Charlotte Catholic’s Jack Larsen leads Cougars past Providence with last-minute TD drive
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You probably know about Jack Larsen, the outstanding tight end who will play his college football at Notre Dame.
Now meet Jack Larsen, the team leader.
“I told Jack after the game that I was really proud of him,” said Charlotte Catholic coach Matthew Reilly, after his team scored in the game’s final minute and beat host Providence 29-22 Thursday night.
“Jack really stepped forward as a leader tonight,” Reilly said. “He has all the talent in the world, but his leadership gives us something more.”
Larsen caught three passes for 49 yards on the decisive 82-yard drive, and Reilly said he kept the Cougars focused in the final minutes, after Providence had tied the game on a long pass play and a two-point conversion.
Five of Larsen’s six receptions and 82 of his 95 receiving yards came in the second half.
Charlotte Catholic (4-1, 1-0 Southwestern 4A) won because its offense performed superbly in the closing minutes, but it was the Cougars’ defense that really made the difference.
The Cougars picked off four passes, one of which was returned for a touchdown. And they tackled Providence’s punter in the end zone for a safety.
“The D line really had a big game, because they kept the pressure on that guy,” Reilly said.
“That guy” is Providence sophomore quarterback Jackson Debe, who threw for 233 yards and two long touchdowns.
“He is really a good quarterback,” Reilly said of Debe. “I’m not looking forward to having to play him for two more years. But our line kept the pressure on him and forced some mistakes.”
Providence (2-2, 0-1) looked like a team that will hold its own with the Cougars, Butler and Independence in the battle for playoff berths. The Panthers’ Billy Wilkes had a pick-6, and the defense held Charlotte Catholic’s vaunted ground game in check, holding the Cougars to 104 yards.
Down 22-14, the Panthers went 65 yards in four plays, capped by Debe’s 43-yard touchdown pass to Alex Koulovatos. Debe then followed offensive lineman Cash Topinka’s block into the end zone for a game-tying conversion.
Then it was time for Larsen and the Cougars to answer. They started from their 18 and went the distance in eight plays, scoring on Jake Anderson’s 18-yard run with 42 seconds left.
“It wasn’t pretty at times,” Reilly said. “But we came out of this game feeling pretty good about the effort we put in.”
Three who made a difference
Mark McMahon (Charlotte Catholic): McMahon, a senior linebacker, picked off two passes, returning one of them for a touchdown. His second interception ended Providence’s final threat.
Billy Wilkes (Providence): Wilkes had a pick-6 in the second quarter, a sack, and two tackles for loss.
Roman Hyland (Charlotte Catholic): Hyland, the Cougars’ junior kicking specialist, connected on field goals of 37 and 40 yards and kicked two conversions. But he had an equally big night as a punter, with four kicks for an average of 43.3 yards.
Worth noting
▪ Players, coaches, officials and fans observed a moment of silence before the start of the second quarter, in memory of Ella Lukse, a 15-year-old Providence High sophomore who died last week from injuries suffered in a vehicle crash.
▪ Reilly singled out kicker Roman Hyland for praise. Hyland kicked two field goals, and his punting kept Providence backed up much of the night. “We’ve missed some key kicks in seasons past, but Roman has really put in the work and pushed himself to improve,” Reilly said. “His kicking was a major part of the conversation on the (team) bus ride home.”
▪ McMahon had two interceptions for Charlotte Catholic, but he wasn’t the only defensive standout. Dom Basrawala had two sacks, a fumble recovery, and two quarterback hurries.
▪ Charlotte Catholic has never lost to Providence. The Cougars are 10-0 against the Panthers and won most of the early meetings by lopsided margins. The trend has changed in the last two games, each of which was decided by seven points.
What’s next
The Southwestern 4A’s top four teams will be squaring off next Friday. Charlotte Catholic hosts Independence, in a rematch of a thriller that the Cougars won 36-35 last year. Providence, meanwhile, visits Butler.
Game Summary
Charlotte Catholic 7 10 0 12 – 29
Providence 7 7 0 8 – 22
PR – Otavio Oliveira 73 pass from Jackson Debe (Jamison Causey kick)
CA – Jake Anderson 3 run (Roman Hyland kick)
PR – Billy Wilkes 47 interception return (Causey kick)
CA – FG Hyland 37
CA – Mark McMahon 61 interception return (Hyland kick)
CA – Safety; Providence punter Spencer Austin tackled in end zone
CA – FG Hyland 40
PR – Alex Koulovatos 43 pass from Debe (Debe run)
CA – Anderson 18 run (Hyland kick)
