The ’73 Cavs remain the only undefeated team in the history of the John Carroll football program, which dates to 1946.By Rubin E. Grant
When the Toy Bowl Association, an athletic league sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham, was founded in 1952, no one could have foreseen how it would pave the way for a state championship team two decades later.
The Toy Bowl was the first youth football league in Birmingham and turned into a breeding ground of athletes for John Carroll Catholic High School. Among them were high school All-Americans Pat Sullivan, in 1967, and Lou Green, 1973.
In 1972, a bunch of those former Toy Bowl players led the Cavaliers to a 9-2 season, setting a school record for wins, and reached the state playoffs for the first time. They didn’t stick around long, losing 25-13 at Oxford in the first round.
But the Cavs were just warming up.
In 1973, John Carroll was unstoppable, finishing 12-0 and winning the Class 3A championship, which at the time was the second-highest classification in the state.
“We had 29 seniors on that team,” said Bobby Lorino, who was a senior wide receiver. “I didn’t get to play a lot ‘cause we had so many good ballplayers.
“It all stems back to the Toy Bowl days. We played together then and then got together in high school. We had a great nucleus of players, and it was one of those once-in-a-lifetime things.”
Coached by James McNally, a 1953 graduate of John Carroll, the 1973 Cavs outscored their 12 opponents 296-37, recording seven shutouts, including five during the regular season.
They had four seniors named first-team All-State: Green, a guard-tackle; linebacker-tackle Pat LaRock; tackle Pat Mullen; and running back Ronald Wright. Junior running back Mark Salem was named second-team All-State. Green went to the University of Alabama and LaRock went to Auburn University.
“It was an incredible group of athletes,” said Mike Bouton, John Carroll High School director of Alumni Relations. “And it wasn’t just in football, but multiple sports.
“I had graduated in the spring of ’73 and was at St. Joseph’s seminary outside Covington, Louisiana, but I came up to watch them against T.R. Miller in the playoffs. It was an intense game. They were really something.”
High Expectations
Coming off their first playoff appearance in 1972, the Cavs figured they had a chance to win it all.
“The expectations were high,” Lorino said. “We went to the playoffs the year before and had almost everybody back.”
“We were 9-2 our junior year and that catapulted us as a team,” Green said. “We had a great class, not only the athletes but the entire student body. We were like a family.
“I remember playing a lot of good teams in ’73. We played several 4A teams (then the highest classification).”
The Cavs opened the season with a 13-10 victory against Mountain Brook. Trailing 10-7 in the fourth quarter, John Carroll recovered a fumble at the Spartans’ 15-yard line and scored the winning touchdown two plays later on quarterback Tom Donahue’s pass to split end Bruce Petway. Petway also caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Norman Moreno in the second quarter.
The 10 points were the most John Carroll would allow in any game that season. The Cavs followed the victory against the Spartans with shutouts of Abrams (43-0) and Shades Valley (20-0).
Then, they beat Homewood 27-6 with defensive end Bill Self returning a fumble 73 yards for the Cavs’ first touchdown.
They capped the regular season with victories against Fairfield (26-0), Thompson (28-6), Glenn (34-0 on homecoming), Vestavia Hills (34-8) and Childersburg (21-0).
State Playoff Title Run
In the state playoffs, John Carroll won its first two games by identical 10-0 scores against Sheffield in the first round and against T.R. Miller of Brewton in the semifinals.
Against Sheffield, the teams were scoreless at halftime before the Cavs scored 10 points in the third quarter. Johnny Walker, who had intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble in the first half, kicked a 23-yard field goal and Wright scored on a 10-yard run.
Against T.R. Miller, Walker kicked a 23-yard field goal in the first quarter and Wright ran for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, set up by a Mike Muro fumble recovery. LaRock had 10 tackles in the game.
That set up a showdown with undefeated and once-tied Andalusia in the championship game. Andalusia had recorded shutouts of Thompson (36-0) and Cherokee County (21-0) in its first two playoff games and entered the contest with five consecutive shutouts.
But the Bulldogs couldn’t hang with the Cavs on the final day of November at Legion Field in Birmingham. John Carroll won convincingly, 30-7. It was the most points Andalusia (11-1-1) allowed during the entire season.
In the championship game, John Carroll trailed 7-6 early in the second quarter after Andalusia’s Albert Weeden scored on an 18-yard run. It was the only rushing touchdown the Cavs allowed the entire season.
Salem had scored on a 7-yard run in the first quarter to give the Cavs a quick 6-0 lead, but Walker missed the PAT.
Following Andalusia’s touchdown, Wright scampered 80 yards around left end and down the sideline for a touchdown with 2:39 remaining in the half. Walker passed to Moreno for the two-point, putting the Cavs ahead to stay, 14-7.
With nine seconds left in the half, Walker kicked a 24-yard field goal, giving John Carroll a 17-7 halftime lead. Walker’s 35-yard interception return set up the field goal.
Salem scored on a 1-yard run with 3:05 remaining in the third quarter and John Mullen returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown with 13 seconds to play to cap the scoring.
The Cavs had 290 yards total offense, including 216 on the ground, while holding Andalusia to 186 total yards, including 132 rushing.
The Cavs’ defense forced six turnovers, four interceptions and two fumbles. They had more interceptions, with four, than pass completions by Andalusia (3 of 16 for 54 yards).
“It was a great team effort,” said Green, who now runs a bitcoin business. “We had some sure-fire bandits. John Mullen would practice making interceptions with one hand, then in the championship game he wound up intercepting a pass and running it back for a touchdown.”
Recognition
With this being the 50th anniversary of that state championship, the team will be recognized before the Sept. 22 home game against Carver. The 1973 and 1974 indoor and outdoor track teams, which featured many of same players, also will be honored.
“I can’t believe it’s been 50 years and we’re the only undefeated team the school has ever had,” said Lorino, now a restauranteur. “I think that makes it even better. It’s kind of like a record that might not be broken.”
The ’73 Cavs remain the only undefeated team in the history of the John Carroll football program, which dates to 1946.
“Some folks have compared us to the 1972 Miami Dolphins,” Green said, referring to the only undefeated team in NFL history. “It was a special class. I was glad to be part of it.
“We still get together once a week on Tuesdays, about 12 of us, at Full Moon Barbecue.”
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