November is always an exciting time for Cathedral Prep football. The Ramblers started their playoff journey with two huge wins against Brashear and Hollidaysburg to kickstart their run to the state championship.

The Ramblers played Brashear on Nov. 7 at Dollinger Field. This was the first game of the playoffs for the Ramblers and the first step for their state championship run. The Ramblers put a stamp on this game quickly as they jumped out to a lead, and they just kept going. The Ramblers were up by a convincing score of 50-0 at halftime against Brashear. This game was over after the first half.

Senior Carmleo McLaurin had some thoughts on the game.

“We got off to a fast start, which got us some momentum right from the start,” McLaurin said. “After the first half we already knew the game was over.”

Since the game was 50-0 at half, the Ramblers were able to rest their starters for the rest of the game and start preparing for the next playoff game. Prep finished the game with a 50-24 victory over Brashear. Suhtahn Lewis ran for 7 carries for 161 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Michael Parks also scored twice while rushing for 93 yards. 

After the blowout victory of Brashear, the Ramblers faced Holidaysburg on Nov. 12 at Central Cambria High School. This was the Ramblers’ second playoff game. Similar to the Brashear game, this game was also settled at the half. The halftime score was Cathedral Prep 41, Hollidaysburg 0.

Unfortunately, Prep’s starting quarterback, junior Carter Barnes, was sidelined in this game due to a foot injury, but that didn’t stop the Ramblers from dominating. Sophomore Luke Costello stepped in and threw for 177 yards and three touchdowns. Michael Parks also rushed for 183 yards and two touchdowns. The Ramblers ended up winning the game 48-7, where they racked up 500 total yards of offense.

“It was a great team win for us tonight,” senior Michael Parks said. “We dominated on offense and defense which led to us getting the big victory. We need to keep this momentum going if we want to accomplish our goal, which is to win states.”

The Ramblers now take on East Stroudsburg South on Friday where they will look to win another playoff game to get them one step closer to their goal. If they beat East Stroudsburg tomorrow, they will most likely take on Imhotep Institute, a powerhouse school from Philadelphia with several 4- and 5-star recruits. If the Ramblers keep playing team football, they have a chance to go far in states and achieve their goal.