Rivalry week heralds return of the Catholic League

    And so it has begun.
    The resumption of Catholic League football, as it was meant to be, began this week, and, appropriately, the head coaches and athletic directors decided to get things started with a bang for their fans’ bucks.
    It’s called “Rivalry Week,” and rightly so. The six teams in District 9-5A were paired in three classic confrontations.
    It began on Thursday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m., with the “Meeting of the Archbishops,” Rummel and Shaw, at Hoss Memtsas Stadium. This was the battle for the Megaphone, a beat-up vocal amp that has seen its better days but is an instrument of victory and honor for the winner nonetheless.
    Then on Friday, Oct. 11, Louisiana’s longest ongoing rivalry between Jesuit and Holy Cross resumed for the 94th time. Seventy-five of those meetings have taken place at Tad Gormley (formerly City Park) Stadium. Kickoff was set for 7:15 p.m.
    The trilogy concludes on Saturday, Oct. 12, at 7 p.m. when Gormley hosts the “Battle for Gentilly” between Brother Martin and St. Augustine, two Gentilly schools that played for the 1971 Class 4A state championship and have maintained  a rivalry for 44 years.
    Yes, football as we remember it is back. The league that was the subject of a multi-part TV series by WLAE returns intact by virtue of a vote by member principals of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association. A majority of those same principals voted this year to segregate public and private playoffs.
How they stack up
    Prior to the start of the season, the local media consensus was that either Rummel or St. Augustine would win the district championship, followed by Holy Cross, Brother Martin, Jesuit and Shaw.
    Little has changed at the midway point of the season. Even though the six enter district play with winning records, there are factors that could tip the order of finish.
    St. Augustine has the most talent in the district by far, considering the size, speed and prospects that have college coaches from the East and West coasts salivating. They proved it by outclassing 25-time Louisiana champion John Curtis, 29-28, on Oct. 4.
    Rummel has lost two games since winning its first Class 5A state title in 2012. The losses were to quality teams – Acadiana (which knocked off No. 1 Barbe last week) and Dutchtown, a team against which the Raiders lost a 21-0 advantage in the second half.
    Still, Rummel has the best defensive unit in the district, and if they can stop St. Aug’s runaway freight train, Leonard Fournette, to any degree, they could win the district.
    And speaking of defense, Holy Cross’ stopper squad has been nothing short of impressive over the first five weeks. Granted, the Tigers are a Class 4A team stepping up to rejoin their Catholic counterparts, but they have the only 5-0 record in the district.
    Last weekend they blasted a so-so Bonnabel team 40-7, with four key players mending on the bench to prepare for Jesuit. The young backups performed well enough to open a big lead.
    Holy Cross appears to still be a solid third-place team. But don’t be surprised if the Tigers do not beat at least one of the two teams favored above them.
    The biggest surprise, so far, is Shaw. Even head coach Scott Bairnsfather admitted that his Eagles have played above his expectations.
    Since losing to Thibodaux, 27-14, in the season opener, the Eagles have run off four victories by an average margin of 29 points. True, the wins came against teams which have a combined 3-14 record. But, like Holy Cross, Shaw has a smaller enrollment than its 5A district rivals and chose to play up.
    But I do like what I see of this team, and I anticipate its rematch with Rummel will not be one-sided.
    The two programs of concern are at Jesuit and Brother Martin. Early success has been sporadic. Jesuit is a small team by historic Jesuit standards. Its two losses were to teams that are playoff contenders.
    The Blue Jays did play well against St. Paul’s in an overtime defeat. Last week they lost to East Jefferson, highly ranked among the Class 4A non-select schools, but a team with half an offense, nevertheless. The Warriors are strictly groundhogs and pass the ball as an afterthought.
    Brother Martin has an effective rushing game and is working on improving the passing phase of its offense to develop a balanced attack. The defense plays hard, but is still a work in progress halfway through the season.
The Matchups
    ➤ Rummel vs. Shaw – The series couldn’t be closer. Rummel leads 18-17 and has won the last two meetings. But the Eagles appear to be on the upswing: they know how to win.
    Of note, Rummel’s sophomore quarterback is Chase Fourcade, the son of a Shaw football alum, Keith, and nephew of John Fourcade.
    ➤ Holy Cross vs. Jesuit – Although the rivalry has become folklore, Jesuit dominates the series, 54-37-1 with one game declared a no-contest.
    The two have played each other twice in two different seasons: 1951 and 1963, both Tiger victories.
    This year is the 50th anniversary of the 1963 state championship game between Blue Jays and Tigers, and the two schools will honor members of their respective teams  in a parade into the stadium.
    Holy Cross head coach Barry Wilson was a participant in the 7-0 Tiger regular-season win and the 14-6 state championship victory over the Jays.
    He will have his previously injured starters back.
    Jesuit has won the last five meetings. Wilson has beaten Jesuit just twice during his tenure, in 2005 and 2007.
    ➤ St. Augustine vs. Brother Martin – As district play continues, Catholic League fans will witness the power, speed and agility of a true major league ball-carrier in Leonard Fournette. Brother Martin will have the first look.
    The Crusaders will be outsized in every position, except left offensive tackle, and they will have to rise to meet what appears to be an awesome challenge.
    Ron Brocato may be reached at [email protected].