Box Score By Jim O'Hara
 
ATLANTA, Ga. – The wait is finally over.

For the first time this season, the Shorter Hawks broke into the win column thanks to a record-setting performance when they handed host Clark-Atlanta a 58-14 non-conference defeat Saturday night at Panther Stadium.

The win – the victory was head coach Phil Jones' 50th win at Shorter – gives the Hawks a 1-8 overall record heading as they will turn their attention to their final Gulf South Conference clash of the season next Saturday night in Livingston, Ala., against No. 21-ranked West Alabama.

What Shorter will take with them is not only a win that closed the door on what has been a year of adversity, but what was one of the most impressive performances in the history of the program.

Most notable was the amount of points the Hawks put on the scoreboard as the 58 points became the most ever for Shorter in a game, overcoming a 56-point outing against Union in 2009.

Quarterback Eric Dodson also emerged breaking his own record for most yards in a season as he passed for 111 yards that gives him 1,017 yards – it is the first time a Shorter quarterback has gone over the 1,000-yard mark – for the year.

The Hawks' signal-caller ended the night rushing for a game-high 111 yards and three touchdowns and passing for two more
TDs to the same receiver, red-shirt freshman Darius Turner, that covered 84 and 10 yards.

All told, the Hawks rolled up 487 total yards – the most this year – with 376 of that coming on the ground and also a season-best.

While Shorter's offense was having its way throughout the night, the Hawks' defense turned in their best showing as they held the Panthers (2-5) to just 202 total yards that was the team low on the year.

The Hawks needed less than three minutes after the opening kick-off to find the end zone when on their opening drive they covered 77 yards on six plays with Dodson scoring from a yard out. Kenny Langford added the first of seven extra points.

Shorter's defense, however, denied Clark the same opportunity on the Panthers' first possession. On a fourth down at the Shorter 32, Santavious Bryant ended the CAU threat when he intercepted a pass into the end zone, his first pick of the season.

But Clark found itself with great field position after a short Shorter punt on the ensuing series, set up at the Hawks' 28 and went the distance to tie the game when quarterback Trenton Earl hit Montavious Taylor with a 4-yard touchdown pass with 1:26 remaining in the opening quarter.

The deadlock didn't last long.

When the Hawks got the ball back, the promptly reeled off a 78-yard drive that was capped when Dodson found paydirt for the second time on another one-yard plunge early in the second period to take a 14-7 lead, a lead they would not lose for the rest of the night.

On the ensuing kick-off, the Hawks had the ball back when CAU fumbled the ball with Shorter's B.J. McCoy pouncing on the loose object at the Clark at the Panther 9. Three plays later the Hawks made it 20-7 when Kirk Wilson took a pitchout to the right side to score from four yards out.

Clark responded moving the length of the field on their next series, marching to the Shorter 10 but the Hawks' defenders not only stood their ground but forced a turnover when DeRhyan Arnold sacked Earl and forced the CAU quarterback to fumble with Willy Dorcin recovering it at the SU 16.

On the next play, the Hawks struck again when Dodson found Turner wide open on a deep post route for an 84-yard touchdown pass that gave the Hawks a 27-7 advantage with 4:53 left in the half.

Dodson and Turner would team up again four minutes later.

After Clark was forced to punt on their next three-and-out series, the Hawks covered 49 yards to build their lead to 34-7 when Dodson hit Turner on a slant pass from 10-yards out to cap the first half scoring.

The onslaught continued after the break when the Hawks put more points on the scoreboard on all four of their possessions of second half while the Shorter defense kept the Panthers on their side of the field for nearly a quarter and a half.

Shorter upped the margin to 37-7 thanks to a 20-yard field goal by Guy Hunt – the drive started at the Clark 17 thanks to a punt return by Michael Peeples – on the Hawks' first series of the second half; Wilson broke free for a 40-yard touchdown run the next time Shorter touched the ball; and with 1:37 to go in the third stanza Dodson added his third TD of the night on a 2-yard run that gave Shorter a 51-7 cushion.

Tony Clark closed out the romp with less than 11 minutes left to play when he scored his first career touchdown on a 20-yard run.

The Panthers did get untracked midway through the fourth quarter driving into Shorter territory for the first time since the first half and scored when Jordan Dooley broke free for a 17-yard touchdown.