Friday’s prep football roundup: Latin’s McNulty goes out the way great coaches should

Six years ago, after losing in the state championship game, Charlotte Latin’s Larry McNulty told me he was done.

It didn’t feel right then. He had just led the Hawks to eight straight state championship game appearances and everyone around the school, including headmaster Arch McIntosh, was telling me they didn’t want him to go, that McNulty had a lot of football left in him.

Then, just a few weeks later, my phone rang. McNulty was calling to say he had a change of heart. He was coming back. He stayed on another five years before announcing that this one, the 2017 season, would be his last.

Friday night, in his final game, McNulty got the curtain call he deserved, a dominant 33-0 win over Charlotte Country Day in the N.C. Independent Schools Division II state championship game. McNulty, who has coached at Latin for 32 years and for 47 years total, won his 13th state championship (Twitter video courtesy WSOC-TV).

And when it was over, one of the best football coaches in Mecklenburg County history tried summing up a brilliant career.

“It’s not about trophies or about championships,” McNulty said. “That goes away eventually, but the relationships I’ve forged over the years (don’t). Kids (I coached) who are now adults I see in town, friends in school I work with and adminstrators and parents of kids I’m friends with outside the football arena, that’s what lasts. I’ve been blessed to have so many good people around me.”

This season, Latin returned two starters on offense and two on defense. The Hawks weren’t picked to do much. A new playoff system, which sent private schools to classes based on season performance and not size, helped the Hawks. Usually, Latin would’ve been in Division I, where Providence Day and Charlotte Christian were the two dominant teams. Both teams beat Latin this year. But moving down to Division II worked out perfectly for Latin, which won three playoff games by 67 points.

“(My assistant coaches) did an unbelievable job,” McNulty said. “We were not picked to hardly do anything and we kept getting better and better and better and kept working, so that part was awesome, but it’s about the people. I’ve been surrounded by wonderful friends, wonderful people, wonderful kids who basically listened to what we taught them.

“Our coaches are great teachers. And it will continue because coach (Justin) Hardin (the Hawks’ defensive coordinator who will become head coach) is the best coach I’ve been around in a long time. Latin football is not going away just because I’m leaving.”

McNulty said he would remember Friday night for a long time.

“What a script,” he said. “It couldn’t have been drawn up any better. We thought if we got to the finals, we’d be playing Statesville Christian again, who beat us earlier in the year. Of course they get knocked out (upset by Cannon School in the first round) and here comes Country Day and...the kids are really excited. In the back of everybody’s minds, we’re like, man, we don’t want to drop this one. ...It’s been perfect. The kids took care of business. We kind of took our foot off the pedal a little bit and we shouldn’t have, but what an awesome night. It couldn’t be better.”

▪ I’ve covered high school sports here since 1988 and have extensively researched the years before I got here, and I firmly believe McNulty is top five all-time among Mecklenburg County football coaches. Who’s with him? 5. Gus Purcell, Myers Park; 4. Dave Harris, Harding; 3. Larry McNulty, Charlotte Latin; 2. Jim Oddo, Charlotte Catholic; 1. Tom Knotts, Independence.

▪ Something about Charlotte Country Day seems to bring out the best in Latin’s Harvard-bound senior DeMarkes Stradford. He ran 24 times for 343 yards and six touchdowns in a 48-30 regular-season win over the Bucs. In that game, he had 150 yards rushing and two scores called back for penalty.

Friday night, he became the first single-season 2,000-yard rusher in school history, finishing with 144 yards and three touchdowns in the state final. Latin, which won the 2016 Division I state title, won a ring for the second straight year.

“We wanted to go back-to-back,” Stradford said, “and also, we knew it was coach McNulty’s last year. We wanted to give him the best game we possibly could.”

Observations

▪ After Tom Knotts left Independence for Dutch Fork near Columbia eight years ago (congrats Tommy on your 90th win at your school Friday) and Mike Newsome left Butler for A.L. Brown, I was a little concerned about the level of high school football coaching in the area. But after a few years that appeared to be shaky, Mecklenburg County again seems to have established its coaching dominance.

Guys like Aaron Brand at Vance and Brian Hales at Butler and Scott Chadwick at Myers Park and Mike Brodowicz at Charlotte Catholic are becoming solid veterans who are putting out state championship contenders year after year. Mallard Creek’s Mike Palmieri, with three state titles in four years and chasing a fourth, has moved into the elite category. In private school, Charlotte Christian’s Jason Estep is building a dynasty and Providence Day’s Adam Hastings is getting the type of talent he needs to chase that dynasty.

And as we lose McNulty to retirement, there are some good young coaches on the rise. North Mecklenburg might have lost Friday, but the Vikings rallied from a 21-0 deficit at Mallard Creek, looking like a typical Mallard Creek home playoff victim, to have the ball inside the Mavericks’ 40-yard line down a score in the fourth quarter.

North Meck first-year coach Eric Morman -- and first-year Hough coach Matthew Jenkins -- look like coaching keepers. Jenkins and Hough went on the road and beat previously unbeaten West Forsyth 41-34 Friday.

▪ South Caldwell caused a stir by getting a first-round bye and home playoff game after a 1-10 season. South lost 55-28 to Hickory Ridge in its second-round playoff game Friday.

▪ Myers Park and Chadwick got what could be a program-defining 28-24 win at Butler Friday.

The Mustangs (12-1) set a school record for wins -- and Myers Park opened in the 1950s. Myers Park beat Butler for the first time since 1999 and Myers Park is in the third round of the playoffs for the first time since 2011. The Mustangs are a relatively young team, too.

Chadwick started nine underclassmen on defense against East Meck in the first round of the 2017 playoffs, and there’s young talent -- and size -- in the pipeline. For many years, coaches have told me Myers Park is a sleeping giant with available talent and resources.

Looks like the giant is waking up.

Elevator

↑Charlotte Catholic’s pregame entrance: One of the best moments in high school football, a prep version of Clemson’s players kids rubbing Howard’s Rock. Watch.

↑Charlotte Catholic’s dominance: In their past 58 games, the Cougars are 54-4 with one loss at home. Weddington visits Catholic next week in a quarterfinal matchup.

↑Newton Foard: The Tigers finished 9-4 after losing to Mount Pleasant 28-14 in a second-round playoff Friday. But Foard made a big jump from a 3-8 season a year ago.

↑Concord Robinson: Beat Crest 24-21 to improve to 11-2. It’s the first 11-win season in school history.

↑Rock Hill South Pointe: Ranked among the top five nationally in several polls, the Stallions are making mockery of the S.C. 4A playoffs. South Pointe shut out Eastside, which was 10-1 before Friday’s loss. South Pointe won 48-0 Friday and has beaten three playoff teams by a combined 160-17.

Friday’s Roundup

East Forsyth 23, West Meck 20: West Meck lost a 20-7 lead before falling in its second-round playoff game. East Forysth will play at Harding next week.

Vance 35, Glenn 34 OT: Vance lost a two-score lead before the teams went into overtime. Glenn scored first but it’s extra point attempt was blocked. Vance scored on its possession, made the PAT and advanced to the third round next week at home against Hickory Ridge.

SouthLake Christian 20, Village Christian 16: SouthLake Christian won its third state championship in the past five seasons Friday, holding off a late rally from Village Christian in the 2017 Division III final. SouthLake QB Bailey Jones threw for 155 yards and two touchdowns and Braeden McCarthy had three catches for 61 and a score -- plus a game-sealing interception in the fourth quarter. On defense, Luke Binkley had 13 tackles and Austin Reed had 10. SouthLake won the Division III state title in 2013 and the Division II title in 2014.

Friday’s #BIG5 Performers

Nasjzae Bryant, Mallard Creek: 21 carries for 101 yards and a score in a wild 41-33 win over North Mecklenburg.

Deshaun Christopher, Shelby: After his team scored a late touchdown to take a 26-23 lead at Belmont South Point, he forced a fumble on the next kickoff. Shelby recovered at South Point’s 32 and won 33-23.

Quavaris Crouch, Harding: 23 carries for 164 yards and a touchdown in a 17-10 win over Porter Ridge.

Brayden Hawkins, Myers Park: Senior quarterback was 17-of-28 passing for 178 yards and two scores in a 28-24 win over Butler. Myers Park beat Butler for the first time since 1999.

Milan Howard, Charlotte Catholic: Ran 10 times for 92 yards and a touchdown in a 42-7 win over Stuart Cramer. He caught three passes for 53 yards and a score.

Links to more content

Friday’s scores, how the Sweet 16 fared, next week’s schedule

Top seed Mallard Creek holds off stubborn North Meck

Charlotte Latin sends Larry McNulty into retirement with a state title

Rugged ground game leads Harding past Porter Ridge

Friday’s top high school football performers

This story was originally published November 18, 2017 at 12:52 AM with the headline "Friday’s prep football roundup: Latin’s McNulty goes out the way great coaches should."