Two seasons ago, the Indians were en route to the first SAC conference title of Coach Curtis Walker’s tenure. However, last year the wheels began to fall apart. Injury after gut-wrenching injury plagued the Indians to their first losing record in five years. During the course of last season, the team saw two of their three quarterbacks suffer injuries. Senior running back David Burgess suffered an injury after the very first game. Defensive lineman Trevor Bembry missed multiple games due to injury. Surprisingly, an incredibly banged-up Catawba team still managed to finish with a 5-2 record in the conference. With a new roster and a fresh start to the season, it begs the question: Can this Catawba Indians football team win another championship?
The last time we saw the Indians take the field was in April for the annual Blue vs. White scrimmage. There, we witnessed the official changing of the guard as senior quarterback Reid Carlton officially replaced former Catawba great Mike Sheehan as the first team signal caller. As many of you may recall, a mid-season injury to Sheehan put Carlton in as the starter where he really struggled. In nine games, he threw seven interceptions and only 6 touchdowns. He also took a pounding in an offense that calls for quarterbacks to run with the football. The Spring Game this past April featured a more poised Reid Carlton. While he struggled with interceptions early in the game, he rebounded by throwing 5 touchdowns that showcased his incredible arm strength. When asked about his performance Carlton modestly replied, “Oh I felt really good throwing the football out there.” For a quarterback who struggled with inconsistency, timing, and poise in his previous college starts, hearing this level of confidence should count as a major positive for a team that didn’t pass well last season. Let me remind you that three of Carlton’s touchdown passes were over 35 yards. Expect #15 to put up some BIG offensive numbers as he continues to progress this offseason.
Of course, throwing the ball helps when you have a stunning group of wide receivers at your disposal. The Indians will return freshman wonder Sam Mobley who led the team in both yards and touchdowns while averaging a dazzling 21 yards per catch. The star wide-out showed no signs of rust as he caught four touchdowns during the spring game (not to mention the fact that speedy receiver AVERAGED 32.5 yards per touchdown). This caught the eye of coach Walker who noted that while Reid made some good throws, “those throws are easy to make when you are throwing to Sam Mobley.”
Mobley’s big play ability makes the job of possession receivers like senior Keyon West even easier. The senior from Georgia hauled in more catches than anyone else in a Catawba uniform last season, and his sure hands will provide a reliable target all season long. The most intriguing and potentially most dangerous option in the receiving core is finally eligible to play, and his name is Gavin Rose. The Sophomore from Winter Park, FL posed major problems for the secondary with moves comparable to the New England Patriots star receiver Julian Edelman. With these three studs in the passing game, and Eamon Smart eating up yardage once again in the backfield, we could be looking at perhaps the most potent offense in the SAC.
While the offense is looking forward to a breakout season, Catawba’s vaunted defense is filled with question marks. First team All-SAC cornerback Case Wood graduated in the spring along with standout defensive lineman CJ Barksdale. Those two players played an integral part of Catawba’s championship run in 2015. Catawba’s secondary, which has served as a no fly zone over the past couple of seasons, was torched routinely in April’s spring game. The positive (and most important) factor for the defense heading into this season is the return of Kyle Kitchens, former SAC Defensive player of the year. Last season, Kitchens once again led the Indians in sacks, and simply oozes the swagger and competitiveness needed to excel on defense at the college level. The star linebacker has no doubt in his mind that another standout is on the horizon. “Oh yeah, SAC player of the year is definitely the goal for me,” said a smiling Kitchens. As for the rest of the defense, we should expect the same level of dominance. “We’re good. We gotta keep grinding hard. We have some good players coming in and some really good D-lineman.” While Catawba’s standout defender remains confident, the defensive side of the ball will certainly be the most important factor for the team’s success this season.
Overall, the Catawba Indians will have to wholeheartedly buy into “the next man up” approach this season. Certain stars of yesteryear won’t be suiting up this fall. The replacements must step in and be ready to roll by the time the season starts. There are no worries whatsoever from the head coach. “Man, we’re good. We’ve got a couple of top prospects coming in that will really help us. Our injured players will be ready to go in August. We’re good.” The Indians team that takes the field this fall will look a lot different than ones we’ve seen in previous years. It’s time to see who the next man up will be.
