DAWG of Week 1 in Section XI: Cato Thomas

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>To kick off the 2026 high school football season in Section XI. It's fair to point out a player who didn't get the recognition they deserved while giving their team 110% on the field. Each week, we will spotlight one player as the D.A.W.G. of the week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DAWG stands for "Does Anything to Win Games," and in opening week there were plenty of options for this title. After rewatching the tape, it's fair to say this one player is the focal point of a culture change for one school's football program.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>His play on both sides of the ball was infectious for the rest of his team, helping them start the season 1-0. That player is Bay Shore running back/linebacker<a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/21765703/Cato-Thomas"> [player_tooltip player_id='2150091' first='Cato' last='Thomas']</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Shore Revamped</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bay Shore has been at the bottom of Division One in Section XI for most of the 2020's, after constant coaching changes and disappointing seasons. It seems the Marauders have finally found the right guy in head coach Jim Rizzo.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rizzo has instilled fire in this roster, and Thomas has been at the forefront of this new regime.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cato's Capabilities</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The senior stands 5'7", weighs 175 lbs, and has a knack for finding the end zone. In Bay Shore's 38-0 win over Central Islip, Cato scored two rushing touchdowns. In the red zone, he's an imminent threat because of his strong lower body and mindset to run through contact. He also shows strong poise.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>His first touchdown came off a broken play due to a mishandled snap. Many players would panic and jump on the ball that close to the goal line to maintain possession. Thomas had other plans in mind as he scooped the ball off the ground and got the Marauders on the board, dragging a couple of Musketeers defenders with him.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src=u0022https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/2/24617/6aa4bf67cc567ba375f0f5d1u0022 width=u0022640u0022 height=u0022360u0022 frameborder=u00220u0022 allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aab547275528"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thomas would finish the game with 123 yards rushing and three touchdowns on offense. What makes him a weapon that Bay Shore hasn't seen in a while is his defensive abilities.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Against Central Islip, Thomas racked up five tackles for loss and a sack. He basically lived in the backfield all game, and his dominance came from a few things.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As a blitzer, he shoots like a cannon off the ball and beats linemen the minute they get into their set. That led to his first-quarter sack.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Those five TFL's came from him reading his keys and closing in on the ball carriers. Also, he out-efforted the Musketeers' offensive line countless times. One of his better block sheds came from setting the edge and using an arm-over move to get past a tight end.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thomas was all over the field even in coverage where he didn't allow a single catch when targeted. He closes in on receivers quickly and shuts off space impressively well for a linebacker.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thomas was a primary factor in Bay Shore starting the season with a win and giving Jim Rizzo his first victory as head coach. Hopefully the Marauders can build on the momentum as they face Patchogue-Medford this weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Congrats to [player_tooltip player_id='2150091' first='Cato' last='Thomas'] for earning Week 1 D.A.W.G. of the Week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->