Author’s Note: In addition to watching every Brebeuf football game since 2008 as the team statistician, I have, with my family, fostered some 200 dogs and puppies for local animal shelters, a biographical tidbit which shall become relevant in about four paragraphs. Thirty seconds remained in Brebeuf’s game at Guerin Catholic on Friday night, and though the Braves were leading 17-14, Guerin was calling the tune, and dancing toward a dramatic victory. The Golden Eagles had driven 70 yards in under two minutes on their final possession of a classic back-and-forth affair, converting two fourth downs, and the ball rested at Brebeuf’s 15. Guerin senior QB Luke McDonald had connected with wide receiver Aiden Horn for both of those fourth-down conversions, and with placekicker RJ Fleming warming up to kick at worst a 30-yard game-tying field goal, it seemed like a good bet for McDonald to go to the well one more time with a pass over the middle to get Guerin into the end zone to end it. That’s when Braves senior Cam Walters, who had been eyeing McDonald’s pass the way a largemouth bass eyes a minnow, jumped in front of the intended receiver, intercepting McDonald at the four to end the threat, and the game. It was Brebeuf’s third defensive takeaway of the second half, allowing the Braves to hang on for the victory, the fifth-straight by the visiting team in this series. Brebeuf and Guerin, despite the often-heated competition between their teams, are two Catholic communities that are quite fond of each other. As has become a recent tradition with the two northside schools, the football game followed a tennis match and volleyball game, with great congeniality of the two fanbases. It was all set against the somber background of the twenty-fifth anniversary of September 11th, commemorated with a pregame prayer and long moment of silent remembrance, followed by the national anthem, sung beautifully by a Guerin student as many in the crowd sang every word. Then, the two football teams proceeded to play a game that best resembled two puppies playing tug-of-war with the same toy. If you’ve ever witnessed this, it’s joyous. There’s a reason the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet draws massive viewing numbers. Puppies will literally play tug-of-war with each other for hours, pulling a toy back-and-forth, growling, yelping, running away with the toy until being tackled by their litter mates at which time the tugging begins anew. But they’re puppies, not dogs, and because of that, they’re awkward. Clumsy. They make mistakes as part of the learning curve. They’re prone to inappropriate yapping (which, uh, tends to draw 15-yard penalties in football.) Kind of like Brebeuf and Guerin, who spent the evening romping after one another on the grass (the only natural grass surface Brebeuf will play on this season) but testing their coaches’ patience: • The two teams were called for a staggering 25 penalties, for a combined 218 yards • There were four drive-killing turnovers, three by Guerin in the second half • Brebeuf converted its first three 3rd downs of the game, leading to an opening field goal, only to fail on their next five, allowing Guerin to score two TDs and lead 14-3 at halftime • Guerin seemed to have contained Brebeuf’s passing game in the second half, only to have Keegan Bouwkamp and Carter Cosgrove connect on a third-and-ten completion which should have gone for eleven, but which went for 79 and a touchdown because Guerin missed five tackles on the play. That made it 14-10, and swung the momentum… • …Which swung back to Guerin on 40, 42 and 70-yard drives in the second half… • …all of which resulted in turnovers: An Over-the-head INT by Brebeuf’s Brady Allen, a fumble forced by Nate Johnson and recovered by Allen, and the aforementioned Cam Walters game-sealing INT. Back and forth. Back and forth. Yip! Yap! Grrrrr! It was at once as entertaining of a game as you could ask for, while also a reminder that both teams will have to play a lot better in the next two weeks if they hope to win one of their two remaining conference games against the Big Dogs of the Circle City Conference, Chatard and Roncalli. Brebeuf will host Chatard, and then Roncalli, while Guerin plays at Roncalli, followed by Chatard. It’s time for the puppies of the CCC to grow up a little, cut down on the mistakes, and see if they can run with the big dogs. So come cheer your Braves next week as they host Chatard for the final time as conference foes. This is a Brebeuf team capable of hanging with anybody in their division, even the Blue School in Broad Ripple with all the state titles. After all, every dog has its day. Go Braves!