Cathedral girls create lasting memories as softball state champs

Players, coaches and managers of the girls’ softball team of Cathedral High School in Indianapolis celebrate their Class 3A state championship victory on June 14. (Photo courtesy of Oh Snap Indy)

By John Shaughnessy

Head coach Tony Matthews can still feel the cold shock of the Gatorade being dumped on him from behind, and he can still see the joyfully mischievous looks of the players who wanted that to be part of their team’s celebration.

Anna Moore will forever remember the embrace of her teammates in a huge group hug, all of them screaming and smiling with unbridled joy as they lifted the Indiana Class 3A softball state championship trophy above their heads.

And Sydney Matthews will continue to cherish the sights and the sounds of the bus ride home from the softball field at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., to Cathedral High School in Indianapolis.

The bus rides before and after the softball games this season have frequently been marked with the girls singing along to pumped-up music, but the decibels on the bus increased tremendously after their state championship victory on June 14, with the assistant coaches and yes, even the head coach, who normally wishes he had ear plugs on these rides, joining in the fun and the singing.

They’re all special scenes that will long be savored for a season in which the Cathedral girls’ softball team won the school’s first-ever state championship in that sport, staging another come-from-behind win by beating the team from Hanover Central High School 5-4.

Talent, hard work, persistence, sacrifice, belief and even a touch of luck are the usual ingredients that lead to a state championship—and all the special moments of joy and celebration that result from it.

Still, when the Cathedral softball girls look back on their state championship season and consider the main reason for it, their thoughts turn to the bonds that were deepened off the field—in the

Bible study sessions that the varsity and junior varsity players shared together.

Overcoming adversity, staying humble

“I’m really good friends with our campus ministry director, Dave Neeson,” says Anna, one of the team’s senior leaders. “He started doing Bible study with our team last year. I felt that connected us. We had such a special bond that I never felt before on any of my travel teams or even my Cathedral teams. We continued that this year, and it brought us even closer than ever.

“And these past couple of games, we’ve been saying rosaries before them together. Being able to do that helped us relieve the anxiety and the pressures of the big games.”

The messages that were shared during those Bible study sessions also had a powerful impact on the team.

“The message that Dave was able to bring out was, ‘not finding our identity in the sport but in something better,’ ” says Anna, a member of St. Simon the Apostle Parish in Indianapolis. “Being able to lean on not only each other, but also something greater when the hard times come. And fighting through adversity—and not being overconfident or cocky and staying humble. That was really helpful.

“One of the main messages we also focused on was, ‘playing your role.’ Not wishing you had someone else’s role, but understanding your role and living it out the best you can.”

The team’s five seniors embraced their different roles. Anna says she mostly led by example while Maddie Liter was the vocal presence, “making sure everyone was OK.” Anna also praised Angela Valentine for her hard work, Ella Muzechuk for “bringing the energy” to the team, and Lauren Wright for “always doing the right thing.”

“We complemented each other well, but the seniors weren’t the only leaders on the team,” Anna says. “We pushed that anybody could be a leader, so that was special too.”

Coach Matthews had similar praise for the winning pitcher in the state championship game—junior Sidney Feczko—and his assistant coaches, especially his assistant of 14 years, Linda Bamrick.

Embracing and creating a legacy

Looking back on the special moments of the season, Matthews focused on the come-from-behind wins over the teams from New Palestine and Evansville Memorial in the semi-state round. He also noted that living the Catholic faith was the focal point of the team’s efforts.

“We got down in the championship game, but we felt Jesus Christ was right behind us,” says Matthews, also a member of St. Simon Parish. “We knew we were going to come back to win the game, doing all the little things you need to do to win. And we felt the Lord would take us the rest of the way. And he did.”

Amid the celebrations of the present, there have been connections and memories from the past.

“It’s been crazy,” Matthews says about all the congratulations the team has received from the Cathedral community. “I’ve heard from many of the former players who have played for me the past 14 years. I tell them they’re a big part of why the program is so strong. They started developing the program and helped strengthen it each year. We were playing for all the past players.”

On the Father’s Day weekend of the state championship game, Anna was also playing with thoughts of her father David, who died in 2022. She remembers how she started playing softball with him and how he helped her practice. Most of all, she remembers his laughter, his upbeat personality and his positive approach to helping her get better.

Her thoughts of him continued after the game when she was named the recipient of the Class 3A Mental Attitude Award.

“I do miss him, and I’m grateful for all the good memories I had with him. I’ve also learned to keep going,” says Anna, who has been a key leader of Cathedral’s Guardian Angels program for students who have lost a parent or a sibling. “He went to Cathedral too, so part of the legacy will live on with us.”

The legacy of this year’s softball team will live on, too.

Anna will remember “all the laughs and the good times.”

Coach Matthews knows he will smile every time he sees the state championship trophy at the school, reminding him of “the bond and the memories with all of the girls.”

And Sydney Matthews, the head coach’s granddaughter, will remember the attitude that everyone brought to the team.

“Our whole team was really connected,” says Sydney, who is also a member of St. Simon Parish. “Everyone was committed to working hard every practice, no matter if you were a starter or a bench player, a pinch runner or a pinch hitter. Everyone really just wanted what was best for the team.

“I’ll remember just how much everyone loves each other.”

Congratulations also to the girls’ tennis team of Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis for finishing second in the state championship on June 7. †