The Prep-McDowell rivalry game is one of the biggest rivalry games in the state. The game this year was especially important. Both sides came together in support of a fellow Prep brother, Ian Malesiewski. The fierceness of the rivalry was put on hold before the game in order to honor Ian, who made a surprise appearance on the field as honorary captain for the coin toss. In the beginning all eyes were on Ian, and in the end all eyes were on the scoreboard as Prep won 31-15.
The Ramblers kicked the ball off to the Trojans to start the game off. The Trojans first drive was pretty strong and ended with a score on a pass from Levi Becker to Colin Christensen. The early deficit didn’t phase Prep as they blocked the extra point after the Trojan touchdown. After a few drives, Cathedral Prep punched a touchdown in on a long post pass from Joe Mischler to Terry Roberts. This was all the Ramblers needed. The sideline and Prep’s famous 12th man got very excited and momentum was on Prep’s side.
Prep’s defense played very well as it was very hard for McDowell to throw the ball. It was very hard for them to throw the ball because Levi Becker either had linebacker Jerry Roberts or linebacker Matthew Bauer coming at him on nearly every play. Some other key players during this game were Fredrick “Juicy” Scruggs, a junior defensive lineman, Matthew Lupo, and Terry Roberts. It wasn’t much easier for McDowell to run the ball with Dominick Covatto and the rest of the Cathedral Prep defense behind him.
The Prep offense was pretty hard to stop after a few shaky drives from them in the beginning. A strong showing from quarterback Joe Mischler lead the Ramblers to a victory. Touchdowns from Terry Roberts, Henry Fessler, Tyler Odekoven, and Billy Lucas pushed Prep’s total to 28 and an added field goal from Anthony Lupo made it 31. The Trojans had only scored once more on a long run. But the Ramblers came right back at them with a 75-yard touchdown run from Billy Lucas.
Some key components in this game were the blocked extra points and field goals that boosted Prep’s momentum. Also Cathedral Prep’s 12th man was the best it has been in a while. The student section was loud, rowdy, and respectful. This really helps the football team win football games. The rally crew for Prep did a great job in getting the school hype for football games and school spirit.
The game was also special because both sides came together in support of both And lastly Ian Maliesewski and McDowell alum James Conner. The McDowell Mob even had a sign that said, “The Mob supports Ian” and the Cathedral Prep section gave out green “Be a Dawg” towels. Both student sections dressed in green to support the causes of spinal cord injury awareness and Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The community came together in support of this cause and both Prep and McDowell did a very good job of putting sportsmanship first.
With a strong performance from the Ramblers they came out on top 31-15. The win was Prep’s fifth straight victory against McDowell. This was a very emotional games on both sides, but it was all in all for a good cause.