Oct. 30, 2008

Story courtesy of Shorter Sports Information Office

Rome, Ga. - Jake Kelley and Chris Hight came to Shorter College four years ago hoping to give the Hawks' first-ever football team a pair of receiving threats.

After all, both proved they could catch the ball with Kelley starring at Cedartown High - he transferred to Shorter after spending a year at Jacksonville State and another year away from the game - and Hight a standout at Adairsville High.

But as they close out their careers with the Hawks, the two Shorter seniors have not rolled up massive receiving yards and touchdowns. With Shorter having developed into the top NAIA ground game, Kelley's and Hight's dreams of being a part of an aerial attack have been grounded.

And that's just fine with them.

"Being the son of a coach," said Kelley, whose dad Everett Kelley is the former head coach at Cedartown High, "I know that if you control the ball on the ground, you control the clock and if you do that, you pretty much win the game.

"Sure, it would be great if we were catching passes and scoring touchdowns," he said, "but as long as we do the job and the team scores, it doesn't matter."

For Shorter's receivers, the split ends and the tight ends jobs entail using their hands to provide the key blocks outside and down the field. The Hawks' rushing offense leads the NAIA averaging 326 yards a game heading into Saturday's conference road game against West Division foe Cumberland (Tenn.) University - a contest the No. 22-ranked Hawks need to remain in contention for postseason consideration.

Yet Shorter head coach Phil Jones knows that without the receivers - junior Dustin Perry (Cedartown), sophomore T.C. Jay (Rockmart) and sophomore Calvin Gibson (Stockbridge) round out the split end corps, while junior Brock Pyle (Adairsville) and freshman Collin Wooddy (Fayetteville) line up at tight end - the Hawks' run game would not be as successful.

"I know deep down they wish we'd throw the ball more," Jones said. "But they're all unselfish. They do what we've asked them to do (by blocking). It gives them a sense of accomplishment in that it helps our offense. They've bought into it.

"And you better believe it's not easy to stay on a block in the open field."

That doesn't mean the receivers don't remain ready to be there if and when their number is called.

"Every day we practice, we work on passing," said Hight. "You've got to step up when it's game time and if you want more passes, you have to make the catch.

"And when you have a play call for a pass," he said, "it's a different feeling in the huddle."

The call has been made at times this year, which has resulted in 22 receptions for 353 yards in eight games. Of those numbers, the split ends have been responsible for 13 grabs and 265 yards.

Jay leads the group having hauled in five passes for 113 yards, one going for the lone touchdown this season, a 61-yarder against Pikeville. Perry (4-35), Gibson (2-55), Hight (1-53) and Kelley (1-9) round out the total.

The team's single-season record for TD receptions is just three set by Kelley in 2006 (two of those in one game), and Perry - he sat out last season with an injury - had the best year for a Shorter receiver in the Hawks' first season of play when he had 34 catches for 544 yards, good enough to earn him All-MSC honorable mention honors.

With opposing teams concentrating on stopping the run, Jones knows that his receivers have to be ready to run under a pass.

"We're starting to see a lot of the secondary people (of defenses) move up close looking for the run," he said. "So we know we have to take some shots passing and hit some big plays, and we've already had some big plays on play-action passes."

Whatever play is called, the Hawks' receivers-turned-blockers will do their part.

"When we got here four years ago," said Kelley, "the coaches didn't really know what kind of offense they would run. It was all new.

"But I just knew they were coaches I wanted to play for," he said. "Nothing has changed in four years. Our team runs the ball and we just do our job."