_{Charlotte Sports Group – Athlete of the Week/November 16, 2009}

_{By Jay Edwards, Charlotte Sports Group}

Anthony Carrothers is used to winning. The Independence senior quarterback has guided his team to 37-5 record in his three years as a starter. But Carrothers still has one thing he wants to add to his resume: a state championship.

“We want to win it all and we’re thinking about that,” Carrothers said, after the Patriots beat East Forsyth 56-14 in the first round of the 4A playoffs. “But right now, we got to take it one step at a time to get to our (ultimate) goal.”

Carrothers was in championship form last Friday when he passed 281 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 38 yards and two more scores. Carrothers, Charlotte Sports Group’s Athlete of the Week, has now has passed for 3,102 yards and 30 touchdowns on the season.

“We are as good as Anthony Carrothers can be,” Independence football coach Tom Knotts said. “When (Anthony) is on, he is as good as player in the state.”

Carrothers, who has also rushed for over 500 yard and 15 scores this season, will need to be at his best this week, when Independence travels to Mallard Creek for their second round playoff game. The Patriots beat Mallard Creek 42-41 in week one this year, when the Mavericks failed to convert a two-point conversion on the last play of the game.

“We feel like that game was a little bit of a fluke,” Carrothers said. “It should have never been that close, but now we have to go out and prove it.”