by SAHIL GOSAIN ’11
In Ohio, the rivalry between St. Ignatius and St. Edward is legendary. The schools, which are just over 6 miles apart on Cleveland’s West Side, have competed in many memorable athletic events, but none was more dramatic or more significant than that night in 1993, when, for three hours and 17 minutes, life for those schools centered on their varsity football teams. In front of a standing-room and aisle-sitting Lakewood Stadium crowd estimated to be more than 13,000, the Wildcats and the Eagles were playing for more than just bragging rights. At stake for St. Ignatius was a national championship. For the Eagles, it was a Division I playoff berth, something the school hadn’t accomplished since 1987.
In a thriller that is widely regarded as the greatest game played in Northeast Ohio, Ignatius came out on top 35-34. To this day, that one game stands out to represent the competitive and evenly- matched nature of the rivalry. No matter how the season is going for the respective teams or what comes in the future in the playoffs, this game always has the makings of one of the greatest games ever, a state championship flavor.
There is no rivalry in the state of Ohio that matches the intensity and tradition played in the Holy War. The game, which will be played for the 58th time this weekend always has the makings of being a game which could be talked about for years. Many people have argued that because of the recent playoff clashes with Glenville, Glenville has become an equivalent football rival. But those same people forget how rich the Holy War is and has been for almost 60 years now. Regardless of the playoff implications, the St. Edward-St. Ignatius football matchup will always be the Big Game. This Saturday, facing a tough and talented Eagle squad, the Ignatius Wildcats may write another one for the history books. “
