2020 Week 3: Cathedral No. 1 Here, No. 7 in California

Comparisons are building for Cathedral.

The Dons are a unanimous No. 1 in The San Diego-Union-Tribune poll and seventh for the second week in a row in the respected Cal-Hi Sports ratings.

At No. 7, Cathedral is at its highest level in the Cal-Hi eye test rankings since the 2016 club finished fifth.  Coach Sean Doyle’s team is ninth in the respective computerized rankings of Max Preps and Cal Preps.com.

I agreed with the Union‘s John  Maffei, who wrote in 2016 that the Dons were the greatest team in the history of the San Diego Section, which began in 1960.

That is an arguable point, but my reasoning was that no team had gone 15-0.  Morse of 1990 and Cathedral of 2008 were 14-0.   This Cathedral team, if it runs the table and possibly is as good as its predecessor, will be unable reach those lofty heights.  The Dons’  season, which we list as 2020,  will end after five games.

At least the Dons and others have gotten the chance to play despite the pandemic and will look forward to a full, 2021 slate beginning in late August

Interestingly, the 2015 and 2020 Cathedral squads have been quarterbacked by the sons of former NFL players who were first-round draft choices.

Tate Haynes (’16) is the offspring of Mike Haynes, a 14-season cornerback with the New England Patriots and Oakland Raiders and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  Rick Mirer was an NFL quarterback for 12 seasons and is father of Charlie, the Dons’ 2020 field boss.

Other Cal-Hi selections this week:  16, Lincoln; 18, Mater Dei; 28, Carlsbad; 31, St. Augustine; 39, Mission Hills; 45, Helix.

Additional Max Preps ratings:  21, Carlsbad; 22, Lincoln.

More, from Cal Preps.com:  13, Carlsbad; 18, Lincoln; 22, Mission Hills;  33, St. Augustine; 53, El Camino.

The San Diego Union-Tribune Week 3 poll, following games of the season’s third week:

Points on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.

First-place votes in parenthesis. NR–Not ranked.

RANK TEAM RECORD POINTS PREVIOUS
1. Cathedral (17) 3-0 170 1
2. Carlsbad 2-0 141 4
3. Lincoln 2-0 132 3
4. Mater Dei 3-0 109 5
5. Mission Hills 2-0 105 6
6. St. Augustine 2-1 101 2
7. Granite Hills 3-0 57 9
8. La Jolla 2-0 44 NR
9. Helix 1-2 34 NR
10. Ramona 2-0 21 NR

Others receiving votes: El Camino (1-1, 7 points), Poway (2-0, 4), Eastlake (1-0, 3), Rancho Bernardo (2-0, 2), La Costa Canyon (1-2, 1).

Voting panel of 17sportswriters, sportscasters:

  • John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune
  • Steve Brand, Jim Lindgren, Terry Monahan, Don Norcross, Thomas Gutierrez, freelance contributors.
  • Brandon Stone, Nick Pollino, KUSI Chl. 51
  • Adam Paul, ecpreps.com.
  • Bodie DeSilva, scorebooklive.com.
  • John Kentera, Braden Suprenant (97.3 The Fan).
  • Ramon Scott (eastcountysports.com)
  • Rick Smith, partletonsports.com
  • Steve (Biff) Dolan, Mountain Country 107.9 FM
  • Christian Pederson, San Diego Sports Association.
  • Eric Williams, WBK Sports/San Diego Friday Night Lights Magazine.