Calvary Day is coming off another impressive season, where the Cavaliers closed out the year with a semifinal loss to host Cedar Grove in a 49-42 setback where it was all on the field.
It was the final game for senior quarterback Jake Merklinger, who threw for 275 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for another, and Caden Arnold, who caught seven passes for 111 yards and three scores. Merklinger is now a freshman playing for Tennessee, while Arnold is a preferred walk-on at Georgia Southern.
But the Cavaliers have plenty of returning talent and are looking to make another postseason run. The offense has plenty of firepower in the passing game with the return of senior receiver Thomas Blackshear, who committed to Georgia in May, along with Doopah Coleman, another senior receiver with a plethora of Power Four offers, including Georgia, Ohio State and Alabama.
There will be a different look behind center when lefty James Mobley IV, a 5-foot-10, 165-pound sophomore, takes over at quarterback.
Blackshear had several big catches, including two touchdown catches, in a scrimmage win over New Hampstead on Saturday when Mobley made two scoring throws.
Sam Hensley (6-3, 290), a senior left tackle with offers that include Concord and Stetson, is a leader on an offensive line that includes senior right tackle Moses Echols, junior center Jay Varner (6-2, 315) , junior guard John Swindell and Ethan Cohen.
“I thought we had a solid game in the game,” Hensley said. “We’re testing who goes where on the line and starting to find our chemistry.”
Sophomore Caden Jones and junior Scooter Cherry will be featured in a running back by committee approach that will extend to the defensive line, where eight to nine players will come and go, Stroud said.
“I think our offensive line has the ability to allow us to run the ball effectively and we will have a great balance between running and passing this year,” said head coach Mark Stroud, who enters his 16th season at Calvary Day. He has a career record of 263-109 in 33 seasons, with a 139-42 mark at Calvary.
The defense should be strong with several returning veterans, including senior defensive tackle Wes “Buddy” Mathis, who had 44 tackles, including 18.5 for loss, and a team-high six sacks last year with 24 quarterback hurries. The 6-foot-2, 285-pounder has more than 30 offers, including Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Auburn, Clemson and Miami, according to 247sports.com. Varner, Swindell and Cohen will also see action on the defensive line, along with Elisha Williams, Stroud said.
Two standout linebackers are back for their senior campaigns: Brody Dawson, who had 75 tackles, a pair of sacks and six interceptions last year, and Cutter Powell, who had 82 stops, including 22 for loss, with 3.5 sacks. and six blocked punts last year.
The defensive backfield is young but talented, with sophomore Emerson Lewis gaining heavy recruiting interest. Blackshear will see a lot of action at cornerback and sophomores Brexton Bell, Marlon Knight and junior Scottie Walker will be key men in the secondary.
“We have some playmakers on both sides of the ball,” Stroud said. “We’re going to try to put the ball in Thomas (Blackshear’s) hands a lot. We’re going to play him as an inside receiver and give him some touches in the run game, and we’re going to do the same thing with Doopah (Coleman).
“I thought Mobley showed a lot in his first game,” Stroud said. “He threw the ball well and can really run with it. He’s going to bring that factor to our offense.”
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared in the Savannah Morning News: Calvary Day’s talented football team has its sights set on another playoff run
