Newark Catholic is poised for upset in final
Matt Carlisle wasn’t quite able to get Newark Catholic to this point when he was a senior All-ohioan two years ago, but he most certainly had a hand in this season’s run.
Carlisle, now a redshirt freshman quarterback at Youngstown State, guided the Green Wave to a Division VII regional final in 2019, where NC lost to Harvest Prep. Cole Canter was just coming on the scene as a sophomore, and, following Carlisle’s lead, has taken the Green Wave a step further as a junior (state semifinals) and now as a senior, when third-ranked NC (14-1) faces topranked Maria Stein Marion Local (15-0) at 10:30 a.m. Saturday for the title.
“He was a good mentor,” said Canter, who has completed 133 of 201 passes for 2,190 yards and a school-record 31 touchdowns with nine interceptions. “The way he came in every day and went to work, every practice, every game. He told me, ‘It’s your team now,’ and I’ve carried it on. I knew the tradition, being in it to win a state championship, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
In its past two state final appearances, quarterback play was huge for the Green Wave, as it was in all eight
state titles. Mark Elwell ran for three scores in NC’S last state title win, 28-14 in 2007 against Hopewell Loudon. In 2012, Chayce Crouch rushed for a score, threw for two others and passed for 236 yards, driving NC to the goal line in the closing seconds of a tough 28-21 loss to Marion Local.
“When he (Canter) came in, he
reminded me a lot of me,” Carlisle said. “I knew he was going to be the next one to take the reins, so I tried to teach him, every day. Newark Catholic has a history of great quarterbacks, and it’s definitely high expectations and a standard you hold yourself to. You’re the main leader here, and he’s lifted it even more. He’s done a great job.”
“Matt was such a level-headed quarterback, and incredibly competitive,” coach Ryan Aiello said. “That level-headedness is kind of what Cole keeps with him now.”
Aiello says Carlisle and Canter are very different quarterbacks.
“Matt looked to both run and throw, while Cole’s preference is to throw the ball,” he said. “But he understands when to run, and becoming that 11th guy in the running game is important in the right situations.”
NC will need its entire arsenal available against Marion Local, which has recorded six shutouts and has overpowered opponents by an average of 32-8.
The Green Wave’s quarterback, with a talented crew of receivers and 2,000yard rusher Mason Hackett providing balance, hopes to have his say.
“We’re the underdogs, but I know we can beat them if we play our best,” Canter said.