Montgomery Catholic's Tyynismaa Brings Home 3rd State Cross Country Title, Girls' Team 4A State Runner-Up

November 12, 2016,  the exceptionally fine men and women of Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School went after the state cross country championships.  When the smoke had cleared, both teams had acquitted themselves exceptionally well and the girls' team walked away as the state's 4A runner-up!

The Catholic girls were led by the incomparable Amaris Tyynismaa.  With virtually no one in proximity after 100 meters into the race, Amaris ran hard trying to push herself.  In the end she ran an excellent time and won her historic, third consecutive State Championship.  Isabelle Cochran, Catholic's own, stepped into the race seeded far behind two runners from other schools.  When the smoke cleared, she almost pulled off second, earning her All-State honors with an awesome third place while leading the entire team with an unheard of forty second improvement over the 5k distance.  Katie Galvin ran 3rd for the Racing Knights, earning All-State honors with an overall 13th place off an excellent 12 second improvement.  Virginia Speirs finished as the Knight's 8th runner in 98th with a superb 23 second improvement.  Annabelle Starrett ran her fastest time in the last two years and ran a season best by 16 seconds.  Katelyn Stark also competed hard despite a severely injured foot.

For the Catholic boys, Zach Kroeger ran like a thoroughbred unchecked and at one point was in 2d place during the highly competitive race.  Facing numerous challenges in the middle of the race, he finished strong in 10th place, earning All State honors having run 4 seconds faster than he ever ran before.  Grant Walker also earned All State honors with his 15th place effort.  Chris Valencia, Catholic's #4, broke 18 minutes for the first time, pulling out a 15 second improvement.  Cam Searcy showed the boy's best improvement of the meet, running his best race to date while dropping a full 30 seconds off his best time while running 5th for the team.  The Knight's #8, Sam Leslie, also ran a personal best.  Finally, Joe Schmidt, despite running on a severely sprained ankle, just missed running a personal best while running in the #6 slot for Catholic.

Overall, a superb season for the Racing Knights, making their coaches Ed Wright, Hollis Johnson and Kevin Madden very proud of the effort and heart of the 2016 Catholic Cross Country Team.

Submitted by Kevin Madden

Montgomery Catholic Athletes Sign to Play Sports at the Next Level

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School held a signing ceremony for seniors Michaelyn Foster and Zachary Van Alst inside the Library on the Montgomery Catholic high school campus at 3:30 p.m., on Tuesday, November 15, 2016. 

Foster with her coach
Abby Beesley.

Foster, will play college softball at Auburn University at Montgomery next year. Foster came to Montgomery Catholic as a sophomore and 2017 will be her third season with the Knights, as a pitcher and utility player. She began playing softball in kindergarten with the East Montgomery Dixie Youth League. She is a two-time 1A-4A All-Metro player, she has been named All-State 2nd team in 2015, and All-State honorable mention in 2016. She is a member of National Honor Society with a 3.5 GPA. She has also played basketball at Montgomery Catholic for three years.

Foster is the daughter of the late Michael Foster and Chastity Foster of Montgomery.

Coached at Montgomery Catholic by Abby Beesley.

Van Alst with his wrestling coaches
David Parker and Coy Hunter.

Van Alst will join the United States Air Force Academy wrestling team next year. This is Van Alst's sixth year to wrestle for the Knights. He has won five consecutive Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) wrestling state championships including the 2016 title in the Class 1A-5A, 132-pound weight class. Van Alst finished the 2016 season undefeated with a record 50-0. He has won four sectional titles to go along with his five state championships, while recording an overall career record of  233-12 . He was also named Most Valuable Wrestler of the State Tournament for Class 1A-5A. He has been named a National All-American twice for Roman Greco wrestling in 2015 & 2016. He is a member of National Honor Society and has a 3.88 GPA, and was named an Academic All-American by the National High School Coaches Association. 

Van Alst is the son of Jennifer and Bob Van Alst of Prattville. Coached at Montgomery Catholic by Coy Hunter.

Congratulations to both Zach and Michaelyn, Montgomery Catholic is looking forward to following their careers at the collegiate level.

Mission: Found in 1873,  Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School is an integral part of the Catholic Church's mission to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.  As an adult community, we share in the responsibility to prepare students for college and beyond while helping them grow to become persons of faith, virtue and wisdom.

Montgomery Catholic Alumus Named 2017 Marshall Scholar

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School's Class of 2013 Valedictorian, Zachary Hulcher has been named a 2017 Marshall Scholar.

 Zachary Hulcher named 2017 Marshall Scholar. Photo Credit: Casey Atkins

MIT released the following regarding Hulcher's career at MIT and his plans as a Marshall Scholar:

Funded by the British government, the Marshall Scholarships provide exceptional young Americans the opportunity for two years of graduate study in any field at a U.K. institution. Up to 40 scholarships are awarded each year in the rigorous nationwide competition. Scholars are selected on the basis of academic merit, leadership potential, and ambassadorial potential. 

Zachary is pursuing a dual major in electrical engineering and computer science and physics, with a minor in mathematics. As a Marshall Scholar, he will study and perform research in high-energy physics at Cambridge University, following in the footsteps of such luminary physicists as Newton, Maxwell, and Hawking. Hulcher plans to earn a PhD and, as a professor of physics, make contributions to expand the field of high energy physics. 

Hulcher spent his sophomore summer conducting research with Professor Yen-Jie Lee at the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) Experiment at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland. He returned to CERN his junior summer to continue with and present on his research. Since the fall of 2015, he has been a research assistant in the group of professor Krishna Rajagopal of MIT's Department of Physics and Center for Theoretical Physics, which is part of the Laboratory for Nuclear Science. Hulcher has been improving the analysis and modeling of how CMS measurements can be used to probe quark-gluon plasma, a substance connected to the Big Bang that may lead to greater understanding of the formation of the universe. “Zach took on, mastered, and then drove a theoretical physics research project,” observes Rajagopal. “He will be the principal author of a paper describing an important advance, and he showed fearless confidence in giving a talk at an international workshop in which he showed new results (some only hours old) that garnered much attention. All the while, he is both well-grounded and well-rounded.” 

Hulcher is also motivated by a desire to teach others. He has been a teaching assistant for the physics department at MIT, a grader in the mathematics department, and a tutor for MIT’s chapter of Eta Kappa Nu, the national honor society for electrical engineering and computer science. Through MISTI's Global Teaching Labs, he traveled to Xalapa, Mexico, to assist with courses focused on mobile and internet technologies, and he taught courses on physics to high school students in Italy and Israel. 

Since his freshman year, Hulcher has been an offensive lineman with MIT’s varsity football team and was named this year to the NEWMAC all-academic team for his outstanding scholarly and athletic performance. Hulcher also serves on the executive board for the MIT chapter of the Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society.

Hulcher went to Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School from Kindergarten to 12th grade where he graduated top of his class and received a scholarship to attend MIT. He is the son of Richard and Vickie Hulcher of Montgomery.

His parents said, "We are very proud of what Zach has accomplished and very excited for the adventure and promise ahead for him!"

View the full press release here: http://news.mit.edu/2016/four-mit-students-marshall-scholars-1128
Learn more about the prestigious Marshall Scholarship here: http://www.marshallscholarship.org/

Montgomery Catholic's Middle School Help Serve those in Need this Christmas

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School's Middle School SGA members Ines Gonzales, Ellie Poole, Matthew Reardon, Steven Robinson, DJ Carter and Chloe Walden purchased Christmas gifts for a family the campus is helping through Catholic Social Services. SGA sponsor and school counselor Mrs. Sarah Rech led the Advent service project by taking fourteen SGA members shopping at Target on December 5 to choose gifts for the family, serving those in need and making their Advent count.

Montgomery Catholic Middle School Inducts New National Junior Honor Society Members

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School inducted 28 new members into their chapter of the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) during a ceremony on Wednesday, November 16, 2016.  More than just an honor society, these 28 eighth grade students have demonstrated outstanding performance in the areas of scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship.

The newest members of Montgomery Catholic's National Junior Honor Society are Spencer Bach, Gracie Barranco, Ryan Barranco, Allison Berg, Jasmine Blakeney, Alex Celka, Aidan Cochran, Ian Cullen, Carlo DeJesus, Devan DeRamus, Mai Ellington, Daniel Gacha, Emma Garrison, Angela Gier, Ines Gonzalez-Ansaldi, Cecilia Hoffpauir, Alexis Meshok, Camille Morgan, Molly Nicklay, Hannah Parrish, Emily Riggles, Rachel Rodriguez, James Saliba, Harrison Skala, Grant Smith, Rubye Strickland, Valerie Waite and Cacey Williams.

Catholic's Marching Band receives Superiors at Dixieland Marching Band Invitational

The Montgomery Catholic Marching Knights competed at the Dixieland Marching Band Invitational in Brewton in late October 2016. 

The Montgomery Catholic Band received straight Superiors in Brewton
including Drum Major, Percussion, and Color Guard.

Montgomery Catholic  junior Henry Petters
won Best-in-Class Drum Major at the 2016
Dixieland Marching Band Invitational.

The Band received straight Superiors across the board in every caption from all three Band judges including Drum Major, Percussion, and Color Guard. Additionally, junior Henry Petters won Best-in-Class Drum Major - Petters is the third Montgomery Catholic Drum Major in a row to do this at at least one contest. 

The MCPS Marching Band came in a close second place in their class, less than 1.5 points away taking Best-in-Class. The band members did a great job representing their school while interacting with other programs at the competition. 

The members of the 2016 Montgomery Catholic Marching Band are:

Drum Major - Henry Petters with Skye Alexander, Ryan Avery, Maria Barragan, Anna Catherine Barranco, David Bender,Erica Blackburn, Jasmine Blakeney, Nick Bowden, Adam Bristol, Marie Bristol, KK Brunson, Ralph Clements, Jesus Coloa, Robert Crawford, Alyssa Decker, Carlo DeJesus, Lainie Doyle, Isabelle Dubon, Mai Ellington, Daniel Gacha, Angela Gier, Jonah Gier, Ezequiel Gonzalez, Francisco Gonzalez, Jonathan Guevara, Victoria Hall, Ashley Hayes, Cheyenne Hayes, Julliana Hincapie, Savannah Johnson, Ashleigh Little, Maddie Losik, Veronica Masters, Koen McDaniel, Zach Moore, Jevon Murdock, Molly Nicklay, Charlie O’Donnell, Isabella Padilla, Jackson Penso, Katie Perkins, Jeremy Ramirez, Annie Reed, Emily Riggles, Darian Riley, Janie Roberts, Giovanna Cretosi-Bissi, Emily Talbot, Maggie Tippett, Ricky Treloar, Hannah Vaccaro, Chris Waring, Angela Wheat, Cacey Williams, and Band Aides Hudson Chase, Cecelia Crawford, Andres Lemuz, Maggie Turner. Led by Band Director Mr. Alex Johnson, Color Guard sponsors Mrs. Sarah Rech and Mrs. Maggie O’Donnell.

Catholic's Key Club in Service at the Humane Shelter

The Key Club from Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School enjoyed a beautiful Sunday afternoon in November by walking dogs at the Montgomery Humane Shelter.  It was definitely a great way to relieve stress and get exercise.  The eight members of Key Club who went, walked four dogs one at a time for about 30 minutes each on several different trails behind the Shelter at 1150 John Overton Dr.  The dogs had a great time smelling the air and the bushes and finding sticks!  The Key Club members each found a dog they fell in love with. Pictured are Kathleen Madden and Carrie Belsterling.  Other members who walked dogs were Anna Nutting, Daphne Hardy, Lainie Doyle, Lucy Waite, Sarah Beth Littrell, and Katelyn Stark.

The Humane Shelter is currently seeking small groups of students or adults who can volunteer to walk dogs for a couple hours during the week or on the weekend.  To volunteer, please call or email Cindy Chapman at 409-0622 or cindychapman@montgomeryhumane.com.

The Montgomery Catholic Key Club is sponsored by High School faculty member Mrs. Jeanene Crenshaw, and has close to sixty members this year.

Montgomery Catholic Honored at YMCA Youth Judicial Conference

MCPS junior, James Avery served
as Deputy at the 2016 conference.

Montgomery Catholic had an extraordinary showing at YMCA's Youth Judicial conference this year. Junior, James Avery represented MCPS well by serving as a Deputy for the 2016 conference, while freshman John Register worked for the media department of the conference.  The two major teams and one premier team all scored very well with our Major Prosecution team placing in the Top 20 with the MCPS Major Defense team scoring in the Top 10.  

The Justice Hugh Maddox Award Presented to the 2016 Overall Best Team for their superior performance in all aspects in the 2016 Alabama YMCA Youth Judicial Competition. Montgomery Catholic Team members are: Matthew Taylor, Tori Barranco, Henry Petters, Carson Scott, James Sadie, and Audrey Kim. 

Montgomery Catholic's YMCA Youth Judicial Major Defense team was awarded the Justice Hugh Maddox Award, recognizing them as the Best Overall Team at the 2016 conference held in early November at the State House. The award is not necessarily for the highest point average during competition. It honors the team that works the most effectively together as a whole, and also for the team that most effectively promotes good sportsmanship and decorum during competition. It also grants the Montgomery Catholic team just one of four spots available from the Montgomery area conference to compete at the National YMCA Youth Judicial Conference in Chicago in August, 2017.  The Justice Hugh Maddox Award plaque reads as follows: "Presented to the 2016 Overall Best Team for their superior performance in all aspects in the 2016 Alabama YMCA Youth Judicial Competition."Team members are: Audrey Kim, James Sadie, Henry Petters, Tori Barranco, Carson Scott, and Matthew Taylor. 

The other Montgomery Catholic major team, led by Nadine Back with Daniel Reeves, Cheyenne Hayes, Annabelle Starrett, Coleman Schmidt, and Nate Smith placed in the top 20. The premiere team, led by Anna Sadie with Jack Burt, Clare Wilson, Michael Hodges, Kinley Tadlock, and Patrick Flores also did exceptionally well. 

The MCPS premiere team Kinley Tadlock, Anna Sadie, Clare Wilson, with Michael Hodges, Jack Burt, and Patrick Flores. 

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School is pleased to participate in the YMCA Youth Judaical Conference annually, and is very appreciative of the support of their faculty sponsors Mrs. Stefanie Nelson and Mr. Trip Hubbard.

Catholic's Anderson Selected for the 2016 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game in December

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School is proud to announce that senior linebacker, Brian Anderson has been selected for the Alabama-Mississippi High School All-Star football game.

Montgomery Catholic's #75 Brian Anderson
invited to play in the 2016 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game.
Photo by: Total Image

A 2015 All-State, All-Metro and All-CCC player, Anderson was invited to play in the 30th annual game by a State-wide committee that represents all classifications 1A-7A across the State. He is the second Montgomery Catholic player to be invited to play in the game, joining Montgomery Catholic Alumnus and Texas State kicker, James Sherman ('13)  and representing the State of Alabama in the All-Star game scheduled for December 10, 2016 at Cramton Bowl.

Anderson was named Cook's Pest Control Player of the Week and served as team captain three times during his 2016 season, where the Knights made the post season play. Catholic head football coach Aubrey Blackwell said of Anderson, "Brian has been a great example of the dedication and commitment that his teammates have shown this year. The legacy he is leaving behind here at Catholic is one that has changed the energy, passion and community for the better. His leadership has been vital to our success, and he is very deserving of this great opportunity. He has worked tirelessly the last two years for recognition like this. Brian will achieve great things in the future and I expect him to continue to let God use him in powerful ways."

With a 3.24
GPA and 32 Division 1 offers from around the country, Anderson will continue his football career at The University of North Carolina next year. Brian is the son of Linda and Charlie Anderson of Montgomery, Alabama.

Catholic's Farrell Named Montgomery Quarterback Club Player of the Week

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School is pleased to announce that junior Hunter Ferrall was named one of the Montgomery Quarterback Club's Private School Football Player of the Week for the week of October 13-15, 2016.

Ferrall, quarterback for the Knights, was 13 of 18 and passed for 257 yards and 5 touchdowns the Catholic victory  over Bullock County, with a final score of 46-28. Ferrell was honored at the Montgomery Quarterback Club meeting on Tuesday, October 24, 2016. He was accompanied by his parents Catherine and Thomas Ferrall of Shorter, Alabama, and Montgomery Catholic Varsity Quarterback Coach, J.R. Richardson.

The Knights finished the regular season at 8-2, and ended the season with a trip to the AHSAA 4A playoffs, where they faced Thomasville.

Montgomery Catholic Elects Middle School SGA

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School is pleased to announce the 2016-2017 Middle School campus Student Government Association: President -  DJ Carter, Vice President -  Gibson Souriya, Secretary/Treasurer - Gracie Barranco, Chaplain - Sheridan Reed with Class Representatives: Chloe Waden, Steven Robinson, Ines Gonzalez, Ellie Pool, Ian Cullen, Ethan Binns, Matthew Reardon, Alex Thurman, Andres Lemuz and Aniya Lowery. 

Montgomery Catholic Crowns 2016 Homecoming Queen and King

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School crowned their 2016 Homecoming Queen and King during the half-time ceremonies of the varsity football game as the Knights hosted Ashford High School, October 7, 2016. 

The 2016 Montgomery Catholic Homecoming Court, pictured from left to right: Freshmen Attendant Kinley Tadlock escorted by Rhodes Singleton; Junior Attendant Paige Rentfro escorted by Luke Craig. Senior Attendant Giovanna Bissi escorted by Will Couey. Homecoming Queen & King, Tori Barranco and Brian Anderson. Senior Attendant Ale Vazquez with Minseok Kim. Senior Attendant Camryn Denver with Josh Davis and  Sophomore Attendant Zoe Rutland escorted by Nico Gocha. 

The Montgomery Catholic Homecoming court included: 

Senior Attendant Miss Victoria (Tori) Morgan Barranco, Tori is the daughter of Rob and LeeAnne Barranco and is a member of the Church of the Holy Spirit where she volunteers for Vacation Bible School.  She cheered for three years at MCPS and plays varsity volleyball.  She participates in Youth Judicial, Young Women’s Leadership, and March for Life.  Tori is the founder and president of the Spirit Club in addition to being the Student Activities Liaison in the Student Government Association.  Outside of school, Tori works at the Uniform Store and Chappy’s Deli where she also volunteers for Breakfast for Babies. Tori was escorted by Joshua McCord Davis. Josh is the son of Jennifer Davis and the late Matthew Davis.  He attends St James United Methodist Church where he volunteers for church community service days.  He currently plays varsity football and soccer, and he has participated in basketball, track, and cross-country.  Josh has volunteered for Breakfast for Babies and has also attended the March for Life.

Senior Attendant Miss Giovanna Cretosi Bissi, Giovanna is the daughter of Francesca Briccolani and Alessandro Cretosi Bissi.  Giovanna has joined our school as an exchange student from Forli, Italy.  She attends St Peter’s Church.  Giovanna participates in marching band at MCPS and sings in the Montgomery Chorale. Giovanna was escorted by William Chandler Couey. Will is the son of Jennifer Couey.  He attends the Church of the Holy Spirit.  Will plays soccer for MCPS, and he is the Video Coordinator for the Knights Football team and a student assistant coach.

Senior Attendant Miss Camryn Mary Denver, Camryn is the daughter of Joseph and Kathleen Denver.  She is a member of Church of the Holy Spirit.  She participates in Drama Club, Chior Club, and Key Club at MCPS and is involved with musical theater outside of school.  Camryn is the Senior Class Secretary for the Student Government Association. Camryn was escorted by Brian Martin Anderson. Brian is the son of Charlie and Linda Anderson.  He attends Church of the Holy Spirit and is active in the youth group.  Brian plays varsity football at MCPS, and he is a part of Young Men’s Leadership and the Government Club. Brian also serves at school Masses, participates in Youth Judicial and Youth in Government, and has attended the March for Life.

Senior Attendant Miss Alejandra Sofia Vazquez, Ale is the daughter of Julio and Chrystal Vazquez.  She is a member of Church of the Holy Spirit where she attends Lifeteen and volunteers at Vacation Bible School. She plays varsity volleyball and soccer and is part of the Spirit Club and Choir Club.  Ale has joined in the March for Life and been a part of Key Club. Ale was escorted by Minseok Kim.  Minseok is the son of Mijung Choi and Seung Su Kim.  Minseok is a member of Bridge Builders and the Youth Orchestra where he plays the oboe.  He is also a member of concert band at MCPS.

Junior Attendant Miss Paige Elizabeth Rentfro, she is the daughter of Donny and Missy Rentfro. She attends Church of the Holy Spirit and is active in youth group there.  Paige plays basketball and softball for MCPS, she is an officer for the Junior class in the Student Government Association, and she is a member of Shield Bearers, Key Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Spirit Club, Young Women’s Leadership, and the Science Olympiad team. Paige was escorted by Luke Craig. Luke is the son of Gary and Linda Craig.  He attends St. Bede the Venerable.  Luke plays football for MCPS and competes in Science Olympiad and TEAMS, a science, engineering, and math competition.  Luke also works as a lifeguard.

Sophomore Attendant Miss Zoë Hannah Rutland, she is the daughter of Chris and Tina Rutland.  She is a member of St. Bede Parish where she is active in the youth group.  Zoë plays soccer for MCPS, is a sophomore class officer on the Student Government Association, and is a member of the Spirit Club, the Drama Club, and Young Women’s Leadership. Zoë was escorted by Nico Gacha. Nico is the son of Juan and Patricia Gacha.  He attends Church of the Holy Spirit where he volunteers at Vacation Bible School and is an altar server.  Nico is a member of the MCPS soccer team, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Young Men’s Leadership.

Michael Collins and Eryka Ellington
returned to their Alma Mater to Crown
the 2016 Montgomery Catholic
Homecoming King and Queen

Freshman Attendant Miss Kinley Jordan Tadlock, she is the daughter of Chris and Christy Williams and Derrick Tadlock. She attends St. James United Methodist Church and is active there in her youth group and Bible study.  Kinley participates in cheer, Youth Judicial, Spirit Club, Key Club, and Young Women’s Leadership club. Kinley was escorted by: Rhodes Singleton. Rhodes is the son of Tony and Edith Singleton. He attends First Baptist Church in Montgomery where he has volunteered at Vacation Bible School and the Living Christmas Tree.

The school was honored to welcome back the 2015 Homecoming King and Queen, Miss Eryka Ellington and Mr. Michael Collins  to crown the 2016 Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School Homecoming King and Queen. 

Tori Barranco & Brian Anderson
2016 Homecoming King and Queen
(Photo: Total Image)

Miss Tori Barranco and Mr. Brian Anderson were announced as the 2016 Montgomery Catholic Homecoming Queen and King at mid-field. 

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School welcomed all Alumni home with an Alumni party at the Homecoming game from kick-off to half-time. Alumni, including the class of 1976 celebrating their 40th reunion, the class of 1986 celebrating their 30th reunion, the class of 1991 celebrating their 25th reunion and the class of 2006 celebrating their 10th reunion, were able to enjoy a delicious meal from Jim-N-Nicks Bar-b-Que, while catching up with old classmates. 

Coach J.R. Richardson from the Class of 1989 joined the Knights football captains at the homecoming game as an honorary captain. Richardson was the quarterback for the Knights during the 1989 season, and led Catholic to the playoffs. 


Montgomery Catholic students celebrated Homecoming Week at all campuses with a host of daily activities including the Homecoming Bonfire and mini-parade held on Thursday evening at the Middle/High School Campus for K4-12 families. Alumni Pat McGinn '85 had the honor of lighting the fire. Friday the Middle and High School ended school with a pep rally. A Friday night victory over Ashford (43-14) led to a fun night as the High School campus ended the week with their Homecoming Dance on Saturday, October 8, 2016 held at the St. Bede Catholic Church Family Life Center. The theme was Candyland.

Catholic's Price Named Montgomery Quarterback Club Player of the Week

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School is pleased to announce that junior Tyler Price was named the Montgomery Quarterback Club Private School Football Player of the Week for the week of September 22-24, 2016.

Tyler, a running back for the Knights, rushed for 184 yards on 24 carries and 2 touchdowns in Catholic's 28-6 win over Elmore County on September 23. Head Coach for Catholic, Aubrey Blackwell said, "I am extremely proud of Tyler, he is a great young man with a bright future and a 3.3 GPA."

The Knights are more than half way through the season, with a record of 4-2, the Knights have four games remaining: Ashford at Home on October 7 for Homecoming, at Bullock County on October 14, ACA at Home on October 21, and their final regular game at Marbury on October 27.

Pictured: Tyler Price with Coach Aubrey Blackwell at the Montgomery Quarterback Club Awards Banquet on October 4, 2016.

Montgomery Catholic Students Visit Dominican Monastery in Marbury

The Montgomery Catholic St. Bede campus sixth grade class visited the Dominican Monastery of St. Jude in Marbury, Alabama on September 29, 2016. The students were able to celebrate Mass at the Monastery, and were able to visit with the Dominican Nuns that live there after Mass. The class enjoyed a picnic lunch on the grounds after their visit and were happy that their principal Miss Laurie Gulley and Father Alex Valladares from St. Bede Parish were able to join them on their field trip. Pictured are:

Mrs. Heather Chauret's sixth grade class: Andre Aiken, Erik Azar, Andrew Bosch,Isaiah Brannon,Amaya Cleveland, Lena Duncan,       

Kayleigh Everage, Thomas Giere, Ainsley Harrison, Jade Johnson, Andrew Koerner, Matthew Livingston, Mark Osten, Bishop Singleton, John Russell Smith, Sophia Taylor and Audrey Trant.

Mrs. Mary Pears' sixth grade class: Cannon Bach, Brennan Binns, Nicholas Calandra,  Grant Eady, Alex Fleet, Matthew Galvin, Michael Galvin, Preston Holk, Kaylee Holmes, Caleb Kornosky, Crystal Mathews, Charlie Saunders, Natalie Scoggins, Amy Treloar, Austin Varner, Alexander Villena, Alana Wilkinson and Danielle Willcox.

Catholic's K4 & K5 Class Gets a Special Lesson in Fire Safety

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School's Holy Spirit campus welcomed fire fighters from Engine Company No. 16 to campus to help reinforce their lessons in fire safety. Mrs. Mary Walker's K4 students and Ms. Courtney Kirkland's K5 students learned all about what fire fighters do and what they wear during a rescue from Fire Fighter Josh Bradley, father of K5 student Ella Bradley. As a special surprise for the classes, Fire Fighter Bradley invited some friends to join him, and they brought their fire truck. They were, Lt. Gray, Sgt. Porterfield, Fire Fighter Kelley and Fire Fighter Rich, these brave first responders helped the MCPS students learn more about fire safety and showed off their big fire truck. The students were thrilled to meet real live heros and Mrs. Walker and Ms. Kirkland were thankful to have these local heros take the time to encourage their students to be aware of fire safety.

Mrs. Walker's K4 students pictured below are: Kayla Blackwell, Nick Donaldson, Patton Folsom, Charley Frank, Brielle Gryn, Declan McTear,  Camila Medina, Luchian  Pridgen, Aubrey Sadler, Katie Stone, Austin Taylor.

Ms. Kirkland's K5 students pictured below are: Ella Bradley,  Dominic Chighizola, Sylvia Cho, Nathan Evans, AlexGoodwyn, Hudson Howell, Riley Hudson, Marjorie Rose Klemen, Camilla Lopez, Austin Mendez, Georgia Simpson, Katelynn Stinson, Julia Ann Taylor, Landon Widmer, Charles Yelnicker,  and Alexander Zhvania.

Montgomery Catholic Hosts Central Alabama Invitational September 24

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School hosted the Central Alabama Invitational at Gateway Park in Montgomery on September 24, 2016. The first time to school has hosted a cross country event.

The team did very well, with both Montgomery Catholic Varsity girls' and boys' taking home 2nd overall.

Amaris Tyynismaa, a sophomore at Catholic crossed the finish first for the girls with a time of 18:56.62 on the unseasonably hot Saturday in September, with tempatures hitting the mid-ninties. Tyynismaa's teammates helped push for the team with two more top ten finishes, Isabelle Cochran at 21:10.40, Grace Leslie finishing at 21:36.46. Rounding out Catholic's girls team were: Katie Galvin, Katelyn Stark, Annabel Starrett and Chloe Smith who all placed in the top 25.

For the Montgomery Catholic boys, sophomore Grant Walker finished fourth overall with a time of 17:32.07. Hollis Johnson finished at 18:09.59 and captured eighth place. Zachary Kroeger, Joseph Schmidt, Chris Valencia, Devin Kelly, and Angel Padilla all helped secure second place for the boys.

The Montgomery Catholic JV boys also brought home second overall with their team of Sam Leslie, Cameron Searcy, Austin Cleghorn, Ethan Gilbert, Jack Weber and Aidan Cochran.

The JV girls  brought home third overall with the team of  Kathleen Madden, Samantha Day, Chloe Weber, Anna Sadie and Virginia Speirs.

Complete race results available at http://al.milesplit.com/.

The Knights will race again on October 1 at the Jesse Owens Classic in Danville, Alabama.

Montgomery Catholic's Marching Band Rates Superior in Phenix City

The Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School Marching Band received "Superior" ratings from each judge in every caption, including Drum Major, Color Guard, Percussion, and all five Overall Band judges. MCPS scored a close second in class, within which they were the smallest band, according to Band Director Alex Johnson.

Pictured are Band and Color Guard Officers:  Drum Major, Henry Petters; Band President, David Bender: Band Librarians Skye Alexander, Lainie Doyle and Victoria Hall; Quartermasters,           Maddie Losik, Jonathan Guevara, Chris Waring, and Savannah Johnson; Woodwind Section Leaders, Maggie Tippett and Ashley Hayes; Brass Section Leaders, Adam Bristol and Maddie Losik; 
Percussion Section Leaders, Francisco Gonzalez and Nick Bowden; 
Color Guard Captains, Skye Alexander, Isabella Padilla and 
Eq. Manager, Anna Catherine Barranco.

The Montgomery Catholic March Knights will compete again at the Dixieland Band Competition in Brewton, Alabama on October 22.

Montgomery Catholic's Holy Spirit Campus Welcomed Grandparents to Campus

Kim and Amy Wanous visit with their grandson,
sixth grader Jake Dean at the Montgomery Catholic's
Holy Spirit campus Grandparents day celebration.

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School's Holy Spirit Campus welcomed Grandparents to campus on Thursday, September 15, 2016. The day began with students, teachers and grandparents saying prayer and pledge around the flag pole. Afterwards, students celebrated Mass at Holy Spirit Catholic Church with their Grandparents. Father Patrick Driscoll and Father Phillip McKenna were the celebrants. Montgomery Catholic's President, Anne Ceasar welcomed and thanked all of the families for supporting Catholic education and for the gift of their grandchildren. The Parent Teacher Council (PTC) hosted a reception, and  invited students and their guests to the gymnasium for a visit, donuts, coffee and juice.  Grandparents had an opportunity to visit classrooms with their grandchildren.  Having generations of families on campus is a longtime tradition at Montgomery Catholic, and will continue to be as Montgomery Catholic celebrates 143 years of continuous education in Montgomery.

Mrs. Edna Sadie enjoys her time with
granddaughters Maria and Anna Rose.

Founded in 1873, Montgomery Catholic Preparatory Schools Mission is:

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School is an integral part of the Catholic Church's mission to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.  As an adult community, we share in the responsibility to prepare students for college and beyond while helping them grow to become persons of faith, virtue and wisdom.

16th Annual Partners In Catholic Education Golf Tournament at RTJ, September 23

Partners In Catholic Education (PICE) hosted its 16th annual charity golf tournament at the Capitol Hill Robert Trent Jones Golf Course in Prattville on September 23, 2016.

Hole-in-one $10,000 winner
Brandon Cutts with his wife Emily.

A great day for the 180+ golfers in attendance, registration and lunch began at 11:00 am and the shotgun start, on both the Senator and Legislator courses, started at 1:00 pm. Format was best ball. The registration fee included lunch, green fees, cart, range balls, gift bags for each player, golf shirt, refreshments on the course, post-tournament food and beverages, and door prizes for everyone. There were Hole-In-Ones consisting of a new car  and cash prizes on both courses. This year, for the first time in 16 years a $20,000 split the cash with PICE prize was given for a hole-in-one on the Legislator, hole #3. Brandon Cutts was the lucky golfer, he is pictured below with his very happy wife, Emily after winning $10,000 for himself and $10,000 for the school. There was also a putting contest between 11:00 am and 1:00pm for a cash prize and the top three net and gross teams received superb prizes. 

Held each year on the last Friday of September, be sure to mark your calendar for this premier event that will be a great day of fun and benefit for Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School. For the 16th anniversary of the Tournament, PICE had a pink and white balloon release to honor Carole Clark, the PICE committee secretary who lost her battle with cancer in the summer of 2015, in addition to establishing the Carole Skoneki Clark Endowed Scholarship to be awarded each May to an MCPS High School student to help off-set tuition. 

Mr. & Mrs. Ben Walker have been faithful
supporters of the PICE Golf Tournament, they are pictured with
cheerleaders Zy'Keria King and Hannaley Haigler and
MCPS band member Chris Waring.

Partners in Catholic Education (PICE) was established in 1995 to bridge the Catholic Community with St. Bede School and now supports the Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School community with the following annual projects: The PICE Annual Golf Tournament, the Sophomore Personal Success Seminar and the Senior Success Forum.

With over $1.2 million dollars in projects and equipment donated  to Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School since the beginning, PICE has supported so many  projects and has helped enhance all aspects of the school. Below are just a few of the contributions that have helped Montgomery Catholic:
Technology/Academic enhancements: Funding for new Broadcasting Studio (2016), Funding for Engineering/Robotics Room(2014, 2015),  Macbook Airs (2015), infrastructure  for Apple Computer System (2012), Ipads and Ipad carts (2012).

Montgomery Catholic students welcomed Dr. David Bronner
to the 16th annual golf tournament. Pictured are:
SGA Senior Class President, James Sadie with
Executive President Riley Aaron, Katie Slear,
Lauren Smith and Zy'Keria King.

Campus enhancements: High School Courtyard Benches and Beautification (2016),  Playground equipment for St. Bede (2015) and for Holy Spirit (2013), Dolly Barranco Center sound system,  Campus-wide Security System (2008),  Contributions to Capital Campaigns for Family Life Center, Dolly Barranco Center, and to the Holy Spirit Gym, Bathroom renovation (2010),  St Bede Campus renovation (2006) Teacher's Lounge renovation, Science lab and computer lab equipment.
Arts:  Band instruments (2008, 2015),  Art Center renovation (2005), Band uniforms (2005),
Athletics: Sports Complex LED Lights (2016), Basketball Shoot Away (2015), Athletic lockers (2015), Athletic locker room (2015, 2013), Partnered with the City of Montgomery in building of tennis courts at Ida Belle Young Park (2010), 
Student life:  Large bus (2015), Minibus (2010), Annual Senior Success Seminar, Annual Sophomore True Colors Seminar, contributions towards speakers such as Scott Hahn, Jodee Blanco and Marie Bellet. 

The PICE Board of Directors are Officers: Liz Sutton, Founder; Gary Tomlin, President; Jerry Lopez, Vice-President; Ann Karst, Treasurer; Cappy Younker, Secretary; Members: Linda Anderson; Linda Guin, Lisa Sadie, Kathy Tyner and Barry Waite.
For more information about sponsorships or playing in the tournament, contact Liz Sutton at 334-260-2488, ext 1311, Vicki Dickson at 334-272-7221, ext 32, or Jerry Lopez at 334-224-6607. PICE is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. More information can also be located at http://www.montgomerycatholic.org/.