Hall of Fame
Five years and five State Championships. Coach Johnson stated: “Everyone knew going into this season that we had an opportunity to set the state record for five consecutive state titles. We all knew we had the talent, size, strength, and experience to accomplish that goal.”
Senior captains Pat Coldren and Billy Burns (All-State), who were fantastic leaders, were supported by an impressive list of seniors, including Brandon Naurato (All-State Dream Team), Eric Giosa (All-State), Eric Reinhardt (All-State), Andrew Eggert (Mr. Hockey, All-State Dream Team, and MHSAA Scholar-Athlete), Tommy Mullen, and Bryan Genrich. An essential element of that group was the four-year returning players Eric Reinhardt, Eric Giosa, and Andrew Eggert, who were huge parts of 4 straight state championships.
Their season record was 26-3. The Shamrocks won the Catholic High School League (CHSL), the Michigan Interscholastic Hockey League (MIHL), and the Michigan High School Athletic Association Regional (MHSAA) titles.
Memorable moments in the season: The third game against high-powered Culver Military Academy on the Sunday of a weekend trip to Indianapolis. After sweeping the powerful Park Tudor Academy, the Shamrocks stopped at Culver and shut them out 2-0 in a hard-hitting, challenging game with a wild finish. Jimmy Blanchard (All-State Dream Team) was outstanding. Coach Johnson remarked: “When things settled down, the Victory Song was reminiscent of state championship intensity. At that point, they knew they were all battling together.” Brandon Naruto, who led the team in scoring, stated: “It took every player on our team to believe in one another…” Another big moment was the first game of the MHSAA State Tournament against undefeated and ranked #2, Farmington Unified. The game had to be moved to Compuware Arena because of ticket demand. The game quickly sold out, and the crowd estimates were over 4,000. The atmosphere was electric, and CC started with Jimmy Blanchard launching a goalie pass to Brandon Naurato at the far blue line for a breakaway, which he buried to put CC up 1-0. CC rode that momentum to a 4-0 lead and a 4-3 win.
The Shamrocks then defeated Churchill (5-1), Royal Oak Unified (6-1), Brighton (5-1), Marquette (5-1), and Clarkston (4-0) in the final for #5. A true championship team that continued to build on the legacy of CC Hockey. Six players from this team played Division 1 in college (5 hockey & 1 baseball).A true championship team that continued to build on the legacy of CC Hockey. Six players from this team played Division 1 in college (5 hockey & 1 baseball).
