LR Catholic duo has 6-0 Rockets soaring again

Little Rock Catholic quarterback Sam Sanders tries not to be surprised by the plays his teammates are capable of anymore, but sometimes he can’t help himself.

When Brooks Ward, his go-to target this season for the Rockets (6-0, 5-0 6A-West), is making toe-tap catches for touchdowns, his confidence in their partnership grows that much more.

“Sometimes he surprises me. … But I kind of expect him [to make that kind of play], and if he doesn’t make the catch, then just come back at him. Keep throwing at him,” Sanders said.

The duo has led overall-No. 8 Catholic to its first 6-0 start in their lifetimes, something they could feel coming all along.

“We try to not make it surprising to us, because we wanted this to happen and we prepared for it to happen,” Sanders said. “But I think the fan base and all the alumni, they really like it and it’s really surprising to them.”

“We put in a lot of work in the offseason,” Ward said. “I thought this team could be special. And we’ve shown it so far this season.”

Sanders has combined with Ward on 24 passes for 573 yards and 7 TDs, putting Ward 19th in the state in receiving yards.

Sanders, a senior, has known of Ward, a junior, since the pair were playing for separate parochial schools in the Little Rock area. Ward consistently played up a year due to his talent level — something Sanders recognized right away.

“He was always a baller,” he said.

Sanders served on last season’s team as a primary backup for the since-graduated Preston Scott. The vast majority of his time on the field came as a free safety for Catholic’s defense — something Coach John Fogleman says has been instrumental in his development.

“I think the thing that’s helped him [most is] he played free safety last year,” Fogelman said. “He understands the game. He’s played football. He hadn’t just trained to be a quarterback. He understands not just the position of quarterback, but he understands the game of football. And so his experience coming into this year has helped a lot. We knew he’d have great leadership. We knew he’d be competitive. But he’s been very efficient.”

Sanders is 27th in passing yards with 1,017 to go along with 10 passing touchdowns.

The Sanders-Ward connection is built on a foundation of trust. The 6-2 Ward is taller than most defensive backs he matches up against, and the duo has used it to their advantage on multiple occasions.

“I’m placing it to where only he can catch it, nowhere near the other team,” Sanders said, “So if I overthrow him, fine. It’s better than [an] interception. But sometimes he’ll just make an incredible play.”

“If he’s in trouble, he can just throw it up, and he believes in me to go get it,” Ward said.

Catholic doesn’t put up the number of passing attempts other Class 6A schools do. With Sanders averaging 18.5 per game, the Rockets lean on a balanced run game — led by Sanders himself.

“We weren’t a very good running team last year. And he has added to our ability to run the ball,” Fogleman said.

Sanders has rushed for 311 yards and 10 touchdowns on 64 carries. Junior running back Dominic Keeton has rushed for 436 yards and 2 touchdowns on 110 carries.

“I think we run the ball about 60% of the time, which is a good thing. I like that,” Sanders said.

Along with a new quarterback, has come one other significant change with Catholic moving from Class 7A to the new 6A-East. It’s been a fresh start for a program that has had one winning season in its last 10.

“We were excited about the change and everything, but we also understand there’s a lot of depth on our side,” Fogleman said. “When you’re in a 10-team conference that makes it pretty tough, and then there’s a bunch of newness that you don’t know your opponents, that you’re unfamiliar with.”

While the number in the win column is different this October compared to most recently, Fogleman said not much has changed around the program.

One difference he has noticed, however, has Catholic in unfamiliar territory.

“We’ve always had good, hard-working kids,” He said. “[The difference now is] you’re not having to convince people so much, that they can. I think they actually believe [and] obviously, that’s a big deal. Now, the shoes on the other foot. You gotta convince them that instead of being the hunter, you’re the hunted. So that’s a little different.”

Next up for Catholic is Sylvan Hills (2-4, 2-3) on Friday at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.