Central Catholic, Jesuit will not have a Holy War in 2022 — or will they?

“If we do see them in the playoffs and play the Holy War this year, we will be ready.”

By René Ferrán | Photo by Leon Neuschwander  

For the second consecutive season, the Holy War matchup between rivals Central Catholic and Jesuit will not take place during the regular season.

“Personally, I wish we had them on our schedule every season,” said Rams junior quarterback Cru Newman. “Not having them on our schedule feels wrong considering this rivalry has been an ongoing tradition.”

As we learned last year, however, that doesn’t mean the longtime rivals won’t meet this fall. The Rams and Crusaders played in a classic Class 6A semifinal last November, with Central Catholic winning 35-28 en route to a second consecutive state championship. 

The Rams’ victory narrowed Jesuit’s lead in the series to 23-17-1. 

“Jesuit has always had a tradition of playing Central Catholic every year, which is a war I’d like to continue,” Crusaders junior Lonnie Burt said. “I grew up playing with or against some of them, so I won’t be able to compete against some of my friends this year. But if we do see them in the playoffs and play the Holy War this year, we will be ready.” 

Newman added, “I was very excited when we got the news that we were playing them last year, and I hope the same happens this year.” 

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