The annual football rivalry game between Akron Archbishop Hoban and Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary High Schools has been shut down, SVSM athletic director Kyle Sasala confirmed to JMN Sports on Saturday.
St. Vincent-St. Mary made the decision to halt the game, Sasala confirmed.
The two schools will no longer face each other in the ‘Akron Holy War’ for the first time since 1995. They could, however, potentially meet in the postseason, as both schools currently sit in Division II (Region 5).
Both programs had faced each other even prior to the merger of St. Vincent and St. Mary High Schools in 1972. St. Vincent went 7-6 against Hoban from 1959 to 1971, while the Knights took a pair of wins from St. Mary in 1958 and 1959. Following the merger, SVSM went 5-1 against Hoban before the two schools would cease play for the next 17 seasons.
The Knights had won their previous 11 consecutive games against the Irish, including three playoff matchups. Hoban defeated SVSM twice this past season, winning 28-14 on Oct. 7 before taking a 47-7 final on Nov. 11 in the Division II Regional semifinals.