By Jim O'Hara
 
ROME, Ga. – As bad as the hurt was for his team, Shorter head coach Phil Jones has quickly put things in perspective for the Hawks this week.

Three days after suffering what was perhaps the most heartbreaking loss ever suffered in the 10-year history of the program, when visiting Florida Tech scored the winning touchdown on a Hail Mary pass as time expired to stun Shorter last Saturday, the Hawks were quickly turning their attention to yet another and even bigger Gulf South Conference challenge this Saturday when they head to Florence, Ala., to square off against the No. 15-ranked North Alabama Lions.

"It was gut-wrenching," Jones said about the loss to Florida Tech, one that saw the Hawks score a go-ahead touchdown with 25 seconds left to play before FIT came up with the game-winning play.  "But the kids played very, very hard. It was an effort that was as good as I can remember. I'm so proud of how hard they played.

"We've always believed that this game teaches us life lessons," the coach went on to say. "This won't be the last time that 'the ball' will fall in someone else's hands. Yes, it was totally devastating but there will be other 'balls' that will be thrown at us in life."

"To have an effort like that and not come back from it – that would be the real tragedy."

The Hawks (3-5 overall, 1-4 conference) clearly know that they must rise up and turn in the same kind of effort against North Alabama, which was handed its first loss of the season on Saturday when Delta State handed UNA (7-1, 4-1) a 33-28 setback and no doubt will be determined to get back in the win column against Shorter and remain in the GSC title hunt.

"We've got to accentuate the positives," Jones said.

Although the final play of the Florida Tech game wasn't what they envisioned, the Hawks came up with plenty of positives to build on and carry with them this week with the offense turning in its most impressive output of the season.

All told, Shorter finished the day establishing season-highs in total yards (411) and points (30) while two Hawks went over the 100-yard rushing marks with freshman Aki Coles reeling off 116 yards and Eric Dodson adding another 103 yards.

The Hawks, who have struggled in third down conversions all season, set a high standard against FIT successfully converting seven of 13 tries and were equally successful on fourth down attempts, the big one coming on Shorter's go-ahead touchdown drive in the final minute when on a fourth-and-25 situation Dodson hit Trey Lawhorn with a 27-yard pass to keep it alive.

Shorter's defense also returned to the active and physical style of play they opened the season with, keeping what was a potent Florida Tech offense in check for the entire first half, shutting out the Panthers in the first half, something no other team had accomplished.

Yet what Jones saw along with the effort was the addition of fever-pitched emotion from all of the Hawks, especially along the sideline where those on the field were bolstered by their teammates standing – and jumping up and down during key moments – outside the lines.

"The defense was doing it when the offense was on the field and the offense did it for the defense," Jones said. "There was excitement we haven't had. You could see them believe and feel that they could do anything.

"We've got to get that back this week, especially against a team like North Alabama," he said, "and I feel our kids will do it. They know they can play in this league."