The game at hand — the so-called Holy War 2.0 — brought them all together in a chilly parking lot outside InfoCision Stadium.
Some wore green and gold — St. Vincent-St. Mary’s colors — while others wore Hoban colors of navy blue and gold as they tailgated before Friday night’s high school playoff game on the University of Akron campus.
Amid the tents, tables full of heart-attack-inducing food and corn hole competitions, clusters of diehard high school football fans argued the X’s and O’s of the first matchup earlier in the season that ended with the Hoban Knights as the victors.
History is important in such cross-town rivalries and is not forgotten.
But the brisk wind brought back memories for a couple of grown men of another big game in Akron football lore. It was 1979, and St. V-M found itself in the state championship game against underdog Ironton.
The heavily favored Irish lost 7-6 to the scrappy school from southern Ohio.
Tim Rickus was there. He was an outside linebacker, split end and punter for St. V-M.
“I never left the field,” said Rickus, recalling the challenge of playing multiple positions.
Ron Ross was there, too. He played cornerback on St. V-M’s team.
“We’re still bummed about it,” he said of the heartbreaking loss.
Both men married their high school sweethearts — both proud “Irish” girls.
But they now find themselves on opposite sides of the tailgating party with more than just the smell of brats, cigars and beer dividing them.
Rickus still proudly wears his green and gold.
Ross now wears Hoban’s navy blue and gold.
Ross’ deliberate switch of loyalties — at least one time a year and in the case of this season twice — to Hoban came about several years ago when four of the couple’s five kids decided to become Knights.
His son, William, is a senior at Hoban and is one of the team’s receivers, the proud dad points out.
“When we are not playing St. V’s, I root for both teams,” he said.
Rickus said what makes the “Holy War” so much fun and special is the friendly rivalry among friends — pointing out many of the kids and alumni from both schools attended parochial grade school and middle school together before having to make that critical decision to either attend public school or chose among the Akron area’s four Catholic high schools.
“Once the ball’s on the field, it is game on,” he said of the rivalry.
But this fervent team spirit exists between the lines on the field and the friendly verbal jabs are reserved for the tailgate parties.
Rickus said once off the field and everyone heads to the pews for Mass, all that stuff is forgotten.
“At the end of the game, we are all back to being friends.”
Craig Webb can be reached at cwebb@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3547.