How best friends lead St. Catherine's football to perfect record

Mariano Talamantez is the diminutive linebacker with piercing eyes, a 3.75 GPA and a knack for leadership.

These best friends are team captains for the second straight season on a St. Catherine’s High School football team that is among the best in the state in its division. This team has gone 15-3, scored an average of 35.5 points and allowed an average of 9.4 during the two seasons Grabher and Talamantez have set the tone on and off the field as captains.

And just as Grabher and Talamantez have peaked as seniors, so has St. Catherine’s. If the Angels wrap up their regular season with a victory over Shoreland Lutheran on Friday in Somers, they will be 9-0 for only the second time since Dan Miller took over the program in 2004.

The only other time was in 2018, when the Angels went on to complete a 14-0 season with the WIAA Division 4 state championship.

Whether St. Catherine’s can match that success remains to be seen. But this team will be a force with Grabher and Talamantez leading the way. That’s evident by the fact St. Catherine’s had outscored its opponents 310-39 this season.

“They not only lead by example, they lead vocally,” Miller said. “They were voted captains for two years, they’re dedicated, committed and passionate about the game of football.

“They’re always in the weight room, pushing other players to be better. They complement each other being on both sides of the ball. And when you have leaders who not only physically put the work in but mentally put the work in, it’s really easy for teammates to follow.”

Here is a closer look at both players.

Army recruit Xzavier Grabher switches positions to help team

First things first: Why the unusual spelling to Grabher’s first name?

“My dad always wanted to have a son named Xavier, and my mom honestly didn’t like the name at first,” Grabher said. “But she wanted to put her own twist on it, so she wanted to put the ‘X’ in there.”

And second: Where did Grabher get the drive to become not only a respected leader but also to earn a place with the Army Black Nights football team starting next season?

Grabher singles out an instance when he was playing youth football about eight years ago.

“I remember we were practicing one time and I definitely was not giving 100% in the drill,” Grabher said. “I really got screamed at by Jose Ramirez (his youth coach who has been St. Catherine’s defensive coordinator the last two seasons).

“Ever since then, it’s always give 100% and do what you need to do. You can’t be, ‘Oh, I’m tired.’ You can’t feel bad for yourself. You signed up for this. This is what you want to do. You want to be great, so you have to be able to do what you need to do and get it done.”

Grabher grew during his time at St. Catherine’s from 6 foot 4 and 190 pounds as a freshman to 6-4 and 280 this season. So exceptional was he on the football field and in the classroom that Army, which is 6-0 and ranked No. 23 in this week’s AP Top 25 poll, offered him a coveted opportunity at West Point.

Talamantez was there during Grabher’s journey to West Point.

The two, who live within a mile of each other, played youth football together with the Racine Gladiators and gradually grew as friends while growing as football players.

“Mariano and I really go back to when we were 7 or 8 years old,” Grabher said. “We started playing football together and we weren’t really super close that first year, but as time went on, we just grew closer and closer.

“Now I consider him my brother. I go to him for everything, he goes to me for everything and we always help each other out. It’s a brotherly bond that will never be broken. We’re really like each other’s therapists and friends.”

Grabher’s value as a football player never was more evident than earlier this season, when he was asked to switch positions for the good of the team.

Miller decided he could strengthen his offensive line by moving Grabher from left tackle, where he earned All-Metro Classic Conference and All-Racine County last season, to center. Grabher, who was in his fourth year as a starter at left tackle, understandably wasn’t thrilled with the move, but he put the team first. And now he’s glad Miller asked him to make the switch.

“We wanted to be the best team possible, so I had to do what I had to do,” Grabher said. “Since then, it’s been a breeze and I’ve loved it. I feel I can lead the line better from that position. It’s a good spot to be in.

“From the center position, I can call out schemes more, like pass protection and, if they’re shifting, I can say, ‘You’ve got him and you’ve got him.’ I feel I have way more control of the offensive line. It’s a major plus where I can really help the guys out when they need it.”

The long-term plan for Grabher is to play for Army, serve his five-year commitment then set up himself for a career in finance in New York City, which is les than 60 miles south of West Point.

But first things first: Grabher’s job still isn’t finished at St. Catherine’s. He is determined to lead the Angels as far as they can go.

“My personal belief is we’re unstoppable,” Grabher said. “We can do some damage in the playoffs. I feel we can make it to that state (championship) game. It’s about putting our minds to it and taking it one game at a time.”

Mariano Talamantez provides steady leadership as a captain

At 5-8 and 180 pounds, Talamantez doesn’t have the size Grabher has to play at the Division I level in college. But take it from Ramirez: This is a player who finds a way to contribute just as much as Grabher.

“He’s definitely the vocal leader on the team,” said Ramirez, a starting linebacker for St. Catherine’s in 2014 when it lost to eventual Division 5 champion Lancaster in the state semifinals. “What Mariano says, goes. Mariano definitely gets the team fired up and kids are willing to go to battle for him because they know he’ll go to battle for each and every one of his teammates.”

Talamantez lacks the size of a classic linebacker, but his statistics don’t show it. He leads the Angels with 45 total tackles (39 solos, nine assists) and has five tackles for loss, two sacks, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions.

How does Talamantez manage such production? One big reason is going against Grabher every day during practice.

“It’s always a blast to go against him in practice,” Talamantez said. “Just getting to go against one of the best in the state every day makes me better. ‘X’ goes hard in practice, and that’s what I like about him. He always giving us the best look on our scout defense.

“It’s a competitive edge that keeps getting us both better.”

The bond is equally strong between the two players off the field.

“I’ve seen him every day for probably the past 12 years,” Talamantaz said. “We get together on the weekends just to kick it and chill, we come to each other when we have problems, we’ll get food together, we’ll have family functions we’ll invite each other to. ... It’s really a deep bond that has generated over the years and just keeps getting closer and closer.”

A similar bond exists throughout the team.

Grabher and Talamantez are the leaders, along with the other two captains — Rudy Pardo and Isaiah Taylor. And there is elite talent to lead.

There’s plenty of experience, considering 27 of the 34 varsity players are either seniors or juniors. And this team has playmakers the likes of wide receiver Lamont Hamilton (seven of his 18 receptions have gone for touchdowns) and running back Imarion Holder (averages 9.7 yards per carry).

How deep into the playoffs St. Catherine’s can advance remains to be seen. But Talamantez is expecting a great deal.

“What I think is special is our bond,” said Talamantez, who is considering Carthage, North Park, Denison and Aurora for next season. “Nobody feels left out. Everyone feels as one.

“We have talent, we have depth, the team is really special and we all have the same goal.”