Jesuit vs. Holy Cross: History preserved

By Ron Brocato
Clarion Herald

Jesuit and Holy Cross have carried on a tradition like no other for more than 100 years through two world wars, numerous hurricanes and other natural disasters without missing a beat in their athletic rivalry.

The two oldest Catholic high schools in New Orleans even played football for the 100th consecutive time during a year like no other when they met at Tad Gormley Stadium in September 2020.

So when the COVID-10 pandemic prematurely ended Jesuit’s basketball season when it struck the varsity team a few weeks ago – with both district games remaining against none other than Holy Cross – Jesuit athletic director Dave Moreau had to take immediate action to preserve another Blue Jays vs. Tigers sport.

 

The coronavirus had claimed the baseball series between the two schools, which dated back to the early 1900s. That was one streak – perhaps Louisiana’s longest ongoing rivalry in that sport – that ended in 2020 when the pandemic first struck.

 

Now it was threatening the two schools' basketball rivalry.

 

So Moreau had someone research the series between the two schools to learn how far back it could be traced. Through microfilm research of The Times-Picayune pages in the Jefferson Parish Public Library, he discovered the two longtime rivals have played each other on the basketball courts every year since the 1914-15 season. That was eight years before Holy Cross formed its first football team.

 

In most of those seasons, the two teams met twice, oftentimes, from 1950-2019, playing a third game as part of the annual CYO Tournament.

 

 Moreau did not want COVID to claim another historic casualty. The COVID outbreak had forced the varsity basketball team to halt its regular-season play, and the varsity Blue Jays could not resume play until the Select school playoffs begin.

So, after consulting with his counterparts at Holy Cross, Moreau phoned the Louisiana High School Athletic Association in an attempt to solicit executive director Eddie Bonine’s approval for a "non-district" game matching Holy Cross’s varsity team against Jesuit’s junior varsity squad, which had cleared COVID screening.

The JV-varsity game was played on Feb. 20, the final night of the regular season.

 

Bonine was sympathetic to both school's cause, and because the game did not affect either the teams’ records or power ratings, he gave the unusual request his blessing. And before a small attendance of 52 spectators, a game was played between the two schools.

Holy Cross’ varsity team, which hosted the game, won by 19 points. But the outcome was secondary to saving the series and prep sports history that dates back 106 consecutive and enduring years.
 

Jesuit’s varsity players will have reached the end of their quarantine period by the start of the playoffs and will be COVID-cleared and ready to resume practice and playing in the post-season.

 

Playoff match-ups

The LHSAA’s final power ratings show the probability that four members of the Catholic League will face each other in the first round of the Select Division I playoff. The match-ups are No. 12 Archbishop Rummel (1-21 record) at No. 5 Jesuit (18-9), and No. 11 Holy Cross (5-19) at No. 6 Brother Martin (20-7).

 

The top four seeds – 1. Scotlandville (24-3), 2. St. Paul’s (25-7), 3. St. Augustine (19-6) and 4. Catholic (15-9) – have first-round byes.

 

Other opening-round matchups pair No. 9 Byrd (5-7) at No. 8 Archbishop Shaw (16-7) and No.10 John Curtis (7-12) at No. 7 McKinley (14-5).

 

Two local Catholic schools are among the 20 teams to compete in the Select Division II playoffs. No. 7 De La Salle (11-8) will host No. 10 Evangel (13-6), while No. 9 Archbishop Hannan (25-7) will travel to No. 8 Parkview Baptist (17-12). University Lab (25-4) is the No. 1 seed.

 

 Newman, the top seed in Division III with a 17-6 record, will join three other teams with  first-round byes, while No. 11 St. Charles Catholic (9-14) will open the playoffs at No. 6 Lafayette Christian (15-11), and No. 12 Pope John Paul II will visit No. 5 Episcopal of Baton Rouge (16-7). This division has just 14 teams.

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