Cretin-Derham Hall football opened up their 2023 season with an impressive 35-0 victory at Tartan High School. The Raiders, led by Head Coach Steve Walsh ’85, are chasing their first winning season since 2018. 

The Raiders finished the 2022 campaign with a 2-8 record, going 1-1 in section play. Coach Walsh is determined to see a return to success, stating, “CDH football has set a very high bar over our history. We want to passionately defend that tradition and write our story.” The work the Raiders have put in over the past year is paying off with Walsh saying “summer training and practices with the players and coaches are beginning to show up in our performance.” 

The Raiders will play an entertaining brand of football with Walsh describing it as “a lot of excited, energized young men playing fast.” The 2023 Raiders are led by six captains who have been vital to the growth of the team. Coach Walsh told me, “Our leadership is really strong right now with our six captains Miles Bollinger ’24, Thomas Graves ’24, Luke Chorlton ’24, Jaylen Gales ’24, Joe Piazza ’24 and Jaydn Harris ’25. They communicate well with each other and understand that our team is bigger than the individuals.” 

The Raiders host Bemidji in their home opener this Friday at 7 pm at the University of St.Thomas. That game will be their second of eight regular season games this season. The Cretin-Derham Hall community has reason to be optimistic as Walsh and his team start a new era of Raider Football.