One cool Cat: Granite Bay coach Cattolico is throwback on the cusp of another championship
Joe Cattolico is the son of a coach. He understands the nature of football, what it takes to build up programs, to build up a teenager’s self esteem, and that new challenges bring out the best in those who care. This includes coaches.
Cattolico in 1998 won a Central Coast Section championship at Overfelt High School in San Jose as a 24-year-old wiz-kid coach not far removed from his Ivy League days at Princeton. He started Pleasant Grove High’s football program from scratch when that school opened in the Elk Grove Unified School District in 2005. His 266-game winning father, Butch, followed, initially to babysit little toddlers as Grandpa Cat, but he remained in coaching to help his son. Those Eagles won a Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship in 2010 and played for another in 2011 when current 49ers defensive lineman and team captain Arik Armstead was in the trenches.
Cattolico then headed to nearby Sheldon and produced seasons of 8-4, 9-3 and 10-2. More challenges conquered. He headed to Placer County in a family move, coached a spell at Roseville High, and then landed the coveted Granite Bay gig in the spring of 2021 in what resonated as a boom-time hire for the Grizzlies.
Now, Cattolico is back in a section final, leading the upstart Grizzlies into Saturday’s 6 p.m. Division II showdown against top-seeded Manteca at Sacramento City College’s Hughes Stadium.
Cattolico in 2021 called the move into the rigorous Sierra Foothill League a “great mountain to climb.” He’s so close to the summit that he can smell it, but it’s always been much more than just wins and losses for Cattolico. That’s all gravy on top of the main course. It’s about helping young men become mature men, dealing with the ups and downs in a sport that’s all about getting hit, going down, getting up and hitting back.
Cattolico is old school enough that he would be just fine with 10-game regular seasons and no playoffs like the really old days, but he understands why there are section and state tournaments. And he’s in it to win it, matching the desires of his players. He is no fan of those who “show courage,” as he says, anonymously criticizing student-athletes on social media, but understands social media is here to stay and that it does have its benefits.
Football has changed, as has the landscape, but the principles and foundation remain the same: Effort. So when a powerhouse program of Granite Bay’s stature had a chance to land a coach of Cattolico’s pedigree?
“You do it!” said Granite Bay athletic director Tim Healy. “(Previous coach) Jeff Evans and I talked about a continuity plan. What kind of person do we want to take over? Joe’s been outstanding. He doesn’t need the spotlight. It’s truly about growing young people. He’s a throwback. We have a great coaching staff. I’d take it up against anyone.”
The Grizzlies staff includes Ernie Cooper. He started the Grizzlies football program from the ground level when the school opened in 1996, turning it into a force in short order, winning five section banners. Cooper stepped aside to recharge, to be a father and husband full time. Evans kept the Grizzlies train rolling, winning the D-II section crown in 2017.
Evans is still involved in the program as the director of alumni. The varsity staff also includes Norm Ryan, a section championship coach at Casa Roble. Cooper in 2011 told The Bee that Cattolico was a uniquely gifted leader and “he may be the best coach around here before long, if he isn’t already.”
Granite Bay players marvel at how Cattolico can manage a game, calling offensive plays and the defense without the benefit of headsets. It’s all data bouncing inside his considerable brain.
“It’s amazing what he does,” Granite Bay quarterback McCade Long said. “He’s a great coach. He has a motto: ‘Who wants to keep playing?’ We didn’t want our season to end.”
Granite Bay started the season 5-0 and rose to No. 2 in The Bee’s rankings. Then a four-game skid in league play humbled the team — and challenged them. The losses were 21-10 to Del Oro, 17-16 to Oak Ridge, 21-14 to Rocklin and 55-27 to Folsom. Once the playoffs hit, the Grizzlies hit their stride. They matured by the week. Granite Bay as the No. 6 seed — Cattolico said that was too low — downed Inderkum 24-14 in a D-II opener, beat 10-0 Downey of Modesto 42-24, and followed with a measure of revenge against Del Oro, delivering a 27-16 semifinal victory.
“There definitely was some concern,” Cattolico said of the four-game losing streak. “You find out a lot about yourselves. I’m proud of our guys.”
Cattolico never lost faith in Long, who admittedly had his worst game of his career in the first Del Oro game and then had his biggest game of the season in the rematch, accounting for three touchdowns. Long is a 6-foot-4, 210-pound senior college prospect, a 4.2-GPA student who balances an offense that also features burner back Carter Jackson and powerhouse fullback Isaiah Ene. The defense has been anchored by junior linebacker Frank Cusano, a truck at 6-2 and 210 pounds. He, too, is a college prospect.
The bonus joy for the head coach and his assistant coach father is watching the development of a sophomore receiver who wears jersey No. 84. That’s Joseph Cattolico, son of the head coach. He’s not on varsity as a gift. The kid had to earn it.
“Joseph had an amazing, finger-tip catch in stride against Downey,” said Healy, the athletic director. “I know his dad’s proud.”
Said the proud coach, “This is his second year of tackle football. He jumped into the deep end of the pool. Proud of him. I didn’t play tackle until I was a freshman. I was a sophomore on the JV team, and I remember riding my bike to school. Joseph isn’t the only one who can’t legally drive a car on our team. We’re that young.”
The Grizzlies are indeed a youthful lot. Jackson, Ene and the coach’s son are among an army of players who will return for another mountain climb in 2023. They’ll again be led by the sage old coach, a throwback in a new era of football, seeking the mountain top.
This story was originally published November 24, 2022 at 6:00 AM.