NATCHEZ — Cathedral senior Will Sandel has been around numbers his entire life.

Currently, the most important number sfor him are eight, the total number of wins the Green Wave will have if they defeat Oak Forest Friday, and 3.85, Sandel’s current GPA.

Sandel, who has excelled in math, said it is easily his favorite subject.

“My dad is a banker, so I pick up numbers and stuff easily,” he said. “It has never been a challenge compared to anything else.”

His excellence in the classroom has also caught the eyes of his head coach.

“He is a studious kid that is serious about his grades,” Cathedral head coach Ron Rushing said. “He is well liked among his peers at school and is well thought of by everybody.”

Sandel is also a useful tool for the Green Wave offense, able to play wide receiver and almost any position on the field.

“He is a guy that knows pretty much every spot on the field,” Rushing said. “If we need him to go to a different receiver, he can do that. He understands our concepts, and you can always count on him giving 100 percent and knowing his assignment.”

Sandel’s knowledge of the game of football has also helped him in his studies.

“Like winning a football game, you have to practice,” he said. “If you want to do well on a test, you have to study for it.”

Like most seniors, Sandel was enjoying his last year of high school football, but when he sustained an unsuspected injury, things suddenly changed.

“It was during the field goal for us to go up by one (in the Lumberton game),” he said. “There are three people lined up on my side for the field goal, and they were all running out. The only way I could think of stopping them from coming was to lay out in front of them, but when I did, I caught a knee to the side of my head and blacked out.”

Sandel suffered a concussion and has been sidelined since.

“It has killed me, but there is nothing you can really do,” he said. “All you can do is sit there and and get yourself mentally prepared for when you do come back.”

As for finishing up his final year of high school, Sandel has big plans both for himself and his team.

“Ever since I saw everyone go out in 7-on-7 during the summer and we were destroying teams, I knew we were good,” he said. “Ever since then, I’ve had high hopes for the season.”

Sandel also plans on continuing his education, but is leaning more toward science than strictly math.

“I’ve got it narrowed down to going to Southern Miss or Ole Miss,” he said. “I want to start physical therapy and major in exercise science.”

Sandel is the son of Adrian and Lisa Sandel.