Cavs cap off regular season with 8th win
BIRMINGHAM -- John Carroll Catholic High School put the cherry on top of an historic regular season with a convincing 44-7 win over Maplesville on Friday night at Pat Sullivan Field.
Led by a quartet of seniors, quarterback Carson McFadden, running back Mitchell Nutter, wide receiver/running back Zach Archer, and tight end Ryan Redmond, the Cavaliers finished the 2023 regular season on a high note.
The Cavs posted a record of 8-2, their first winning record since 2010 and most wins in a season since 1998.
John Carroll head coach Will Mara summed up the season and the players' approach to improvement by emphasizing one word: consistency.
“Consistency’s been the big word and they’ve stayed consistent with everything that we’ve taught,” said Mara. “They dive in each week, whether it’s the workout or the film room. They deserve a ton of the credit. They’ve been doing it for years. They decided they wanted to change and they made it.
“I can’t say enough about this whole team,” he added. “It’s just been a special group. I can’t imagine stepping on the field without them.”
Relying on the running game, John Carroll wasted no time jumping out to a lead, scoring on the second play from scrimmage on a 44-yard run by Archer, putting the Cavaliers up 7-0.
After the defense forced the Maplesville offense into its second consecutive three-and-out, the Cavaliers put together a methodical seven-play, 62-yard drive, capped off with a 14-yard touchdown run by Nutter.
McFadden got the second quarter started with a bang, busting through the line of scrimmage and scampering for a 58-yard touchdown run. The Cavaliers added a 35-yard field goal by Charles Farr and a 6-yard pitch-and-catch from McFadden to Redmond with just over a minute to play in the second quarter. John Carroll went into the locker room with a commanding 31-0 lead.
John Carroll added two more scores in the second half, a 1-yard plunge from Archer early in the third quarter, and then a 58-yard pass from backup quarterback Garrett Barnes to Redmond midway through the fourth quarter.
Additionally, the Cavaliers defense kept the Maplesville offense off stride all night, allowing only one touchdown late in the third quarter on a 15-yard run by Bryson Pickle.
With their ticket already punched for the 2023 playoffs, Mara said the Cavs prepared for the matchup with Maplesville like the playoffs had already begun.
“We wanted to treat it like a playoff game. There were things we needed to fix from last week and there will be things we need to fix this week,” said Mara. “But, they kept the same intensity, kept the same focus, kept the same energy.”
McFadden, who only played one play in the third quarter before leaving the game, led the Cavaliers offense, completing 5-of-9 passes for 92 yards and a touchdown. He rushed for 93 yards on seven carries and a touchdown.
The senior signal caller said that Maplesville plays a similar style as Fairview, John Carroll’s first round playoff opponent. While the win over Maplesville is a good indicator, he knows he and his teammates still have a tough road ahead of them.
“It still hasn’t really sunk in. I’m really worried about next week. I know we still, hopefully, have a long season ahead of us,” McFadden said. “We’re just trying to work one game at a time.
“It’s gone by fast, but we’ve stacked wins upon each other and just moved week to week and that every game is a tough game, especially in our area,” McFadden added. “We’re excited to move in the playoffs.”
John Carroll will travel to Fairview for the first round of the Class 5A playoffs next Friday.