By Jim O'Hara

ROME, Ga. – Shorter head coach Phil Jones is well aware of what awaits the Hawks when they head to Livingston, Ala., on Saturday night to play their final Gulf South Conference game of the season.

Across the field from them will be a West Alabama team that knows the Shorter is the only thing standing in the way of giving the Tigers a shot at repeating as a GSC champion, albeit what could be a share of the title with No. 24-ranked North Alabama, which handed UWA its first conference loss last week to create the deadlock, and Delta State.

"They will do everything they can in their preparation to only, only work on what they need to do to play Shorter," Jones said about West Alabama, now 6-3 overall and 4-1 in the GSC and coming off an overtime defeat to North Alabama last week that snapped the Tigers' nine-game conference win streak and created the three-way deadlock.

"What's amazing is that all three of the teams tied for first place and better than (defending Division II national champion) Valdosta State," the coach pointed out. "That's a pretty big statement. It shows just how good and how deep this conference is."

While Shorter has already seen just how tough the GSC is this year, the Hawks' final league showdown will come against the team that is the conference's top offensive squad and a program that has had its way against Shorter in two previous meetings, a 37-7 decision in the 2010 season opener and last year's 49-7 outcome that saw the Tigers hold a slim seven-point lead at the half but blow it open by scoring two touchdowns in the first five minutes of the second half.

"Overall, they have more team speed that anyone in the conference," Jones said.

On offense, West Alabama has used that speed to emerge as a potent multiple-look threat that averages 43 points and 519 total yards a game, both tops in the conference, as is the Tigers' ground game that rolls up nearly 300 yards an outing.

"They give you a lot of looks," Jones said, "and what complicates their offense even more is that their quarterback is so fast he can hurt you running or passing."

Calling the signals for the Tigers once again is junior quarterback Kyle Caldwell, who touched the Hawks last year for 192 passing yards and a touchdown. This season, Caldwell has thrown for 1,762 yards (completing 60 percent of his passes) and a GSC-best 20 touchdowns, while rushing for another 396 yards and a touchdown.

Doing the most damage, however, when they carry the ball has been sophomore Javae Swindle and senior Kedrick Rhodes, who have combined for more than 1,400 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Swindle, who set a single-game rushing mark last week against UNA gaining 228 yards on 30 carries, leads the Tigers having rushed for 834 yards (7.4 yards a carry) and six touchdown, and averages 93 yards a game. Rhodes has added 632 more yards (6.9 yards a tote) and six touchdowns.

Stopping that offensive machine will be a huge task for the Hawks, who against Clark turned in its best performance of the season giving up just 202 yards and while Shorter's defenders will have their hands full the Hawks' offense will be facing an equally formidable challenge against West Alabama's defensive unit.

Jones said that the Tigers, who lead the GSC in rushing defense allowing just 126 yards a game, base out of a 4-3 but adjusts into other looks.

"Against us they will crowd the line of scrimmage," the coach said, "and utilize their speed."
Two senior safeties, Demetrus McNeal and Robert Jones, have emerged as the Tigers' two leading tacklers by attacking the ball, while senior Ricky Willis anchors an active corps of linebackers and odds are West Alabama took note of what Shorter did last week.

In the win over Clark, the Hawks set a team record for most points in a game, doing so by setting season-high marks for most total yards (487) and most rushing yards (376) with quarterback Eric Dodson setting the tone as the junior rushed for 111 yards and three touchdowns and passed for 111 more yards and two touchdowns to red-shirt freshman Darius Turner.

"Our players are excited about it," Jones said about the GSC finale. "It will be a big challenge, there's no doubt about that."