The first day of action in the Jesuit Showdown is in the books with the hosts, Jesuit of Dallas, in the final to face Colorado Springs.

Jesuit-Dallas defeated Canadian side St. Maximilian Kolbe in the opening game 50-7. Regis Jesuit out of Colorado edged Texas team Katy 14-8, while Colorado Springs beat Jesuit of New Orleans 19-7, and Ontario’s St. Therese Lisieux edged Strake Jesuit out of Houston 7-0.

That set up Saturday’s semifinals. Colorado Springs defeated St. Therese 50-0 to make the final, while Regis Jesuit and Jesuit-Dallas had a knock-down, drag-out fight for the other spot. Dallas led 12-5 late when Regis scored and converted to tie the game at 12-12. On to overtime, where Dallas kicked a penalty to win in sudden death 15-12.

Katy had no trouble with St. Maximilian Kolbe in the consolation semis, while Jesuit New Orleans just got by Strake Jesuit 14-10.

So that sets up Sunday’s games:

Final Colorado Springs v Jesuit-Dallas

3rd/4th St. Therese Lisioux v Regis Jesuit

5th/6th Katy v Jesuit New Orleans

7th/8th Strake Jesuit v St. Maximilian Kolbe

Already the tournament has been a superb success in that no teams familiar with each other have faced each other. There are two teams from Colorado, two from Ontario, and four from Texas. And yet the Texas teams played no other Texas teams, and the Colorado and Ontario teams didn’t have to face their local rivals, either.