Special to the Detroit Free Press
For a long time, Novi Detroit Catholic Central was one of Michigan’s most esteemed football powerhouses. Under legendary coach Tom Mach, the Shamrocks won 10 state championships and reached the title game seven years.
They did it with a no-gimmick, smash-mouth approach on offense — featuring a play called the “wham,” which dared defenses to stop their hulking offensive tackles and bring their fullbacks down. It was a particularly useful tool in short-yardage and goal-line situations.
But Mach retired four years ago, and since then, CC’s ground game had lost some of its luster.