The Catawba notebook ...

How good is Catawba College’s football team?

Newberry was beaten 28-0 Saturday night and coach Mike Taylor actually told Bob Cole of The (Columbia, S.C.)State, “We did a lot of good things out there. Now, we’ve got to build on it.”

Build on a 28-0 loss?

That is a compliment to Catawba and coach David Bennett, whose team is ranked second regionally and sixth nationally.

Catawba did not play up to usual standards, giving up 183 yards rushing (it was averaging 36) and offensively, had just 94 yards and a 7-0 lead at halftime.

But the Indians rammed ahead after halftime, running up 300 yards of offense and 21 more points.

“We came out a little shaky,” said receiver Cedric Squirewell. “At halftime, everybody got their mind right. (Bennett) was kinda upset because he knew we could play a whole lot better.”

Still, Taylor sounded as if it was a moral victory.

“When you play an ‘A’ team, like these guys, you’ve got to make ‘A’ plays and we made a bunch of them tonight.”

But Newberry couldn’t get on the board, despite driving on the defense as no one has this season. One field goal hit the upright and bounded away. Another field goal attempt failed because of a bad snap. And once, a receiver had Catawba’s secondary beaten but Dustin Coats overthrew him.

“Ididn’t feel like the second half was that much different from the first half,” Taylor said, “except they had three big plays on us.”

FANFARE: The first thing Bennett did at his weekly press conference at Western Steer Tuesday was point out the biggest surprise of the Newberry win:the fan support.

There were an estimated 2,000 wearing Catawba colors for the 7 p.m. start.

“In my 11 years here, that’s the best following I’ve ever seen,” Bennett said. “The visiting bleachers were full with people standing all around. The kids really appreciated it.”

The fans can show their appreciation again this week. Fan buses are again scheduled to go with the Indians, this week to Tusculum College for a 1:30 p.m. start.

For more information, call Peggy at 637-4474.

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BIGPLAY:The biggest play in the Newberry win may have come early in the second half when Nick Means took an end-around for a touchdown.

“Isaw a defensive end standing in the backfield,” said Bennett. “I thought we were going to lose 20 yards. But Nick didn’t bat an eye. He ran as fast as he could toward the sidelines and has such great speed, he turned the corner and cut back against the grain.”

Blocks by Don Moore and Cole Bean sprung Means and tight end Sean Pearson had the final block to get him into the end zone.

“It was great timing for the call,” said Bennett, giving credit to assistants Jamie Snider and Chip Hester. “At 14-0, we had a little breathing room.”

Means was the team’s offensive player of the week. He had three catches for 98 yards, including one grab for 48. He was also the South Atlantic Conference offensive player of hte week.

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FINALLY: Pearson, a 6-4, 230-pound senior from Fayetteville, had his best game as a Catawba Indian, catching a career-high three passes and blocking well.

“Two of his three catches were in big-time traffic,” said Bennett. “It was nice to see Sean play the way he did. We stay on him because we don’t think he’s played the way he can. If everybody else stays on him, maybe he’ll keep playing well.”

The tight ends made a big impact. Mark Sintich caught a touchdown pass for the second straight week.

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HE’S SPECIAL:All’s well with Squirewell.

The receiver, turned-punt returner won the special teams award after taking two punts for an average of 19 yards.

“And that was with no return set up,” said Bennett. “It was all Cedric’s athleticism.”

“The coaches tell me to fair catch it, Squirewell said. “But if I have room, I think I’ll take it. I never know what I’m going to do until I catch it.”

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REGIONNOTES: The top four teams in each region of Division IImake the playoffs and Catawba is safe right now at 5-0 and ranked second behind 5-0 Carson-Newman.

But West Georgia and Valdosta State loom just behind, also standing 5-0. They meet on the last weekend of the year.

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AROUNDTHESAC: Carson-Newman (5-0, 2-0) scored 28 first quarter points and beat Mars Hill 49-0. It was the Eagles’ 32nd straight home win. ... Tusculum nipped Lenoir-Rhyne 10-9 in the debut of its new stadium. ... Wingate is still floundering in last place at 1-4, 0-2 after a 50-26 loss to Liberty. ... Tusculum had two of the three SACplayers of the week. Defensively, Alan Slaughter, a defensive back, had 25 tackles, a school record. Kicker Paul Czerniak was named special teams player of the week for the third time in five weeks. ... Lenoir-Rhyne’s Jameil Surratt had his fourth 100-plus-yard rushing game. ... Presbyterian had the week off and hosts Carson-Newman Saturday.

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TRIBETIDBITS: Newberry hadn’t been shut out since 1996 when Carson-Newman beat the Indians 13-0. ... Catawba has allowed just 27 points in five games. ... Catawba surrendered a season-high 313 yards to Newberry but the defense still had five sacks and three fumble recoveries. ... Kevin McKenzie ran for 110 yards, giving him 505 yards in five games. ... Tony Hawkins had 55 yards on six carries. ... Catawba has outscored its opponents 107-7 in the first half with the only points coming on an interception return. ... Eight players have scored at least 10 points for Catawba. ... Quarterback Mitch Ellis has thrown for 829 yards. ... Means leads the receivers with 19 catches.