After the boys’ basketball team’s stunning last-second defeat of the Saints on February 18, it was discovered that some severe damage had been done to the bleachers in visitors section of the Claver Center gym. This incident may serve as a wake-up call to how both schools enjoy the competition between them.

There have been plenty of students at CCHS who believe the damage was done purposefully by the Saintsmen, some even believe that The Pit, a group of Saints students that attend all of the school’s basketball games, have a goal to break their opponents’ bleachers.

One Saints student who sat close to where the damage was believes that both of these rumors have no concrete foundation. “A lot of the damage was accidental,” he said, “but there were a few people who were malicious in the loss.”

When asked about the rumor of The Pit having a vendetta to break the bleachers of their opponents at every basketball game, this student said, “Our goal is not to break bleachers.”

The bleachers are currently under repair,  “We have called the company and they told us it will take [a few] weeks because of the parts we need,” said Principal Michael Deely. The damage will cost $13,000 to complete, and Saints has agreed to pay for the repairs.

“They called me immediately after and apologized and agreed to pay for it,” said Mr. Deely.

The ASB from Saints recently sent a letter to the administration of Cathedral personally apologizing for the damage, stating that is was up to them, the school leadership, to promote better sportsmanship, even in rivalries.

However, Mr. Deely believes that Cathedral is just as much responsible for the incident. “This was something that no one expected, but we need to be prepared for the unexpected.”

Mr. Deely also wants to let the student body know that, “Saints immediately took responsibility for the damage, they called me up and apologized and are paying for the repairs.”

According to Mr. Deely, Cathedral’s students also need to look at themselves when going to a game against Saints. He said, “Saints made the mistake at this game, but we have done things to Saints too… a rivalry is only good when it’s fun. Our school leaders need to find ways to promote better sportsmanship.”