DCC's Mach Builds Legacy Sure to Live On
By
Tom Markowski
Special for Second Half
March 20, 2017
NOVI – Tom Mach’s impact on the Detroit Catholic Central football program didn’t end with his retirement Feb. 9.
The aftershocks will be felt for years to come.
Mach and C.C. football have become synonymous over the past 41 seasons. The double tight end, three-back backfield, sometimes lined up in the T-formation, is the offense we’ve been accustomed to watching game after game, year after year, so much so that it’s become a blue thread woven through the fabric that is high school football in this state.
But times change. Coaches move on, and new ones are hired.
Mach, 69, had been contemplating retirement for some time and the reasons to do so gathered momentum after the Shamrocks lost to Detroit Cass Tech, 49-20, in the Division 1 Final in November.
“You’re not as inspired as you used to be,” Mach said. “I’ve gone back a couple of times on my decision. It wasn’t an easy decision. It was real hard. I prayed real hard that God would tell me what to do. It’s stressful. People count on you. I finally said to myself that you have the confidence that the next guy would carry on with what we did here.
“My first meeting with the players (at C.C.) was in 1976. I remember writing the speech. I thought of that. The 41 years and all of the things that came in between.”
When Mach wrote his last speech he incorporated what C.C. football meant to him and to the players he coached. He tried to reassure the players that the program, and what it is today, will remain so the next day and the day after that.
“The actual doing it was hard,” he said. “It was the hardest speech I’ve ever done.”
Mach was hired in 1976 after gaining experience as an assistant coach at Southgate Aquinas. He never thought administrators at C.C. would hire him. In his mind, why would they? He had no experience as a head coach, and he thought the experience of going through the hiring process would benefit him when he applied somewhere else. To Mach’s surprise, he was hired.
C.C. went 8-1 in Mach’s first season. He said that success was crucial for him and his staff to win over the players and administration. Had C.C. finished below .500, the future might have been different for him. As it was, the players warmed up to his way of coaching, and three years later the Shamrocks won the Class A title, the first of 10 under Mach.
“The first thing I thought of when I got hired was, how am I going to fair against guys like (Birmingham Brother Rice coach) Al Fracassa? If I make it five years, I’ll be happy,” Mach recalled. “What was good for me, the team I inherited was talented. I had written a book on football and my philosophy but there are always questions. I was thankful for that (initial success). Once that happened, the next group would buy into it. I did the same thing. I have a good group of guys coming back. I wanted to leave a good legacy for the next guy. Having that good start made people believe in my philosophy.
“We did it. We never changed anything. We proved it in the way we handled things, and the kids bought into it. We did it the right way.”
Last weeks, DCC did hire that “next guy” – Shamrocks defensive coordinator Dan Anderson, who was promoted to take over the program after working 20 years under the longtime mentor.
But the initial shock of not being the person in charge will take time to sink in for Mach. What he will lean on to make this transition as smooth as possible are his family and friends.
Mach fought with this decision, but what made him make it at this time was his family, notably his wife, Lynn. His wife had knee replacement on Jan. 10, and on April 4 she is scheduled to have the other knee replaced. Whether it’s hip replacement, knee replacement or any similar type of surgery, the process is painstaking, and the person going through it must have someone close to assist in the process.
Being that person, Mach knew this would take time away from coaching his team in the offseason had he chosen to stay. Lynn had physical therapy sessions three days a week, and the other four Mach would assist with the therapy at home.
In the end, it would have been too difficult to do both.
“I have to be her coach,” he said. “After (the knee replacement) I was with her two weeks, every day. I don’t think I’ve ever done that before. Fourteen days. But we did it.”
Mach said Lynn is recovering well and is anxious to have the other one done.
The Machs will spend much of their free time at the summer home just south of Gaylord. Though not a fisherman or hunter, Mach does enjoy the outdoors. Snowshoeing is one hobby he enjoys as well as taking walks, often long walks.
To add to his activities, Mach has a brother who lives in Williamsburg, just outside of Traverse City, and his sister lives near Gaylord.
They will enjoy the peacefulness that place provides, but they’ll remain residents in southeast Michigan. Their two sons, Mike and Joe, both assistant coaches in the football program, live in the Detroit area. The Machs have one granddaughter with another grandchild on the way.
“(Lynn) won’t move anywhere,” Mach said. “We have friends here. This is our home.
“It’s always great when I’m up there, and it’s always tough to leave. Now we’ll have more time to go there and won’t be in such a hurry to leave.”
Mach said he’ll remain in contact with Catholic Central and the people who have been so much a part of his life over the years. He’ll go to games and root for the Shamrocks from his seat in the stands.
To give back to the sport, Mach said he will consider speaking at clinics or schools if asked. He mentioned that Ferris State University and Royal Oak Shrine have made contact with him on such matters.
Mach’s resume is as impressive as any coach. His teams won 10 MHSAA Finals titles and seven other times reached championship games. Those numbers are staggering. In 41 seasons when a Tom Mach-coached team began practice in August, more than 41 percent of the time it would reach the last game of the season.
He also ends third on the list of career coaching victories. His record is 370-94. Only Fracassa (Brother Rice, Shrine) with 430 and John Herrington at Farmington Hills Harrison (425) have more.
But Mach was never keen on talking about his accomplishments. For him, success was measured by the development of his players – physically, mentally and spiritually – and the respect they showed for the game.
“Throughout my life, I’ve been lucky,” he said. “It was a hard decision when you work with people so long. The school is great. The people are great. They all inspired me. It’s the people I’ll miss. You become a coach because you love it.
“I love C.C. I want them to do well. I want them to make sure the kids here have every opportunity to win.”
Tom Markowski is a columnist and directs website coverage for the State Champs! Sports Network. He previously covered primarily high school sports for the The Detroit News from 1984-2014, focusing on the Detroit area and contributing to statewide coverage of football and basketball. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.
PHOTO: Detroit Catholic Central retiring football coach Tom Mach led his team to one last MHSAA Division 1 Final in the fall, against Detroit Cass Tech at Ford Field.
1st & Goal: 2026 Week 3 Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
September 10, 2026
Settle in, because things are about to get interesting.
That’s usually where we’re at when we hit Week 3 of the high school football season, with the early-season jitters fading and the first ideas emerging of which teams have looked good enough to be standing at the end.
Multiple matchups that decided league championships last season will be played out again this week and are highlighted below. So are a few more titanic nonleague tussles before the rest of the state jumps into conference play as we move into mid-September.
Games below are Friday unless noted. There are 19 games being played Thursday this week and 11 on Saturday. Tune in to the NFHS Network to watch the majority and follow the MHSAA Scores page for results as they’re submitted.
Bay & Thumb
New Lothrop (2-0) at Montrose (1-1)
Montrose’s 28-14 win over New Lothrop last season helped put the finishing touches on the Rams’ perfect run through the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference, although the Hornets do still own a 5-3 edge in the series since the league was formed in 2018. New Lothrop finished fourth in the MMAC last season but already has avenged a 2025 defeat to Durand, while Montrose opened this fall with a loss but to much larger Marshall.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Traverse City Central (2-0) at Davison (1-1), Mount Pleasant (2-0) at Midland Dow (1-1), Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker (1-1) at Millington (2-0), North Branch (2-0) at Armada (1-1).
Greater Detroit
Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (2-0) at Warren De La Salle Collegiate (2-0)
While it’s fair to consider two-time reigning champion Detroit Catholic Central the favorite in the Catholic High School League Central, these two are almost always in the conversation as well. They’ve split their last 20 meetings, and neither has won this matchup more than two times in a row since Rice saw a run of victories end in 2006. The Warriors claimed last year’s game 22-17.
Keep an eye on these THURSDAY South Lyon East (2-0) at North Farmington (2-0). FRIDAY Detroit Country Day (1-1) at Dearborn Divine Child (2-0), Detroit Edison (1-1) at Romulus Summit Academy North (2-0), Detroit Cody (2-0) at Detroit Central (2-0).
Mid-Michigan
Dearborn (2-0) at Howell (2-0)
Howell has won 13 of its last 14 Kensington Lakes Activities Association divisional games, but the division alignments were changed for this fall and these two now find themselves together in the KLAA Gold and two of three (with Brighton) that have started the season 2-0. Dearborn has doubled up White Lake Lakeland and Dearborn Heights Crestwood, while Howell has double-digit wins over Traverse City West and Belleville.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Ogemaw Heights (2-0) at Clare (1-1), Grand Ledge (2-0) at Okemos (2-0), Perry (2-0) at Pewamo-Westphalia (2-0), Olivet (1-1) at Portland (2-0).
Northern Lower Peninsula
Charlevoix (2-0) at Kingsley (2-0)
These two met last season in a Week 9 nonleague matchup with Charlevoix undefeated and Kingsley emerging with a 44-18 victory on the way to reaching Ford Field and finishing Division 6 runner-up. Both are off to solid starts again, but now playing together in the Northern Shores Conference – making this a potential eventual league title decider.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Maple City Glen Lake (2-0) at East Jordan (1-1), Cadillac (1-1) at Gaylord (1-1), Coopersville (2-0) at Petoskey (2-0), Manton (1-1) at McBain (1-1).
Southeast & Border
Traverse City St. Francis (1-1) at Jackson Lumen Christi (2-0)
Even with St. Francis’ loss last week to Ogemaw Heights, this one is going to get statewide eyes especially with the possibility these two could meet again during the Division 6 playoffs. Lumen has won four straight over the Gladiators beginning with its Division 7 championship game victory in 2022 at Ford Field, and claimed last year’s matchup 27-12.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Chelsea (2-0) at Adrian (2-0), Napoleon (2-0) at Jonesville (2-0), Battle Creek Harper Creek (2-0) at Parma Western (1-1), Beal City (2-0) at Springport (2-0).
Southwest Corridor
Kalamazoo United (2-0) at Lawton (2-0)
United won the Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore last season and Lawton was second in the SAC Valley, and with the league together as one division this fall these two certainly are among the favorites. They did play nonleague a year ago, with Lawton claiming a 22-19 victory, but this one will mean a lot more with both also looking toward matchups with reigning Valley champ Schoolcraft coming up.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Hastings (1-1) at Marshall (2-0), Portage Central (1-1) at Portage Northern (1-1), St. Joseph (1-1) at Stevensville Lakeshore (2-0), Plainwell (2-0) at Vicksburg (2-0).
Upper Peninsula
Bark River-Harris (2-0) at Iron Mountain (1-1)
Bark River-Harris’ wins over Iron Mountain last season – in Week 2 and again in a Division 8 District Final – were the Broncos’ first over the Mountaineers since the two began playing each other annually in 2018. That regular-season matchup decided the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference Iron title, and this one could too although L’Anse also is off to a 2-0 start gets Iron Mountain next.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Negaunee (2-0) at Calumet (2-0), Kingsford (2-0) at Gladstone (1-1), Manistique (1-1) at Hancock (1-1), Alpena (1-1) at Escanaba (0-2).
West Michigan
Grand Rapids South Christian (2-0) at Grand Rapids West Catholic (1-1)
Both have made Ford Field trips over the last three seasons, South Christian as Division 4 runner-up in 2023 and West Catholic as Division 5 champion last fall, and they’ve loaded up their schedules again. The Sailors already had to get past East Grand Rapids last week and have Hudsonville Unity Christian and Zeeland West up next after this one, and Grand Rapids Catholic Central in Week 9. West Catholic is coming off a loss to Coopersville and after league play will finish up this regular season with Traverse City St. Francis.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Rockford (1-1) at Caledonia (1-1), Grandville (1-1) at East Kentwood (2-0), Grand Haven (2-0) at Hudsonville (1-1), Hudsonville Unity Christian (1-1) at Zeeland East (2-0).
8-Player
Bay City All Saints (2-0) at Kinde North Huron (2-0)
These two finished first and second in the Big Thumb Conference Red last season, thanks to All Saints’ big win in Week 8. North Huron has shown early this fall it can pull off the close calls, defeating Mayville and Peck by six points apiece. All Saints has blasted out of the gate with a pair of shutouts and 93 points total over the first two weeks.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Marcellus (2-0) at Bridgman (2-0), Dansville (2-0) at Potterville (2-0), Blanchard Montabella (2-0) at Breckenridge (2-0). SATURDAY Deckerville (2-0) at Byron (2-0).
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PHOTO Detroit Country Day’s Gavin Shaw (14) stretches for the end zone during his team’s 19-14 loss to Saginaw Swan Valley on Aug. 27. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)