The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1962-11-30
SPORTS of TIMES
SPORTS of TINES
Catholic grid feud
adds another chapter
by Lou Fabro
Lou Fabro
Times Sports Editor

When Holy Cross and Boston College square away
against each other on the gridiron this Saturday, the two
teams will renew the oldest Catholic college football rivalry
in the nation.
Actually, It's one of the few traditional rivalries re-
naming in Catholic college football ranks. Other great clas-
sizes like Georgetown-F ordham and Santa Clara-St. Marys
died during the decline of Catholic college football that be-
gan during World War III.
WHILE THE ANNUA BATTLE between Holy Cross
and Boston College is of little significance among most fans
in the Midwest, it's recognized as a major headliner in the
East. To fans of these two schools, this game is comparable
to the Ohio State-Michigan game, the Army-Navy clash and
the Harvard-Yale tussle.
The two eastern schools - Holy Cross is located in
Worcester, Mass, and Boston College in Chestnut Hill,
Mass.-have met on the gridiron SO times since 1896, the
year they played each other twice.
Competition has been so keen between the two Jesuit
run schools that they don't even agree on the series record.
They do agree that three games ended IN ties. Boston Col
lege, in its record book, claims % victories to n for Holy
Cross. But Holy Cross records show it defeated Boston Col
lege % times and lost 81 to its arch rival
THE CONTROVERSY STEMS FROM the second game
In 1896. That historic clash ended In a real donnybrook.
Boston College claims it won the game, 86 (touchdowns
counted only four points in those days., and Holy Cross
says it won, Ga.
Rolling back the calendar to that game, we find Holy
Cross leading Ga with 2h minutes left. Then a scuffle
broke out on the field. In the midst of hostiities, an enter
prising Boston College back with the Irish name of Hugh
McGrath picked up the ball and raced it across the Holy
Cross goal line. AS far as the Eagles were concerned, this
made the score: Boston College 8, Holy Cross 6.
When order finally was restored on the gridiron, the
referee 0SduOWeQ MCGTdLu 3 LOuCHuOWH. bO. > captain WdS
SO fired up with indignation that he withdrew his team
from the field. (Grid captains apparently had quite a bit
of power in those days)
THIS ACTION PROMPTED THE e to award
the game to Holy Cross. The Boston College squad, how
ever, had some second thoughts and returned to the scene
of action. BY this time, the Crusaders had gone to their
dressing room.
with Boston Colleges return for further action, the
referee reversed himself and told the Holy Cross squad to
come back and finish the game. The Crusaders refused. The
exasperated referee then gave the ball to the Boston Col
Iege squad and the Eagles naturally scored without opposi-
ton.
This ended the game-and started the long contro-
versy. Despite the disagreement caused by this game. the
two schools apparently forgot their differences for they
played two games again in 1897. With the exception of 1916
and 1943, the two schools have met on the gridiron every
year since 1913.
DOWN THROUGH THE YEARS III two schools
have enjoyed many successful campaigns. The golden era"
for Holy Cross was 1888 to 1888 when the Crusaders won
AZ games, lost only seven and played to four ties under
the coaching of DR.. Eddie Anderson. In 1888, Holy Cross
lost a Sugar Bowl invitation when it lost to powerhouse
Carnegie Tech, 7-6.
Boston College had its heyday in 1899 and 1910 when
the Eagles scared high under the guidance of Coach Frank
Leahy who later won national grid fame at Notre Dame.
The Eagles climaxed their 1910 campaign with a stirring
victory over Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl.
AS we said, competition between the Eagles and Cru
saders has been keen. In 1912, Holy Cross pulled one of
footballs most startling upsets by defeating bowl-bound
Boston College by a humiliating 55-12 score.
Boston College evened that score seven years later by
shocking the Crusaders with a 100 rout.
WHO WILL WIN TOMORRoWs GAME is anyone's
guess. Both teams have 6-3 records. Boston College has de-
feated Detroit, Houston, Vanderbilt, Texas Tech and Boston
University. 1t lost to Villanova, Syracuse and Navy.
Holy Cross holds victories over Buffalo, Colgate, Har-
ward. DAYTON, VMI and Connecticut. The Crusaders lost to
unbeaten Dartmouth, Syracuse and Penn State.