By ANNE BAGGETT For The Catholic Week The Toy Bowl Classic celebration resumed after a one-year absence due to COVID-19. The 73rd edition was full of enthusiasm from CYO participants.
Reigning over the 2021 Toy Bowl Classic were Queen Lila Jane Baggett and King Brayden Hicks of St. Mary Parish. The court consisted of 154 eighth-graders who raised more than $60,000 to ensure the success of the CYO programs.
Activities began Monday, Oct. 27 as McGill-Toolen Middle School football team took on St. Michael Middle School squad.. The teams were scoreless for three quarters before McT pulled out a 12-0 win.
Court members attended Mass on Oct. 28 at St. Mary Parish. Rev. Bry Shields, pastor of St. Ignatius Parish and president of McGill-Toolen Catholic High School, was main celebrant and homilist. Fr. Shields welcomed all the participants and congratulated them on their hard work raising funds for the CYO programs.
Fr. Shields told the young people “Learn to persevere – always give your best. Life is full of suffering and setbacks. Don’t be defeated. Jesus will bring us victory.”
He urged the youth to “Be like the yeast in bread that makes others rise, increase and makes something useful for the world, their teams, classrooms and families.”
A banquet was held at McGill-Toolen following Mass. Pat Greenwood, University of South Alabama director of multimedia/corporate sales executive served as emcee.
David Weems, executive director for the CYO welcomed everyone to the banquet and thanked all participants, coaches and administrators for all they did in support of the CYO.
He then introduced the keynote speaker address - McT football coach Norman Joseph and QB Country CEO David Morris.
Joseph told those in attendance that he uses the F.A.S.T. program to identify daily focus and performance — Faith. Attack. Speed. Toughness. He spoke to the court members and reminded the youth, “You have to earn the right to play, to be on a team and to play and win.”
Morris, a McT graduate and four-year letterman at Ole Miss, runs an elite quarterback training and development company. He reminded the young people “We have a great luxury in faith with faith communities in schools that give us great hope.”
The inspirational evening closed with a prayer by Rev. Stephen Vrazel, pastor of St. Mary Parish.
During the week soccer and flag-football games continued to determine the finalist for Saturday’s games. Cheerleaders encouraged the players to give it their best! Toy Bowl arrived under a beautiful fall sky and pleasant temperatures as the final games commenced.
Following the games the 2021 CYO Toy Bowl Court presentation began. Father Bry Shields and the 2019 Queen, Camille Dennis greeted the Court members. Fr. Shields crowned Queen Lila and King Brayden.
The smiling faces of the large court with the ladies in their colorful dresses and knights in their ties and blazers were a welcoming sign that the joy-filled Toy Bowl experience was back!