Within the first five minutes of entering the stadium, it was clear that this would be no ordinary Holy Bowl. Some usual happenings were present, namely the crush of 8,000 to 10,000 fans hurriedly pressing through the Mesa College gates. However, both Cathedral players and fans alike radiated a quiet confidence, striding into the stadium sporting outfits dripping with red and gold, and their heads held high. The team itself was reverential, pausing to pray before the coin toss, and humbly confident in their ability to win. The Dons had performed on this Holy Bowl stage before (47 times to be exact) and appeared as if they knew exactly what to do.
Before the duel even started, Cathedral spectators seemed entirely certain of their team’s ability. As the players were taking the field, the student section broke into a bold “I believe that we will win,” chant, over and over. Encouraged by Cathedral athletes exuberantly waving their arms to provoke the fan’s energy, the crowd served as a metaphoric twelfth player throughout the night, regardless that it was an away game.
The Saint’s fans, on the other hand, were raucous and frantic, which was likely caused by the fact that, coming into the Friday night game, they had lost 32 times to their age-old Catholic rivals, the Dons. The Saint’s players, though, seemed to feed off of the nervous energy emanating from its fans, and played as though they were more than prepared for this historic battle.
Earlier in the week, a bright piñata advertising the words “KILL THE DONS” proudly hung in the Saint Augustine locker room, and this motto was exactly what they intended to do. They scored a quick two touchdowns, but Cathedral fans were far from diminished. A few sighs of dismay were released in the crowd, but for the most part, the crowd maintained an unwavering peace about them. Fans were jumping to their feet in the bleachers, intently watching and completely trusting in the powerhouse of the Dons athletics.
Coming back from the half, Cathedral was down, but any doubts of victory quickly vanished, thanks to a 77-yard touchdown by senior Tony Johnson. The fans were absolutely exhilarated, showering the stands with sparkling streamers of red and gold.
The momentum change was immediate and, like helium from a popped balloon, energy drained from the Saint’s side of the field. The fans who were just moments ago crowd- surfing in a sea of purple had resorted to deafening, dead silence. Further hope was lost for the Saints when subsequent Don’s power plays followed, including a 90-yard fumble recovery by senior Parker Price and a 19-yard go-ahead touchdown pass by senior Garrett Bogart connecting with junior Chris Moliga. Combined with the adjustments by coach Sean Doyle, the Saintsmen were rendered powerless.
For Cathedral Catholic, this Holy Bowl did not disappoint. The Don’s entourage departed the stadium with the same composure with which they had entered: proud, dignified, and supremely confident.
