The final whistle blew. Carmel Catholic has just beaten rival Joliet Catholic 31-28 in a game where violent hits were a frequent occurrence. As players and coaches shook hands, Carmel students sprinted onto the field, jumping into each other’s arms in celebratory outbursts, shouting the cries of jubilant teenagers. But then the noise suddenly stopped. The players, coaches and students all gathered in the north end zone. In unison, they got on one knee, grabbed the hand of whoever was next to them, and began to pray. Together. “Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name …” The praying of the Our Father is a tradition that follows each football game Carmel plays, home and away. It is one of many religious customs embedded in the Mundelein school’s fabric. The practice of praying is as much a part of the football team’s culture as running, throwing and winning games. “You don’t want to lose the spiritual component,” said Michael Fitzgibbons, Carmel’s campus minister, former head coach and now assistant coach. “Why would you coach at a Catholic school and not use it?” Carmelite roots Carmel was founded in 1962 in Mundelein by the Carmelites and Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is one of three Carmelite schools in the Chicagoarea, along with Joliet Catholic and Mount Carmel. The linking of the school’s religious footprint and football did not begin in earnest until Fitzgibbons took over as head coach in 1986. The team started going to chapel services before games, where a campus priest would offer Mass. Players would speak before Communion, revealing thoughts as such as whom they were praying for that day or sometimes, a secret more significant. “One year, we had a student who didn’t play his junior year and no one knew why,” remembered Fitzgibbons. “He got up his senior year during homecoming and told everyone he had testicular cancer and was in Mexico that year getting treatment. He was sobbing. We won the game and carried him off the field.” A dramatic confession was the outcome of the service that day. But on most Fridays, it has a more introspective intent, taking the coaches and players on a spiritual journey intended to culminate at kickoff. Almost three hours before the game, communion is served by Fitzgibbons, a communion minister. Moments of silent prayer are encouraged. Players lie on the chapel floor, or sit in solitude. They may be thinking about a sick relative, an injured teammate or a blocking assignment. Although their thoughts are solitary, the exercise is an act that unites. “When everyone is in chapel and praying for someone else, it is overwhelming,” said Jake Larson, a senior defensive lineman. “You go to other schools and the emphasis is on one guy. Here the emphasis is on the team and everyone is included. The traditions play a big part. You are doing the same things guys did five or 10 years before.” Win or lose, those traditions play out after Carmel has finished with an opponent on the field. After the public post game on-field reciting of the Our Father, the team and coaches gather privately inside Carmel’s locker room. There, they hold hands and give thanks again; for their health, for each other and just as important, to God for the opportunity to be together at this one moment in time. The sight of a cramped roomful of fully dressed football players — the sweat and grime still fresh on their uniforms from a 3-hour football game — standing and praying in unison, is a sight to behold. “When you see high school boys pray and give the sign of peace, it is intense,” said Fitzgibbons. “They are praying for each other and listening to what the other is saying. So, the spiritual component is a big deal to our kids. The God part is important. The community part is important. You are building a team.” Here’s a team that has won more than 175 games since these religious traditions were instilled 25 years ago. And while no one at Carmel believes God cheers for the Corsairs, they do insist he be in the huddle at all times.