Cathedral Basketball

June 9, 2009

Head Coach Mark Daly to be Principal at St. Jean de Brebeuf 

The Cathedral Gaels would like to congratulate Head Coach Mark Daly on his recent appointment as Principal of St. Jean de Brebeuf High School.

Mark had a very successful coaching, teaching, and administrative career at CHS, but he will be best remembered for the kindness he showed to his players. Always willing to go the extra mile to help a player in need, Mark will be greatly missed by the Cathedral family. We wish him the best of luck at Brebeuf, and look forward to doing battle with his Braves next year and beyond.  If you would like to send Mark a congratulatory message, click here.

Brian Daly will be assuming Head Coaching duties in 2009-2010.

 Mar. 28, 2009

Just being invited to the 2009 A. C. I. T. was a tremendous honour for this year’s version of the Cathedral Gaels.  The team was simply hoping to play well and have a great experience and surely the players wanted to see if the experience lived up to the hype.  Cathedral coaches Mark and Brian Daly bored the players with long tales of their own fond memories of the A. C. I. T.  (continue reading after slideshow. Click on pictures to see them larger.)

The tournament, called the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament featured the top 4 Washington Catholic league teams (DeMatha, Gonzaga, Bishop O’Connell, Bishop McNamara), the top 2 Baltimore Catholic league teams (St. Frances Academy, Calvert Hall), Cathedral, and Bishop Walsh, the host school.  This was Cathedral’s 11th trip to the A. C. I. T.  The school’s first invitation was in 1983, thanks to Cathedral’s legendary coach Mark Walton, who secured the original birth and opted out of that year's OFSAA event to attend the A. C. I. T.    Over the years, Cathedral’s Canadian contingent has built up quite a relationship with the people of Cumberland, Maryland and anyone who has experienced the tournament longs to return.  

It certainly is a tall order for any Canadian team to compete on this stage.  The American competition consists of a plethora of powerhouse Catholic basketball programs.  Catholic schools are private schools in the United States, and these programs recruit grade 7's and 8's from all around Maryland, and sometimes beyond.  There are no transfer rules or boundaries.  Top players are given grants to offset their tuition, in exchange for developing their considerable basketball talents.  In some instances, talented individuals enjoy a free, top quality education.  Into this firestorm stepped Cathedral, with their volunteer coaches and volunteer parent/teacher drivers.  Somehow, Cathedral has always managed to raise their level of play in this tournament.  This year was no different.

Because the tournament is held during the March Break, Coaches Brian and Mark Daly were unable to drive the students to the tournament.  Coach Mark took his family to a reunion in Wise, Virginia, where his wife Rowena stayed with their family while Mark attended the A. C. I. T.    Coach Brian took his family on their annual trek to Madeira Beach, Florida, where his wife Lesley held down the fort.  Mark made his 8 hour drive to arrive in Cumberland on Wednesday, in time for the opening banquet.  Brian and his father, Jim, flew from Tampa to Baltimore on Thursday, rented a car, and drove 2 ½ hours to arrive in Cumberland, MD.  In a weekend that exceeded expectations on all fronts, their mid-size rental was upgraded to a candy apple red 2009 Mustang GT Convertible.  There were locals who claimed to have seen these two driving on the highway with the top down in 45 degree weather.  

This is where the Cathedral family of parents, teachers and former principals came to the rescue. Assistant Coach Ryan Stratford, who finished his 4 week teaching block at Cathedral in November, volunteered his time and money to drive four players to the event.   Junior Coach and first year teacher Mike DiClaudio did the same.  Mike and Ryan shared a room with super parent
Richie Barnett, who put on a free of charge negotiating clinic on the final day of the tournament (More on that later).  Tom and Barbara Hornby volunteered to drive players, along with Tony and Ruta O’Grady.  Tony also helped fund the trip by donating an 8 gB iPod Touch that helped raise $700 in a raffle at the school. Cathedral continues to appreciate the support of their parents, teachers and volunteers.

The captain of the Cathedral caravan was Mr. Lino Salciccioli.  This former principal graciously offered to drive players down, and went above and beyond the call of duty, by also enlisting his daughter Halina to drive at the last minute. This year’s team owes a great deal to Mr. Salciccioli and his wife Irene, who have continued their generosity, even after Lino’s retirement.  Former Principal and current Superintendent Mrs. Nancy DiGregorio made the journey with her daughter Sabrina, along with current principal Mrs. Ivana Fortino.   This threesome came with a dual purpose of supporting the team and the stimulating the local economy through their extensive shopping trips.  By all accounts, they succeeded on both fronts.   Finally, Rose DeClara and her friend June joined this year’s team to share in this most memorable trip.  

The Cathedral players arrived safely and were treated to American-style hospitality... plus.  The players were bussed to and from games in a tour bus, were put up in the Cumberland Holiday Inn along with the other teams, and were treated to all they could eat McDonald’s, chicken wings, fountain drinks, ice cream and more.  The players spent four days making friends with future NCAA stars and potential NBA and NFL talents.  The people of Cumberland lived up to their considerable reputation and all the players returned to Canada raving about how well they were treated. 

Stay tuned for Part 2...  to be written when I have another burst of time and energy.

B. Daly