"Jam Up Jelly Tight" A total team effort
Eric Tabor
Monday May 28, 2007
For this season the number five ranked South Georgia Wildcats, are considered one of the best teams in the af2. You see, the Wildcats are in first place in the Southern Division of the National Conference and have beaten several top ten teams this season. Let’s add another to the list, the number three ranked Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings.
The Battle Wings, playing without star quarterback Quincy Carter and defensive back Kendrick “Boss” Walker, lost at home for the first time this season.
Bossier-Shreveport played much of the game two players short after Anthony Chambers was injured in the first half and Brent Withers went down early in the second half.
"I think we wore down in the second half because we were down two soldiers against probably the best team we've played this season," Battle Wings coach Jon Norris said. "South Georgia has some AFL talent out there with some big guys up front who get after it."
South Georgia’s quarterback D. Bryant led the Wildcat attack. The former Duke and Iowa Wesleyan quarterback currently is af2's forth ranked quarterback in average passing yards per game at 275 yards per outing. He's also sixth in passing efficiency and fifth in touchdowns with 46.
South Georgia rolled up 321 yards in the game, including a 303-yard passing effort by Bryant on 22-for-38 passing and eight touchdowns. The QB ended the day with his second straight game over 300 yards. He also added a touchdown on the ground. The big three receiving corps of Chavis McCollister (10 catches for 118 yards and four touchdowns), James Robinson (six grabs for 99 yards and three scores), and Scott Cloman (six receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown) did not disappoint. The offensive line was equally impressive; the combination of Kentrell Blatcher, Lunda Wells, and David Walker did not give up a sack!
The Wildcat defense also came up big against Bossier-Shreveport. The unit forced four turnovers; two interceptions and two fumble recoveries that led to 19 points. Defensive back Matt Jackson grabbed two of the three turnovers that led to South Georgia scores. Cory Bailey returned a blocked extra point for a defensive point-after-touchdown. Courtney Young recovered a fumble on a second-and-ten to set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Bryant. Jackson intercepted a Gary Cooper pass to set up a 26-yard touchdown grab that put South Georgia up for good. Of note the Cats defense had three sacks, two by Joe Woolridge and one from Ed Wangler. James Harris and Daryon Brutley each got one tackle for loss.
Even South Georgia coach Derek Stingley got into the stat column with an unsportsmanlike-like-conduct personal foul penalty called against him.
A couple of weeks ago, I asked coach Stingley how good was this Wildcat team.
“I don’t know if we’re that good,” said coach Stingley after the victory over Florida.
Coach, if you continue to play this way the rest of the season, you are this good.
It seems as of right now that the Wildcats have found their groove and are clicking both offensively and defensively.
The race for the Arena Cup is not won yet but if the Cats continue to play they way they played at Bossier-Shreveport, it just might be.
One thing will be different this year then in the past two years should the Wildcats continue to win. They will truly be deserving of their af2 playoff spot and just might see a home playoff game or two in Albany—a thing that has never happened.
There is a saying in the south when some one or in this case a team does an outstanding job. “Jam up jelly tight.”
The Cats win 60-46.