Roman Catholic High School’s football team spends hundreds of hours together throughout the year, and this season, it’s paid off – in the form of an impressive 7-1 start to the season.
Whether it’s practicing, lifting, enjoying team dinners, participating in discussions about current events, and even taking team bonding trips to play paintball or visit Eastern State Penitentiary’s haunted house, the team is committed to constantly growing closer.
It’s reflected in the team’s best season in more than a decade.
“I think it always starts with our kids, and I think we have a great group of kids. When the character and talent match up, I think that’s what we see now,” says Roman Catholic Head Coach Rick Prete, who was selected as the Philadelphia Eagles High School Coach of the Week, presented by Hyundai.
“What’s exciting about this team is that they really love each other, and they care about each other.”
And that’s just how Coach Prete wants it to be.
Prete has spent his four-year tenure at Roman Catholic building a culture of camaraderie by fostering trust all year round through team activities on and off the field.
On Friday, the team overcame Philadelphia Catholic League rival La Salle College High School in a contested 31-14 matchup; the team works towards moments like that all year round. Its record is tied for first with Saint Joseph’s Prep in the conference, but still, the scoreboard isn’t Prete’s focal point.
“We try to give them assistance towards life, in general. I think when the kids know that this is bigger than football, this isn’t about wins and losses, it’s not about what I can do on the field, they see this is really about a school and a program that’ll actually care about me 40 years down the line. That’s genuine. Really, we want to try to help put better men into society,” Prete said.
“I think you just need to be around your kids a lot and show them that you care about them. I think our guys know that outside of football, we’ll do anything for them, and we build a certain level of trust.”
Prete has more than 20 years of coaching experience at high school football programs across the area, including Malvern Prep, Imhotep, and Plymouth Whitemarsh.
A former Norristown High School football player himself, he says he’s drawn on his time playing high school football in the area to help guide his players through all aspects of their life.
“With my upbringing, just having a mom (Patty) that really worked her tail off to get us through and not having a…
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