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The St. Xavier vs. Elder rivalry is one of the most prominent football games in Cincinnati, OH. With the tradition dating back to the 1920s, this game has long been the cornerstone of high school sports in the area. Fans pack the parking lot hours before kickoff in an effort to rally spirits for what is sure to be an emotional game. 

MVP

Matt Luebbe
Elder High School

SCHOLAR ATHLETES

Daniel Baptist

St. Xavier High School

Daniel is a 2-year varsity football player who is also involved in Rugby and is very active in community service through St. Xavier. Daniels also does peer tutoring and is part of the National Foreign Language Society.
Sam Harmeyer

Elder High School

Sam is the top ranked student in the senior class. He also serves as School President. Sam is earning his fourth varsity letter in football, primarily as a kicker. He is also a member of the National Honor Society and Student Ambassadors.

GAME SUMMARY

This game marked the 100th face-off between Elder and St. Xavier—guaranteeing a passionate game backed by community support. Elder QB Matthew Luebbe made the scoreboard first with a 65-yard score; after an interception and drive, he scored again, bringing Elder up 14-0 at the end of the first quarter. The Bombers stepped up their offense in the second, as Liam Clifford scored on a fourth-and-goal pass from the 5-yard line. A field goal from Elder's Sam Harmeyer brought them up 17-7 at the half. Matthew Luebbe continued his epic night with an 83-yard run in the third. Two touchdowns late in the third brought St. Xavier close, but they ultimately couldn’t finish the uphill grind they started early in the evening—Elder walked away with a 31-28 victory. Great American Rivalry Series game MVP ran 236 of Elder’s 316 yards and scored three touchdowns. Elder now leads the overall rivalry 52-42-6.