Football | 10/24/2025 10:45:00 PM

KUSI Game Recap  |   KUSI Interview Honor Fa'alave  |  KUSI Raw Game Footage  |  KUSI Raw Sideline Footage

In one of the most exciting Friday night matchups of the season, No. 5 Cathedral Catholic fought back from an early 14-point deficit to upset No. 1 Lincoln, 42–33, in a Western League showdown on October 24 at Manchester Stadium. The Dons (7–2, 2–0) snapped a four-game losing streak to the Hornets (7–2, 1–1) with a strong offensive display led by junior standout Honor Fa'alave-Johnson, who scored five rushing touchdowns—the most of his football career.

After falling behind 14–0 early in the second quarter, Cathedral ignited their offense, scoring on six straight possessions and dominating the last 24 minutes of the game. Fa'alave-Johnson reached the end zone on runs of 16, 4, 3, 33, and 57 yards, demonstrating why teammates nickname him "The Ghost."

"The key was just blocking and executing to our potential," said Fa'alave-Johnson. "We were losing a few players, but I was preaching to the boys that we had everyone we need. Just get the blocks down and get downfield."

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound five-star recruit—more known for his skills at safety—showed his versatility and power in the backfield. "I feel I was gifted with some talent that God gave me, but the blocking was executed well and I was just running hard," he said.

Despite missing Cal-bound starting quarterback Brady Palmer for a third straight week, the Dons' offense clicked under Josh Faraimo, who threw a crucial touchdown pass to Isaac Cook and connected on several deep balls to set up scores.

"I think they thought we couldn't pass at all," said head coach Sean Doyle. "But Josh threw four touchdowns in the first half last week, and he came up big again. Then Honor just took over. He did a phenomenal job.

We've played tough teams, and our kids believed. I could tell last night at our team meal that something had changed—they believed in themselves."

Dons' turning point came late in the second quarter. With seconds left before halftime, Fa'alave-Johnson powered in from four yards out on fourth down to make it 21–14. The Dons carried that momentum into the second half, tying the game at 21 on Faraimo's 10-yard touchdown pass to Cook.

From there, Cathedral's offense took control. Fa'alave-Johnson's 3-yard score gave the Dons their first lead at 28–21, and after a blocked Lincoln PAT kept the lead at 28–27, he broke loose for back-to-back touchdown runs of 33 and 57 yards to seal the win.

The Dons now sit undefeated in Western League play and continue to build momentum heading into the postseason.

"Without Brady, we told Honor we were going to put this in his hands," Doyle said. "Josh stepped up huge with some enormous completions. It was just a great all-around game."

Final Score: Cathedral Catholic 42, Lincoln 33
Next Up: Senior Night vs University City at Home on Thursday, October 30th