Friday Night Neon Lights

The Charlotte Catholic football team kicked off its first conference game of the season against Providence High School on September 20. The team sought to claw its way back to victory following two losses against Providence Day and Crest. 

Adding to the excitement of the evening was Charlotte Catholic’s Future Student Night. One elementary student from St. Gabe's had the opportunity to join the cheer team and experience the excitement of a high school football game. 

The theme for Friday's game was neon for the seniors and blackout for the underclassmen. Seniors look forward to this theme since it allows them to stand out from the rest of the student body. Martha Tucker, a senior and member of CCHS’ Hype Squad, remarked on the unity, saying how she “loved to see the class as one having a blast and showing their Cougar Pride on Friday night!”

The football team came out on the field with lots of energy. Players ran through the team breakaway banner and showed their excitement for the game. 

Light rain fell early in the first quarter, but the energy in the Holy Land remained undamped as students continued to cheer on their team. Senior running back Jake Anderson mentioned how the student section “kept the players motivated” and pumped them up during crucial drives. 

After a heartbreaking first touchdown from Providence in the second quarter, Charlotte Catholic managed to prevent them from scoring the extra point. 

Ending the first half down 0-6, the coaches spoke to the team to try to motivate them. Jake explained that after the first half, the coaches talked about how the team needed to “get the energy up and stay focused to win the game.” This helped excite the team and bring the team together for the offense to make an incredible comeback.

In the third quarter, Senior Jon Fijalkowski returned an interception for a touchdown. After the score the football team ran over to the student section to hype up the crowd, lifting team spirit now that they had points on the board. An extra point after the touchdown gave Catholic a 7-6 lead. 

The momentum only grew from there. At the start of the fourth quarter, Jake Anderson charged into the end zone from four yards out to tack on another touchdown for Catholic. He emphasized how it felt good to have “some more points on the board” in addition to the first touchdown. Jake then went on to score a 36-yard touchdown run further widening the lead. 

The Charlotte Catholic football team ended their first conference game with a 21-6 win over Providence. Fans were thrilled over the win. Martha Tucker said she was “super excited and proud of the boys on the field for playing hard.”

Students gather in the Holy Land, CCHS' student section.