Soccer

HEARTS OF CHAMPIONS! The Cathedral High School Phantom soccer team began the season preparing for one of the toughest schedules in the nation. The team participated in the De La Salle Showcase (Concord, CA) and the Tampa Bay Invitational, (Tampa, FL). The Phantom’s preseason campaign also consisted of matchups versus Loyola and De La Salle in the SoCal College Showcase and a trip to San Diego to face regional powerhouse Torrey Pines High School.

The Phantom’s dominated league play with wins over La Salle, Salesian, Bishop Montgomery, and Bishop Amat. Their team earned their eleventh consecutive Del Rey League championship and eighteenth league title in twenty years. Seven players would be awarded First Team Del Rey All-League awards and three players would be awarded Second Team Del Rey All-League awards.

As the regular season ended, excitement amongst the team began to grow as they were eager to return to the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs. The Phantoms entered the playoffs as the number four seed in Division I. In the first round the soccer team hosted Capistrano Valley earning a 2-1 victory. In the second round they hosted Anaheim High School resulting in a 2-0 victory. The team traveled to San Marcos High School to face Santa Barbara High School. A 1-0 victory over Santa Barbara would send the Phantoms to Orange County to face Servite High School. The Phantoms were now one game away from punching their ticket to their third consecutive CIF-SS Division 1 Final. After 110 minutes of play the two teams were scoreless and headed to penalties where the Phantoms would come up short. Despite the outcome the team had qualified for the CIF State Division I Regional Tournament.

In the first round of the CIF State Regional tournament Cathedral traveled Division 1 City Section Champion El Camino Real High School. The Phantoms would advance in penalties, sending them back to Orange County to face Servite for the second time in two weeks. This matchup was no different from the first, at the end of 110 hard fought minutes the two teams were tied 1-1 and headed to penalties. This time the Phantoms would not be denied, the team won and advanced to the CIF State Division 1 Final against the local rival Loyola.

The game would be called the Los Angeles City World Cup, two traditional soccer powerhouses facing off in a State Final. Cathedral took an early 1-0 lead and quickly scored a second goal. The Phantoms were up 2-0 at halftime and would score two more in the second half. The Phantoms would win the game 4-1 and win their first Division 1 CIF State Championship!