The Catholic Memorial boys’ soccer team marked senior night with a celebration that reflected significant progress for a program that had struggled in recent years. Under the leadership of third-year coach Chris Bingham, the Knights have transformed from a team that won a single game three seasons ago to one currently ranked No. 12 in the Globe Top 20 and sixth in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Division 1 power rankings.
Catholic Memorial’s turnaround began when Bingham took over before the 2024 season. The year prior, the team was young and inexperienced, content simply to be on the field. Since then, the team qualified for the MIAA tournament last fall for the first time since 2009, ending a 16-year postseason drought. This year, the Knights compiled a 10-3-2 record and earned back-to-back tournament appearances for the first time in nearly two decades.
Senior captains Nico Suarez, Jonny Camargo, Chino Azurdia Cedeno, and Charlie Huff have been integral to the team’s resurgence. Suarez and Azurdia Cedeno, who originally played under Bingham in youth leagues, credit the coach’s constant motivation for pushing the team to new heights. “He pushes us to be better every single day, every single game,” Azurdia Cedeno said. Likewise, Huff emphasized the importance of hard work and dedication in bringing Catholic Memorial soccer into greater prominence within Massachusetts.
The Knights employ a possession-based style of play, driven by skillful passing and movement off the ball. Offensive contributions have come from Azurdia Cedeno, who leads the team with 13 assists and six goals, as well as senior Walter Martinez (six goals, nine assists), freshman Arthur Da Silva (eight goals, three assists), and Camargo (six goals, five assists). Suarez, normally an outside back, shifted to center back this season while adding six goals and three assists, contributing to both defense and attack.
Despite an impressive season, Catholic Memorial fell short of capturing the Catholic Conference championship after a loss to St. John’s (Shrewsbury). Nonetheless, the Knights finished second in the conference, just two points behind BC High and ahead of several established contenders, including St. John’s, Xaverian, and St. John’s Prep.
Looking ahead, the team is focused on making a deep run in the state tournament, which is set to be seeded on November 6. Azurdia Cedeno expressed the urgency and high stakes involved: “This is what we’ve been waiting for all three years. There’s a lot on the line.”
In broader MIAA boys’ soccer standings, Oliver Ames remains unbeaten at 13-0-2 and holds the top national ranking. Defending Division 1 champion Natick experienced a rocky season but has climbed back to No. 9 in the rankings. Other teams making significant gains include Wayland, Marshfield, and Lincoln-Sudbury.
This week also saw several division titles clinched: BC High secured the Catholic Conference crown, Cohasset won the South Shore Tobin title, and West Bridgewater captured the South Coast Gold Division for the first time. Salem ended an eight-year postseason drought by defeating Gloucester, 2-1, securing a spot in the Division 3 tournament.
Catholic Memorial’s rise reflects a combination of steady coaching, dedicated leadership, and sustained team effort, signaling a promising future for the program.