Nazareth Academy Football Plays for Ihsa State Championship

The Nazareth Academy roadrunners will defend their undefeated regular season streak in the 2014 IHSA 6A Football Championship Game.

The game takes place Saturday, Nov. 29 at 1 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, according to a Nazareth Academy news release.

This will be the first time the Nazareth football team will compete in the state championship since the school’s premiere football season in 1978, according to the release. That first Nazareth football team was also undefeated in regular season play, all those years ago.

This year’s varsity team finished the regular season as East Suburban Catholic Conference Champions.

“This whole season has been a celebration of the Nazareth family, reflected in the team’s jerseys, which carry only the word ’FAMILY’ on their backs,” the news release stated.

Nazareth Academy has invited current students, parents and alumni to a post-championship game Welcome Home Rally on Nov. 29 at about 8 p.m. in the Rooney Student Center. Rally-goers will celebrate the team’s return from Champaign.

“Win or lose we will honor our current Roadrunners, the generations of student-athletes who have forged the path, and the fans who support our team week in and week out,” the release states.

In announcing the plans for the Welcome Rally, Nazareth’s principal Deborah Tracy said, “These are exciting times at Nazareth Academy! We celebrate this moment in our school history and we always keep an eye on the bigger picture. Win and loss records mean nothing if our athletic programs are not helping to develop more respectful, kind, faith-filled and service-oriented student-athletes.”

Image via shutterstock.