Cathedral Prep athletics experienced (and still is experiencing) much success in the first season of the 2014-2015 athletic calendar. This fall season, the Ramblers saw Sean Reed and the soccer team reclaim the District 10 trophy from McDowell, bringing the trophy back to Prep. Several “XCers” ran straight to the state meet to represent the school. Golfer Ryan Poduful represented the Ramblers down in Heritage Hills coming home with a 15th place medal proudly hung around his neck. The water polo team fought hard with senior Daniel Bauman leading the Ramblers to an astounding fourth place finish in the state tournament. Football is rolling through their season with an undefeated record and a lengthy playoff run still to come. This success will hopefully follow the Ramblers right into the winter sports season as they compete in indoor track and field, wrestling, swimming, basketball, and hockey.

Coach Chet “the Jet” Moffett’s last season as the Cathedral Prep track coach took place this past year. He brought excellence and enjoyment to the teams for more than 10 years and will be missed. With his departure as coach, he leaves behind a large pair of shoes that still need to be filled. As the new indoor and outdoor track and field coach for both Prep and Villa, Mr. Palmer hopes to take these teams to new heights. Returning athletes such as Bryce Boyd, Stevie Crocket, and Josh Coleman all will have an influential part in the Ramblers’ success this season.

On the mats this year in wrestling, the Ramblers look to bounce back after losing a few strong wrestlers to graduation. Notably, the Ramblers lost Niko Shrieve and four-time state medalist Jake Gromacki who is continuing his wrestling career as a Pitt Panther. Having lost the previous D10 team meet, this team looks to hopefully come out as this area’s champion. The swift and fearless Brandon Sauers and the out-of-retirement Chucky Bizzarro are predicted to lead the Ramblers this season. Also, TaNauz “Junkyard” Gregory and Ed Ruff will be factors.

The second and final aquatic sport Prep has to offer looks to live up to the highly successful season of the water polo team. The domination of D10 by Prep’s “fish” will likely continue this year, despite the loss of a strong senior class. Past seniors such as Zach Miller, Connor Van Hove, and Joe Marin dominated the pool while they swam in the orange and black. The seniors and underclassmen have to step it up in order to continue this excellence. Senior Daniel Bauman and junior Rex Riley are predicted to lead the Ramblers. Bauman dominated the water polo season, breaking several respectable career, season, and game records, and Riley was a third place medalist in the 100m breast stroke at the 2014 PIAA Swim Championships. These aquatic monsters, as well as the rest of the team, look to have a dominant season in the pool this year.

After the football season ends, Rambler Nation patiently awaits the tip-off of the season opener of CP’s second favorite sport to watch: basketball. Fast-paced, energetic, and just flat-out interesting, the basketball team makes their season debut on December 8. After an unexpected loss in the D10 Championship to McDowell despite two regular season wins against their arch-rival, the Ramblers look to bounce back. Seniors Matt Colpoys, Antonio Frisina, Taylor Mackowski, and Jack Lindenberger as well as juniors Carter Cross and Dajon Heidelberg are projected to be key contributors at the start of the season. Senior Jack Lindenberger says, “We will make a recovery from last year. A lot of guys have been stepping up lately.” With the completion of the CPEC coming in the fall of 2015, the Ramblers look to close out the Gannon Hammermill Center with a bang!
Perhaps one of the most anticipated teams the winter sports season has to offer,and undoubtedly one of the most interesting to watch, CP hockey is already underway as the Ramblers boast an undefeated 8-0 record to date. Although the hockey team is dealing with the loss of the strongest senior class among all the winter sports this year and an unfortunate loss in the Pen’s Cup to Bishop Canevin, the Ramblers have shown these losses will not linger with them into the 2014-2015 season. Early on, seniors Trevor Faulkner, Hunter Emerson, and Ben Eliason have been dominant threats on the ice. Hopefully, the Cathedral Prep hockey team will continue its early season success to the post-season where they hope to travel down to Penn State for the state championship.