Posted by Tom Markowski (The Detroit News) on Thu, Oct 8, 2009 at 5:13 PM
Finally, a Hall of Fame for Brother Rice
A number of high schools have their own Hall of Fame honoring players and coaches, and finally Birmingham Brother Rice will have its own.
On Saturday members of the first class include four longtime coaches -- Al Fracassa for football, Bill Norton for basketball, Mike Popson for track and football, and Bob Stark for track and cross country -- as well as two former student-athletes, B.J. Armstrong for basketball and Mike Lodish for football, both of whom were in the class of 1985. Ceremonies will take place in the school's gymnasium. The evening begins with a VIP reception in the school's Media Center at 5:30 p.m and the gym doors open at 6:30 and the event begins at 7:30. Fracassa is in his 50th season as a head coach, 40th at Brother Rice. He's the state's all-time leader in career coaching victories and has received numerous honors including a 2009 Michiganian of the Year from The Detroit News. Norton's 1973-74 team won Brother Rice's first state championship and he's the school's winningest basketball coach. Popson succeeded Norton as the school's athletic director and held the position until his retirement in 2003. Stark is in is 41st season coaching cross country and track. Armstrong starred for Iowa's basketball team in the late 1980s and then spent 11 years in the NBA, including three with Chicago Bulls teams that won NBA championships (1991-93). He still holds Brother Rice's single-game scoring record (51 points). Lodish was All-State in both football and lacrosse at Brother Rice before moving on to UCLA. After college, he spent an 11-year career in the NFL, including two with the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos. Lodish has appeared in more Super Bowls (six, including four with the Buffalo Bills) than any player in NFL history. It's a great group, but what took you so long?
