Mike Moritz is the man for the job.
The Camden Catholic junior quarterback prides himself on being a bit of a bookworm and a film enthusiast when it comes to football. And it’s a good thing he does, considering he’s had to learn multiple playbooks in his short time at the high school.
The Irish are beginning a new era of their high school football program, after a few coach changes, which means there have been a lot of learning curves since Moritz arrived as a freshman two summers ago.
“Three different offenses, three different defenses. I had to learn a whole bunch of different plays. Even now, I have to know every position on the field. But I actually enjoy it,” said Moritz, a dual threat lefty quarterback who hails from Palmyra.
Moritz was mostly a backup quarterback his freshman year before taking the reins of the Irish offense last season as a sophomore. He threw for 563 yards and four touchdowns while running for 278 yards and five scores. He also returned punts and kicks, played safety and handled punting duties. The arrival of head coach Wayne Gilliam meant a little extra study time as the new coach implemented a new system.
“It’s a lot of homework,” Moritz said. “But I genuinely like watching film and studying my plays. I find enjoyment in every part of the game.”
It’s partly what makes Moritz such a fierce competitor.
“Right now, if you played him in Tic-Tac-Toe and you beat him, he’s going to want to keep playing you until he wins,” Gilliam said. “He’s always trying to find ways to get better.”
The Irish went 1-8 last season and were outscored 356-80 under coach Dwayne Savage. However, this fall brings optimism as the Irish look to land more often in the win column.
“I tell my guys there are only two things that you can control, and that’s energy and effort,” Gilliam said. “Everything else, you just need to leave up to God. I do the same thing with my coaching staff. I tell them to be the coach that you wish you had. I want our guys to be energetic and bubbly. I want people to know that while Camden Catholic has had three coaches in three years, these guys have the energy and are ready.”
It helps to have a teen like Moritz calling the signals at quarterback. He comes from a family of athletes, as his father, Luke, was a highly touted wrestler and a three-sport athlete in high school. Moritz is one of seven children, and there were sports being played constantly in the Moritz household.
Moritz, who is also a three-sport athlete, said he actually gets razzed a bit for playing basketball instead of wrestling in the winter. “My uncle and grandfather were wrestlers, too,” he said. “It goes back far. Moritz is a big wrestling family.”
If he decided to change his wintertime sport, he’s at the right place to do it. Camden Catholic is the defending state champ.
No matter the sport, Moritz is always ready.
“Once I get into a game, there’s no stopping me,” Moritz said. “Everything fuels me. Whether it’s a bad play or a good play, everything gets me motivated for the next play.”
Gilliam knows things will take a little time for the program to strengthen at Camden Catholic. But he feels that everyone is committed to the long haul.
“All my coaches here have had some experience playing at the collegiate level,” he said. “We’re trying to bring that collegiate feel back to high school football. We have scripted practices. Our guys understand that every minute of every practice counts, and that’s what we want to instill in them. We might be down right now, but that’s not where we’re going to be forever.”
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