Good sports: Our Lady of the Greenwood teams battle to 0-0 tie, share championship

Photo caption: Roncalli High School head football coach Bruce Scifres presents both the championship trophy and the runner-up trophy to the players of Our Lady of the Greenwood Parish’s third- and fourth-grade “Green” and “Gold” teams. The two teams met in the championship game of the 3/4 AA CYO tournament, a game that ended 0-0. (Photo courtesy David Matthews)

By John Shaughnessy

Before the football championship, the players on both teams showed the usual signs of excitement and nervousness. Yet there was nothing else that was ordinary about this game or the two teams playing it.

In fact, the coaches of both teams struggled with the decision to even play the Catholic Youth Organization

3/4 AA championship game because it matched two teams from the same school.

The coaches worried that the outcome of the game could divide the boys, turning friends against friends and even causing problems in the classroom.

Finally, the two head coaches—Jeff Hume and Pat Henn—decided that the experience and the excitement of playing in a championship game outweighed the potential problems that might happen in the match-up of the two teams from Our Lady of the Greenwood Parish in Greenwood.

Besides, they remembered that before the season had even begun, they had done their best to make sure that the two teams of third- and fourth-grade boys were as evenly divided as they could make them.

So as the two teams stepped onto the new synthetic turf field at Roncalli High School in Indianapolis on Oct. 28, it was amazing that both teams had perfect records of seven wins and no losses as they prepared to play the 3/4 AA championship game.

“When the season ended, we were all very surprised that both teams were able to finish the season undefeated,” said Henn, the head coach of the Our Lady of the Greenwood “Green” team. “We all worked hard to make the season a success for all the kids, no matter which team they played on.”

The championship game provided another surprise for the coaches, the players, the parents and the fans of the “Green” and “Gold” teams.

After the first quarter, the game was tied at 0. The same result marked the end of the first half as the defenses continued to dominate. After three quarters, it was still a scoreless tie.

“It was very much a defensive struggle, which the coaches had expected,” Henn said. “Both teams played very hard and played to win.”

The fourth quarter ended with the score still tied at 0. Usually, champion-ship games that are tied at the end of regulation go into overtime to decide a winner. Before the game, both teams had decided not to have overtime if the game was tied, Henn said.

So the teams became co-champions.

“It was a very neat picture to see both teams gather at the middle of the field for a prayer at the end of the game,” Henn said. “It was also very thrilling for the kids to be given both the city championship and runner-up trophies by Bruce Scifres, the head football coach for Roncalli.”

The special day continued with the team photo.

“When the teams gathered in the bleachers for one final team picture, it was very symbolic to see both teams sitting intermingled for the picture and not separated according to teams,” Henn said. “The picture really shows how the kids were able to remain teammates during the season, regardless of what ‘team’ they played on.”

The situation was a unique experience, according to Jerry Ross, CYO’s assistant director.

“We had two teams from the same parish playing in a championship game that ended in a 0-0 tie,” Ross said. “I’m sure it was a positive experience for everybody. Both coaches and teams represented their school and the CYO well.”

For everyone involved, the game was the perfect end to a perfect season.

“One thing for sure is that the kids will be ready to have some fun again next year no matter how we split the teams,” said Hume, the head coach of the “Gold” team. “They think of themselves as one big team.” †