Undermanned Cats toss aside North Georgia
Canton, Ga. – For the second time this season, Andrews was coming off an unexpected bye due to COVID-19. And for the second time this season, it didn’t make much of a difference on the scoreboard, as the Wildcats cruised past North Georgia 41-16.
“They just want to play,” Andrews head coach James Phillip said of his team. “They don’t care who it is, where or what time, it’s just an opportunity to play football. They love playing.”
When the Wildcats came off COVID on Sept. 3 against North Buncombe, they had most of their team back. Against the Falcons (1-5 overall), they still had seven players out and dressed only 17. Phillips said he expects to have a full roster for this week’s Smoky Mountain Conference opener at Hayesville.
That forced some players to play in different spots than normal, while others took on bigger loads. Junior Austin Martin was the team’s only healthy running back and ran for 261 yards and three touchdowns. Kaden Edwards, who usually plays cornerback, saw some time in the backfield and ran for 95 yards. Taylor Waldroup, who usually plays defense, had to play tight end. Freshman Colton Rose had to step in at center.
It took Andrews a few minutes to get going, but the Wildcats (4-0) led 34-0 at halftime to put the game away.
“Those kids did a good job of stepping in on just a couple of practices,” Phillips said. “And they actually played pretty good.”
The Wildcats are 4-0 for the first time since 1963, though Phillips said he hasn’t made a big deal out of that to his team. Conference season is a bigger priority, and Hayesville has their attention since the Yellow Jackets nipped them 21-20 the last time the two teams played in Clay County.
“We haven’t even talked about it,” Phillips said of his team’s historic start. “That probably sounds weird or mean on our part.
“Non-conference play is what it is. You don’t win any championships for non-conference, and the kids have played well and they’ve gotten better. Really the championship season begins this week with Hayesville, and that’s where our focus is right now.”
Phillips likes the way his team’s played, though still sees a few areas for improvement. Even with Andrews running the veer offense, his No. 1 issue is pass blocking.
He said quarterback Donovan Bateman has thrown the ball well, but would like to see him get more opportunity to do so and make the offense more versatile. He also wants better ball security, as the Wildcats fumbled twice Friday night.
However, Phillips has been most impressed with his team’s resiliency and hopes that will carry over into conference play.
“Every phone call or text that I get at this point, I hate to even look at it because it’s been so many bad texts or phone calls about players out or having to miss games,” Phillips said. “But the kids have fought back and we’ve always had a next-up mentality, and I’m really proud of our kids for fighting through so far.
“I think it’s good experience for us and hopefully toughened us up a little bit.”