MA-CATHOLIC: Coaches have championship pedigree

Coaches Robert Johnson of Montgomery Academy and Aubrey Blackwell of Catholic are products of winning programs during their playing days in high school. (File photos)

By GRAHAM DUNN

Aubrey Blackwell and Robert Johnson don’t necessarily fit the old adage of “twin sons of different mothers.” They are roughly 12 years apart in age.

But there are similarities in the football upbringing for the two coaches in Friday’s Class 3A tilt between Montgomery Academy and Montgomery Catholic.

Namely, they cut their football teeth in championship programs.

Johnson learned from longtime MA coach John Tatum, who led the Eagles to the 1987 1A championship. Johnson was the center on that team that beat Billingsley in the finals.

“He used to say he was pleased but not satisfied so we are pleased but not satisfied unless we finish,” Johnson said.

Blackwell was part of the 1999 Robert E. Lee team under Jimmy Perry that went to the state championship game despite a 4-6 regular season. It is the year that is known mostly for the duel against Sidney Lanier in the semifinals where more than 20,000 filled Cramton Bowl.

“The atmosphere in 1999 was incredible,” Blackwell said. “They had beaten us in the regular season. We had beaten No. 1 seed Opelika, 14-6. We end up seeing Lanier again. I’ll remember that night for the rest of my life.”

You can almost hear their mentors in their voices when they talk.

“Experience is a great teacher, knowing those situations,” Johnson said. “Aubrey can win on his experiences and I can on mine. I try to emulate what Coach Tatum taught me and put the preparation as the most important thing.”

Blackwell has enjoyed success almost since he arrived at Catholic in 2015. After a 4-6 start in his first year, he has led the Knights to the playoffs every season since then. He is the only coach in school history to lead the program to more than two consecutive playoff berths.

Johnson has been a champion nearly everywhere he’s been in his 24 years as a head coach. He spent 10 years at St. James and moved on to four different schools before arriving at his alma mater last spring.

There, he was greeted with the difficulties of starting at a program  under COVID-19 protocols.

“I can’t put it into words (how difficult it was),” Johnson said. “It’s been a whirlwind. It seems like yesterday we met the guys. I can’t reflect too much at this time what it meant to go through that.”

This is the second meeting between the two teams having played back on Sept. 25. Both agree that beating a team twice in a season is difficult. But MA has already done it, disposing of Trinity a second time last week.

“They are completely different,” Johnson said of Catholic. “They are really good. They were strong to begin with. We were just fortunate to win that (first) ballgame. What they are doing defensively is going to give us fits. Offensively they tweaked a few things and you wouldn’t believe the  difference that makes.”

“I think it’s better to be on this side,” Blackwell said. “That gives us that chip on our shoulder to play with.”