High School Spotlight: Cathedral Fighting Irish

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The High School Spotlight Series is back and we are excited to feature multiple teams throughout the state once again! The season is still a few months away, but it is never too early to look ahead at the high school season. We will be taking a look at some quick hitters, the top player(s), a potential breakout player, other roster members, and more for the upcoming season. For today's spotlight, we take a look at the Cathedral Fighting Irish. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Quick Hitters</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Went 15-5 last season.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Won Class 3A State last season. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Head Coach Jason Delaney starts his 11th year as head coach. He is <strong>374-162</strong> as a head coach.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Has a chance to repeat in Class 3A. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id='2140333' first='Braylon' last='Pippins']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cathedral enters this season as the reigning Class 3A state champions, and while the roster may look a little different this year, there is still plenty of talent for the Irish to once again be a major contender at the 3A level. There are several players who could make a case as the top guy on this team by the end of the season, but one player to start with is senior center [player_tooltip player_id='2140333' first='Braylon' last='Pippins']. Pippins understands exactly what makes him effective and embraces his role as a physical presence around the basket. He is an elite offensive rebounder who consistently creates second-chance opportunities and plays with a relentless motor in the paint. Whether it is finishing through contact or battling for rebounds, Pippins does the little things at a high level that help winning teams succeed. He enters the season coming off a year where he averaged 9.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game and will be a key piece for Cathedral's pursuit of another deep postseason run.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Potential Breakout Player: [player_tooltip player_id='2540063' first='Jaxson' last='Delaney']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A player who really impressed me dating back to last postseason is 2028 forward [player_tooltip player_id='2540063' first='Jaxson' last='Delaney']. While some may know him as a coach's son, Delaney has earned every opportunity that has come his way and is poised for a much larger role this season. He plays with a relentless motor, thrives as a rim runner, and has continued to expand his offensive game, showing significant improvement with his jump shot over the past several months. With his athleticism, energy, and developing skill set, Delaney has all the tools to become a major contributor, and I wouldn't be surprised to see both his production and overall impact skyrocket this season.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Other Key Roster Members</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tristan Lloyd</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2140441' first='Skylar' last='Rodgers'] </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='3033224' first='Jayden' last='Kennedy'] </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>JC Pohlman</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='3657861' first='Jay' last='Smith']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gus Sharp</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2807688' first='Braydon' last='Miles']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2140325' first='Brady' last='Windle']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2414964' first='Owen' last='Peterson']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->