Nov. 21, 2008

Rome, Ga. - For the past five weeks, the Shorter Hawks have been fighting to survive.

On Saturday, they will be fighting to live out a dream.

Thanks to a five-game win streak that was rewarded with a berth in the school's first-ever NAIA Football Championship Series, Shorter enters new territory on Saturday in Williamsburg, Ky., when the No. 12-ranked Hawks square off against No. 8 University of the Cumberlands.

It's a first-round clash between the top two Mid-South Conference teams that are also the top two running teams in the NAIA, with the winner one step closer to a national title.

And for the Hawks, that means playing at home in the NAIA Football National Championship on Dec. 20 at Barron Stadium.

Talk about motivation, as if they needed it.

"I've never been to the playoffs, not even in high school," senior offensive tackle Brad Smith, a former standout at Loganville High who was part of initial recruiting class at Shorter, said about being part of Shorter history. "Getting the opportunity to play and knowing there's only 16 teams left playing - it's a great feeling knowing that you're one of them. We now have a chance to play in the championship game on our home field. We like our chances."

Knowing what the Hawks have done to get to this point - Shorter's run in the final stages of the regular season was impressive enough to move the team up seven positions in the final NAIA Top 25 poll - those chances are good.

What Hawks head coach Phil Jones sees, however, is that his team has to take its game to a different level and take advantage of the opportunity presented.

"It's been an incredible experience for all of us already," Jones said about the buzz that has surrounded the Hawks, and the Shorter and Rome community since Sunday when the program learned of the playoff pairings. "But we as coaches and as players can't be satisfied but what happened. A lot of teams end the regular season talking about what they need to do during the off-season to get better. We're not one of them. The bottom line now is that there are four games left in the NAIA and when you have a chance to be there, you have to go at it. We're going back to work."

"I'm very anxious," said Shorter junior running back A.J. Cooley, who was named the MSC West Division's Offensive Player of the Year this week after rushing for 1,496 yards on 244 carries and scoring 21 touchdowns. "We've had a good week of practice and you can tell the intensity level has picked up more than normal."

"You can tell it's a different week," said junior linebacker Logan Lollis, the Defensive Player of the Year in the MSC West. "We have good feeling."

The Hawks' defense, which has gotten stronger in the final weeks of the season and posted its third shutout of the year last week against Bethel, will be looking when they line up against the Patriots, who like Shorter run out of a wing-option formation directed by senior quarterback Kyle King.

Cumberlands has proven also, that it can throw the ball with King entering the game having thrown for 1,794 yards to go along with the run.

"All year long we've been facing spread offenses," Lollis said. "This week it's different, but we know what the option looks like since we see it every day when our offense runs it. It's heads-up, smash-mouth football and that's what we like."

Jones, who was part of Shorter's conference awards sweep when he was named the MSC West Division Coach of the Year, will enter the game having to count on a smaller number of Hawks to buckle their chinstraps.

Due to NAIA playoff limitations, Shorter is allowed to dress out 57 players for the game, far below the 79 that usually are on the sideline.

"This for Shorter is a new thing," said Jones, whose squad is one of just two teams - conference member Union is the other - making their first FCS appearance. "Most of the teams are used to it, so they don't have to make many adjustments. For us it's a big adjustment.

"But it's a heart-to-heart thing for the players and the coaches. I can't explain it, but when we play something's there."

"It'll be a battle," Smith said. "It'll be easier to focus than it was last week when there were still some doubts about our chances.

"Now we're in the playoffs and now we have a shot to win the ultimate prize."

To catch all the action of Saturday's game, tune in to 95.7 FM in Rome, or online at www.exterranet.com by clicking on the link for 95.7. "The Phil Jones Show" begins at 11 a.m.; the pregame show at 11:30 a.m.; and kickoff at noon.

Live stats will also be available from the University of the Cumberlands at http://www.ucumberlands.edu/athletics/live/football/webcastpage.html.