Catholic’s Anna Russo and Dominique Lynn collide on an interception during the Knights’ win over Carroll on Monday. (Tim Gayle)

By TIM GAYLE

After reaching the Class 1A-5A finals last season in their second year as a flag football program, the Catholic Knights returned most of the team intact, determined to finish the mission this year and win a state championship.

“We grew a lot,” sophomore Hayden Fitts said, “and we all have each other’s back. We’re just connecting a lot.”

All three seniors on last year’s team -- lineman Carsyn Hawkins, tailback Ann Cobb and quarterback Jehle Dickson -- contributed to the success of the squad, but Dickson’s shoes would be the biggest to fill. Not just anyone can step in and direct an offense at a championship-caliber level.

Into that void stepped Fitts, an undersized but super quick athlete. Fitts started the season as a running threat, but had her best game as a passer on Monday, completing 11 of 21 passes for 179 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Knights to a 34-0 shutout of Carroll in the first round of the 1A-5A state playoffs.

Catholic (16-5) earned its eighth shutout of the season and will advance to the second round of the playoffs next week against the winner of Thursday’s game between Elberta and Valley.

“I feel kind of the same way as last year, that defense is our strong point right now and we’re getting there on offense,” Catholic coach Whitney Toole said. “We’re trying to work some more things in but we have a new quarterback this year so she’s trying to find her footing. But she’s going to help us with a lot of things. She brings a lot of speed to the table and that’s going to help us a lot in the long run.”

Fitts used her feet last year as a return specialist, receiver and defender, but this year Toole needed her arm to win games.

“I’ve been quick to learn,” Fitts said. “I just worked hard in the offseason and even on days we don’t practice.”

On Monday, the Knights used two quarterbacks. Setting up in their traditional blocking formation with Anna Russo and Avery Sadler in front as blockers and Fitts in shotgun formation behind the two, the snap occassionally went to Sadler, who completed 7 of 7 passes for 53 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

“We try to read the middle a lot and we’re lucky to with Avery because Avery can throw the ball,” Toole said. “Honestly, we were just trying to mix in ways she can throw the ball and we found that it works a lot. We’ve seen other teams do it to us so we’re trying to mix in a little bit of what they do into ours. She has an arm, so we might as well try to use it.”

Sadler completed a pair of short touchdown passes to Lily Abbott in the first half, while Fitts connected on a 39-yard touchdown pass to Haley Ishman early in the second quarter. Taking over at the Carroll 35 with 18.4 seconds remaining, Fitts missed on a pass to Ishman, hit Frances Ann Rogers with a 5-yard pass, then hurled a pass down the center of the field for Ishman in the end zone with 0.6 seconds remaining for a 27-0 halftime lead.

Catholic scored on its first possession of the second half as Fitts threw up a fourth-and-16 pass that Abbott gathered in and sprinted to the 1-yard line for a 35-yard gain. Fitts hit Russo on the next play for a touchdown.

Carroll put together its best drive on its final possession, marching 36 yards to the Catholic 16 before turning over on downs. Carroll quarterback Ja’Mya Williams completed 10 of 25 passes for 61 yards, with Dominique Lynn catching nine of those passes for 59 yards.

Defensively, Sydney Riggins had six tackles, followed by Lynn with three and Cayden Jefferson with three stops, a pass breakup and an interception.

For Catholic, Abbott had nine receptions for 90 yards, two touchdowns and a conversion reception; Ishman had two receptions for 69 yards and a pair of touchdowns, along with a conversion reception; Russo had three receptions for 21 yards and a touchdown, along with a conversion reception; and Rogers had four receptions for 46 yards.    

But it was the defense that once again stole the show, holding the Eagles out of the end zone. Jamie McGuire had six stops, followed by Haylei Mason with five and Russo with five stops, a pass breakup and an interception.

It’s the type of defense Catholic fans saw a lot in the run to the 2023 finals.

“We’re better,” Fitts said. “We came back stronger this year.”

AHSAA FLAG FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS

Here are the pairings for the first round of the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s flag football playoffs.

CLASS 6A-7A

Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa at Daphne, Tuesday, 6 p.m.

Davidson at Auburn, Tuesday, 5 p.m.

Enterprise at Northridge, Thursday, 4 p.m.

Opelika at McGill-Toolen, Tuesday, 5 p.m.

Alma Bryant 27, Smiths Station 12

Dothan 7, Brookwood 0

Central-Phenix City 46, Theodore 0

Central-Tuscaloosa at Foley, Wednesday, 5 p.m.

Austin at Hueytown, Tuesday, 6 p.m.

Spain Park at Clay-Chalkville, Tuesday, 6 p.m.

Jackson-Olin at Decatur, Wednesday, 6 p.m.

Gadsden City at Vestavia Hills, Tuesday, 6 p.m.

Oxford vs. Prattville (at Marbury HS), Wednesday, 6 p.m.

Minor at Lee, Tuesday, 6 p.m.

Hoover at Hewitt-Trussville, Tuesday, 6 p.m.

Bob Jones at Homewood, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.

CLASS 1A-5A

Francis Marion at Brewbaker Tech, Wednesday, 6 p.m.

LeFlore at Booker T. Washington, Tuesday, 4 p.m.

Catholic 34, Carroll 0

Valley at Elberta, Thursday, 7 p.m.

B.C. Rain 24, Lee-Scott Academy 20

Charles Henderson at Marbury, Tuesday, 6 p.m.

Tallassee 68, Satsuma 0

Selma at Northside Methodist, Tuesday, 4:30 p.m.

Moody 34, St. Clair County 0

Sipsey Valley vs. Ramsay at Moody, Tuesday, 6 p.m.

Midfield at Boaz, Tuesday, 6 p.m.

Anniston at Greensboro, Thursday, 5:30 p.m.

Fultondale at Northside, Tuesday, 6 p.m.

John Carroll at Westminster Christian, Tuesday, 6 p.m.

Hale County at Leeds, Wednesday, 6 p.m.

Wenonah 42, J.B. Pennington 0