12. 15. 20. 12. 16. 15.

Nope, not the lottery, keno numbers or the last six spins of the roulette wheel. Those are the total number of seniors on each of the last six state championship teams during Detroit Catholic Central’s record-setting run. Sure, the Shamrocks have made winning a state title look routine under coach Brandon Kaleniecki — seven in his nine-year tenure — but each time seems like the first because for most of them, it is. In fact, exactly half of the seniors during this span (45) were one-and-done, including nine of the 12 last season.

CC will have to replace a ton yet again this winter after its top seven scorers and No. 1 goalie walked in graduation last spring. First-year players like Timmy Burke, Anthony DiPonio and Gino DiPonio could help fill that void, as should former AAA prospect Myles Schlack. But the reality is, returning players like Ryan Dye, Eian Szerlip and Constantinos Karadimas will have to take huge strides in terms of production for CC to extend its championship run. Top guys like Jack Dorgan and Matthew Naida should plug-and-play at the top of the lineup. The trio of Dye, Szerlip and Karadimas however, were largely depth players last season combining for just 10 goals total. Now thrust into the top six or top nine in the lineup, their output may have to triple. Possible? For sure. Catholic Central players have made a habit of it over the years, and all three are coming off strong showings this fall in the Michigan Developmental Hockey League (MDHL). 

Trenton should be really good this season. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s is deep yet again. Brother Rice always plays inspired against their rival. And Cranbrook’s got the best goalie in the Michigan Interscholastic Hockey League (MIHL). The Shamrocks are still the best team in the state, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that others in the league are legitimate contenders on the state circuit, as well as their respective playoff divisions.

Last Season’s Champion: Detroit Catholic Central

The Shamrocks lost just one game in MIHL action last season; it was 5-4 in overtime at the hands of De La Salle. The Pilots are the only Michigan-based team to upend CC since 2021, and they’ve done it twice now. Coach Chad LaRose lost 12 players to graduation though, including his top six scorers and No. 1 goalie, so while DLS has somewhat had CC’s number, I don’t think that will be the case this winter.

There’s only a few teams I’d use the term “loaded” to describe their lineup as we sit here preseason, and Trenton would be one of them. Donovan Durbin is a preseason candidate for Mr. Hockey. His 72 points as a junior last season were the most by a Trojan since the Michigan High School Hockey Hub began tracking stats in ‘12-13. His running mate Zach LaMay is coming off of a great fall with Michigan Hockey Advancement’s (MHA) Tier-2 team. The addition of former AAA prospect Grandon Echols rounds out that top line, plus, Landon Leone and Patrick Rogowski are back on the blue line too. That’s a top five that can go toe-to-toe with just about anybody.

I don’t know if you can call a 16-win season that took Brother Rice all the way to the Division-II state semifinal a “down” year, but it felt a bit off for the Warriors after they started ‘24-25 with a 3-6-1 record. Kenny Chaput enters his 11th season as head coach, and the program has never gone more than two years between state titles. Coincidentally, it’s been two years since the Warriors last won at Plymouth in 2023, which means they’re due. Zac Staelgraeve and Drew Murphy should put them in position to start the season better than the Warriors did a year ago. Not to mention, first-year senior Drake England is coming off of a fantastic fall with MHA as well. 

Returning Players to Watch

Jack Dorgan, Detroit Catholic Central Senior Forward

The highest-scoring returning player to the Shamrocks’ lineup with 11 goals and 19 points as a junior last season. Dorgan looks primed to become the lead for CC though, after a strong offseason where he got bigger, faster and his confidence really rose as well.

Donovan Durbin, Trenton Senior Forward

Durbin was playing like one of the best prospects in high school hockey this fall. At times, he looked like the best player on MHA Red. He’s highly skilled with the puck on his stick and is an absolute weapon in the offensive zone. Willing to do the dirty work as an F1 on the forecheck too.

Zac Staelgraeve, Brother Rice Senior Forward

He’s a work-hard that attacks 50-50 pucks like a buzzsaw, competing well in all three zones. Staelgraeve plays with pace and looks to get the puck into scoring areas. Finished second on the team last season with 30 points in 28 games.

Sam Masek, Detroit Catholic Central Junior Defenseman

The most experienced player on the roster, having played on each of the last two state championship teams. Masek may not lead the team in points. Hell, he may not even lead them in minutes when all is said and done, but I do believe he’s a guy they’ll lean on when times get tough.

Patrick Rogowski, Trenton Senior Defenseman

He’s big, listed at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, and skates really well for his size. The Trojans might not be completely healthy out of the gate, so Rogowski could carry the load defensively to start the season, which shouldn’t be a problem for a guy who played in all 28 games as a junior.

Blake Tice, Cranbrook Senior Goalie

Tice was a contender for top goalie in the MIHL last season, with better numbers than current USHL prospect and former St. Mary’s goalie Will Keane. Tice may not be 6-foot-5, but he’s a competitor who’s never out of the play, good on his edges and tracks really well.

Petey’s Prediction: Detroit Catholic Central

Death. Taxes. Catholic Central. Like Thanos, the Shamrocks are inevitable. Anyone out there still picking against them at this point is just ragebaiting on social media. That shouldn’t stop us from appreciating some of the other teams around the league as viable, top contenders on the state scene though.

I don’t see a “go-to-guy” in St. Mary’s lineup at present day, but the depth of talent rivals that of CC on paper. Nine guys in the MDHL this fall, with very little separating Emmett Pilch, Dominic Pizzo, Thad Raynish and Charlie Roberts from one another. They’re all good, which makes the Eaglets’ sum greater than its individual parts. 

I’d put OLSM, Trenton, Brother Rice and Cranbrook all in a tier together close behind the favored Shamrocks. But as talented and deep as the Trojans are, there’s question marks in goal that need to be answered. This is the first season that I can remember since maybe ‘16-17 or later that there hasn’t been a clear cut No. 1 goalie in Trenton, at least to my knowledge. Both Rice and Cranbrook are in good hands as far as goaltending is concerned, but certainly won’t have the depth that Orchard Lake and Trenton will have up front. All of which illustrates the point that for every strength an MIHL team exudes right now, there’s also a potential weakness sitting here in the preseason.

Even with all this uncertainty, there’s one thing I’m confident in: This is the best conference in Michigan high school hockey, and at least one, probably two and maybe three teams from the MIHL could all win a state title by season’s end.

Check out Petey’s Picks on Instagram for complete conference standings projections!