For now, there won’t be a 50th high school football game between Akron-area high school football powers Archbishop Hoban and St. Vincent-St. Mary.
The Akron Beacon Journal first reported the halt to the series known as the Akron Holy War. Subsequent media reports point to friction between the two schools over the last couple of matchups.
Hoban, which finished No. 34 in last year’s High School Football America 300 national rankings, powered by NFL Play Football, won the last eleven matchups between the two, including three playoff victories. The two could still meet in 2023 playoffs. The Knights have won five state championships in seven tries since 2015.
Last season, Hoban beat STVM 28-14 during the regular season and 47-7 in the Division II regional semifinals.
The first game between the two was played in 1959. The series was stopped in 1978. After an 18-year break, the series resumed in 1996. Hoban leads the all-time series 28-21.
There was a chance that the two could have played this year, since both had Week 3 openings, but the two sides decided to go in different directions.
