Shorter Game Notes
West Georgia Game Notes
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By Jim O'Hara
 
ROME, Ga. – They know that this last game of the regular season might be the toughest one yet.

The Shorter Hawks, however, will head to Carrollton on Saturday with every intention to come up with what would be the biggest win in the program's history when the Hawks square off against the No. 7-ranked West Georgia Wolves in a 2 p.m. kick-off at University Stadium.

"They are a very good football team," Shorter head coach Phil Jones said about the Wolves, who up until a 28-26 Gulf South Conference setback last week to Florida Tech were the No. 1-ranked NCAA Division II team in the nation. "They run and pass the ball well, are great on defense and are very well coached. Up until last week, they were on top of the world. Obviously, we're facing a tough situation.

"But we're going down there to be the best we can be and win a football game," Jones stressed, noting that the game is yet another tough test in a conference that boasts four teams that are in contention to earn Division II playoff berths next week. "This is our conference and this is where we play. Every week is tough, but we'll try to come up with that upset we've been seeking until the end."

Jones and the Hawks are well aware that they will be going up against a West Georgia squad (9-1 overall and 5-1 in the GSC) that will not overlook Shorter at all.

Not only will the Wolves be looking to bounce back after suffering their first defeat of the season, they will be focused on resuming their quest for a conference championship as they enter the final week of the regular season in a three-way tie for the top spot in the league with No. 15 North Alabama and Florida Tech, and will be gunning for their first GSC championship since 2000.

On top of that, odds are that West Georgia will be reminded that the last time Shorter played in Carrollton in 2012, the Hawks posted their first-ever GSC victory.

Even without those factors, Jones pointed out, the Wolves boast perhaps the most balanced and potent lineups in the conference on both sides of the ball.

Offensively, West Georgia will be led by senior quarterback Dallas Dickey, who has started behind center for the Wolves for the past three years and is a dual threat, having set the record for most rushing yards by a quarterback while passing for more than 4,000 yards. This season, Dickey has continued that trend having run for 417 yards and three touchdowns and throwing for 1,511 yards and 14 TDs.

Joining him in the backfield will be Devontae Jackson, who leads the team in rushing with 706 yards and six touchdowns, while Shaq Hall heads up a talented and deep corps of receivers with 39 catches for 425 yards and four scores.

But what may become the key to the game is the showdown between the best run defense in the GSC – West Georgia allows just 98.6 rushing yards a game, the 12^th best in the nation – and the best rushing offensive unit in the league, Shorter, which eats up more than 290 yards a game and is ranked No. 8 nationally in that category.

Anchoring the Wolves defense includes linebacker Marion Chapman, who leads the team in tackles with 21 solo hits and 23 assists, while defensive lineman Dylan Donahue leads the GSC with a team-high 8.5 sacks.

"They'll be well prepared," Jones said of the Wolves.

Shorter, however, will give West Georgia its toughest test this year against the run as the Wolves have not given up more than 169 yards on the ground in a single game this year and will more than likely focus on stopping the Hawks' tip of the rushing spear, junior fullback B.J. McCoy.

McCoy, who has rushed for 100 or more yards in eight games and has gone over that mark in the last seven straight outings, enters the game leading the conference in rushing averaging 152.7 yards a game and with 1,383 yards under his belt already this season is just 175 yards away from setting a new single-season record.

However, the strong running back who has 10 touchdown and has showcased speed this season is not the lone ground threat the Hawks have. Freshman Kartez Carr heads up a group of young and talented slotbacks, having rushed for 434 yards and a pair of TDs.

While the Hawks will be out to move the ball against a stiff West Georgia defense, Shorter's defensive unit will concentrate on stopping what has been a solid offense the Wolves have put together as UWG's run game is clicking on all cylinders by rushing for 280 yards or more in their last three games.

Anchoring the Hawks' defense that will be tasked with stopping that attack includes senior All-American safety Jordan Shaw and junior linebacker Zach Butts, who are the top two tacklers in the GSC respectively averaging 8.9 and 9.4 tackles a game, while junior defensive end Trevaris Horton leads the charge up front with a team-high four sacks.

"If you're a competitor," Jones said, "this is an opportunity to make a splash in the conference and that's what we're setting out sights on to take that next step. "This team is a proud team and they take care of each other, and this week they want to take care of business."