No. 1 Dons, No. 2 Saints are ready to meet on football field - The San Diego Union-Tribune

No tailgating. No high-end luau. No Senior Dance. Limited seating.

If you think missing all the periphery because of COVID precautions that make the annual Holy Bowl football game between rivals Cathedral Catholic and St. Augustine special will take away from tonight’s game, guess again.

“The atmosphere will be a little different, but it will still be crazy,” said St. Augustine senior quarterback Richard Colmenero. “This is one of the best rivalries in the nation.

“All of the outside stuff is part of the tradition, and it would be nice to have a huge crowd, but it doesn’t detract in the least.”

In a series that started in 1967, Cathedral Catholic leads 35-21, including victories in the last two.

What makes this game even more special its that it pits No. 2-ranked St. Augustine (2-0) against No. 1 Cathedral Catholic (2-0).

This is only the 13th time since 1956 that San Diego’s No. 1-ranked team has played No. 2.

Cathedral has beaten preseason No. 6 Torrey Pines (41-0) and No. 9 Steele Canyon (49-0) by a combined score of 90-0. The only other time Cathedral opened the season with two shutouts was 1973 when the Dons blanked La Jolla (13-0) and Marian Catholic (20-0).

The Dons lost the third game that season to St. Augustine, 16-3.

St. Augustine shocked preseason No. 1 Helix (21-13) and also defeated Madison (24-7).

Tonight was scheduled as a St. Augustine home game, but Mesa College — the Saints’ home field — isn’t available.

So Cathedral Catholic is hosting, giving St. Augustine 300 tickets. Cathedral will be limited to about 400.

“Sean Doyle (Cathedral Catholic) has been great about it,” said St. Augustine coach Joe Kremer.

“Since we don’t have a home field this season, it’s going to be Senior Night for both teams ... players, cheerleaders. That’s an awesome move on Cathedral’s part to let us honor our seniors.”

In addition, Doyle suggested both teams wear their home uniforms.

So the Saints will be in purple, the Dons in Red in what the players are calling a “Color Rush.”

Plus, long-time Cathedral baseball Dick Serrano, who passed away last week at 81, will be honored before the game. Serrano graduated from St. Augustine.

“The biggest thing is to control our emotions,” said Colmenero, who took over at quarterback in last year’s Holy Bowl and helped the Saints to wins over Madison and Point Loma before a playoff loss to Helix. “As the quarterback, I have to keep my composure. We have a young team, and the guys look to me for leadership.

“I always watch a lot of film. Quarterbacks study film. That’s what we do. But you study a little more this week.

“Good or bad, up 14 or down 14, it’s about the next play. I know our team can compete, and it’s up to me to put us in a position to succeed.”

Last year, Cathedral overcame a 14-0 deficit to post a 35-14 win.

“For sure last year was an experience,” said Saints junior linebacker/tight end Justin Stearns, who started as a sophomore. “It was a huge stage. I love big games. Big games are where you prove yourself. And this is a huge game. Rivalry games make things more challenging. They’re way more intense.

“Cathedral is very good, and I know they’ll come right at us. So we have to stay disciplined.”

Saints junior receiver/free safety Grant Gauthier will be starting his first Holy Bowl.

And he’s totally focused.

“My parents will read this and I hope they’re not upset, but this is the one week where football is the priority over school,” Gauthier said. “Absolutely, I’m more focused. I’m watching more film. I can’t let my emotions run wild. I have to dial it back a bit. I’m a little nervous, but once we start hitting, I’ll be fine.”

Cathedral senior defensive back and return specialist Dee’Shon Swafford will be starting his third Holy Bowl.

Oddly, he says he’ll miss the Saints’ student section.

“There is a different energy when we play St. Augustine,” Swafford said. “Their student section is the best. They yell and scream. They jump around. And it seems like they always break the bleachers.

“Rivalries like this bring out the best in everyone. You have to stay focused and use that energy to your advantage.”

Swafford has another motivation tonight.

He was especially close to Mario Fierro, Cathedral’s special teams coach who died earlier this year.

“This was Coach Fierro’s favorite game,” Swafford said. “I’d like to honor him with something special.”

Holy Bowl facts

Today: 7 p.m., Cathedral Catholic HS

Admission: No tickets at gate

Internet: rolldons.cc/live and NFHS Network

Rankings: Cathedral No. 1 in San Diego, No. 17 in the state. St. Augustine No. 2 in San Diego, No. 23 in the state

Series: Cathedral/University leads 35-21 overall and 9-7 as Cathedral Catholic

Coaches: Sean Doyle 19-12 vs. Saints; Joe Kremer 0-2 vs. Dons

Series winning streaks: Cathedral 10; St. Augustine 6.

Last year: Cathedral 35, St. Augustine 14

Other Holy Bowls: Central Catholic Marianist vs. Holy Cross, Texas; Jesuit vs. Christian Brothers, Sacramento; Providence Christian Academy vs. Hebron Christian Academy, Georgia

History of No. 1 vs. No. 2

Since 1954, San Diego’s No. 1 and No. 2-ranked teams have met just 12 times. Tonight’s game between No. 2 St. Augustine and No. 1 Cathedral Catholic is the 13th.

1954, San Diego 7, Hoover 0: No. 2 San Diego upset No. 1 Hoover before 15,000 fans at Balboa Stadium in Week 8.

1961, Helix 28, Grossmont 27: In the last game of the regular season No. 1 Helix edged No. 2 Grossmont.

1969, Castle Park 24, Morse 0: In the opening game of the season, No. 2 Castle Park, the 1968 County champion, beat No. 1 Morse, the 1968 City champion.

1996, Vista 21, Morse 16: The Division I championship game was delayed a week by rain and was moved from Jack Murphy Stadium to Southwestern College, where No. 2 Vista upset No. 1 Morse.

2012, Oceanside 56, La Costa Canyon 0: On the way to a 12-1 season, No. 2 Oceanside proved it was the best team in the county with a lopsided win over No. 1 La Costa Canyon.

2013: Mission Hills 30, Oceanside 6: No. 2 Mission Hills stunned No. 1 Oceanside in Week 5 as the Pirates committed six turnovers, three of those interceptions by DeChaun Holiday.

2013, San Pasqual 13, Mission Hills 12 (2 OT): Three weeks after playing No. 1 Oceanside, Mission Hills — now No. 1 — lost to No. 2 San Pasqual when Cameron Miller made a 22-yard field goal.

2013, Mission Hills 36, Oceanside 14: For the second time in the 2013 season, No. 2 Mission Hills beat No. 1 Oceanside, this time in the Open Division championship game.

2014, Oceanside 42, Mission Hills 16: For the third time in less than a season, Oceanside and Mission Hills met as No. 1 vs. No. 2. This time in Week 6, No. 2 Oceanside upset No. 1 Mission Hills. The teams met later in playoffs with Oceanside winning 38-31 en route to a 14-1 season.

2017, Helix 26, Mission Hills 19: In the Open Division championship game, No. 2 Helix upset No. 1 Mission Hills. Helix went on to beat Folsom and win a state championship.

2018, Cathedral Catholic 28, Torrey Pines 17: In the Open Division championship game at Southwestern College, No. 2 Cathedral Catholic upset No. 1 Torrey Pines. The Dons went on to win a SoCal championship, losing to Folsom in the state title game.

2019, Helix 44, St. Augustine 38: In Week 4, No. 1 Helix edged No. 2 St. Augustine. The teams met again in the playoffs with the Highlanders edging the Saints 12-7 on the way to an Open Division championship.

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