sims (1-2) will try to bounce back quickly after suffering its first two regular-season defeats since 2016.

Remember this one Climax-Scotts 34, Bellevue 22 The Southern Central Athletic Association A is loaded – three of five teams are 3-0 including Climax-Scotts – and the Panthers face the next two (Camden-Frontier, then Colon) over the next two weeks after downing last season’s league runner-up, Bellevue (1-2).

More shoutouts Bay City All Saints 20, International Academy of Flint 12 The Cougars were outscored 98-0 over their first two games but turned things upside-down defeating a Flames team that opened by beating its first two opponents by a combined 120-0. Deckerville 40, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart 6 The Eagles (3-0) avenged last season’s 10-point loss in a big way, locking down an Irish offense that had put up 78 points the week before.

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PHOTO: West Bloomfield's JaQuan Wiggins follows his blocks during Friday's win over Southfield Arts & Technology. (Photo courtesy of C&G Newspapers.)