Four Warriors Reflect on High School Career, Look Ahead at Playing College Football

Brother Rice High School has a heavily-layered legacy of sending its football players into the college ranks. That legacy will continue as four Warriors look ahead to their college careers while reflecting on where they've been so far.

Topping the list of signees was Conor Hart, a defensive end, who inked to play at Vanderbilt in the always tough Southeastern Conference. Hart is the grandson of Heisman Trophy winner Leon Hart, a one-time member of the Detroit Lions. His father, Kevin, was on Warriors Head Coach Al Fracassa’s 1974 state title squad and went on to play for Notre Dame, where he was on the Fighting Irish’s 1977 national championship-winning team.

During the springtime, Hart is a star runner in track and field.

Continuing a solid tradition of sending Brother Rice linebackers to Central Michigan University, Tim Hamilton, an aggressive outside linebacker, verbally committed to play college ball with the Chippewas over the summer.

Tyler Lendzion and Loran Jaddou have both agreed to travel northbound for their college careers, signing with Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan, respectively. Lendzion was the Warriors starting quarterback last fall and Jaddou was a three-year starter at strong safety.

Playing his first season of varsity basketball, Jaddou, has been a valued reserve and a big reason the Warriors are in the hunt for a CHSL crown and a second straight district banner.

Hamilton, nicknamed “Jumbo” by his coaches and teammates, is thrilled with his decision.

“CMU is a great school and has a football program that has really been on the upswing lately,” he said. “I wanted to be a part of it. My visit was awesome and I know that everybody associated with the team is committed to winning. I’m excited to get up there and get started.”

Former standout Brother Rice linebackers, Justin Cherrochi and Shamri Benton, are both currently playing at Central Michigan and according to Hamilton, “made the decision easier on me.”

Last fall, the four Warriors helped lead Brother Rice to a Catholic High School League championship and the programs 13th consecutive trip to the postseason. It wasn’t an easy task either, since the team started out the campaign 1-3, before winning five straight to close out its regular season schedule.

“They're all super young men,” Fracassa said of his four players. “Each one them is special in their own way. They all brought components to our team that allowed us to have the success we ended up having.”

Another one of Fracassa’s stars off the 2010 roster, four-year starting free safety Jimmy Pickens, will be playing baseball in college at Michigan State.

“This group will be remembered,” Fracassa said. “They did some pretty amazing things, especially this past fall with winning the Catholic League when everybody considered us dead in the water halfway through the season. I have very fond memories of each and every one of them.”