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Catawba's season came to a screeching halt in
the second half at Valdosta State. The Indian special teams unit was responsible
for most of the mistakes in a third quarter that ultimately ended the year for
one of the most talented teams ever at Catawba, at least offensively. The Tribe
posted a record of 11-2, but the 55-29 final score makes a dream season seem
sour.
A 16-10 halftime lead was turned into a fourth
quarter deficit of 48-16 due to numerous short fields for a great quarterback in
Willie Copeland and a physical running back in Michael Terry to carve into like
a Thanksgiving turkey. The outlook of the game did not look promising from the
start. Blazer free safety Sherard Reynolds returned a Grayson Downs fumble for a
quick touchdown with less than a minute off the clock. The Indians are 36-1 when
they score first under head coach Chip Hester. Despite Valdosta stealing
momentum early, Catawba bounced back with an eleven play drive that covered 65
yards. After George Bell's touchdown run, the extra point was blocked by a
determined Blazer special teams group that made gigantic plays throughout the
game.
Valdosta proved last Saturday that special
teams can turn a close game into a whipping very quickly. It is eerily
reminiscent of the 2004 beating Catawba put on IUP by a score of 52-19. Nine
times out of ten that score would not occur, but turnovers and special team
mistakes opened the flood gates. VSU head coach David Dean also got a field goal
block with a huge return, another extra point blocked, and several huge kickoff
returns from Cedric Jones and Ronnye Nelson. The average punt for Catawba was
28.5 yards while the Blazers had one punt of 40 yards and that was inside the
20. It really did not matter if the Indians had Brett Farve on Saturday, the
third phase of the game ended a promising season.
Brad Roach finished his Catawba career with a
278 yard performance with two touchdowns. Bell accounted for 74 yards and a
touchdown on the ground on 16 carries while Jamelle Cuthbertson contributed 61
yards rushing. Receiver Brent Johnson was double teamed for the most of the
contest and his numbers were very low and are unlike Brent, three catches for 35
yards and a late score.
A Different Southeast Region
Three conferences will represent the Southeast
Region in the 2008 season. The South Atlantic Conference, Gulf South Conference,
and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Missing from the region
next year will be the CIAA. They will now play in the Northeast Region along
with the PSAC, Northeast-10, and the WVIAC. The CIAA will not be a top
conference in that region, but they will certainly be more competitive. Could it
be possible for the CIAA to begin scheduling Northeast Region teams for
non-conference games, which would make the SAC look for games against the GSC
and the SIAC.
Carson-Newman fans will not have to worry about
Shaw occupying a spot in the final regional rankings next season.
Eric McCollom Back for 2008
Newberry senior quarterback Eric McCollom, a
transfer from Iowa, will be back in 2008 after he was granted a medial redshirt
by the NCAA. It was the right decision for the NCAA to make and I am happy to
see a player's career extended after suffering an unlucky setback. A 9-2 season
for the Indians was an excellent rebuilding year, but with the losses of
offensive lineman Heath Benedict and running back Alex Haynes on the offensive
side of the ball, Newberry will rely on McCollom for production.
Final Record of 2007
I ended the season with a 56-5 record. There
was a point in the 2007 season in which I won nearly 30 games in a row.
Contact D2Football.com's Timmy Readling.
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