Sights and sounds during football practice at Catholic Memorial
Sights and sounds from Catholic Memorial High School’s second football practice for the 2024 season on August 7, 2024.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is counting down our top 10 Milwaukee-area football teams for 2024 with analysis and reports from practice visits. These stories will be published in a one-per-day format leading up to the first week of the WIAA high school football season. Follow sports reporters Zac Bellman (@ZacBellman_WNY) and Michael Whitlow (@couldbelikemike) on X, formerly known as Twitter, for clues on the upcoming teams in the countdown.
No. 8 Catholic Monument
Target 2023: 10:3 (7:0 in the Parkland Conference, 1st), loss in the semifinals of the WIAA Division 4 against Luxemburg-Casco with 23:21.
Important losses: OL Donovan Harbour, RB Xavier McClinton, RB Corey Smith, OLB Ben Kalawa, DE Carl Pevey, ILB Matt Miklosy, DB/WR Josh Oechsner, OL Jae’Shaun Thomas, OL John Schwaab, DB/RB Ed Jones, K Sean Nicholas.
Important returnees: QB MJ Mitchell, WR/DB Marvanous Butler-Brown, WR/DB Dusty Roach, WR Evan Kaye, OL Owen Strebig, DL Martell Harris, DB Damyias Lopez, DL Neeko Rodgers, LB Gabe Talla, DL Naverion Flowers, RB Harold Lewis, LB Ben Walter.
Visit Takeaways
- The cousin connection of quarterback MJ Mitchell and slot receiver Marvanous Butler-Brown returns with a goal of building on a successful 2023 season. Butler-Brown was the Crusaders’ leading receiver last season, catching about a third (10) of his 31 receptions for touchdowns with 676 yards receiving this year. “We’ve been playing football since we were little, so the relationship has only gotten stronger over the years,” Butler-Brown said. “(This year) it’s going to be a lot stronger, and a lot of people are going to have more to worry about between the 2 and 5 connection.”
- In addition to Butler-Brown, another player who played primarily on defense last season completes the receiver group: sophomore Dustin Roach, who both head coach Bill Young and Butler-Brown said would have an immediate positive impact on the offense. “He’s a lot bigger than most receivers. If we ever need a jump ball, Dusty, we’ll just throw it to him,” Butler-Brown said. “He just has that basketball talent. He has strong hands. I think he’s going to make a lot of impossible catches this year.”
- Coach Young emphasized that the defense was way ahead of the offense early in training camp, especially given some turnovers on the offensive side. While that side of the ball lost two players who were named honorable mention All-State players by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association last year in Carl Pevey and Josh Oechsner, returning defensive linemen Martell Harris, Neeko Rodgers and Naverion Flowers have begun to build an impressive front seven with standout linebackers Gabe Talla and Ben Walter. The secondary, led by Butler-Brown and Damyias Lopez, is also viewed as a strong opponent for the passing attack the Crusaders will face this season.
Biggest question mark
What does the offensive line around Owen Strebig look like?
The left tackle position is secure for the Crusaders with Owen Strebig, who committed to Notre Dame, guarding the blind side, but the other four positions on the offensive line will be filled by new faces who will be confirmed as of the second day of practice.
“It’s about how quickly we can progress and run the ball effectively. That’s the most important thing for us,” Young said. “The old saying in high school, college or the pros is: On offense, you have to be able to run the ball. On defense, you have to stop the run.”
The continuity that Strebig, a Wisconsin Football Coaches Association all-state lineman, brings to the offense will be a tremendous asset for a group otherwise lacking in experience in the fall. The key to moving the rest of the line forward is more mental than physical, according to coaches Young, Strebig and Mitchell.
“(Strebig’s) work ethic has been really, really good and his leadership has been really good this year,” Young said. “We just have to be able to keep pushing these young guys. They’re not going to be great right away, but we want them to realize you don’t have to have talent to put in the effort and know your job. That’s basic football.”
“We just try to have a violent attitude because we’re going to make mistakes. We’re going to make them fast and we’re going to make sure we hit people hard,” Strebig said. “They’re going to learn the playbook, but we just have to find the guys that want to be out there and hit somebody.”
“We have four new starters and they’re young, but they can block and they’re tough and physical and they want to learn. That’s the best thing about them, they want to learn,” Mitchell said.
CMH has the playmakers to score whenever they have the ball, but the question of how consistent the team will be on offense is a key one for 2024.
No. 10 Cedarburg: Countdown to the Top 10 in High School Football: No. 10 Cedarburg Bulldogs
No. 9 Port Washington: Countdown to the High School Football Top 10: No. 9 Port Washington Pirates
They said it
“You have to get there first, nine games are guaranteed and you have to win in the conference. And we never look ahead. We always try to stay ahead. But you know, we play Franklin to open and then we go to Sun Prairie, so we play two really good teams outside the conference and then we’ll see. We just have to get better with every practice, every week.” − Coach Bill Young on the move from WIAA Division 4 to D3 postseason participation for the upcoming playoffs