SAN DIEGO -- Thirteen teams down and, if the Cathedral Catholic High football team get its wish, one more to go.
The Dons remained undefeated for the first time in school history, beating Valhalla 49-13 in the CIF San Diego Section Division III final on Friday afternoon at Qualcomm Stadium. The top-seeded and top-ranked Dons improved to 13-0 and won their second consecutive section title.
"The only word I can think of is perfect," Cathedral Catholic running back Tyler Gaffney said. "It is the only word to describe it. It is everything you can ask for as a senior. Hopefully, there is one more, but everything we can control is perfect"
The "one more" for the Dons is a possible berth in the state bowl game; the pairings will be announced on Sunday. Cathedral Catholic, which has won 20 straight games, entered Friday as the top-ranked Division II team in Southern California.
"We are praying for it," Dons quarterback Parker Hipp said. "We will be going to church on Saturday morning, Saturday night and Sunday morning."
Said Cathedral Catholic coach Sean Doyle: "We came here to win a CIF title and we did. If we get that opportunity to play that next game, then that would be awesome."
But the Dons know it's out of their hands, which wasn't the case against Valhalla. After a scoreless first quarter, the Dons exploded for 42 points in the next two periods to take a commanding lead. It marked the 10th time this season they have scored 40 or more points in a game.
"I think this is one of the best teams I've ever been on," said Hipp, who completed 9-of-15 passes for 208 yards, one TD and three interceptions. "Last year's team was good and we had some big-time players, but this year we are more of a family and we have the whole package going here."
While Hipp led the Dons through the air, it was the Gaffney show on the ground, as it has been all year. The senior added to his section record for single-season touchdowns by scoring four more times -- two rushing and two receiving. He rushed for 155 yards on 19 carries and caught two passes for 98 yards.
"We came out and we had to show what Cathedral Catholic is made of," Gaffney said. "So we went out there, just like we do over and over in practice, and showed it."
Gaffney increased his season totals to 2,458 yards and 51 touchdowns.
He wasn't the only player making history, as Dons kicker Roman Ferreira broke the section record for points scored by a kicker. The senior entered the game needing five points to surpass the mark set by Chris Costello of Bishop's in 1999.
Valhalla (11-2), in the finals for the first time in the school's 33-year history, saw its six-game winning streak end. Junior quarterback Peter Thomas was 23-of-30 for 277 yards but no touchdowns.
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