Mooresville football eyes historic state run with loaded roster, renewed focus

In the past three seasons, Mooresville High School’s football team has become a regional power, winning 10 games in 2022 and 11 in each of the past two seasons.

This year, the Blue Devils’ players and coaches think they can be even better.

Fourteen starters and 40 lettermen are back, including star QB Brody Norman, and Mooresville picked up a pair of high-level transfers to bolster its defensive line, which already featured a Power-4 recruit in senior defensive end K.J. Gillespie.

“I believe in this team, and I believe in this staff,” said Norman, a senior who committed to Temple earlier this summer. “But it’s going to be different this year, because of the offseason training program and the present mindset we have.”

Norman calls his team “process oriented.”

In the 2022 and ‘23 seasons, Mooresville had dominant regular-seasons but was knocked out of the playoffs in the second round. Last season, Mooresville made a huge goal to past Round 2.

The Blue Devils lost, 35-30, to East Forsyth in the third round and Norman said everyone on the team believed that, to go further, Mooresville would have to change its approach.

The Blue Devils said they are now more player led, more committed to offseason work and just more determined to be among the last teams standing in 2025.

“We don’t have goals, per se, like we did last year,” Norman said. ‘We don’t have this thing like, ‘Let’s get to Thanksgiving.’ No, it’s practice every day. It’s how can we get better in the weight room every day. How can we be better in every moment. It’s that present mindset that will make us better.”

Norman said the new players have bought into this approach.

Last season, Mooresville averaged nearly 45 points per game as Norman threw for 2,543 yards, 25 touchdowns and set school records for touchdown passes in a game (five) and most combined touchdowns in a season (39).

But Mooresville’s defense was really good, too. The Blue Devils allowed 11.38 points per game. Gillespie, committed to Virginia Tech, had 61 tackles, eight sacks and 25 tackles for a loss.

He’s back, and hungry, along with junior linebacker Tanner Finnerty (114 tackles). And in recent months, Mooresville got a pair of high-level transfers when University of Pennsylvania commit Jack Nelin left private Cannon School and Vanderbilt commit Jace McCallum transferred from Hickory Ridge.

All of a sudden, a good defense turned into a potentially great one. Last year, McCallum had 12 sacks and 18 tackles for a loss. Nelin had 114 tackles.

“The new guys came in and went straight to work,” Gillespie said. “I remember that the day Jace came in, we had senior pictures. We got on the field that night.”

Gillespie said in the past, opposing teams might send extra blockers or his way or send plays in the opposite direction to keep him out of the play.

He doesn’t think that can happen too much anymore.

“The difference with us now,” he said, “is you can’t slide one way.”

Nelin thinks, even in a loaded 7A class with nationally ranked Grimsley of Greensboro and state powers such as Weddington and Independence, that Mooresville is ready to make a real run, way past the third round.

“We have a lot of talent,” Nelin said, “and a really good chance to win a state championship. We have one of, if not the best defensive line in the state, and a young (offensive line) group that’s been really good friends for a while.”

Mooresville is No. 7 in The Observer’s preseason 7A statewide poll. The Blue Devils begin the season Friday at No. 2 Weddington.

And Mooresville is more than ready.

“The biggest thing is our senior leadership,” head coach Zach Mayo said, “especially on the offensive side of the ball. The guys have been in the system a long time and know what the standard is, and they hold other guys to that standard.

“The new guys have done a great job coming in and acclimating and understanding what our standard is and doing a good job of blending in and having fun. The biggest thing is nothing is promised. You’ve got to come in here and do the right thing, and ultimately we’ll put our best players on the field.”

And Mooresville believes its best is as good as any other team’s best.

“I feel like we’re definitely projected to win states,” Gillespie said. “And I think we’ll definitely see Weddington twice this year (including playoffs), and if not, Grimsley, and no matter who we see, we’re definitely going to try to take it to them.”