North Meck and Charlotte Catholic will face off for the North Carolina single-school title Saturday after both won their semifinals.

Charlotte Catholic defeated Myers Park 59-0 last week, and North Meck edged Hough 17-13.

Charlotte Catholic led by senior forward captain Braedon Mead and team captain Joe O'Shields. Mead scored a hat trick as Catholic physically dominated the young Mustangs, while O'Shields kept Myers Park pinned on their side of the field with his accurate kicking. 

Patrick McElravey gets the Charlotte Catholic team pumped

North Meck looks for a way through the Hough defense.

See a video from USA 7s star Carlin Isles wishing the North Meck team luck.

This was a nice follow-up for Catholic after their 2-1 performance in Tier II of the Boys National High School Championships, in which they finished 2nd. Coach Ian Mueller took over the team mid-season after Raon Villacura left to take a job at another school. Mueller had been doing a little coaching while playing with the local club, and took over, instilling a new pattern of play and creating a system that the players responded to.

“We have a tremendous amount of athletic ability,” said Mueller, “and I think it showed at Nationals. That final [against New Jersey’s Union County] could have gone either way.”

Catholic was able to exert themselves physically in games, and also showed they can run. They had a duple of potential tries called back against Union, which could have changed the game. But they certainly showed they know how to exploit space.

“At the end of the day, though, our physicality and fitness overpowers teams,” said Mueller. “We feel very confident.”

Senior prop/hooker Miguel Lavarro has enjoyed an excellent season, and will join the Kutztown rugby program in the fall. 

“He’s a good athlete and very fluid,” said Mueller. “He could play on the wing.”

Mead and O’Shields have also played well throughout the season.

Catholic will take on a North Meck team that really had to work for their state final spot.

“Every time North Meck plays Hough, in any sport, it's an intense contest,” said Head Coach Brent Pasko. “Playoff rugby is no different. The stands were crowded on both sides and the players didn't disappoint. Every time we scored, they answered within two minutes. It went that way until we punched one in and settled into our defensive pattern. After that, we kept Hough inside their own 22 for the final seven or eight minutes.”

Pasko had his charges work on their kicking for space leading into the game and it paid off, as their chase was strong and they got the bounces.

Leading the way for North Meck is Anthony Recinos, a state select-side player at flanker last season, he switched to flyhalf in the middle of this spring, and has energized the team with his ball handling and support play, and he’s not afraid to clear out in a ruck when needed.