Irish Finish Strong on Senior Night!
By: Leo Ortiz, Writer
On February 10, 2026, the Cathedral Varsity Basketball team played its final regular-season home game. The Irish had an excellent performance on their senior night, defeating Father Yermo 67-34. With the stands packed, senior Juan Pablo Duran led the way with an outstanding showing, putting up 14 points. Alongside him, senior John Michael Leydon put up 12 points, shooting 56% from the field. The Spartans had no answer for these two seniors.
Before the game, we honored our senior players: Diego Sanchez, Jacob Durussel, John Michael Leydon, Juan Pablo Duran, Miguel Hernandez, and Alfred Mejil. It was an emotional night, but you could feel the true La Cate brotherhood on the court as the seniors and their families were recognized and celebrated.
Varsity Basketball Team on Senior Night
After senior night, they played their first-round playoff game in the 6A TAPPS Basketball Playoffs. The Irish played a tough game against Liberty Christian High School, unfortunately ending their season with a 62-38 loss. The Irish ended their season with a 17-13 record, a huge improvement from last season. We thank all the seniors and their families for their support and contribution to the basketball program.
We interviewed Junior, Julian Escalante, about his thoughts on the season and his hopes for next year. “It was tough losing in the first round. We came in with high expectations and a lot of preparation before the game, but it just didn’t end up going our way. Next year we’ll have a lot of seniors on the team, and our goal is to make the playoffs and make a deep run to hopefully bring back some hardware to Cathedral.”