Cavs find positives in loss at Fultondale
FULTONDALE -- John Carroll Catholic High School linebacker Zach Elliott grabbed an interception and returned it 35 yards to the end zone in the middle of the third quarter to get the Cavaliers on the board against Fultondale on Friday night.
“He plays every position in baseball so when you got a guy like that, he's used to catching fly balls in the outfield and stuff,” John Carroll head coach Logan Colafrancesco said. “I wasn't surprised at all (to see him make that play). He's one of the leaders of our team.”
The Cavaliers scored four of the game’s final six touchdowns, but Fultondale held on to win 55-26. Colafrancesco said Elliott’s score provided his team with the spark it needed. That seems especially true of the Cavaliers’ defense.
Elliott’s score was the first stop the Cavaliers’ defense recorded in the game after Fultondale missed a 43-yard field goal on its first offensive series. The next time Colafrancesco’s defense took the field following the pick, it forced a punt.
The next possession was even more productive for the John Carroll defense, as linebacker Mitchell Walker recovered a fumble in the end zone for the Cavaliers’ second non-offensive touchdown of the evening.
John Carroll’s offense also seemed to find a second wind during the second half. Quarterback Nicholas Sellers recorded 190 of his passing yards in the second half. He finished the night 24-of-45 overall for 292 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
“I saw him step up in the pocket, knew he was going to get hit and shuffle around and made some big throws,” Colafrancesco said. “He just turned 16 this week. He’s a sophomore and I thought he did a good job stepping up in the pocket and finding some open guys.”
Colafrancesco said Sellers’ performance is something the offense can build on going forward, especially now that wide receiver Brock Sanders is back in the lineup after suffering a turf toe injury earlier in the season.
In his first game back, it was Sanders who caught both touchdowns. He finished the night with six receptions for 93 yards. Ethan Cull finished with six catches for a team-high 96 yards.
On the ground, freshman running back Aaron Mason was asked to carry the load. He finished the game with 88 yards on 19 carries. He also caught three passes for 44 yards to finish with 132 yards from scrimmage.
“In practice, he’s a great leader and a great teammate,” Colafrancesco said of Mason. “And he’s everything you want him to be and he’s going to have a really good career with us.
John Carroll (1-5) will return to action next Friday when the team hosts Briarwood.
“We’re a young team, but I feel like we’re getting better,” Colafrancesco said.
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