Indoor facility clutch in Archbishop McCarthy’s journey to become football power
It’s a typical hot and sunny Wednesday afternoon in South Florida.
It isn’t raining yet, but clouds are looming on the horizon and a thunder storm could be on the way.
But tucked inside the Jordan Family Foundation Athletic Center - an indoor practice facility - the Archbishop McCarthy football team is getting ready for its next game.
The Mavericks are sitting in chairs, like a classroom, listening to every word their coach Jake Pew is saying as he goes over plays on a whiteboard just a few feet away.
The team then breaks out into groups to watch film at designated corners of the facility with TV screens set up.
The Mavericks then take part in some drills on the roughly 50-yard practice turf field.
While other teams might have to postpone such sessions when the often-disruptive South Florida fall weather gets in the way, McCarthy is getting work done.
And since its inception before this season, it’s helped the Mavericks continue a journey that started four years ago and has transformed them from football doormats to state title contenders.
“From a practice standpoint, our kids double or triple the amount of reps that another school can have,” Archbishop McCarthy coach Jake Pew said. “From a development standpoint, it’s huge.”
Pew is entering his second season as McCarthy’s head coach and fourth overall as part of a coaching staff originally led by former head coach Dino Mangiero, who were hired following a successful five-year stint at Mater Dei Prep in Monmouth, New Jersey.
In that time, the Mavericks have gone from a 2-8 team, playing as an independent his first season, to going unbeaten his second season, to joining a district and making the playoffs with a 7-5 record last season.
But this year with its indoor facility fully operational, McCarthy’s rise has been noticeable.
The Mavericks are 9-2, and won the District 15-4A championship - a division that includes defending state champion Plantation American Heritage.
“Our (former) head coach Dino (Mangiero) told us that in all his years in New Jersey, he missed probably five practices,” Kerns said. “We used to miss 2 or 3 practices a week. Now, we go at it every day instead of practicing in the gym where we’d only be able to do walk-throughs.”
McCarthy defeated Heritage, 13-10, on Oct. 17 for its biggest victory yet. The Mavericks are preparing to host Miami Norland, which it also beat this season, in a Region 4-4A semifinal on Friday at 7. McCarthy is in this round for the second consecutive season and one year after the Vikings eliminated it from the playoffs. A win would send the Mavericks to the regional finals for the first time since 2010 and possibly set up a rematch against Heritage.
“Just to think about where we were when we started my freshman year going 2-7, it’s been a lot of growth,” said Archbishop McCarthy senior Robert Kerns, a four-year starting quarterback with a 4.0 grade point average and multiple Ivy League school offers including Cornell. “The most important thing was the people in the program, as we were growing, that stuck together the whole time and really pushed through any adversities we had.”
Four years ago, the scene at Archbishop McCarthy practice was an elusive dream.
At a school that has long been successful in multiple sports including baseball, a sport where it once won five consecutive state championships, sustained football winning was rare.
Kerns, who played baseball himself as a pitcher and center fielder, and several other freshmen at the time banded together with the goal of turning around the program.
“For years, it was all about the baseball team for years. We’ve gotta make this about football,” Kerns said. “There has to be some respect for the football team and I think we’ve earned that. Since we’ve been together for three or four years, our relationships are not like anywhere else. You walk anywhere around the school, you see your best friends, not just your teammates.”
Four years later, Kerns is one of the most prolific and talented passers in Broward County. This season, Kerns has led a potent McCarthy offense, passing for 1,410 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Senior wide receiver Kendall Brown has become a dangerous threat in the passing game. Defensive backs Makhi Vance and David Howard and tackle Kevin Campbell have led the way on defense. They paved the way for a talented group of juniors led by receiver Malik Denson, who has multiple FBS-level offers, running back Damien Grant, receiver Ja’kobi Williams and defensive end Ji’Koi Highsmith to continue the team’s ascent.
“We have a lot of talented kids on this team and everyone plays a role in our success,” Pew said. “It’s exciting to see for the kids because they’re seeing the hard work they’re putting in getting results.”
