By Mike London
mlondon@salisburypost.comCatawba’s Aaron Cauble missed his chance for a SAC championship ring last season, but he didn’t miss his opportunity to make a game-changing play in Saturday’s 21-14 loss against Carson-Newman.
Film study with special teams coordinator John Fitz armed Cauble with the knowledge he might be in position to block a punt against Carson-Newman. Preparation plus Cauble’s athletic ability made that block happen.
“We studied how they lined up to block on punts against Mars Hill, and the hole they were leaving was right where I line up,” Cauble said. “We actually had a return set up on the play where I got the block, but I was the one guy who was going after the punt.”
Cauble is quick. As an East Rowan senior in the spring of 2006, he played center field for the baseball team, but he also participated in a few track meets. East was in 4A then, with the Winston-Salem schools, but Cauble ran 11.08 in the 100 meters and placed second in the Central Piedmont Conference Meet.
He also was quick Saturday. Virtually untouched on Carson-Newman’s first-quarter punt, he was in the backfield before anyone knew it.
“I got upfield so fast it surprised me,” Cauble said. “I kind of had to make a J-turn and come back and I still was able to block it.”
Blocked it in textbook fashion. Cauble made his dive at an angle that carried him on a horizontal plane across the path of the football rather than jumping directly at the kicker.
Cauble deflected the punt, and true freshman DB Tyon Bennett grabbed the bouncing ball at the 15 and marched to the end zone for the first score of the game. It was Catawba’s first blocked kick for a TD since Jonas Scott scored against Presbyterian in 2004.
“Aaron got his hands down and took the ball right off the punter’s foot,” Catawba coach Chip Hester said. “Just the way you teach it.”
After that play, Carson-Newman adjusted its blocking to account for Cauble, but it’s a play he’ll always remember.
Cauble was a standout wingback, kick returner and free safety at East Rowan and picked off eight passes his senior year, one short of the school record. Catawba was enthused about the speed he showed in a workout ó 4.59 on a cold day ó and out-recruited West Liberty State, Wingate and Lenoir-Rhyne for him.
All the SAC schools who pursued Cauble believed his wheels, good hands and relatively slight frame (5-foot-11, 170 pounds) translated better to receiver than safety in college, and Cauble agreed. He’d seen Catawba’s defensive backs in the weight room, and he wasn’t sure he’d ever be physical enough to play regularly in the Indians’ secondary.
He made the transition to wideout as a redshirt in the fall of 2006. He learned the position and put on muscle, but he didn’t take classes seriously enough. A bright guy who wants to become an engineer, he’d always breezed through school, but college work required more efficient study habits.
“I goofed off too much and got myself academically ineligible, Cauble said. “That really hurt missing all last season, especially when the guys got rings. That’s something I’ve always wanted.”
Cauble was back on track academically by the spring of 2008 and switched back to the secondary. He played corner in the Blue-White Spring Game and intercepted a pass.
Now a sophomore on the field and a junior in good standing in the classroom, Cauble is listed as the second-team free safety on the depth chart, but he’s also realistic about his role.
“We’re probably deeper at DB than any position and most of the talent is real young talent,” Cauble said. “But Coach Hester has told us if you’re not gonna get in there much on offense or defense, make an impact on special teams, and that’s what I’ve tried to do.”
Cauble, who has been reunited with starting linebacker Julian Samolu, a former Southeast Middle School teammate, plays on Catawba’s punt return and kickoff units.
He made one tackle at safety at Mars Hill and another on a kickoff.
He broke up a pass against Livingstone and was also part of Catawba’s safety in that game on a bad snap on a punt.
“Aaron’s taken his special-teams role very seriously,” Hester said. “He studies tape and when an athletic guy puts in the time he can make good things happen. Last Saturday, he made a game-changing play that almost won us a football game.”
Cauble is proud of last week’s blocked punt. He’ll be even prouder if he can earn a ring before he graduates.