Fan support a vital part of Central Catholic’s 6A boys basketball title: ‘Without them, we couldn’t have done this’

Rams’ state final was essentially a home game for Roosevelt, but Central Catholic students and supporters showed up and matched the energy of Roughriders fans

Dan Brood | Mar 13, 2024

There were a lot of factors that helped lead the Central Catholic boys basketball team to its 85-76 win over Roosevelt in the Class 6A state championship game Saturday at the University of Portland’s Chiles Center.

Of course, there was junior Isaac Carr with his game-high 26 points. Sophomore Zamir Paschal also came up big for the Rams, scoring 21 points and pulling down seven rebounds. Senior Marley Zeller played through pain to score 11 points. There were also big plays from junior Duce Paschal and the grit and leadership of senior Tony Angelo.

To listen to the Rams, there was another key factor — a big, boisterous and oh-so-very-loud factor.

That factor would be the Central Catholic student section.

The Central Catholic students, who made their presence known throughout the Class 6A state tournament, were at their best — and their loudest — during Saturday’s title tilt, which also featured a large, loud student contingent from Roosevelt High School.

In the end, it was the Rams students who got to celebrate a state championship — a championship they helped Central Catholic earn.

“They showed up and supported us. Without them, we couldn’t have done this,” Carr said. “They get loud for us.”

“Tonight, it was a huge factor,” Central Catholic head coach David Blue said. “I’m so proud of our students, our community and our principal, and our president.”

The Central Catholic students were there with their support from the start of the tournament. They were all dressed in white during the Rams’ 59-33 win over Jesuit in a quarterfinal game Wednesday.

Friday, the Rams students were adorned in all black as they cheered their team to a thrilling 73-67 victory against two-time defending state champion Tualatin in a semifinal contest.

For Saturday’s title tilt, the Central Catholic students were wearing red and gold — and they were loud.

Not only were they loud, but the Rams contingent was loud at the right time, such as during the third quarter, when Central Catholic rallied from a 43-36 halftime deficit to claim a third-quarter lead, which the Rams would never relinquish.

“When we made that run, the pressure every time, it can snowball,” Blue said. “And we had our crowd get behind us, and that really helped.”

“That totally helps us,” Angelo said of the student support. “They’re so loud, and they bring so much energy. It brings momentum to our team.”

Things were going so well for the Rams students at Saturday’s game that Central Catholic senior Cru Newman, the star quarterback for the Rams football team that won the Class 6A state championship in the fall, came out of the crowd at halftime and won a shooting contest during the intermission, sinking a layup, a free throw, a 3-pointer and a half-court shot within a 60-second time limit.

“Of course he did,” Blue said with a laugh when told of Newman’s accomplishment.

Newman and the rest of the Central Catholic football team benefited from the same type of student support during its state championship victory. Angelo was part of that large Rams student group, all dressed in white, during the football title game at Hillsboro Stadium.

When Saturday’s basketball championship contest ended, Angelo was the first Rams player to head toward the cheering student section.

“They’re huge for us. Those are my best friends,” Angelo said. “Those guys love us so much, and I love them. Their energy throughout the game helped us win, to be honest. Those are my guys. I love celebrating with them.”

“It’s great,” Zeller said. “It shows all of the support that we get from our community.”

Blue agreed.

“Our community support is amazing; it’s ridiculous,” he said. “I’m so proud of them and thankful for the support they gave us. Tonight, we knew we were in North Portland, and it was going to be like an away game. There were hundreds of students who couldn’t get tickets to this game because it sold out really fast, but still, we had a large contingent of students up there, and they showed up, and they showed out.”