Jewish players on Catholic high school teams?

Oh yeah.  It may be the ultimate Hail Mary pass (once you remember, of course, that Mary was a good Jewish girl…)

Details, from the Los Angeles Times: 

It still seems a little strange when the starting quarterback at a Catholic high school is Jewish, but in reality, it has been happening so often that it’s no longer considered a big deal.

Last season, Logan Scott and Jared Lebowitz were the starting quarterbacks at West Hills Chaminade and La Cañada St. Francis, respectively.

This season, sophomore Josh Rosen has taken over as the starting quarterback at Bellflower St. John Bosco, and his center, Elijah Zabludoff, is also Jewish.

Catholic schools have earned strong reputations for academic and sports excellence, so it’s no surprise that Jewish families have become comfortable in the Catholic campus environment.

The best offensive lineman at Encino Crespi is Ricky Wolff, who has a 4.4 GPA. The standout kicker at Chaminade is sophomore Ben Kreitenberg. Both are Jewish.

“I just think it’s not Jewish students ending up at Catholic schools,” Rosen said. “It’s great football players.”

St. John Bosco Coach Jason Negro said there’s no singling out individuals of different religions, and everyone goes to Mass.

“They stand when they’re supposed to stand,” he said. “They sit when they’re supposed to sit. They’re welcomed and fit right in. We’re not trying to convert anybody.”

When St. John Bosco traveled to Utah last week for a game against Sandy (Utah) Jordan, the team made a visit to a Mormon temple.

Religious tolerance is in, and good football players always seem to be welcomed to any Catholic school campus.

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