FORT LAUDERDALE — In his four seasons at Archbishop McCarthy, senior quarterback Robert Kerns has battled through adversity.
From a 2-7 freshman year to an ankle injury midway through his junior season that required two surgeries and forced him to sit out the rest of the year, Kerns has bounced back and helped the Mavericks (7-2) to a No. 10 ranking in the state in Class 4A.
Kerns threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another in the first half as Archbishop McCarthy grabbed a 31-0 halftime lead and coasted to a 38-7 victory over host Calvary Christian on Friday night. Calvary Christian entered ranked No. 5 in Class 2A.
“I think that was important for us,” said Archbishop McCarthy coach Jake Pew. “We wanted to start fast, and that’s what we told the guys in the team meeting. They (Calvary Christian) run an offense that tries to control the clock. They are efficient, and they run it well, so it was important for us to get the early lead and make them uncomfortable. I thought we executed well in all three phases.”
Kerns broke his foot and tore ligaments in the first quarter of a 49-16 loss to Miami Norland in the fifth game last season.
“It was really tough to miss and have to watch the guys play,” said Kerns, who entered Friday’s game having thrown for 927 yards and 11 TDs. He also had run for 332 yards and two scores.
“It’s all about perspective,” Kerns added. “I thought I could change the perspective and help the team any way I could. It starts with belief, and we believe we can do what we do. We work hard. We don’t have any 4- or 5-star guys, and we have great coaching. I think we changed the outsiders’ opinion of us. I think we have earned respect. I think the whole team has faced adversity, and we stick together and play together.”
The Mavericks, coming off a 13-10 upset win over nationally ranked American Heritage last week, spoiled the Eagles’ homecoming and Senior Night with the impressive win. They also avenged their two losses to Miami Norland last season with a 21-14 victory. The Mavericks opened the season with a 42-35 victory over Cardinal Gibbons.
“We try and challenge the kids every day,” Pew said. “We try not to look too far ahead, and we don’t look behind. We just try and take it one day at a time. We did it all week, Monday through Thursday, and I thought we had a great week. The guys have to stay humble. We’ve accomplished a lot, but we still have a lot more to prove. I still think we haven’t played our best football. I feel really good about our team, and they have been together for a long time.”
Archbishop McCarthy outgained Calvary Christian 306-31 in the first half and 429-162 for the game.
The Mavericks scored on their last five possessions of the first half to grab the commanding lead. Kerns hit Ja’Kobi Williams in the flat and he went 80 yards for the first score of the game and then Kerns went 12 yards on a keeper to make it 14-0 with 3:45 remaining in the first quarter.
After a 34-yard field goal by Michael Johnson, Jeremiah Alexandre scored on a 6-yard run to stretch the lead to 24-0. The Mavericks extended it to 31-0 with 38 seconds remaining in the first half on a 17-yard pass from Kerns to Malik Denson.
Archbishop McCarthy forced the running clock with 8:54 to go in the third quarter following a diving interception by Cole Ivey on the first drive of the second half by Calvary Christian.
It took the Mavericks just four plays to march 33 yards in a drive that saw Damien Grant punch it in from a yard out. Kerns only played the first series of the second half and sat out the rest of the game as Archbishop McCarthy emptied its bench.
Calvary Christian (7-2) saw a five-game win streak come to a halt with the loss. The Eagles avoided the shutout on a 36-yard scoring toss from Jackson Stroud to Pedro Estella with 11:33 left in the contest.
“I will be interested in how they respond,” said Calvary Christian coach Kirk Hoza. “We came out that first drive of the second half and hoped to keep it under a running clock, but (Archbishop McCarthy) made a nice play.
“Our kids did fight,” Hoza said. “We can just eliminate the score and be proud of what we put out on the field in the second half. We needed that. It was a trip to the woodshed. It didn’t feel good. It didn’t taste good. It’ll hurt for a while, and we have a little time to rest (for the postseason).”
