John Lausch and Jonathan Voss were teammates on Joliet Catholic’s 1987 Class 5A state championship team.

While their sons were opponents Friday night, there was a time when Jack Lausch and Aidan Voss actually were teammates too.

When they were 11 and 12, Lausch was usually the leadoff hitter and Voss batted second for the Illinois Hitmen, a travel baseball team based in the west suburbs.

That team played in a tournament at Cooperstown in New York, finishing fourth out of 46 teams with a 9-3 record.

“I’m not surprised since I’ve known these kids when they were young,” Jonathan Voss said. “You could see what they could do at a young age.”

You could also see what they could do Friday night as Joliet Catholic — guided by senior quarterback Aidan Voss — pulled off a 56-49 victory over host Brother Rice in a CCL/ESCC crossover.

Senior quarterback Jack Lausch, a Notre Dame baseball and football recruit, was on the losing side of the ledger for Brother Rice in a game that featured a whopping 1,270 yards.

Joliet Catholic entered the game with the No. 1 ranking in the state for Class 4A by Associated Press. Brother Rice, meanwhile, came in holding the top spot in 7A.

The circle of life brought Lausch and Voss together again on the football field.

“The fact that they are here now and were playing against each other and highly rated is not a surprise to me,” Jonathan Voss said. “I know both boys, and they work hard and are ultraconfident.”

In 1987, Jim Boyter was the Joliet Catholic coach. He relied on Jonathan Voss to be the team’s quarterback, while Lausch was a standout player for the defense at linebacker.

Their fathers’ careers took the sons in different directions, with Voss following in his father’s footsteps at Joliet Catholic and Lausch carving out a new niche at Brother Rice.

“I’ve known Aidan since we were little, but this is the first time I’ve seen him for a while,” Jack Lausch said after the game. “It was great to see him.

“He played a great game, and my hat’s off to him and his teammates. I wish them the best of luck the rest of the year.”

With texting and technology, it’s easier for the two players to contact each other quite a bit during the course of a season. It’s a little harder for former state championship teammates.

“We’ve stayed in touch, but having families, you would like to stay in touch even more,” Jonathan Voss said. “The boys stay in touch every week. They’re talking about who they played and how they did. They try to give each other advice.”

But they rarely see each other, and that’s why Friday night’s game was a treat.

Lausch completed 24 of 37 passes for 416 yards for the Crusaders (5-2). Voss made the most of his few passing opportunities, completing 3 of 4 for 81 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown to Jake Fieldman.

Joliet Catholic (7-0) relied heavily on a running game to beat Brother Rice, producing 596 of its 687 yards was on the ground.

Fieldman, by the way, also was on that Illinois Hitmen team that played at Cooperstown. They all have come a long way from those days.

“I’m so proud of these kids,” John Lausch said. “Right now, they are experiencing high school the way it should be experienced. They are having a lot of fun. They are playing their hearts out.”

The elder Voss is having a lot of fun watching Aidan, who has offers from Drake, St. Xavier and Roosevelt, but he also keeps an eye on how Jack Lausch is doing.

He’s the son of a state championship teammate, and that bond never goes away.

“Obviously, my playing days are done, so it’s just fun watching Aidan play and watching Jack play and cheering for the kids,” Jonathan said. “I’m trying to keep things in perspective.

“Life goes by fast. I’m trying to slow things down and enjoy it.”

Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.