Down 27-17 to Adams County Christian School with less than four minutes to play, Cathedral assistant coach Kurt Russ looked over at head coach Ron Rushing on the sideline.

“We don’t have any more miracles left in us do we?” Russ asked the head man before the Green Wave attempted an onside kick.

“It might not be like the past,” Russ continued. “Not with all the injuries we’ve suffered.”

Just as he finished his statement, Cathedral linebacker James Allen Coley came up with the onside kick. Rushing looked back at Russ and smiled.

The moment between Russ and Rushing would be one of many moments that would send chills down my arm Friday night.

Rushing’s smile would be short lived, though, as Cathedral would go on to turn the ball over with a backwards pass and ACCS would run out the clock for the victory.

The game that was entrenched with tremendous hype from the community told us several things about both teams.

The first observation I have to point out is the sensational ability of Carlos Woods. Capable of scrambling and sitting in the pocket and throwing the most accurate deep ball in the area, Woods is undoubtedly a frontrunner for player of the year.

I like to call him “Cool Hand Carlos” to draw a laugh from him, but that’s probably the best nickname I could give him. Every time there’s been a big game this season — University Academy (first game of the year against a AAAA opponent), Jackson Academy and Cathedral — Woods has trotted onto the field, loose as can be, and made play after play. Against Cathedral Friday night, Woods completed 12 of 17 passes for 189 yards and four touchdowns.

After that incredible performance, I tracked down “Cool Hand Carlos,” to try and figure out his secret to being so poised in big games.

“I’m just relaxed,” Woods said, simplifying it as best he could. “I just go out there and make plays for my team.”

The second biggest observation from the encounter is the athletic prowess of ACCS’ Shavarick Williams. Before the season, ACCS head coach David King raved about his ability, and at practices this season, I couldn’t quite see what he described.

In watching film and watching him Friday night, I’m convinced Williams is one of the best safeties I’ve covered on the prep level. King called it. The way Williams closes in and secures open tackles is next level stuff. To speak about his athleticism, this is a player that defines himself as a defensive player, yet he’s developed into an offensive threat. His 118 receiving yards and three touchdowns against Cathedral solidified that.

But of course, the biggest storyline stemming from the game is the absence of Cathedral running back Dee Fleming. Cathedral’s offense, which has always seemingly flowed effortlessly under Rushing, was lost without Fleming. Right before Fleming’s ankle injury on Cathedral’s second offensive drive, Rushing said he was getting ready to ride Fleming in the game.

“We tried to establish the run with him with some misdirection stuff,” Rushing said. “Take nothing away from (ACCS). They flat out got after it and took it to us.”

On Saturday, Rushing said Fleming’s x-ray came back negative and believed his running back only suffered a sprain.

The proudest moment for both teams and for Natchez was when both ACCS and Cathedral met at midfield before the game, shaking hands and bowing their head for a prayer.

As a sports writer who hangs out with high school kids at practice on a somewhat daily basis, I hear about a lot of the trash talk that goes into these games. With all of the emotion involved, I was a little nervous a scuffle might break out during the game, but there was never any sign of that. ACCS vs. Cathedral was a game about two of the best teams in their division testing one another, and that’s the way it should be.

To the players who represented both schools with the upmost class, I tip my hat to all of you. Can’t wait to be standing next to you on the sidelines for the next showdown in the postseason.

 

JAKE MARTIN is the sports editor for The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3633 or jake.martin@natchezdemocrat.com.