The Fr. Donnelly Division, Johnson County No. 1, participated in the second annual Hibernian Bowl between two Johnson County Catholic high schools on October 6th. St. Thomas Aquinas High and St. James Academy battled for bragging rights and the beautiful Hibernian Cup at St. Thomas Aquinas’ home field in the Kansas suburbs of Kansas City. Friday Night Lights began with the Fr. Donnelly honor guard bringing the colors to the center of the field for the national anthem and the benediction. After a heated battle through the first half, the St. James Thunder yielded to the St. Thomas Aquinas Saints, dressed in Notre Dame blue and gold, 34 to 14. The hard-fought contest concluded with the presentation of the Hibernian Cup to the team captains by Division President Charlie Lamont. Each school received $1,000 in scholarship funds and the Saints retain the Cup for the second year out of two. The Fr. Donnelly Division supports area Catholic schools by sponsoring the annual Hibernian Cup, but also an annual $2,000 scholarship program for graduating Catholic grade school students attending Catholic high schools anywhere in the greater Kansas City metro area.
