What We Saw: Woodland 19, Andrews 6

ANDREWS | Ja'Kease Salley has only been playing football for two years.    Yet, Woodland coach Eddie Ford is convinced his receiver has more than earned the right to play college ball in something other than hoops.    The 6-foot-3, 175-pound Salley certainly looked like he has that ability on Friday.   In doing some of the most damaged in the Wolverines 19-6 region victory at Andrews, the senior hauled in nine passes for 69 yards and a touchdown. He split his catches between sideline throws where he showed off some impressive footwork and a couple more in traffic across the field when the Yellow Jackets didn't have an answer.   “I hope this shows people that I really want to do this, because I really want to be a football player now,” Salley said. “I really want to be a DI football player. I believe I truly am that.”   Salley and his little brother, quarter [player_tooltip player_id='1603798' first='Jervaze' last='Salley'], were highly effective, especially during the first half. The linked up eight times, including six times in the Wolverines' final series of the half. They capped off that drive with a 4-yard scoring play. Prior to that, they duo worked the sideline over and over again to set up the touchdown on what ended up being a 2-minute, 9 second drive that covered 74 yards.    It was similar to how opponents have watched the elder Salley take over on the hardwood. Last winter as a junior, Salley the basketball player averaged just shy of 18 points per game for the Woodland varsity team while chipping in 9.7 rebounds and 4.3 blocks. Clearly, the athletic ability was there.   Now, so too, is his understanding of what he can do as a receiver. And how those skills can directly and indirectly help the Woodland offense.   “It could really open our run game a lot,” Salley said. “If they bring a linebacker out of the box toward me, we'll run it down their throat all day.”   While the Wolverines' rushing attack wasn't dominant against Andrews, those holes did open for a trio of tailbacks in the second half. Zishawn Majette (13 carries, 52 yards), Kamron Howell (seven carries, 22 yards) and Dorian Britt (7 carries, 40 yards) each saw their production grow after halftime.   And for Salley, whose second half consisted only of one reception for minus one yard (broken play), his impact had already been felt. He's now surpassed 500 receiving yards and has seven receiving touchdowns this fall through seven games.    And if you ask Ford, it's only the beginning.   The sixth-year Woodland coach contends college football is the natural next step for his big receiver.   “He's just got to keep making plays. Every time he's got an opportunity to make a play, he's got to make it,” Ford said. “He's got to catch the ball, he's got to be sharp in his routes, he's got to block. He's got to do all the things to create value for himself to create good tape for someone to take a shot on him. I say all the time he'd be a top two or three receiver in this state if he started playing in ninth grade. He's got all the tools.”   OTHER WOODLAND STANDOUTS Dorian Britt RB | Britt's late touchdown run might have sealed the victory, but his 38-yard reception on the Wolverines' opening drive of the game showed how versatile the 5-foot-8 sophomore could be. He ended the game with 78 yards of offense.    [player_tooltip player_id='1603798' first='Jervaze' last='Salley'] QB | While still learning the position - and relying heavily on his big brother, Salley continued to develop. He finished the night 11-of-18 for 123 yards and that touchdown pass.   Travon Tate ATH | Splitting time between receiver and quarterback, Tate's 38-yard reception on the Wolverines' final drive of the game all but won the game for Woodland, even before Britt's touchdown run. Facing a second-and-11 from their own 26, the Wolverines had [player_tooltip player_id='1603798' first='Jervaze' last='Salley'] throw a deep sideline route. Tate caught it in stride, fought for a few more yards and flipped the field.    [player_tooltip player_id='1592194' first='Jaemin' last='Pinckney'] LB | An impressive-looking edge, Pinckney was clearly a huge part of the Andrews game plan. The Yellow Jackets had little choice but to run away from the 6-foot-4, 195-pound outside linebacker throughout the evening. He was able to drop back into coverage when necessary and made at least one tackle 10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage.   [player_tooltip player_id='1639814' first='Jerrell' last='Sullivan'] DB | Sullivan's second-quarter interception at midfield helped set the tone for a second quarter in which Woodland dominated time-of-possession.    ANDREWS STANDOUTS   [player_tooltip player_id='1395098' first='AJ' last='Lee'] RB | Coming off a 230-yard, three-touchdown performance against Academic Magnet, it was obvious that Woodland had done its homework. However, Lee finished with yet another 100-yard rushing performance after a slow start rolled into a 15-carry, 111-yard, one-touchdown night. Lee's best run of the evening wasn't his touchdown in the fourth quarter that made it a one-score game. It was the 29-yarder earlier in the drive that moved the sticks and put Andrews into scoring position.   Da'Viyon McNair OL/DL | One of the two most impressive players on the field Friday for Andrews, McNair was at times blowing open running lanes - while often facing off against Pinckney - and at others swallowing up would-be passing lanes, pressuring the quarterback or stopping Woodland ball carriers. McNair is listed at 6-foot-3 and 315 pounds, and he's absolutely a name to know for the next 14 months.   [player_tooltip player_id='1025808' first='Chris' last='Stewart'] DL/TE | Stewart occasionally steps in to catch passes on offense, and he did that Friday when he grabbed an 11-yarder prior to Lee's late touchdown run. But his explosiveness had his name called over the PA system on several occasions. Unofficially, he had four quarterback hurries, shared a sack with McNair and had five tackles.

ANDREWS | Ja'Kease Salley has only been playing football for two years.