Sacred Heart Cathedral Athletics

Sacred Heart Cathedral has a proud tradition of excellence in Athletics spanning more than a century. The 21st century athletics powerhouse that Sacred Heart Cathedral has become has its roots planted firmly in the 19th century. Our Hall of Fame is filled with some of the finest student-athletes and coaches to walk our halls, with its earliest inductee being from the Class of 1880. Along with the scores of championships won, the school has also produced a number of athletes who have played professionally and have represented the United States internationally, among them Major League Hall of Famers, Super Bowl champions and Olympians. 

The much revered Bruce-Mahoney Trophy competition grew out of a rivalry that dates back to a rugby game in 1893 with our friendly rivals from across the City, Saint Ignatius. This rivalry is often cited as the oldest Catholic school rivalry in the West and one of the oldest in the country. Since the schools are located so close to one another, many student-athletes from both schools played together in grammar school and on club teams, which only adds to the excitement on the field, court, course, pool or track, and of course in the stands as well. In 2021, the trophy competition was updated to include girls volleyball and girls basketball.  

Another such competition is the Stanfel Cup, which is held by the winner of the annual football game against another San Francisco rival, Archbishop Riordan High School. The Stanfel Cup has been played for since 1992 and is named for Nick Stanfel, a Riordan alumnus who went on to coach football at SHC.

In wrestling, the Fightin' Irish host an annual competition against Justin Sienna in Napa, a school also sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers. This competition has the two teams vying for the Lasallian Cup.

Living out the school motto - Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve - Fightin' Irish teams participate in community service projects every year to further their team bonds and represent Sacred Heart Cathedral values. Girls volleyball hosts an annual Serve It Up competition where participating teams gather to do community service together before competing on the court. 

SHC Girls Basketball has garnered the most accolades in recent years, capturing five State Championships from 1997 to present, including a National Championship in 2008. The program also boasts the only McDonald's All American from San Francisco. 

With a premiere strength and conditioning program, Sacred Heart Cathedral prepares athletes for the next level, and every year dozens of our graduates compete for their colleges and universities. Our students grow both as athletes and as people and they form bonds that make up the Irish family through generations. 

After establishing a proud tradition of excellence in our first century and a half, Sacred Heart Cathedral's success has reached new heights in the 21st century, with dozens of league, CCS, NorCal, State and National championships in that relatively short period. Perhaps the best is yet to come for the Fightin' Irish.