On Friday, January 22, 2010, the 16th annual basketball game between the CMS seminarians, the ‘Cardinals’, and priests of the Diocese of Fargo, the ‘Shooting Shepherds’, took place. For a second year it was held at the Shanley High School gym. Despite a threatening blizzard, a good-sized crowd turned out. A large number of students came from St. Paul Newman Center, Fargo, to encourage Fr. James Cheney, their chaplain; a number of students also drove from St. Thomas Newman Center, Grand Forks, to encourage their chaplain, Fr. Jason Lefor.
The Cardinals took an early lead, but began to tire in the second half. With 9 minutes left in the game, the Shooting Shepherds took the lead. From that point on the lead switched back and forth. With 2.2 seconds left in the game, seminarian Jayson Miller was fouled. The score was 37-38; the seminarians were down by one point. Jayson tied the game by making his first free-throw. After the priests took at time out, Jayson stepped up to the line and made his second shot, putting the seminarians on top: 39-38. Fr. Luke Meyer made a valiant attempt to make a basket in the final second, but his shot was short.
The seminarians triumphed for a fifth year in a row! The overall record of the matchup still favors the priests, who have won 8, lost 7, and tied 1.
For a second year, the game was broadcast live on the local Catholic radio station. A podcast of the game is available at from the KWTL / KVXR archives: Collar Classic 2010.