Athletes End Great Year
With Two State Titles
by Pat Cunningham
May 28, 2008
State titles in Cross-Country and Soccer garnered the big headlines of Central Catholic's 2007-8 athletic year, but that was just the 42-point part of the story. Student-scholars in every sport enjoyed victories. Moreover, the competitive year was the best overall in recent memory, with district or city titles in TAPPS 6A for seven teams.
The cross-country team, which barely lost the 6A title in 2006 to fellow Marianist school Nolan HS of Ft. Worth, decisively beat all rivals at the state competition after garnering a number of wins in the competitive run-up meets.
While the X'ers were setting records, the CCHS football squad stayed in the Express-News Top Ten through their entire season, defeating numerous 4A schools to remain undefeated through the regular season, winning the "Holy Bowl," and falling only to St. Pius of Houston in a driving, near-zero sleet storm at Harlandale Stadium.
The CCHS basketball team endured a difficult run-up to playoffs, losing district to Antonian High in a couple of heartbreakers, but moving through the "back-door" of the playoffs to finish even with Antonian in postseason competition.
The futbollers (that's soccer to you Yankees) rolled over their competition, ending a thirty-two game win-streak, a Texas state record, with their only defeat of the season (Highlands 1-0) at a competitive East Central tourney. They then went on to win or tie every major team in Bexar and surrounding counties, took district decisively, and ran through the playoffs to secure their second state trophy in a row. They were also declared #1 in the area by the Express-News, for their tie with Churchill and decisive victories over all other Northeast schools and over Boerne.
The swimming team won a number of meets and finished third in regionals and fifth at state, defeating all other San Antonio teams for the city TAPPS 6A championship.
Our tennis competitors had a great year, winning district handily and going on to finish third at the state championship.
Moving into the spring sports, the baseball team shocked a number of public school competitors and blew away all their district competitors, even a resurgent Antonian High team and an always-ferocious St. Michael's squad, to win district undefeated and fall only to a collegelike Bishop Kelly team from Beaumont.
And the track team, with a balanced field and track attack, demolished all district competitors to take the city and district titles, and went on to battle Bishop Lynch of Dallas for the state title, finishing a close second.
We congratulate all of these fine competitive teams, and also celebrate the seasons of our golf and lacrosse squads. Two state titles, seven district or city titles with undefeated district seasons for football, soccer and baseball. What a year, guys!
