Why a 4th straight NC football title would be extra special for Charlotte Catholic
The 2021 Charlotte Catholic football team is younger than its recent state championship teams — there are 18 seniors and 28 freshmen and sophomores. Coach Mike Brodowicz said his team, which relies heavily on its run game, regularly plays as many as five sophomores and two freshmen on its offensive line, a group that includes two tight ends.
But Brodowicz said a familiar offensive scheme, a Wing-T offense the Cougars have run since 1970s, and a base 4-3 defense help Catholic make up for lack of experience as it returns to the North Carolina 3A state championship game for the fourth straight year.
“For example,” Brodowicz said, “I think it allows our kids the familiarity of running the same defense and it allows them to play fast, and when you can play fast, without thinking, and you’re reacting instead of thinking, then you can play fast. And we need to play fast because we don’t have a lot of great God-given talent out there and speed and size. We have to put together what we have physically with what’s between our ears and play as fast as we can.”
The system is working well.
The Cougars face Havelock for the state title 7 p.m. Friday at N.C. State. Brodowicz was named The Observer’s 2010-19 coach of the decade and took over the program before the 2014 season from legendary coach Jim Oddo, who died in March at age 85.
Brodowicz said winning this year’s state championship would be extra special for his team because of Oddo, who was the architect of the Cougars’ football dynasty.
“Coach has meant a lot to our school,” Brodowicz said, “and these last couple months, he couldn’t be around as much, up there sitting in those red chairs. It would be fitting because he’s on our mind every time we step on that field.”
Cougar rallies help win titles
In his first six years, Brodowicz’s teams went 85-8 overall, 41-1 against conference competition and reached six straight Western Regional championship (state semifinal) games.
Catholic lost in the N.C. 4A state final in 2014, then the Cougars won the title in 2015. They have won the past three N.C. 3A state championships.
Overall, Charlotte Catholic has won seven NCHSAA state championships in 11 previous appearances. The Cougars have rallied to win the last two.
In 2018, they were down 14-10 to Jacksonville at halftime. But led by 26 seniors, Catholic rallied for a 17-14 win.
In 2019, Catholic was down 7-3 in the fourth quarter before beating Southern Nash 23-7.
This year, the Cougars have shown a similar knack for winning late, taking three of their past five games in the final minute.
“Our kids just never give up,” Brodowicz said. “And it goes back to coaching. Working with coach Oddo all those years, I tried to mimic what he did. He allowed me to coach. He said, ‘Teach technique and put your stamp on it.’ When I became head coach, I said, ‘Hey guys, you continue to do what you guys gotta do.’ And we built that trust.”
These are some players to watch
Catholic will face an unbeaten Havelock team (10-0) that is making its eighth appearance in the state final. It has won three championships but lost 28-14 to Catholic in its most recent appearance in 2017.
Havelock’s Kamarro Edmonds, who signed with UNC in December, has rushed 70 times for 916 yards and 15 touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Andrew Frazier has thrown for 1,881 yards and 30 touchdowns. Receiver Kamron Hoover, a senior, has caught 50 passes for 852 yards and eight touchdowns.
On defense, Havelock is led by seniors Marcus Gatling and AJ Moore, who both have more than 90 tackles.
For Catholic, Paul Neel (1,044 yards, 13 touchdowns) leads the Cougars rushing. QB Sean Boyle, a sophomore, has thrown for 657 yards and nine touchdowns. On defense, senior Liam Barbee has 111 tackles. Senior Connor Dougherty has seven sacks.
Charlotte Catholic vs. Havelock
When: Friday, 7 pm.
Where: Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh
TV: ME TV (OTA channel 18.3) or Spectrum Cable Channel 1260
Stream: NFHS Network
Tickets: are $14 per person and will not be sold at the gate. Click here to purchase.
This story was originally published May 6, 2021 at 11:44 AM.
