St. Edmund heads to Frisco, Texas for second Catholic Bowl

The second annual Catholic Bowl is set for Saturday in a very unique venue for high school football. The Ford Center, part of the Star Center in Frisco, Texas, is the home of the Dallas Cowboys’ world headquarters and training complex.

Three games encapsulate this year’s Catholic Bowl, featuring five teams from the State Of Texas and one representinh Louisiana. The St. Edmund Blue Jays from Eunice are ‘repping the Boot’ in the Lonestar state.

The games begin at 1:30 p.m. Saturday with St. Edmund facing John Paul II of Plano. Following that game will be Nolan Catholic of Ft. Worth versus St. Thomas High of Houston and the nightcap has Sacred Heart of Muenster matched up with St. Paul’s Catholic of Shiner.

The games are being put on by the Global Sports Foundation, led by Patrick Steenberge. His plans include a Mass and team dinner before the games on Friday at a local Church in nearby Prosper, Texas. The honorary captains for the games will be Mike McCoy and Reggie Brooks, both University of Notre Dame and NFL alumni. The games will also be broadcast on Bally’s Sports Southwest and other select Bally’s Sports networks nationally.

“The game is a great way to combine Catholic education and athletics,” Steenberge said. “My 16 years of Catholic education gave me direction and pathways in life and I was able to make lifelong friendships and memories.”

St. Edmund (0-1) was defeated 57-40 last week by Class 5A South Lafourche.

“In our game against South Lafourche, we were outlasted by them due to cramps issues, and at one point we were only down 35-34,” noted St. Edmund head coach James Shiver.

John Paul II, a member in the TAPPS Association in Texas, is 0–2 on the year including last week’s loss Lake Country Christian School of Ft. Worth, 49-14. Cistercian School of Irving, Texas blanked John Paul II in their season opener, 51-0.

Coach James Shiver of the St Edmund Blue Jays about the Catholic Bowl and his season so far.

“Going into the Catholic Bowl we have no injuries and we should be at 100 percent” Shiver said. “This will be our 750th game as a program and we are looking forward to the experience of playing in a unique venue and also with Bally’s Sports Television broadcasting the game over almost all of their regional networks as well for the exposure.”

The Blue Jays are not surprisingly pumped up about having the national spotlight.

“The kids and the whole St Edmund community are looking forward to this game,” Shiver said.

This is John Paul II’s second year in a row playing in the Catholic Bowl, dropping a battle last year to St Thomas High , 38-31.

“We have had a rough start to this year as we only have three seniors, seven juniors and the rest of the 30 to 40 players are underclassmen,” detailed head coach Nick Schiele of the John Paul II. “Despite the 0-2 start, I’m proud of the way our team comes to work each day and remains positive.”

John Paul II is a quasi hometeam in more ways than as a Texas school.

“The kids enjoyed the experience last year and we are only playing about fifteen minutes from our campus and it gives us an extra home game per say close so our fans can watch.”

Steenberge noted the important of local support to make the Catholic Bowl happen.

“The Dioceses of Ft Worth and Dallas have been very supportive and very instrumental in helping to put this game on.”