Sports

Old faces give Cats new look

• The South Georgia Wildcats sign two starters from last year’s team, Scott Cloman and Joe Woolridge, to bolster their roster.

Paul Dehner Jr.

ALBANY — In need of a breath of fresh air, the South Georgia Wildcats called upon some familiar faces.

Wide receiver Scott Cloman and defensive lineman Joe Woolridge signed with the Wildcats on Friday to power-up the roster before Monday’s game at Daytona.

Cloman and Woolridge were both key leaders last season as the Wildcats excelled to their first ever playoff victory.

Both were attempting to latch on in the AFL, but neither could stick.

The temporary loss is South Georgia’s gain. Woolridge led the Wildcats in sacks last season with six, achieved in only 12 games while fighting through injuries.

He was second on the team in tackles for loss with 6 1/2.

The Wildcats owned his rights as the season began so when he was officially let go by Kansas City, he became part of the South Georgia organization again.

Coach Derek Stingley concedes a beautiful gift fell into his lap.

“Having him here helps us everywhere, believe it or not,” he said. “Naturally up front we will get all the pressure and sacks that come along with it. Now that creates turnovers in the secondary, maybe turnovers from forced fumbles on the quarterback and from those turnovers it can change our momentum on offense. So we will have the ball probably more than usual just with his play alone.

“He can control the game by himself.”

Woolridge will slip into the starting spot as a pass rusher alongside Courtney Young and Ray Gant. Darin Damron will also sub into the rotation.

That rotation will get deeper in four weeks once James Harris comes off of injured reserve. He was placed on IR this week to have surgery in correction of reoccuring problems.

Finding a comfortable rotation could be even harder for Cloman.

He was the second leading receiver under the record-setting pass attack of QB D. Bryant last season, catching 93 passes for 1,007 yards and 19 touchdowns. But filling in around big-play veterans Buchie Ibeh and Antwone Savage, along with the af2’s current second-leading reciever P.J. Berry, creates a challenge.

“It’s a good problem to have,” Stingley said. “We will figure out how we are going to rotate it. That just makes us even better at that position.”

For now, Stingley’s too focused on all the positives Cloman’s arrival brings to think about any possible side effects.

“Scott brings a load of experience from every league,” Stingley said. “Just the work ethic he brings, he can help the young guys. He is like a coach on the field. He can coach in practice, he’s been in the fire, from coach to player sometimes they don’t get it, from player to player sometimes it makes more sense.”

The Wildcats (1-1) play at Daytona at 7 p.m. on Monday before hosting the Green Bay Blizzard on Saturday, April 19, at 7:30 p.m.

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