Bobby Akin can never remember a time in his life without John Dury and Rob Doyle -- or when the three cousins did not dream about playing for the Bishop Chatard High School football team.

"When I was little, I thought it would be so cool to be in that position," said Akin, a junior receiver for the Trojans. "I always thought those were really important people out there."

The cousins and their teammates shoot for Chatard's record-tying ninth state title when the Trojans (11-3) meet South Bend St. Joseph's (12-2) in the Class 3A state title game at noon today in the RCA Dome.

Chatard has long been known for its deep family connections and Northside Catholic Youth Organization feeder system. Akin, Doyle and Dury all have at least one parent who attended the school.

Dury's two older brothers were standout athletes at Chatard. With an enrollment that has stayed around 650 students (South Bend St. Joseph's has an enrollment of 849), it feels much the same as when their parents attended 20 or 30 years ago.

"Everyone knows everyone," said Dury, now a senior tight end and linebacker. "I know at public schools, you walk around and don't know who someone is. But at Chatard, I can literally walk through the hallways and know who everyone is. It's kind of special like that."

Chatard coach Vince Lorenzano said players such as those three have taken the dedication of this year's team to a new level.

"Those kind of kids are built not to quit," Lorenzano said. "You'll have to kill these kids to beat them. Literally, they'll die for the program in some respects. It's a little fanatical."

The three accept that as a compliment.

"When you're in tough situations and games, you can really trust the other person," Akin said. "It's not necessarily that you know what he's going to do, but you have a pretty good idea and you work together as a team."

Added Dury: "It's basically a band of brothers coming through CYO. We come together and form a brotherhood."

Doyle, the senior quarterback, attended St. Pius Elementary School along with senior wide receivers Kyle Dietrick and Steve Valdiserri. They have been playing catch since the third grade.

That kind of familiarity came in handy in the semistate game when Dietrick and Valdiserri combined to catch 12 passes for 236 yards in a 28-17 comeback victory over top-ranked Heritage Hills.

"Whenever the pocket breaks down and I have to scramble, they know where I want to throw it and where they need to be," Doyle said. "It's a special connection how we know each other so well."

The three cousins said that closeness was needed more than ever this year, too.

Unlike in other seasons, the Trojans didn't exactly blow opponents away. They had early-season losses to Arlington (28-22) and archrival Cathedral (21-7).

Key players suffered injuries, including Lorenzano's son, Dominic, who won't play in today's game.

That's why they believe no matter what happens against St. Joseph's, they will respond in a positive way.

"Obviously, things have gone wrong," Doyle said. "But it doesn't effect our trust for each other."

S. BEND ST. JOSEPH'S (12-2)

Coach: Kevin Downey. Conference: Northern Indiana. Nickname: Indians. Colors: Columbia blue and white. AP Ranking: No. 4. Tournament results: Beat Tippecanoe Valley 35-6, beat Culver Academy 41-7, beat NorthWood 41-27, beat Andrean 35-21, beat Fort Wayne Concordia 28-10. Previous championships: 1995 (3A). Top rusher: Jordan Taylor, 2,339 yards, 25 TDs. Top passer: Joseph Hecklinski, 1,191 yards, 16 TDs. Top receiver: Robert McClintock, 418 yards, 8 TDs. Top tackler: Dustin White, 60.

BISHOP CHATARD (11-3)

Coach: Vince Lorenzano. Conference: Independent. Nickname: Trojans. Colors: Royal blue and white. AP Ranking: No. 2. Tournament results: Beat Greensburg 34-8, beat Batesville 16-6, beat Hamilton Heights 13-10, beat Danville 52-6, beat Heritage Hills 28-17. Previous championships: 1983 (2A), 1984 (2A), 1997 (3A), 1998 (3A), 2001 (3A), 2002 (3A), 2003 (3A), 2006 (3A). Top rusher: Ari Pappas, 1,802 yards, 22 TDs. Top passer: Rob Doyle, 1,040 yards, 15 TDs. Top receiver: Kyle Dietrick, 663 yards, 6 TDs. Top tackler: Mike Dum, 106.

Defense	Rushing	Passing
St. Joseph's	134.4	103.0
Bishop Chatard	100.1	110.4