Football Entertains Rival St. John’s Jesuit on Friday at Gallagher Field

Photo Courtesy of Glass City Photography, LLC.

TOLEDO, OH — The Central Catholic football team will return to the gridiron on Friday, September 18, when the Fighting Irish entertain crosstown rival St. John’s Jesuit at Gallagher Stadium. Kickoff for the Catholic High School League (CHSL) matchup is scheduled for 7 p.m. CCHS is ranked No. 7 in Division II in the first Ohio Associated Press football poll of the season.

IMPORTANT STUDENT ATTENDANCE RESTRICTIONS

Due to attendance restrictions, ONLY students from the following four schools will be permitted to attend Friday night’s game:

☘️ Central Catholic
🔵 St. John’s Jesuit
🟡 St. Ursula Academy
🔵 Notre Dame Academy

STUDENTS FROM ALL OTHER SCHOOLS WILL NOT BE PERMITTED TO ENTER GALLAGHER STADIUM.

All students from the four approved schools MUST have BOTH a valid game ticket & their student ID to enter the stadium.

NO STUDENT ID = NO ENTRY. NO EXCEPTIONS.

In conjunction with Friday’s contest against the Titans (3-1, 0-1 CHSL), Central Catholic will celebrate Military Appreciation Night and honor Tom Novak ’67 during a special halftime recognition.

Please click HERE for complete game-day information, including ticketing, parking, and directions.

Fans are reminded of the following ticket and entry policies:

• Online student ticket sales close at noon on Friday.

• All ticket sales close at 7:30 p.m. or when the event sells out, whichever comes first.

• Re-entry into Gallagher Stadium is not permitted.

• No entry will be permitted after the start of the second half.

Fans unable to attend Friday’s rivalry matchup can listen LIVE on 100.7 FM The Ticket. “Voice of the Irish” Bill Clark, along with Bill Boyle and Jackson Stricker, will take to the air beginning at 6 p.m. The game can also be streamed online HERE.

Head Coach Greg Dempsey ’90 and the Fighting Irish (3-1, 1-0 CHSL) enter Friday’s contest following a convincing 47-7 victory over rival St. Francis de Sales (1-3, 0-1 CHSL) on Friday inside the Glass Bowl at the University of Toledo.

Central Catholic finished with a commanding 370-153 advantage in total offense and held the Knights to minus-nine rushing yards. With the victory, the Fighting Irish secured their 25th consecutive win in the series and once again retained the coveted Irish-Knight Trophy. Central Catholic has not lost to St. Francis de Sales since 2003.

Senior captain Jeremiah Fuller powered the Scarlet & Gray offense with four touchdowns. Fuller rushed for 101 yards on 13 carries with three scores in the first half alone and has now recorded multiple touchdowns in each of Central Catholic’s last three games.

Sophomore quarterback Lincoln Sellers returned to the lineup and was sharp through the air, completing 9-of-11 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown to help fuel the Fighting Irish offensive attack.

Through four games, Fuller leads the Central Catholic rushing attack with 391 yards on 60 carries, averaging 6.5 yards per attempt, while finding the end zone 11 times. Sellers has completed 14-of-26 passes (53.8 percent) for 304 yards and three touchdowns.

Junior wide receiver David Yharbrough leads the Fighting Irish with 10 receptions for 201 yards, followed closely by sophomore Robert Douglas III with nine catches for 200 yards and senior Amari Eliano with seven receptions for 131 yards.

St. John’s Jesuit enters Friday’s matchup following a 56-7 road loss to St. Mary’s Preparatory. The Titans are led by second-year Head Coach Joe Horn.

In the CHSL Central Division preseason coaches’ poll, Detroit Catholic Central was picked to finish first, followed by Central Catholic, St. Mary’s Preparatory, Brother Rice, Warren De La Salle, St. John’s Jesuit, and St. Francis de Sales.

Central Catholic has enjoyed considerable success in the rivalry in recent years. Last fall, the Fighting Irish defeated St. John’s Jesuit, 42-7, at Lyden Field to earn their 11th consecutive victory over the Titans.

Fuller rushed for 152 yards and three touchdowns in the victory, finding the end zone on scoring runs of 16, 18, and two yards — all in the first half. Central Catholic also benefited from touchdown passes by quarterback Ali Beydoun to wide receivers Preston Fryzel and Jerome Davis V, along with a 54-yard scoop-and-score by defensive back Victor Singleton Jr. following a blocked field-goal attempt. The dominant performance ultimately prompted a running clock in the second half.

Following Friday’s rivalry showdown, Central Catholic will travel to Lumen Christi Catholic on Friday, September 25. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Crowley Stadium.