Looking At The Legacy

Catholic League hoops has a rich history in Oakland County.

This is a boys cage breakdown of how teams from the OC have fared when it comes to the CSHL Tourney & raising the crown at Calihan;

Orchard Lakes Lourdes Academy was the first team to win it all in 1954 – Lourdes is obviously not around anymore but Royal Oak Shrine is and the Knights put up their inaugural league-title banner in 1955.

Catholic Central first won the whole enchilada in 1949, but didn't get to Oakland County until the 2000s.

Orchard Lake St. Mary's, set to square off with Detroit U-D Jesuit on Sunday for the 2014 A-B Championship, finally got on the board in 1971 and Birmingham Brother Rice in 1974, the season the Warriors took home the Class A state crown, too.

Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes, scheduled to meet Allen Park Cabrini Sunday in the C-D Finals, got in on the action in 1984 under LAKESNATION football and softball coaching legend Mike Boyd. Guess who was a starter on that WOLL club? Yeah, current EPIC girls sideline general Steve Robak. And what about the last Lakes CHSL crowning? That was back in 1992 when current boys coach Paul was anchoring the backcourt during an era where he led the school into the Class D final four the season that followed

MH Bishop Foley aka TEAM WEST didn't win one until 2011, however up until this year, the Ventures had reeled off a 3PEAT. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep got itself a pair in the late 1990s (1996 & 1998) with current Berkley boys head coach David McGlowan running the point for the Fighting Irish (he helped take NDP to the Elite 8 aka the state quarterfinals as a senior in the 1998 season)

Over the past two decades, it's been a St. Mary's victory parade, as the Eaglets have staked claim to eight CHSL championships. Six for current OLSM bench baron George Porritt (including a state title with the 2000 squad and four crownings in five seasons between 2004 and 2008)and two for current Hartland coach and former Eaglets sideline wunderkind Denny Butcher (which included the '94 title on the way to the Class C state finals)

Overall, Catholic Central has the most Catholic League titles in OC history (16), although just one was captured when the school was at its current Novi campus. That hard-working 2012 championship club was also the last local Class A squad to walk away from Calihan victorious