New Approach, High Standards Lead DCC to Michigan State Title
New Approach, High Standards Lead DCC to Michigan State Title
Detroit Catholic Central won the Michigan boys HS championship over the weekend, beating West Ottawa in emphatic fashion 66-17 in the final.
The DCC offense was impressive throughout the season, as they went 13-0 and averaged 63 points per game—nine times they scored 60 or more.
Really the only team to come close to DCC was Detroit Loyola, which lost 33-24 to the Shamrocks.
"We have a strong forward pack and our backline is as fast and physical as any team in the state," said player Alexander Oleksinski as he previewed the finals weekend. "We have been working harder than any other team has and that is why we are in the position we are in. Our season has been incredible ... we have a strong and commanding senior class, and we can't let them down."
For Head Coach Ian Ronayne, those experienced seniors were a big part of the team's success.
"For the first time we've had a team where we have several kids with a lot of experience," said Ronayne. "We don't have a lot of youth rugby in Michigan so it's good to have players with three or four years' experience."
Ronayne added that his 2024 team might have been more athletic, but this year's version had more rugby experience and worked together better. The result was what we described above—consistently strong offensive performances.
"The team atmosphere was just way different," said Ronayne. "Everyone got along with everybody. They all had the same goal in mind, and they held each other to a standard no matter the grade."
Seeing the players hold everyone to the standard instead of relying on the coaches to do it was crucial.
"We changed up some of the things in the way our offense was structured," added Ronayne. "During our indoor training we emphasized how we would be structured and the kids bought into it. We have a lot of wrestlers on the team and they came in late, but they embraced it, too. It was a really good atmosphere to be a part of."
DCC's season was quite challenging. Rugby Michigan split the state into a D1 and D2, and that, said Ronayne, was huge for their program. All the teams with stronger depth now play each other. It required a bit more in-state travel, but it was worth it. DCC added out-of-state opponents, and an early-season win over Archbishop Moeller out of Cincinnati was key for them.
"Playing Moeller was a turning points," said Ronayne. "After that game we thought, 'OK, we can play at a high level.'"
Leading the way for the Shamrocks were brothers Caden Krueger and Lee Krueger. Older brother Lee has been one of those experienced players showing the players how it should be done. For younger brother Caden, he's just been scoring tries, setting a team record with 34 tries on the season.
Flyhalf Josh Peters has been excellent, and Ronayne said he's rate the #10 as one of the best in his position in the country.
"We can do anything we need him to do," said the coach. "His kicking, passing, and especially his decision-making have been excellent."
Now after an undefeated season and a state championship, DCC Rugby is hoping to build on that for 2026, both with numbers and challenges. Yes they will graduate players, but all of the things that worked well—their offensive pattern, their culture, their commitment to standards—will be back next year.
