Novi Detroit Catholic Central had just scored to pull within three points of the defending Division 1 state champs with 4:28 left in the third quarter Saturday, and you could feel the momentum swing toward CC.

Macomb Dakota had been able to keep the Shamrocks out of the end zone until then and had built a 10-0 lead before the CC score.

At that point, it seemed all Dakota quarterback Mitch Lovett could do was lose the game.

Lovett is the senior quarterback, and he had an excellent view of last year's drive to the state championship. He stood next to coach Mike Giannone and watched as James Stallons, now a freshman at Wisconsin, directed the Cougars to the state title.

Lovett won the job in the off-season, and coming into Saturday's semifinal game, he had thrown just two interceptions. Against CC he had three in the first half.

And then CC scored, and the CC defense, led by Michigan-bound defensive tackle Mike Martin, couldn't wait to get its hands on Lovett again.

"Stay calm and keep doing what you've been doing all season," Giannone told Lovett during the game. "This isn't any different; it's just a ballgame. Go out and have fun."

It's just a ballgame? Who was Giannone trying to con? Lovett may have been born at night, but not last night. He knew it was the biggest game of his life.

"It's pressure, but it's the kind of pressure you want to thrive under," Lovett said. "And you want to be under the spotlight and show you can get it done."

For a guy who had thrown three interceptions, Lovett was remarkably calm. He entered the huddle and told his offensive line to give him a drive and told running back Terrance Shelby to run his heart out.

On the drive, Lovett completed six of seven passes for 62 yards. He finally hit Rodney Hush with an 8-yard touchdown pass in a third-and-goal situation that gave No. 1-ranked Dakota a 17-7 victory and a spot in Saturday's 1 p.m. championship game against Livonia Stevenson at Ford Field.

Lovett's pass was absolutely perfect. CC defensive back Ryan Houska, who had three interceptions, was right on Hush. A pass a few inches either way and Dakota was going to have to settle for a field goal and it would still have been a one-possession game.

Instead, the pass couldn't have been thrown any better had Tom Brady thrown it.

"It was a huge throw," said Hush. "The kid had great coverage on me. If he'd have thrown it anywhere else the kid would have tipped it. He put it on the spot. I had so much confidence when I was running that route that he was going to put it on the money, and that's exactly what he did."

Now the Cougars believe in Lovett, and they are headed back to Ford Field. This time it will be some other guy standing next to Giannone and watching because Lovett will be the guy on the field.

"I think I've been able to make my mark here," Lovett said. "That's all I've wanted to do in the first place, come in and win ball games."

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