Game Notes

By Jim O'Hara
 
ROME, Ga. – The sun may have set on the regular season, but on Saturday it will rise again for the Shorter Hawks football team.

In their first-ever postseason appearance since joining the NCAA Division II ranks, the Hawks are back at Barron Saturday when they square off for a noon kick-off against Division II independent North Greenville in the 18^th annual National Christian College Athletic Association Victory Bowl.

"What a great honor it is for Shorter to be invited to the game," Shorter head coach Phil Jones said as the Hawks prepared for the additional game that comes on the heels of regular season in which the team made more strides in becoming a factor in the rugged Gulf South Conference.

"We knew we have a challenge ahead of us," he said about the second meeting – Shorter won the first outing back in 2008 – between the Hawks and the Crusaders. "They have a very good football team that is well, well coached. They've played against some good football teams and have held their own. It's tremendous to have a team like this that playing in Rome."

The Victory Bowl appearance is the fourth for the Crusaders, who won the title in 2006 and 2010, and they and Shorter have one common opponent this season in Mars Hill, with the Hawks coming up with a win while North Greenville suffered a setback.

North Greenville, under the direction of second-year head coach Jeff Farrington, comes to Rome after posting a 6-5 record in the regular season that included a full schedule against the teams in the South Atlantic Conference, of which they have an alliance with but are not eligible to be in the standings or receive postseason awards.

Facing the Hawks will be a North Greenville offense that has rolled up the yards and the points this season, averaging 31.5 points and 421 yards a game, respectively.

Spearheading the Crusaders' spread attack is junior quarterback Nelson Hughes, who has thrown for 2,883 yards and 20 touchdowns this season and needs just 127 more passing yards to become the school's all-time leading passer.

Sophomore Ronnie Brown has been his Hughes' favorite target, having hauled in 71 receptions for 1,027 yards and seven touchdowns, while senior Thomas Weeks III has added 41 catches for 660 yards and four TDs.

Balancing that aerial attack is a strong run game with junior Trey Walker the main threat having rushed for 564 yards on 97 carries and four touchdowns, and freshman Tristen Jackson gaining 357 yards on 68 totes with five touchdowns.

"They're balanced on offense," Jones said about NGU, "where they have the size, have running backs who can play and a quarterback who makes plays.

"And defensively," the coach added, "they play hard every play, have the right players at the right positions and have some linebackers who are very active."

Although the Crusaders have allowed 26.5 points and 402 yards a game to opponents, their defense is one that has the tools that will give Shorter's offense a stiff wall to contend with.

Junior linebacker Taylor Anderson has been force all over the field for the Crusaders, having tallied 117 total tackles, 5.5 interceptions, 1.5 sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery, while sophomore linebacker Quan Weeks has turned in 115 total tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss.
In the NGU secondary, sophomore defensive back Tony Godbolt heads up the charge after coming up with 80 total tackles, two tackles for loss, three interceptions and one forced fumble this season.

Still, the Hawks bring a wide array of weapons to the game on both sides of the ball and although they finished their schedule with a 3-7 overall record and a 1-6 conference slate, their arrival as a team to contend with in the GSC was justified when Shorter placed six players on the All-GSC team this past week and saw junior safety Jordan Shaw named as the league's Defensive Player of the Year.

Up against the high-powered NGU offense will be a Shorter defense that landed three players on the all-conference team. Joining Jordan – he led the league in interceptions with eight picks and led the team with 78 tackles – in earning All-GSC honors included sophomore defensive end Trevaris Horton, a First Team pick who had a team-high 6.5 sacks to go along with 10.5 tackles for losses, and sophomore linebacker Zach Butts, who was named to the GSC's Second Team but due to an injury suffered last week against West Georgia will not be available this week.

The list, however, of defensive standouts is a deep one as the Hawks boast the talents of sophomore linebacker Javaris Jones, who has 62 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, four fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles, as well as junior linebacker Luke Wilson, who has been a mainstay for the team stopping teams and thanks to his perfect season as Shorter's long snapper was a GSC First Team selection to that position.

Offensively, the Hawks will be directed one last time by senior quarterback Eric Dodson, who was an All-GSC First Team choice as an All-Purpose Back for good reason as the record-setting player led team in total offense for third straight year, gaining 1,308 yards (601 rush and 707 pass), ran for 5 touchdowns and threw for seven TDs.

Sophomore fullback BJ McCoy also emerged as someone who can eat up the yards on the ground having rushed for 502 yards on 137 carries and three touchdowns, while senior slotback Kirk Wilson has added 396 more yards and three TDs.

Yet was may be the key for the Hawks is how they have used the week to prepare for the game, especially knowing that the Victory Bowl invitation came hours after they walked off the turf at Barron after the West Georgia game thinking that they had played their last game of the year.

"They thought the season was over last week," Jones said. "It took all of us – the players and the coaches – a couple of days to get back into the right frame of mind to play a football game.

"But," he quickly added, "I do believe that our players will come out ready to play."

NOTES: For the first time in the 10-year history of the program, the Hawks will be wearing the white road jerseys as they are considered the visitors… The game will be aired live on the Hawks Radio Network, 99.5 The Jock, and will be streamed live on-line by Tourbeau Sports at http://portal.stretchinternet.com/tourbeau/