SouthtownStar Rivals Series Turf War Trophy goes to.....

In the season opener, it was the Vikings, from cross-town, taking down the Spartans Homewood-Flossmoor’s opener 35-7.

H-F's senior back, Taje Smith, worked hard during the summer and it paid off with his first carry from Ronald Johnson and 44 yards later... touchdown!!!

“I’ve been training all summer long, working on speed, acceleration and explosiveness,” Smith said. “My line gave it to me, I saw it, and I hit it.”

He opened the second half with a 30-yard sprint on the same play call, and then added a 10-yard touchdown run on the way to a nine-carry, 105-yard game. Marian got on the board right before halftime tying the game at 7 on a Ki-Jana Crawford’s 7-yard touchdown run, but that was it. H-F just had too much experience, depth. “Give them credit. They thumped us pretty good physically,” Marian coach Dave Mattio said.

pictured Sister Gael Daley O.P. and one of her first students Also on the opener, Marian Catholic paid honor to it's first class - class of 1962.