Like Richmond, Weddington, Catholic’s win shows some contenders aren’t at full power
Some of the Observer area’s state championship contenders are not exactly roaring into the home stretch of the high school football season.
Defending 3AA state champion Weddington is 5-0 but has played only four times. The Warriors had another game canceled Monday night, against Piedmont.
Richmond Senior, considered a 4A championship hopeful, is only 3-0 and is losing its last three games to COVID-19 protocols.
And the strange scheduling this season is affecting other teams, like defending 3A state champ Charlotte Catholic.
The Cougars needed a last-gasp 40-yard touchdown pass Monday night to beat host Cuthbertson 26-19 in a Southern Carolina 3A game. Charlotte Catholic, now 4-1, hadn’t played in 10 days. Now the Cougars finish with two games in four days.
“It’s really difficult this year for a lot of teams,” Charlotte Catholic coach Mike Brodowicz says. “The stop-and-go of the schedule is having an impact.”
Monday night, Brodowicz and his Cougars ran into a Cuthbertson team (2-3, 2-3) that nearly delivered what would have been a near-fatal blow to Charlotte Catholic’s playoff hopes.
“They really played well,” Brodowicz says of the Cavaliers. “They took it to us.”
Cuthbertson appeared to score the winning touchdown with 22.3 seconds remaining, when quarterback Evan Bernard connected on a 20-yard pass to Seth Eighmy. That gave the Cavaliers a 19-18 lead.
But Cuthbertson was whistled for an excessive-celebration penalty, a 15-yard infraction assessed on the kickoff. And when the Cavs went offsides on the kickoff, they were penalized 5 more yards and were kicking from their 20.
Charlotte Catholic’s Paul Neel returned the kickoff 30 yards to the Cuthbertson 40, and sophomore quarterback Sean Boyle fired a 40-yard game-winning touchdown pass to freshman Jack Larsen on the first play.
Brodowicz says his team and many others are being impacted by playing football during a week when schools are on Easter break.
“The bands aren’t there, and most of the players’ friends are at the beach,” he says. “Some of the atmosphere is missing.”
“Still,” he adds, “I think some of our younger kids learned from that. At halftime, I told them, ‘Who’s going to make the big play?’ They’re learning that someone has to step up.”
THREE WHO MATTERED
Tyler Mills, Charlotte Catholic: A 6-2, 220-pound junior defensive lineman, Mills had a huge night. He recovered a fumble and returned it 38 yards, setting up a Charlotte Catholic touchdown in the third quarter. He also had two tackles for losses and a tackle on a third-down play that forced Cuthbertson to punt.
Anthony Goodloe, Cuthbertson: A junior linebacker, Goodloe changed the direction of the game. He blocked Charlotte Catholic conversion kicks after the Cougars’ first two touchdowns, forcing the visitors to score a fourth touchdown to win.
Akil Williams, Charlotte Catholic: Williams carried 13 times for 118 yards and scored touchdowns on runs of 32 and 9 yards.
WORTH MENTIONING
▪ The dramatic way in which Charlotte Catholic won the game set off a flurry of social media messages after the game, with Cougars’ fans wondering if there was divine intervention in the outcome. Legendary Charlotte Catholic football coach Jim Oddo died last week, and his memorial service at the school is set for Tuesday. Some fans suggested Oddo might have played a role in the outcome. “I didn’t even think about that until after the game, when someone mentioned it,” Cougars’ coach Mike Brodowicz said.
▪ Charlotte Catholic’s Kevin Dumser also had a big game, He returned a punt 31 yards and made an open-field tackle on a Cuthbertson punt return that prevented a long return.
▪ Cuthbertson senior quarterback Evan Bernard didn’t do much wrong Monday night. He completed 15-of-19 passes for 197 yards and twice scampered for first downs.
▪ Senior tight end Capp Spinner caught five passes for 57 yards for Cuthbertson.
▪ There is a logjam in the battle for second and third places in the Southern Carolina 3A. Charlotte Catholic and Marvin Ridge each are 4-1 and meet Friday. Monroe is 4-2.
▪ Add Charlotte Catholic coach Mike Brodowicz to the list of coaches who have mixed feelings about the excessive celebration penalty. “It benefitted us tonight,” he says, referring to the penalty against Cuthbertson that put the Cougars within striking distance of a winning touchdown. “But it’s a shame. The kids have gone through a lot, with COVID and everything. I know there are times when taunting takes place, but when it’s pure celebration, it’s a shame.”
WHAT’S NEXT
Both teams are home Friday night in their conference finales. Cuthbertson hosts Weddington, while Charlotte Catholic faces Marvin Ridge.
Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle
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Charlotte Catholic 0 6 12 8 -- 26
Cuthbertson 7 3 0 9 -- 19
CUTH – Myles Teasley 1 run (Tanner Larson kick)
CATH – Paul Neel 1 run (kick blocked)
CUTH – FG Larson 32
CATH – Akil Williams 32 run (kick blocked)
CATH – Williams 9 run (run failed)
CUTH – FG Larson 34
CUTH – Seth Eighmy 20 pass from Evan Bernard (pass failed)
CATH – Jack Larsen 40 pass from Sean Boyle (Williams run)
This story was originally published April 6, 2021 at 7:00 AM.