De La Salle Collegiate’s student-athletes excelled both on and off the playing field and court in the fall of 2021. The varsity football (Division 2), soccer (Div. 1), and tennis (Div. 2) teams were each recognized as Academic All-State in their respective divisions of competition this past season. 

The achievements inside the classroom were honored during a special halftime ceremony during the varsity basketball game against Birmingham Brother Rice at the Bill Fox Gymnasium.  

"Much is made of the athletic accomplishments of our student-athletes and rightfully so. However, what many do not realize is how similarly accomplished these young men are inside the classroom,” De La Salle assistant principal Chris Dean said. “These students are often enrolled in multiple Honors and/or Advanced Placement classes and are earning Honor Roll status. In addition, they serve the school as officers in student council and the National Honor Society, lead as student ambassadors for the admissions department, and can often be found at the front of many of our service projects. This ability to successfully manage and balance a wide spectrum of responsibilities is another example of academic excellence being demonstrated daily at De La Salle Collegiate."

In football, the Pilots were the only Michigan high school team to win a state championship and be the No. 1 ranked team in its division academically. The team’s top 11 players – in terms of average grade point average – posted an average GPA of 4.305. In total, 48 players on the football roster had a GPA over 3.5. 

In soccer, the Pilots achieved Academic All-State status by averaging a 3.65 GPA, with 20 of the 23 student-athletes accumulating a GPA of over 3.0. Additionally, seven of the 23 student-athletes amassed a GPA north of 4.0. Furthermore, the average GPA recorded by the team’s 11 seniors was 3.71. 

The achievements of the Pilots’ tennis team off the court were equally impressive. Along with winning Academic All-State honors, the varsity tennis program featured three seniors that received the All-State Academic Achievement Senior Player Award: Joe Biernat, Nathan Pryjma, and Anthony Schena.

All the above academic accolades made for a fruitful fall sports season at De La Salle.  

“As the athletic director, we take great pride in developing our student-athletes both on and off the field,” Athletic Director Dan Rohn said. “We strive for these young men to challenge themselves, as well as their teammates and classmates, on a daily basis. In that manner, we truly are ‘Builders of Boys. Makers of Men.’ here at De La Salle.”

De La Salle Collegiate features the best of both worlds: high standards and high achievers both academically and athletically. Day in and day out, Pilots students are tested inside the classroom with rigorous academic workloads and then are expected to put forth a high-level degree of effort on the playing field.     
 

It’s all part of the De La Salle experience, where students are prepared for not only excelling athletically at the next level but also – and most importantly – for succeeding academically. The all-boy, college preparatory school never loses sight of the fact that it’s student first, athlete second when it comes to its student-athletes. 

This is how the Christian Brothers’ school, which first opened its doors in 1926, has stayed true to its longstanding motto: “Builders of Boys. Makers of Men.”

This, right here, is the true De La Salle difference.