Cougars Successfully Start the Season

The Charlotte Catholic Cougars kicked off their football season at home on Friday, August 22 with a 37-14 win against the South Meck Sabres. 

Catholic students came dressed in the theme 70s vs. 80s, and ready to cheer on their team. Along with the cheerleaders and the hypesquad, Bishop Michael Martin showed his support for the school by making an appearance on the sidelines. 

Students from every grade level energized the student section. Freshman cheerleader Emma Kate Trout described her first game cheering on varsity as magical. She said, “It’s something that I’ve been looking forward to since I first made the team.”

Before the game, the CCHS community had high expectations for the Catholic football team. Sophomore Kellan Nalitz felt prepared going into the game. He said, “I knew the whole team worked hard in practice leading up to the game.” Kellan moved up from JV to play on varsity last year, and he said that he is excited to get to spend a full season on varsity this year.

Kellan Natliz catches a pass (Credit: Patrick Bloch)

Starting strong, Senior Garrett Nowlan opened the first half with two touchdowns. Max Whalen and Kellan each scored one touchdown, and Aidan Flynn made a field goal. In the second half, Catholic led the game, so they decided to put the back ups in. This allowed South Meck to score twice, making the final score 37-14.

In their second game of the season, the Cougars beat Charlotte Christian 16-7. Kellan said, “The team knew it would be a tough and intense game.” Although Catholic played an away game, a large contingent of Catholic students, along with the hype squad, showed up to support the cougars dressed in country vs. country club theme.

The Cougars went into the game with high hopes after their win against South Meck. Aidan Flynn made two field goals in the first half, and they held Christian to 0 points. In the second half, Charlotte Christian scored a touchdown, making the score 6-7. Shortly after, Garrett scored a touchdown, making the score 13-7.

After the first half, Catholic’s defense held Christian back multiple times, and Catholic came in with a 36-yard field goal making the final score 16-7. The defense played a crucial role in their win, with three interceptions and one forced fumble.

With two wins under the Cougars’ belts, this early success motivates them to practice and train hard for the upcoming tough competitors.