“Outlined against a blue, gray October sky the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore they are known as famine, pestilence, destruction and death. These are only aliases. Their real names are: The Sons of Saint Patrick.
They formed the crest of the Chestnut Hill cyclone before which another fighting Seminary team was swept over the precipice at Brighton Field on Sunday afternoon as legions of spectators peered down upon the bewildering panorama spread out upon the green plain below.”
On October 18, 1924, the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame led the Fighting Irish to a 13-7 victory over Army in one of the most legendary football games of all time. Just over a 100 years later, on October 29, 2024, the charging Horsemen of The Sons of Saint Patrick burst through the St. John’s Seminary line to achieve the greatest victory ever to grace the turf of Brighton Field. Under the awe-inspiring leadership of Coach Nicholas Asher, this different team of Fighting Irish dominated the Seminarians to win a stunning 62-39 victory and earn themselves everlasting glory.
For the second year in a row (and for only the second time in program history), the Sons of St. Patrick have defeated the once-mighty St. John’s Seminary in an epic battle that marks a new era of Sons Football. Integral to the Son’s success were the seniors who paved the way to victory: Peter Swindal, Luke Wayson, Miles Shoban, Alex Diamond, Jackson Claflin, Peter Watkins and of course, Coach Asher.
Watching the seniors play, Asher remarked that he saw, “a lot of communication and a lot of just really good leadership. I saw Miles and Luke really taking their roles head on, communicating what really needed to be done on both sides of the ball. I saw Jackson and Alex take their roles and do it really well and kind of be able to model for everyone else. For many, that was their first Sons vs Seminarians game and so, [for the seniors] to show that they’re willing to put it out there for the guys, I think made all of the younger sons be like ‘Oh, shoot, like I need to do that as well.’ I think that was the best way that they showed leadership.”
For all the outstanding plays made by seniors, Coach Asher’s favorite play of the game actually came from sophomore Gabriel Margolies. “The play I’ll remember for the rest of my life is Gabriel getting a touchdown in the second half. I didn’t play him the entire first half, we pretty much only played the starters. He was a super reliable option for [our quarterback] Jack, which is incredible because in the second half they put a lot more pressure on Jack. And he was so good at catching the ball that he was always reliable. My favorite moments are seeing guys who may not play in varsity, club, or intramural sports, and Sons-Seminarians gives them the opportunity to do incredible things, and I think that’s so beautiful.”
After 7 long years of dominance, it appears that the formerly indomitable St. John’s Seminary dynasty has come to an end, and a new Sons dynasty is poised to take its place. “We can say one thing definitively, and that’s that the Seminary dynasty has been put to a massive halt,” Asher stated during a postgame interview. “Rome has been invaded. You know, we have officially sacked Rome, burned the villages, you know like, whatever. Whether or not a new kingdom emerges, or if Rome just gains back the empire, that is up to the Sons that come after me. All I can say is that we took down the empire. I can say that confidently.”
An annual tradition for the past 9 years, the game holds a special place in the hearts of both Sons and Seminarians. “From the seminarians’ side, I think it just builds community with Boston College in general,” Asher said. “It allows them to build community and have that connection with the Catholic men of Boston College, who are also seeking the ultimate end of Sainthood and unity with God in Heaven.”
“On the Sons’ side, I think there’s so much because there’s a lot of different facets to it. I think one, that it kind of is the reciprocal of the seminarian side where it’s good to create community with the seminary. Kind of building off of that, with the Sons of St. Patrick, you are being formed into being a good father. And a lot of us are called to fatherhood through marriage but, a lot of us are also called to fatherhood in the priesthood.”
“I think that the Sons-Seminarians game is super important because it introduces guys to the vocation of the priesthood in maybe a fresh lens. Ultimately though, it’s just about community and looking at vocation in a fresh light. You know, seeing these guys as our brothers.”
Of the bond that the Sons and Seminarians share, Asher says. “I think there’s a special bond there because, once again, we’re after the same thing. We’re in different parts of our lives. You know, there’s a good chance that some of the Sons might become seminarians.”
“I think, for the Sons, we look at the seminarians and there’s something very admirable inherently about them. There’s just a very natural respect that we have before we even know their names just because of how radically they want a deep relationship with Christ. And we all seek that. So I think just that bond alone is what makes it special but I think also it’s just very valuable for both of us to share our perspectives and learn about vocations through each other.”
Coach Asher is hopeful for the future of Sons Football, while also being practical. “I hope more wins, I hope we just keep the train moving. We had a lot of young guys this year, and hopefully they’re able to realize how special it is for us to win and, so that they can take seriously the lengths that we went in order to win, and I think that if they do, we can get a good streak going.”
“But every single year that we beat the seminarians, they’re going to get angrier and angrier, they’re going to want to win more and more, and they’re going to come at us harder and harder. And, every team is different. That’s the beauty of sports while in school. You’re never going to have the same team every year. So what I think the future will hold… All I can say is I know that the future of Sons Football is a future of a lot more brotherhood, friendship, and memories. I know that for sure.”
