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Whatever Happened To Ross McDonald
Whatever Happened To...
Ross McDonald Varsity Football Head Coach, 1989 - 1999
An unexpected play in the mud and rain of an overtime football game against Cass Tech. A fake point-after attempt that became a pass and a two-point conversion that resulted in a 22-21 Pilot victory, and another week in the 1994 playoffs. And the most memorable moment for Ross McDonald, who coached DLS into their first-ever state playoff appearance a generation ago. Now retired from his high school teaching job, McDonald and his wife spend their time traveling and babysitting their grandchildren. But talk about the Pilots, the “great players and coaches” he had to work with during his time at DLS, and the years melt away. McDonald had been teaching at Fraser High School for several years before becoming the school’s head varsity coach in 1974. The Ramblers were successful, but McDonald saw the DLS coaching vacancy in 1989 as an opportunity for a new challenge. “Our enrollment had dropped at Fraser, and we were no longer playing the ‘big’ schools - Eisenhower and Stevenson. When the DLS position opened up, I thought it was a great opportunity for me to have a new challenge, and coach against two of the all-time successful coaches - Al Fracassa at Brother Rice and Tom Mach at Catholic Central.”
McDonald’s staff included DLS veterans - Tony DeSantis, Mike Szatkowski, and Steve Vercammen. Along the way, Scott Grimmer joined the DLS teaching staff and became McDonald’s freshman coach.
“They were great guys to work with, and we had some great athletes, great teams. Tony DeSantis said we At the 2013 Christian Brothers’ Dinner: Steve were the first CHSL team Vercammen, former DLS Athletic Director and to beat Rice AND Catholic Central in the same year Coach, Ross McDonald, and Will Barnes, who coached DLS football along with McDonald. (1994). That was quite an student doing figure skating on the ice. accomplishment.” That skater was his wife-to-be, Peggy. A high school football player, This year, they celebrate their 50th McDonald was on the 1959 Cooley wedding anniversary. High School team that played St. While McDonald coached football, Ambrose in the Goodfellows game - and for a while hockey at Fraser, the game then recognized as the “City Peggy initiated the “Learn to Skate” Championship” with the CHSL putting program at the Fraser Ice Arena, and its champion up against the Detroit coached synchronized skating. Peggy’s Public School League Champs in a teams did well in competition, and game at Briggs Stadium. the McDonalds traveled to various McDonald, who also played hockey countries for competitions, including during high school on teams around Sweden, Finland, Germany, Austria, the Detroit area, played some football and Switzerland. Peggy still coaches at a community college in Colorado, a few days a week, primarily teaching before being offered a scholarship at skating to 8-12 year olds at Fraser. Arizona State University. McDonald stepped away from coach“I didn’t like the West, and decided to ing at the end of the 1999 season, turn down Arizona and come home. and hasn’t looked back. In the fall of I went to Michigan State and was a 2000, he was golfing at St. Andrew’s walk-on.” in Scotland - a lifelong dream. He has However, injuries cut short his college also golfed at Pebble Beach, and regufootball aspirations, and McDonald larly golfs near his place “up north” in pursued a teaching degree in physical the Cadillac-Traverse City area. education. And McDonald will be at the Christian One day, walking into the MSU ice Brothers’ Dinner. “I try to never miss arena, he noticed a fellow phys ed it. I enjoy seeing those guys I coached. We had some good times.”
Ross McDonald
How “Jane” Won the 1994 Playoff Game
The Pilots on that 1994 team fondly remember that playoff game against Cass Tech, and the fake play, called “Jane” for a player’s then-girlfriend. Here are their comments from a post on the De La Salle Collegiate Alumni Facebook page: “Mark Julien was the holder, and we talked on the sideline that we could not stop them from the 10 yard line in OT. We needed to win it right then. Coach McDonald didn’t hesitate, and Jamie Sheridan threw a great block to give Julien an extra second to complete the pass. Bert Bondi never dropped a pass in his life so when the ball was in the air, we knew we won! Next thing, I am in the middle of a pile celebrating. Mud from head to toe. By far, the best memory of our careers.”
Greg Peterson ‘95
cd
“Greg Peterson will appreciate my memory for details, but he’s got it exactly right. Also noteworthy was that Cass Tech was undefeated and the #1 seed in the playoffs. We were 8-1, and Central Division Champs (we lost to OLSM in the Prep Bowl). Cass Tech’s RB, Clarence Williams, went on to play for U. of M. and rushed for 200+ yards against our defense, even though our ‘D’ gave up less than 10 points per game that season. In the game, we fell behind 14 - 0. Junior QB Matt Bitonti came off the bench in the second series, threw a long TD to Jerry Trondle, and rushed for the TD (QB sneak in OT). Also, although senior RB Matt Mylnarek was our horse that year, his younger brother, freshman Dan, scored our game-tying TD in regulation. “In OT, Williams scored on the first play making it 21-14. After we scored to make it 21-20, our Defensive Coordinator, Tony DeSantis, was instrumental in the decision to fake.
“Finally, while Bert Bondi never dropped the ball, he did get knocked off his route at the line of scrimmage, and was slow getting to his route, which made Sheridan’s block crucial.”
Mark Julien ‘95
cd “What a play, what a memory, what an awesome season with an awesome group of guys.”
Charlie Seip ‘95
cd
Tom Markowski, veteran Detroit news reporter, remembers the 1994 playoff game. Tom predicted that Cass would win by 2, and wrote the game story for the November 6, 1994 Detroit News Sports Section.
“It’s one of the most memorable games I have covered. Rained the entire game. It was a downpour. Clarence Williams of Cass Tech was their All-State running back who went on to Michigan and played in a Rose Bowl win. “Afterwards, I told people someone forgot to tell Williams it was raining. He ran as if it were a dry field. “Coach (McDonald) did a heckuva job calling the fake two-point conversion. He told me he didn’t think his defense could stop Williams, so this was his best chance at winning. “Cass Tech was very good that season. A number of their players were stunned afterward. They couldn’t believe they lost. Literally, they thought they had another chance in the second overtime. It didn’t sink in right away that the two-point conversion gave De La Salle the victory.”
