By Rubin E. Grant
Zach Archer has a tough time getting out of bed on Saturday mornings in the fall.
That’s understandable, given what he does on Friday nights.
John Carroll Catholic’s versatile senior football player spends almost the entirety of the Cavaliers’ games on the field, playing 95% of the plays on offense (as a receiver), defense (as a safety) and special teams.
“I’m always waking up on Saturdays feeling heavy and sore,” Archer said. “It’s the most painful day of the week for me.”
But Archer, a four-year starter, wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I’ve always played as much as I could,” Archer said. “Coach (Will) Mara told me if I wanted to be recruited for college I needed to play as many positions as I could so they could look at how versatile I am. I like playing offense and defense, trying to help the team as much as I can.”
Mara describes him as an untiring worker who just loves the game.
“He is one of the hardest-working young men to ever come through here,” Mara said. “He’s a straight-up football player. He’s one of those kids who gets it. He has a good understanding of the flow of football and the flow of the game.
“He’s been the absolute focal point of our defense. We’ve built our defense around him since his freshman year. He’s always in the right place.
“He’s a bit undersized at 5-foot-9, 170 pounds. If he were taller, I think he would be a D-1 (NCAA Division 1) player. I hope he does get an opportunity to play at the next level somewhere.”
Archer and Mara, who’s in his fourth season as the Cavs’ head coach, share a special bond, going back to when Archer began playing football in middle school in the seventh grade.
“Coach Mara was my coach over there, so all I’ve known is coach Mara my whole football career,” Archer said. “We’re close. The majority of the senior class is very close to him. We’ve got a bond. We know each other well and we have good chemistry.”
Archer is glad Mara allows him to play both ways for the Cavs, although he prefers being a nickelback rather than a safety on defense.
“I think I have a bigger impact on defense,” Archer said. “I used to play nickel – I liked playing the nickel – but this year I got moved to safety. The most fun I have is at slot receiver on offense. I love getting the ball, making plays and scoring.”
Archer leads the Cavaliers in tackles with more than 50. On offense, he has more than 400 total yards and has scored four touchdowns, all receiving.
John Carroll opened the season with five consecutive wins, surpassing its win total of last season, when it finished 3-7. With another victory, the Cavs can clinch their first winning season since 2010, when they finished 6-4. They posted 5-5 records in each of Mara’s first two seasons as head coach.
“When coach Mara came in, he brought in a different mindset,” Archer said. “My freshman and sophomore year we had some good athletes, but we didn’t have senior leadership. My junior year, it was rough, but this year we came in with a different mindset about what we want for the team. We didn’t want to be mediocre, but we wanted to excel and make the most of what we have.
“The biggest difference has been senior leadership and everybody buying in to what we’re doing.”
John Carroll lost its past two games, both Class 5A, Region 5 contests, falling 37-12 at Pleasant Grove and 28-0 at Ramsay.
Still, they are 5-2 overall, 3-2 in region, with a chance to clinch a playoff berth with a win Friday at Jasper (1-6, 1-4) or next week at home against Wenonah (6-2, 3-2). John Carroll closes the regular season Nov. 3 at home against Maplesville in a non-region game.
Looking Ahead With Confidence
The Cavs are not phased by their two-game losing streak.
“We’re definitely going into the next three games feeling more confident,” Archer said. “At the beginning of the season, we knew Pleasant Grove and Ramsay would be the toughest games on our schedule. So we’re confident we can bounce back.”
John Carroll is trying to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2009.
“I feel like making the playoffs is a huge goal for us just because it hasn’t been done in the school in over 10 years,” Archer said. “And actually making it would show the change and difference that the seniors and I brought to the team this year. And it would change the negative reputation that John Carroll has built up over these years.”
