The tenth induction ceremony for the Athletic Hall of Fame took place on June 2, 2021, at Birmingham Country Club. The private gathering was hosted by President Tom Reidy and emceed by Director of Athletics, Jeff Calcaterra ’88. Six deserving honorees were recognized for their outstanding accomplishments as coaches and student-athletes: the late Tim MacLean ’81, an All-American football standout, John Shasky ’82, a former professional basketball (NBA) player, Coach Mike Venos, a six-time state champion, Coach Bob Riker ’85, all-time winningest coach at Brother Rice, Doug Pickens ’04, three-sport first-team all-state athlete and Jason Alessi ’14 with his school record of seven team state championships during his high school career. Each one of these individuals accepted their honor with grace and humility while delivering heartfelt acceptance speeches.
Linebacker Tim MacLean ’81 did not fit your stereotypical linebacker frame weighing 185 pounds and standing 5′ 10.” But “life’s battles do not always go to the strongest or fastest man, but rather to the man who thinks he can.” Tim would go on to be honored and recognized as an All-State, All-Catholic, and All-Central Division linebacker. He was the defensive catalyst on the undefeated 1980 Class A State Championship football team. Tim MacLean was a captain and leader that the team looked up to, and they worked hard because of the example set by his relentless training and desire. Coach Al Fracassa’s motto that year was, “the difference between good and great is a little extra effort.” Tim MacLean represented that motto on a daily basis through his discipline and commitment to excellence. He became the best football player he could be and will be forever remembered as a Brother Rice Hall of Fame member. Induction presentation video here.
Standing 6′ 10,” John Shasky ’82 was an imposing and intimidating center that led the Brother Rice basketball team in the early ’80s. The team had a lot of success with John as the big man in the frontcourt, winning district and regional championships his sophomore and junior years. John would lead the team his junior year to a quarter-final victory over Utica Ford before losing to Class A State Champion Flint Central. In Shasky’s senior year, the team would win the Catholic League and District championships while he was named All-Catholic, All-Area, All-State, and All-American. Shasky would accept a scholarship to the University of Minnesota, where he became the most valuable player, leading the team in rebounds, blocked shots, field goals, and field goal percentage during his collegiate career. After graduating in 1986, he was drafted by the Utah Jazz in the third round. John chose to play for two years in Europe before returning to the United States in 1988 to join the newly formed Miami Heat expansion team. John ultimately played three seasons in the NBA, including additional stops with the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks, as well as training camps with the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves. Induction presentation video here.
Coach Mike Venos has been the Brother Rice Head Swimming and Diving Coach for the last 22 years, leading the team to 6 Class A/Division I State Championships and 20 Catholic League Championships. He has coached 14 individual state champions, 15 relay-team state champions, over 100 All-State swims, over 50 All-American swims, and two United States Olympic Trial qualifiers. He is a member of the Catholic League Hall of Fame, seven-time recipient of the Oakland Press and Observer-Eccentric Coach of the Year awards, honored twice as the Michigan Interscholastic High School Swimming Coaches Associations Zone Coach of the year, (5) time Class A/Division I Michigan Interscholastic Swimming Coach of the Year, honored twice as the Michigan High School Coaches Association Swimming Coach of the Year and Matt Mann award winner, the state’s coaches organizations highest honor. In 2017, he was named the National Federation of High School Coaches National Coach of the Year. Induction presentation video here.
Coach Bob Riker ’85 has been the Head Baseball Coach since 1998 and is Brother Rice High School’s all-time winningest coach in school history. Prior to becoming the program’s skipper, he was the Assistant Coach under Coach Ron Kalczynski when the baseball program won the school’s first two state championships in 1992 and 1994. In 2008, after taking over the baseball program following Coach Kal’s retirement, Coach Riker won his first state championship as the program’s head coach. He would appear in two other state championship games in 2003 and 2013 as a state runner-up and in three state semi-finals in 2004, 2018, and 2019. Coach Riker has coached in a record 13 Catholic High School League baseball championships, winning 9 titles. He has been named Catholic League Coach of the Year 9 times and has compiled an overall record of 604-216-4 (0.737 Winning %) through the 2020 season, and 68 of his former players have gone on to play collegiately or professionally. Induction presentation video here.
Arguably the most decorated athlete to ever put on a Warrior jersey, Doug Pickens ’04 was a three-sport All-State athlete in Football, Hockey, and Baseball. A starter as a freshman in baseball and hockey, Doug would be moved up to the Varsity football team following his success as the starting Quarterback on the JV team. He would become the second-string Quarterback as a freshman on the 2000 State Championship football team. Throughout his storied high school career, Doug would be named All-League, All-Catholic and All-State in Football, All-State in hockey twice, and All-League, All-Catholic, All-State, and All Dream Team three straight years in baseball. Doug was further recognized with high school baseball’s highest honor and named “Mr. Baseball” by the MHSBCA and All-American by Rawlings Baseball America. He was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the 2004 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, was a finalist for the Catholic High School League Athlete of the Year Award, and winner of the Dale Carrico Memorial Medal for Scholar Athlete of the Year Award. Induction presentation video here.
No individual in school history has captured more team State Championships than Jason Alessi ’14. With an unprecedented four State Championships in lacrosse and three state championships in football, Alessi is clearly in a league of his own. During his football career, Jason was named First Team All-State as a safety his junior and senior year and an All-State Dream Teamer his senior year. In the spring, he was named First Team All-State in lacrosse and named an All-American his junior and senior years. He was also awarded high school lacrosse’s highest honor, “Mr. Lacrosse,” his senior year and was awarded the 2013-14 Michigan High School Student-Athlete of the Year by the Detroit Athletic Club. Jason continued his winning success at the collegiate level, becoming one of the winningest athletes in Yale history in terms of team championships, winning 5 Ivy League Championships (4 in lacrosse and 1 in football) as well as a National Championship in lacrosse where he scored the game-winning goal in 2018. Jason received many awards during his college career, including Second Team All-Ivy in lacrosse, Second Team All-Ivy in football, Academic All-Ivy, and numerous records for punt returns and touchdowns, and during his senior year, he was named a 2018 National Scholar All-American. Induction presentation video here.
Brother Rice High School is a National Blue Ribbon School and ranked the #1 Catholic High School in Michigan for four consecutive years. A proud private educational institution located in Bloomfield Hills.