The importance of Catholic Central’s 77 year-long tradition, The Boys Bowl, is explained and elaborated on by the first hand experiences of a coach, athletic director, and most importantly, students.

(00:02) The narrator begins to introduce Catholic Central’s long standing tradition of The Boys Bowl, noting how it’s much more than just a football game.

(01:49) Part one: the history of The Boys Bowl. Catholic Central’s athletic director, Aaron Babicz, simply describes The Boys Bowl as a tradition and shares about the team’s very first opponent out of Nebraska 77 years ago.

(02:06) The narrator describes in greater detail the history and evolution of The Boys Bowl, noting how it has been firmly established as a tradition promoting comradery, frenzied excitement, and blood-deep devotion to cheering on and supporting the team.

(04:03) Part two: Catholic Central today. The narrator elaborates on how the tradition has evolved into a week-long celebration which culminates Catholic Central’s homecoming and of course, the game. Through this celebration, money is raised for varying charities and the students’ efforts are celebrated as a collective effort.

(05:17) Jack Kirkwood, a senior and the drum major at Catholic Central, shares some examples of the frenzied excitement during this week-long celebration and explains why he considers it the most fun time of the year.

(06:15) Senior center for the team, Jason Sod, gives some of the fun activities that take place during The Boys Bowl week.

(07:08) Athletic director Aaron Babicz asserts how Catholic Central seeks to instill rich tradition and strong brotherhood in its students .

(08:07) Part three: game day. Senior center Jason Sod and Senior quarterback Declan Byle share their excitement for The Boys Bowl returning this year after COVID and how they’re feeling on the long awaited game day. Coach Dan Anderson shares how his pep talks are all about remembering the team as a family and fighting adversity together.

(09:58) The game begins and the narrator gives play-by-plays of different Shamrocks team members. The Shamrocks gain their seventh victory in a row, and Catholic Central goes wild. Coach Dan Anderson gives some feedback on how the players did, and athletic director Aaron Babisz shares his love for celebrating educational, faith-based athletics. The narrator reflects on society’s need to invest in something exciting and light-hearted, and that perfect thing is football.

Editor’s note: The Boys Bowl was one of the highest attended football games in Detroit in the 1940s, not all of Michigan, as reported in the podcast. Detroit Catholic regrets the error.

Reporting by Dan Meloy; narration by Casey McCorry; production by Ron Pangborn

Listen to ‘Detroit Stories’ on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify . Podcasts also will be posted biweekly on DetroitCatholic.com. 

Narrator:

Anyone who has ever said that football is just a game, has never been to a Boys Bowl game, especially the one at Fr Elm's stadium in Novi on September 26. Because here, Novi, Detroit, Catholic Central student and alum passionately believe it's a whole lot more. Here's the athletic director and football coach.

Aaron Babicz:

It isn't just the game. The game is just the cherry on top of the sundae that brings everybody together.

Dan Anderson:

We try to keep it as just another game. And, obviously we know it's, it's bigger than that.

Narrator:

And sure. This is the cliché. Everyone says about their football team. Their team's rivalry is the most storied their hometown fans, the most fierce, but at Catholic Central, they, just could be right. The annual Boys Bowl game is steeped in a 77 year legacy and garnered tens of thousands of fans each year at a time when the national football league was in its infancy. This game was the largest spectacle in the state to watch a football game. And it came at a time when people really needed to care about something like a football game, some inconsequential contest to unite, spar and, "rah, rah, rah," over. This is the story of the Detroit Catholic Central Boys Bowl and the football game. That's a whole lot more than a game. Welcome to Detroit Stories, a podcast on a mission to boldly share the stories of the people and communities in southeast Michigan. These are the stories that fascinate and inspire us. This episode is sponsored by Alliance Catholic Credit Union. Learn how you belong here at alliancecatholic.com. Part one: the history of The Boys Bowl.

Aaron Babicz:

The Catholic Central Boys Bowl is a tradition. That's the easiest way to describe it.

Narrator:

This is Aaron Babicz, athletic director at Detroit Catholic Central.

Aaron Babicz:

Well, it started 77 years ago. Our first opponent was Fr Flanagan's Boys Town out of Nebraska.

Narrator:

Jack Kirkwood:

Every day this week is a different theme, and Monday, I believe it was a it was a suit day, no, jersey day. So everybody was wearing some pretty crazy jerseys. Maybe for the team here, or maybe for professional team. Tuesday, we were doing, I believe, wild west, so people had cowboy hats on, flannels, getting really country out there. Wednesday, we had our Boys Bowl mass, which is just a very special mass that we take very seriously. And Thursday was superhero day. So we had kids dressed up like Batman; I saw some Supermans out there, Captain America and then everything all just builds up to Friday for our Shamrock shuffle. There's a lot going on. We have to get tests going, but after all this, the hectic week and on this Friday, it just, it's all like released and it's just a great atmosphere to be around. And it's just like a second Christmas--it's like the most fun time of year!

Narrator:

Here's Jason Sod, a senior center for the team.

Jason Sod :

During Boys Bowl, you know, that little bit of hype and energy, you know, just from the whole week, you know, we have the assembly, you know, the pie, eating contest, tug of war. You know, a lot of things go on, you know, in school, so..

Narrator:

Competition starts early as pie eating contest and tug of wars are conducted between grades. And there's an affable smashing of pumpkins that symbolize Brother Rice's orange helmets. But what is perhaps most emblematic of the young men at Catholic Central is the way the week is punctuated by reminders of who these young men are expected to be, the brotherhood they're encouraged to form, and the one they ultimately seek guidance from. In a gym decked out with championship banners, they close their assembly, seeming their Alma mater before a fresco of Mary, the school's patron.

Aaron Babicz:

I think Catholic Central is about the intensity of activity more than athletics. We push all of our kids to get involved in something. And we ask them who is the man you seek to become? That rich tradition, and that brotherhood, and that intensity--and the kids feel that. So all we really do is make these kids believe they can be better and stronger than they ever thought they could be, and that they can do it together as a family. So once we're able to kind of train their mindsets to think of each other as brothers and, and like I said, a family, that's when the magic happens and it really is that simple. It's just making them believe.

Narrator:

This magic right here is what the team hoped to bring into the game with them when facing their ultimate rival Brother Rice. Both teams had three to one records and this was their 39th game against each other. Catholic Central has beaten Brother Rice the past six years, and Rice was hungry for a win. Part three: game day. September 26th was a sunny 70 degree day, and quiet. It was as if the whole city of Novi was shut down, except for one little corner off Wixom road, the Fr Elm stadium. It was electric with the cacophony of three thousand fans who have been starved for a football game for nearly two years. Dozens of Catholic Central alumni descended upon the school for this week, including many former players and Olympian Myles Amine. Here's Jason.

Jason Sod :

I love it. You know, especially because of last year, you know, and COVID and everything. We didn't have a student section this whole year, you know, the school behind us, you know, it fuels us, you know, fires us up, you know, especially this weekend, we have all the alumni coming back. You know, it's just a special weekend. So having the school behind us, you know, it's amazing, especially of last year, we didn't really get to have that. So I think our whole team, you know, the coaching staff everyone's really fired up.

Narrator:

This is Declan Byle, a senior quarterback for the team.

Declan Byle:

It's definitely like a special game for me. I'm just trying to appreciate the moment and for--take it for what it is and just try to take a deep breath and enjoy myself. It's the same game I've been playing my whole life. So there's no reason to get worked up.

Narrator:

For the team, the day starts with the same ceremonious breakfast and mass that it has since the Boys Town days. And then it's into the locker room for some offensive walkthrough and defensive and special teams meetings. Then they all walk out to the grotto for prayer, and lastly, have some words from coach Dan Anderson.

Dan Anderson:

Usually it's talking about our family and the fact that we need to step up and be there for one another, take care of one another, you know, fight through adversity and see what happens.

Narrator:

And then it's time to play some football. The Shamrocks were backed up on their own five yard line when they completed three early passes during the four minute drive that set up a 43 yard touchdown to Kam Davenport, putting them ahead seven to zero.

Dan Anderson:

I think we came in with a pretty balanced attack in mind. And I think, you know, we took what we, what we saw and went after it.

Narrator:

Then Lucas Moscone made it 37 yard field goal, making it 10 to zero. Second quarter: Byle passed to Owen Semp, who raced 40 yards to score the 74 yard touchdown, bringing the Shamrock lead to 17, zero by halftime.

Dan Anderson:

Yeah. And a rivalry game like we have with Rice. You never know how it's going to go. You know, even we were up 17, nothing, still, we wanted to--you just don't know. So it, you got to just stay focused.

Narrator:

Catholic Central chewed the clock rushing as Spencer Lyons scored from one yard midway through the third and Mo Jaffer added a one yard score as Catholic Central went up by 30.

Dan Anderson:

The boys came ready to work today. And we always talk about coming out with that business-like attitude, that business-like mentality. And I felt like the boy--our boys came ready to play.

Narrator:

The Shamrock's defense was led by a strong front seven that left Brother Rice with little room for error. They held the warriors to only 185 yards all game and scoreless until halfway through the fourth quarter.

Dan Anderson:

I think our front seven played really well. I didn't look at the film, but I think our front guys held up pretty strong in that, oh, I thought our front guys did a really nice job.

Narrator:

And while the Warriors got on the scoreboard and the fourth with a touchdown, the game ended with the Shamrocks seventh victory in a row, the stadium was electric. The players rushed to their rambunctious fans, the sound of their cheering and jumping, pounding the bleachers with cacophony. They closed the game as they do all games with their Marian Alma mater and a closing prayer.

Aaron Babicz:

The kids, the cheers, the band, the opposing student section, our students section everything that we missed out on for the last year and a half to two years the human engagement, all of that stuff, seeing people laugh and scream their heads off and cheer and, and, you know, watch you know, watch a good game of football and, and celebrate faith-based educational athletics. That's I love the game of football and, and love watching our team play, but I love the event because I want it to be great for everybody there.

Narrator:

Critics of football mania may scoff at the obsession about something that is just a game. They may argue that it's a misuse of time and energy poured into something that is materially meaningless when there are real problems out in the world, but sometimes people really need something inconsequential, something that is technically just a game to get excited about. This year, more than any other years, we all could really use a low stakes scenario to throw ourselves into intensely with ridiculous amounts of face pain, unflinchingly, rigid rivalries, and blood curdling screams at rest. We've been pouring our emotional energy into fear and anxiety and bitter resentments between political and ideological sides for what seems like longer than the almost two years it's been. And quite frankly, a football game might be just the thing we need. The first Boys Bowl game, 77 years ago was just one and a half months after the end of World War II. And as the sun set over Briggs stadium, thousands of people who for the last four years had been in the throws of a world war, got to throw their lungs into the exhilaration of the first points on the board, instead of the terror of loss. Mothers got to watch with glee as their boys got muddied up from a Shamrock-painted field, instead of something else. Grieving men and women who had born the weight of loss of life and worldwide tear, got to feel adrenaline about something else, a third down with a chance to die a game. And everyone got to pray for a change about something that didn't really matter at all. It was a bomb for a beleaguered people who were just coming out of the shadows. So whether or not the game ended in a tie did nothing for the school's record, on October 22nd for Detroit, for Nebraska, for those listening on the radio, football was everything. September 26 was our bomb too. Our Shamrock-shrouded, popcorn-popping, cowbell-ringing bomb that we all sure could use a lot more of. Thank God it's football season. Detroit Stories is a production of Detroit Catholic and the communications department of the Archdiocese of Detroit. Find us on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Amazon music, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode is sponsored by Alliance Catholic Credit Union. Learn how you belong here at alliancecatholic.com.