GAME NOTES

By Jim O'Hara
 
ROME, Ga. – No one has to tell those who were a part of the game what happened last year.

In essence, it all came down to 60 minutes spent not on the field when, after seemingly being in command, the Shorter Hawks were off the artificial surface at Barron Stadium when their non-conference clash with Mars Hill was halted when severe weather hit Rome.

That hour wound up turning the game – and Shorter's season – around as the Lions all but took control of the 12 minutes remaining and went on to hand a stunned group of Hawks a 41-30 defeat.

On Saturday, a year-long wait to make things right comes to an end when Shorter, fresh off a key season-opening win at home last week, hits the road for the first time this year when the Hawks head to the mountains of North Carolina to face the Lions.

"They handled it and we didn't and you have to give them credit for that," Shorter head coach Phil Jones said about how what was easily one of the most unusual and certainly disappointing game in the Hawks' history came about last year. "Our guys know it and the coaches know it.

"Our practices have been very good this week," Jones added about how focused the team is for the second meeting against Mars Hill, "and when you have that it shows that the kids are mentally ready."

That means, the coach pointed out, making sure every facet of what the Hawks do is consistent for the 60 minutes they are given to play on the scoreboard, not matter what the circumstances are.

To be sure, the coaches and players understand that they will be going up against nearly the same Mars Hill lineup they faced a year ago, one that rolled up more than 500 yards against them in 2013 and despite being kept in check in a season-opening loss last week to Gulf South Conference member West Georgia has all the weapons to move the ball down the field.

Heading up the attack for the Lions once again will be sophomore quarterback Trent Miller, who in his team's first showdown with Shorter completed 18 of 29 passes for 336 yards and four touchdowns, two of those going to wide receiver Dimitri Holmes, who ended the night catching nine passes for 224 yards and also returns having already shown he's a return threat having returned a kick-off 93 yards for a touchdown against the Wolves.

"He's a very accurate passer and a good leader," Jones said of Miller, "and now he has the experience."

Last week against West Georgia – the Wolves held Mars Hill to just 66 yards on the ground – Miller completed 20 of 39 passes for 259 yards and a TD but was saw two throws intercepted and was sacked twice, while offensively the Lions fumbled the ball away three times with two of those being turned into UWG touchdowns.

Then there's a tremendous size advantage Mars Hill has against the Hawks, not only across the offensive front but on the Lions' defensive side of the ball as well.

"They're very active and well-coached," Jones said about Mars Hill's defenders, who last week had trouble stopping West Georgia's rushing game as the Wolves finished the game gaining 392 yards on the ground and 530 total yards.

No doubt that Shorter's offensive unit took note of that and enters the game knowing what it accomplished last year for three quarters – the Hawks amassed 462 yards, 330 of that via the rush, and led by 10 points entering that fateful fourth quarter – and how it opened up the season a week ago in a 28-24 win over Paine.

Sure to attract the attention of the Mars Hills defense again will be Shorter's senior quarterback Eric Dodson, who blistered the Lions a year ago when on the game's first play broke free for a 55-yard touchdown run and ended it rushing for 186 yards and throwing for 132 more yards and a touchdown.

Against Paine, Dodson started his final season with the Hawks making a quick statement as he led the team's run game gaining 99 yards on 14 carries, but after Paine adjusted to limit his damage in the second half Shorter let it be known that it can come up with a more balanced attack.

Senior slotback Kirk Wilson finished the game running for 83 yards on just 8 totes, and sophomore fullback B.J. McCoy 68 yards on 22 carries, scoring what proved to be the game-winning touchdown, and when the Hawks went to the air Dodson hit six different receivers for 68 yards, including a 20-yard TD pass to Sean Fowler.

Dodson also completed 8-of-10 passes for 68 yards, spreading the wealth around as the six completions went to six different receivers as Shorter compiled 334 total yards.
Defensively, the Hawks came away from the opener understanding that they can hold their own.

Against Paine, which converted a Shorter fumble into points and was aided in its other two TD drives by Shorter penalties, the Hawks yielded by 57 yards on the ground and 210 passing yards using an active and swarming defense.

In the secondary, junior safety Jordan Shaw finished the game with a pair on interceptions, the second coming in the final minutes that ended Paine's potential go-ahead drive, and junior Wesley Clay also stepped in front of a pass that he returned for an 82-yard touchdown.

The Hawks also added pressure in the opposing team's backfield coming up with four sacks, with sophomore Trevaris Horton leading the way with 3.5 sacks that tied the school record for most in a game.

"Our confident level is high," Jones said. "The defense played hard and Shaw's interception at the end of the game was a huge boost, and the offense had some big plays and there was good distribution.

"We know there are people who saw that we played a team that is in its first season and question as to how good we are," the coach said. "We know we have a lot more to prove."