3A Loves to Hate Cascia Hall

The bull's eye on their backs gets bigger and bigger with every shiny gold ball they win. And, in case you're counting, the Commandos have won three in a row.

Thursday, July 28th 2011, 5:41 pm

By: News On 6

Originally Published: Aug 18, 2010 10:27 PM CDT

Bobby Lewis
Oklahoma Sports. Mobile Journalist

TULSA, Oklahoma -- Players wearing Berryhill blue didn’t hesitate when asked to name their least favorite team.

“It’s Cascia Hall. It’s always Cascia Hall,” said Berryhill senior Justin Finney. “We’re looking to beat them. It’s always Cascia Hall.”

Players in Dewey share the same ill-will. So do the guys in Metro Christian, Claremore Sequoyah, Kellyville, Verdigris and Sperry jerseys.

“It makes winning that much better when a team goes out of their way all year to circle you on their calendar and then you go into their place and beat them 42-0,” said Cascia Hall quarterback Timmy Curthoys. “I love that.”

That sort of hatred is expected when you’ve won as many games in a row as the Commandos have. Cascia Hall has whooped up on teams all over Oklahoma for the better part of a decade. The Commandoes are 71-8 since the start of the 2004-05 season, and have won three straight gold balls.

It’s easy to hate that kind of dominance.

“We got beat by them twice last year,” said Berryhill junior Justin linebacker. “They took a state championship away from us.”

Cascia starts its season with two tough games. They open at home against Holland Hall, a team they’ve handled recently. The Commandos have won the past four games against the Dutch. From there, Cascia travels to Glenpool to take on a team that has dominated 4A much like the Commandos have dominated 3A lately.

“It’s a burden and a blessing, I guess,” said Commandos tight end Conner Sherwood. “It’s always good that we’re good enough that people want to come out and beat us, but it just makes each game that much harder.”

Cascia won its 41st game in a row last fall when it downed Berryhill in the state title game. The Oklahoma high school record for consecutive wins is 42. A new mark is well within range.

“It’s not something that we dwell upon,” said Medina.