Cathedral Catholic is preparing for their first league matchup of the season on Friday. They are taking a road trip to take on the Lincoln Hornets at 7:00 p.m. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Cathedral Catholic's defense heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They took their game with ease, bagging a 41-0 victory over Scripps Ranch. The high-flying offensive performance was a huge turnaround for the Dons considering their seven-point performance the contest before.
Cathedral Catholic's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Honor Faalave, who gained 145 total yards and two touchdowns, and Isaac Cook, who picked up 111 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. Cook's longest reception was for an incredible 70 yards.
Cathedral Catholic didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Tim Hawkins and Faalave.
Meanwhile, Lincoln came tearing into Friday's matchup with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 29 points), and they left with even more momentum. They blew past the Centurions 56-0. That looming 56-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Hornets yet this season.
Lincoln's win came from a few key players Cathedral Catholic will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Kainan Manna, who threw for 139 yards and three TDs on only six passes. Lincoln also got a significant boost from Junior Curtis, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 107 yards.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Lincoln proved: they limited University City to a paltry two yards per carry. The team can thank Cam Joy for the heroic effort on defense: he. Lincoln didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 12.6.
Lincoln's defense also made the game a nightmare for the opposing QB, racking up seven sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Jaydin Lewis and Prince Tavizon, who racked up five sacks between them. Lewis also set a new season-high mark in total tackles with six. Another thorn in University City's side was Christian Beltran-Palomera, who picked up a sack and made seven total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Cathedral Catholic's record now sits at 6-2. As for Lincoln, their record is now 7-1.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Cathedral Catholic has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 199.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Lincoln struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 223.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Cathedral Catholic ended up a good deal behind Lincoln in their previous meeting back in November of 2024, losing 31-13. Can the Dons avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
