Offensive Standouts: Charlotte Catholic vs. Grimsley

On a cold, windy night, the Grimsley Whirlies emerged victorious, ending Charlotte Catholic's season with a 42-14 win closer than the score suggests. There were stars on both sides, and I'm breaking up my recap of this third-round matchup into two articles, one for the offense and one for the defense.   Here we'll break down some of the offensive players I was impressed with, including a few guys who weren't on my radar and a couple who could make big leaps in our January rankings update.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Charlotte Catholic Offensive Standouts</h2>   While the scoreline suggests the Cougars offense struggled, they actually found a decent amount of success and moved the ball well. A few penalties hurt the Cougars and the defense just couldn't stop the Whirlies (more on that in a bit).   I was impressed with how Jake Anderson ran the ball. He showed good patience and vision, and when he got into the open field, Anderson was rarely brought down by just one defensive back. He bounced off multiple would-be tacklers on his way to a 30-yard touchdown to open the scoring and cap a textbook Charlotte Catholic drive.   The Cougars converted two fourth downs, one via a fake punt, while taking nearly nine minutes off the clock to start the game.   Anderson was solid, with two touchdowns and a long would-be touchdown catch called back on an illegal procedure penalty.   It wasn't until later that quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='354210' first='Charlie' last='Smith'] popped. I've watched several Charlotte Catholic quarterbacks through the years, and I've never seen one as in control as Smith. The typical Cougar quarterback makes good decisions in the running game while doing little more than avoiding turnovers as a passer. But Smith challenged the Whirlie secondary down the field.   When he pushed it down the field, it often went to 2026 wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1571334' first='King' last='Rhodes']. I have no idea how we have seemed to miss Rhodes before now, but it's an oversight that will be corrected before our January rankings update.   Rhodes has excellent size and speed and displayed great body control on several catches. At one point in the third quarter, Rhodes had catches on four consecutive plays on Charlotte Catholic's second touchdown drive before Anderson punched it in from two yards out.   When the Cougars had to go pass-heavy, senior wingback [player_tooltip player_id='1429311' first='Hugh' last='O'Brien'] was a great safety valve underneath. When the Cougars needed a necessary yardage, O'Brien was open.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Grimsley Offensive Standouts</h2>   I'll reserve some thoughts on the quarterback for a few paragraphs from now and start with the big boys up front. Right guard TJ Bunch isn't the biggest guy on the line but I don't think he missed a block all night. When the Whirlies needs tough yardage, they ran behind Bunch. He had a few really impressive down blocks on outside zone runs that were difficult, but Bunch made it look easy.   The guy running behind Bunch and the rest of the offensive line was often [player_tooltip player_id='1322022' first='Mitchell' last='Summers'], a smaller, but still powerful back with a ton of patience. He only popped a couple of long ones,including a 48-yarder on Grimsley's first offensive play, but he worked in chunks, consistently getting five or six yards.   The Whirlies didn't air it out often, but when they did, [player_tooltip player_id='909357' first='Kaden' last='Catoe'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1368103' first='DJ' last='Howerton'] were the primary targets, and both looked good. Howerton didn't do a ton in the passing game, but he's so physically-impressive and was a willing blocker in the running game. He had a nice fake on a pop pass that he caught for a touchdown to start the fourth quarter.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Offensive Player of the Game</h2>   This is my mea culpa. I've had superstar quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='284090' first='Faizon' last='Brandon'] a bit lower on my rankings than others, even nationally. Part of that is due to Grimsley's offensive approach. True, he doesn't often have to do as much as some of the other top quarterbacks, leading to less impressive raw stats. But after seeing Brandon in person, I'm ready to revise my evaluation.   Certain players have arm talent that a highlight tape can't do justice. Brandon is that guy. He was 10-11, not missing until a miscommunication on a fourth-quarter pass. He threw for only 97 yards, but added 66 yards on the ground.   I don't think I'm being swayed by the fact that Brandon is a Tennessee commit when I say his game reminds me of Nico Iamaleava's. He's a long-strider as a runner, and there's not much nuance there. He simply gets downhill in a hurry and gobbles up yards.   As a passer, he has a surprisingly quick throwing motion, and his deep ball accuracy is impressive. He threw a deep corner route against Cover 2 with a man in his face that dropped in perfectly to Catoe. It was one of the best throws I've ever seen live from a high schooler. Multiple Charlotte Catholic coaches let out audible gasps and just tipped the cap.   Brandon is the real deal, and it's obvious why he's so highly recruited.   Thoughts or comments? Let me know on Twitter (@whelms21). Want to make sure we see you compete in person? Register for our <a href="https://events.prepredzone.com/e/1324/register/carolinas-stock-up-showcase">Stock Up Showcase</a> on Dec. 15. Use discount code HelmsPRZ2024 at checkout for $10 off your registration.

On a cold, windy night, the Grimsley Whirlies emerged victorious, ending Charlotte Catholic's season with a 42-14 win closer than the score suggests. There were stars on both sides, and I'm breaking up my recap of this third-round matchup into two articles, one for the offense and one for the defense.