Top-ranked boys High School club team Cathedral confirmed their ranking with an impressive run through the Midwest playoffs this past weekend, beating Lincoln Way 31-12, Marauders 52-0 and, in the final, Westerville 40-15.

Coach Scott Peterson said the games were more competitive than one might think.

“I don’t know how they seed it, but Lincoln Way was a very good team,” said Peterson. “We ran out to a 24-0 lead and then kind of fell asleep, and at 24-12 it was kind of closer than we would have liked.”

It was even more too-close-for-comfort against Westerville. The teams battled score for score into halftime. Cathedral led 12-7, then 19-7, then 19-12. A Westerville penalty just after halftime made it 19-15.

“You bet we were nervous,” said Paterson. “We had a yellow card and that made things difficult for us. But once that sin bin was over the guys got things rolling. That was good to see. They didn’t let it get to them. They hung in there and played the way they can.”

Leading the way was inside center Bryce Campbell, who scored two tries and was effective on defense as well. With the halfback combo of Joe Sullivan and Greg Wood clicking, they used the ball they had well.

Getting them the ball was a smart group of forwards led by prop Levi Kinney.

“Levi’s a senior and he played like it,” said Peterson.

The weekend puts Cathedral in excellent position to go into a National HS Club Invitational with confidence. They play Brownsburg in the Indiana quarterfinals this weekend, a warmup for the next week’s big event, and the Royal Irish go in as the top team, according to RUGBYMag.com, and deservedly so.