Loyola High School Detroit Gains National Attention

February 18, 2011 in News

Tony Fant runs through an opening in the line during Loyola’s 38-6 victory over Shrine which earned the school its first Catholic League Championship (C-D division).

During the past few months readers and viewers throughout the nation have learned about the Loyola High School story. Media coverage of Loyola culminated in late December and early January when a video about the school aired five times to national audiences on ESPN2 and the NFL Network. Catholic Television Network of Detroit (CTND) re-broadcast the video five times in January.

The national attention to Loyola began last fall when the Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press ran favorable articles about the school. [See below for links to those articles.] This local newspaper coverage of Loyola attracted the attention of NFL Films. At the request of Commissioner Roger Goodell, NFL Films was interested in featuring high schools that not only have a successful football team, but even more important a successful school program.

In early October, NFL Films sent a four-man crew to Loyola for four days to develop a story about the school. Although the resulting video focuses mainly on Loyola’s successful football team, it also includes interviews with school administrators and students and shows seniors at their Work Experience and Christian Service sites.

A few days after the ESPN2 and NFL Network broadcasts, Loyola hosted its own evening showing for about 50 student-athletes, parents, coaches, teachers and supporters. Detroit News sportswriter Rod Beard, whose story helped attract the attention of NFL Films, attended. “It’s a blessing for me to be involved with Loyola’s kids,” he said “and to play a small part in making the Loyola story known to a national audience.” Loyola’s President Fr. Dave Mastrangelo, S.J. stressed, “This video is not just about Loyola’s successful football team, but about the whole school program and the collective efforts of our staff and friends to support our kids.”

Recent articles about Loyola:


“Loyola producing football players–and good men”
by Rod Beard • Detroit News • September 21, 2010

“Small wonders: meager football facilities belie burgeoning program at #3 Detroit Loyola”
by Mick McCabe • Detroit Free Press • October 1, 2010