Catholic Memorial coach Bill Young becomes third coach in state history to win 400 games

WAUKESHA — “Grandpa! Grandpa! Grandpa!”

No, that wasn't the sound of Catholic Memorial football coach Bill Young's grandchildren shouting for his attention Friday night.

That was the entire Crusaders roster chanting for their beloved coach after a 49-0 victory in the first round of the WIAA Division 4 state playoffs over Martin Luther with Young's family surrounding him with hugs, a congratulatory milestone banner and three numeral balloons that made out the number 400.

With Friday's victory, the Crusaders moved on to the Level 2 playoffs to face No. 6 seed Lake Mills. Young was bathed (literally by a postgame Gatorade bath) in praise Friday and celebrated becoming the third coach in state history to win 400 games as a head coach, joining the likes of St. Mary's Springs coach Bob Hyland and Edgar coach Jerry Sinz.

“Well, they give me good players here,” Young said with a hearty laugh when asked about last year's premonition from daughter Sara about the leader of the Crusaders coaching until he's 90 yards old.

“I got support. It's all about talent and coaching good kids. We'll see (laughs).”

Those “good players” made quite an impact in Friday's win. Six different Crusaders found the end zone, including two defensive scores.

After a false start on the first offensive snap of the night, Penn State recruit Corey Smith officially made his return to the spotlight with a little help from his quarterback. Smith, who returned last week to limited action in a 42-14 win over Wauwatosa West after suffering a broken collarbone in Week 1, caught a beautiful 74-yard strike from MJ Mitchell to put the Crusaders in front early.

Josh Oechsner, Damyias Lopez and Matt Miklosy all picked off passes from Spartans quarterback Jack Henry Strohmeyer with Oechsner and Lopez's interceptions being returned for touchdowns and a 21-0 lead for Catholic Memorial just 17 seconds into the second quarter. On the night, the Crusaders forced five Spartans turnovers, all in the first two quarters.

“I think a lot of what has to do with our season after those first two losses is (defensive coordinator) Ryan Stefaniak and our defense,” Young said. “He and (defensive backs coach) Mitch Schultz have been terrific. We're really getting better.”

On the next Martin Luther possession, Miklosy ripped the ball out of Tyrone Sanford's hands around midfield, leading to a 5-yard touchdown run from Xavier McClinton to make it 28-0 Crusaders with 8:43 left before the break.

“It's survive and advance now,” Miklosy said. “(Coach Young) and the coaches prepare us during the week. We won this game on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. (Coach Young)'s the man. He really gets us prepared.”

Smith tacked on his second touchdown of the night with 17 seconds left in the half on a jet-sweep handoff where he made three Spartans defenders miss on his way to paydirt and a 35-0 halftime advantage to run the clock quicker toward Young's 400th victory. Mitchell and speedster Marvanous Butler-Brown each added a second-half touchdown to put the cherry on top of a perfect night for the program.

The impact of Bill Young on and off the field

During the postgame festivities, Young took a quick moment away from the cameras and microphones to make sure his wife and high school sweetheart, Gail, received a celebratory kiss on the cheek.

“He's worked so hard,” Gail Young said. “I see how hard he works all the time, from January through December honestly. I'm really proud of him. He deserves this. He's very humble. He doesn't like this kind of stuff, but as a family, we've been there for him and we've supported him. We're all so happy for him. I don't know what he's going to do when he retires (laughs). It's so nerve-racking.”

For the players, they join a lengthy list of athletes who have been grateful for Young's tutelage over his 46 seasons as the Crusaders head coach.

“This is definitely history,” Miklosy said. “We're gonna enjoy this and celebrate this. We love our team. We love our coach. He's the best. It's a blessing to be a part of this team and this program. Come next week, it's business as usual. We gotta go get the next one.”

Said Smith, “(Coach Young) and I, we have a real tight relationship. Sometimes, we're not on the right wavelength, but for the most part, we're laughing and giggling, but when it's business time, it's business time. The best thing he's taught me is discipline. Do the right thing, the right time, the right way and everything will play its part. It's been a blessing. I could've gone to any high school, but I chose Catholic Memorial because I knew having someone so experienced like him could help me and take me to the next level.”

For Young, from a 27-year-old to one of the greatest coaches in the state's history, it's been about the community he's built over almost five decades of coaching at Catholic Memorial. It wouldn't on Friday and usually doesn't take too long to find one of Young's former players in the stands or on the roster sheet as an assistant coach.

“Everyone looks for different slogans and buzz words,” Young said. “To me, Catholic Memorial has always been a family. Our first state championship, we made our first T-shirts, ‘We Are Family’, you know, Sly and the Family Stone and Sister Sledge ... we made those shirts in 1979. It really is a family.”

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bill Young becomes third coach in state history to win 400 games