Celtics-Lakers. Michigan-Ohio State. Yankees-Red Sox. Roundup vs Varsity Football. These are just some of the greatest sports rivalries of all time. Each competition between the teams are fought fought and battled with blood, sweat, and tears. This year’s installment was no different.
“The victory was hard fought, but holding the trophy victorious made it all worth it. -Sebastian Suwanda
In dramatic effect leading up to the matchup, the initial date was postponed due to weather. This only helped The Roundup, however, who spent the time practicing and watching film in eager anticipation for their opportunity come. And it did.
One May 1, 2025, the Roundup and Football squared off in the 10th annual matchup between the two football powerhouses, and boy was it exciting.
Roundup looked to dominate early, scoring on their first possession, however it was quickly matched by Jesuit football. After trading another drive back and forth, football secured a pick six and capitalized on it to make the score 21-14. The teams battled for the rest of the first half before Roundup scored on a crucial play with seconds left to make the score 35-28, Roundup leading into half.
Jesuit football, coached by Dr. Degen, an intellectual football guru, made several adjustments at half to quickly retake the lead 42-35. It was at this moment, however, where football made a crucial mistake. Attempting to switch things up to throw off the defense, they made a sub at quarterback from Dartmouth commit Charlie Peters ’25 to Luke Steinhart ’25. Sports Editor Thomas Fino ’25 remaind unflustered, however, and picked off Steinhart on his first pass thrown. The Roundup capitalized on this, retaking the lead and controlling the game for the rest of the half until the final seconds, where football pieced together a quick drive downfield to tie the score at 63-63.
Playing modified college rules overtime, The Roundup started with the ball, placed at the 10 yard line, scoring to take the lead. Football matched their score however. Both teams scored in their second possession of OT, requiring the officials to make a rule change mandating a quarterback switch for both teams. The Roundup went to Editor-in-Chief Peyton Bristow who attempted a double pass to Jack Yeskie ’25 to Jaeger Krauss ’25 in the end zone, however football broke up the Yeskie to Krauss connection.
Krauss redeemed himself with a major pass break up on the football team turn, before Robert Prager ’25 overthrow Cade Gill ’25 to give The Roundup an opportunity for victory. Bristow stepped back into the pocket before rifling a dart to Fino for the score, giving The Roundup the 71-69 victory in quadruple overtime!
“Football team fought hard but The Roundup team just wanted it more. Thomas Fino and Sebastian Suwanda made the big time plays when it mattered.” -Henry Bourret ’25
The key to The Roundup’s success was their depth at quarterback, five different players getting significant reps at quarterback, a questionable spot for the team after four year starter and team captain Logan Thompson ’24 retired from the league. Team MVP goes to News Editor Sebastian Suwanda ’26, who led multiple key drives downfield as quarterback, making the smart play not the big play, securing many check downs in a row to secure first downs and tire out defenses. He also brought the energy more than anyone else.
The victory marks the fourth ever victory for The Roundup, bringing their record up to 4-6. This is also the first ever back-to-back victories for The Roundup.
“Despite a limited salaray cap and player sit outs, we played as a team and prevailed as a team.” -Thomas Fino ’25
The current odds favor The Roundup next year who will return several key players compared to the football seniors, who will be graduating their whole team.
Huge thank you to all who participated in a great tradition that serves as a reminder of the Jesuit brotherhood.
Stay tuned to The Roundup for more sports news!
