Tracking the Cats
Wide ranging discussion of Western Carolina University athletics hosted by long time alumni and supporters, Bob Sabin & Steve White.
Tracking the Cats
SPECIAL EDITION - Tracking the Cats - Taron Dickens & Wofford
Welcome to Tracking the Cats. You got your co-host here with you today, Steve White and Bob Saban. And this is a special edition of tracking the Cats. we had to put this one together. We had to get it online right, Steve, because the, the Wofford football game yesterday was just incredible. You were there and I wasn't, unfortunately. So tell me right off the bat your thoughts with your voice please.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Yes incredible for a lot of different reasons. That's right. Yeah. I called it one of the most gut-wrenching winds and when one of the most frustrating couple of hours I've sat through in a long time. Momentum seemed to change Bob about. Every three or four minutes of that ball game. But it was, it was something like I say, it had more momentum changes in Colory weather. It was a really interesting from, from the outset interesting. And a very effective defense by Wafford. I don't know if you saw this or not, but they were running a six deep secondary, about 12 to 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage, off the line of scrimmage. Tiger adjusted. They were not gonna let him throw the deep ball. That's, that, that was, that was gonna be a no-no. And so he adjusted and instead of trying to throw deep, it was, you know, 6, 8, 10 yard passes right down the field. And he did it all day. In fact, he did it 46 times consecutively, which was a new, a new national record by throwing eight and 10 yard passes. Now they, a few of them were more than that, but. There were a lot of'em, some of them less than that, but it, it was, it was it was really interesting and, you know, give wofford credit they, they knew what they could and couldn't do, and they couldn't be able to cover us with regular just your generic defense. They had to come up with something special and they did. And it was effective.
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:definitely was effective because it held us to those short passes, which, you know, by blocking out the deep pass it, it did give us, we have so many options for receivers, you know, and how many different receivers did we have yesterday? Seven, eight.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Let's see. Actually, we only had like five different receivers. Now. They caught a lot of passes, 13, 8, 7, and seven. And so these were more of the guys. They weren't the deep pattern guys
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:Right. We.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:These were the, you know, the intermediate, short passing. yeah, it was it was, it was something to watch. It was quite
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:I was watching here in Georgia, so I got to hear Gary and Hooker call the game while I was watching on the ESPN feed with the volume down, so I didn't have to listen to those wofford announcers. But it, it, it was it fun to watch in one way. Frustrating to watch in another. You know, as the pass count kept growing and hook was going, I don't think anybody's ever done more than 30, you know, and, and it, it just kept going. The, the momentum was great. On the other hand, we're, I'm hearing him talk about. Why are they, why are the officials not calling Some of those calls, like the first call that was not re the first pass that was not received, the guy was all over us. It should have been a pass interference penalty. And then on the other side of the ball when Wofford had the ball. Time and time again, you're seeing hands on jerseys and no call. No call whatsoever except for the call from the backfield for us holding. After the play was over, it was like,
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Well, Bob, it was, it was, you know, I, I, I, I don't, I just don't like to credit. Guess back from the days, you know, I was working at Western and, you know, I wasn't allowed to
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:right.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:the officials in public or anything like this, but it was, it was just so inconsistent. They could not make up their minds. They had to have more, they had more huddles than an NFL game, you know, they were it was, it was just excruciating to watch and some of the decision making and just delay in making calls or not making calls. It was not a good day for that officiating crew. I'll tell you that right now. It was and I, I'm. Interested to see after the supervisor officials maybe looks at that video. I'm sure Coach Bell's staff's going to point out a lot of things to them, and that's the way you do it. You send it in and you make emphasis, oh, here are like 10 things you need to look at. And pinpoint'em and, and see what happens. But they did not have a good day and it was just. So inconsistent and so indecisive so many
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:Yeah.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:know, it was, it was a, it was a, it was tough
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:Yeah.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:And that's one of the another reason why I have my my voice is hoarse today. Not that I would ever, you know, holler at an official, you know?
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:No, no. I'm sure it was all cheering as Western accomplished things. Right. That's where you lost the voice.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:right,
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:You know, one thing that impressed me yesterday though, was our defense. Yeah. There were a couple of big plays. Yes. We had the, the kickoff the, the Runback for a touchdown. We did not let them break loose on many plays yesterday at all. We were all over. They couldn't get a run game going, and that showed and then we had a couple of past breakups that were amazing just out of the air, knocked that ball down. So I was much more pleased with the way the defense played yesterday than probably any game of the last five. So.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Yeah. Two big plays in the entire game for Wofford that big, that that first drive, that like what 48 yard pass play. And then the punt return, which had nothing to do with really a defense. That was a special
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:Right.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:but eight first downs,
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:Yeah.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:eight first Downs, all Wofford had 241 yards of total offense. That's, that's the lowest total I've seen an opponent having a long. Time in a Western Carolina game and Jordy Thompson, boy, I, I really thought he stood out yesterday, sort of evolved. He really looked good. And there was some very nice, you know, plays in the, in this ball game. And, and like I say, I agree with you. I think the defense stepped up, not that wofford's offense is gonna be in the top the elite part of the Southern Conference structure this year. Their defense is, but their offense is not. A great offense right now. They, they struggled a little bit, but, but again I really think that when it ha we needed to, they did step up. Yeah. They really did.
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:I agree. And you know, the, the, the final thing, the, the, the, the winning play for us was. I am just, I'm really pleased with this Marcus Trout the, our kicker because you know, he stepped on the field as a freshman at the beginning of the season being a backup, possibly even third team kicker and. He has stepped up, but he's got the credentials. I, I, per personally, I got a chance to talk to him and his family a year ago when he was being recruited. I bumped into him in the school store when I was buying a shirt or something. And I talked to the family and they were very impressive and he's got a great pedigree. He was all star, all senior. He was special teams player of the year in high school two years ago. So we knew that if we could get him to agree to come he'd be a good player for us. And, and by golly, he's, he's done well so far. The, the first field goal that it got blocked, that was not his fault.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Well, yeah, it was a bad, it was not a good snap It, first of all, it was, it was a mishandled ball and so forth. That was not his fault. And like I say, you were talking about him, I was literally worried when we lost Lowry early in the season with. The injury because he really played well at the end of the season last year, well, second half of the season, and kicked the ball extremely well. But that was a pressure packed again, there's a lot of everybody. Okay. Why we take that delay? Well, I really think it was there was a, a reason behind that delay in the game, that penalty we got at the end. it gave him a better angle. And a lot of people didn't see that. They thought it was mismanaged clock,
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:Yeah, yeah, yeah. And even, even
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Yeah,
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:and Hooker were talking about that, but you, you, you're right. He did have a better angle, but that first shot went boom right through the middle.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:yeah.
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:You know, I think that just had to give you more confidence to set up a second time, even if five yards further back, it was still, what, a 38 yarder or something like that. So.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:yeah, yeah. That, that's nothing this day and
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:Yeah.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Yeah.
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:anything else you wanna say?
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Well just looking at that game, you know, of course everybody knows by now 46 consecutive completions. 53 out of 56 for Tiger in that game, 378 yards, three touchdowns. James Tire, goodness gracious, targeted 13 times, Bob. Caught all 13 passes. 13 passes for three touchdowns. That's back to back games. For this guy you knew. He's a, you know, a North Georgia boy down where you are from. And red shirt freshman, he was a high school quarterback. He was not a wide receiver and a a heck of a baseball player I understand, but a high school quarterback, and I see his parents every game get to talk to them. But that young man, he has taken over. I call him Colombo Junior now because he has stepped into that
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:Yeah.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Really just, we haven't missed a lick. I mean, you know, we'd love to have Colombo back right now, but we might at the end of the season, according to how the season's going, I think after that knee surgery and so forth. But James Tire, he has become a star in this
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:And that in itself speaks a lot because Dickens got a, a second record yesterday NCAA record for past completion percentage. Right. And it was 94 6, essentially 95%.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Yeah. 53 of
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:right.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:That's, that's
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:Yeah.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:I mean, throwing 56 times is a quite an
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:like, yeah, I know. And, and, and the other, the last thing was time of possession. We almost doubled it up on'em. We almost had'em 40 minutes to 20. It was 38, 39.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:it was, it was amazing. Yeah. 30, almost 39 minutes to just over 15 minutes for
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:Yeah,
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Yeah.
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:but,
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:For the
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:but you know, that says how many times we had to drive down the field, slowly, 3, 4, 5 yards at a time. And, and so it was good. And the last thing, second last thing is the, who was our rushing leader yesterday?
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Okay. Here, looking right here at the stat sheet was Patrick Boyd with 40 Yards and Dickens had 36. So yeah, that was very unusual that Tiger actually carried the ball or scrambled 18 times in
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:And if he hadn't been sacked,
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:not by design. Not by design.
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:been sacked, he would've been the rushing leader, but he got picked down a couple of times.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:And it was scary. He took some real licks in that ball game. He really did. And that we don't want that to happen
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:Right.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:we'll see. But that had a lot to do. Give Wofford defense. Their defense is credit, very well coached defense. They had a great plan and it almost worked.
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:Yep.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Fortunately it didn't.
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:So let's move on to a couple other things going on.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Yeah, yeah, yeah. Right now, only three unbeaten teams. Bob. Right now Cat Mounts is one of those Mercer courses now after a slow start four and oh, now they've played a lot of conference games early, so that means they're gonna get to maybe relax a little bit later in the season. And of course, our. The other purple team from down in South Carolina is coming up next week. Their two and oh and the cattle mounts are two and oh, and that that is you look at right now what was predicted to start with East Tennessee. I don't know if you know how that game went yesterday, east Tennessee State, Furman, but East Tennessee was driving to tie the ball game or win. The last minute of the ball game through a pass, a desperation pass that was picked off by the Furman defensive back at the five yard line, returned it 95 yards to seal that win for fur. And this, that was actually the last play of the
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:I have a good friend who was there. We were talking about it after the game.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Yeah. Yeah. So Furman is really fired up about this game I'm sure and after the whipping that they took last year, and now, I don't know, there's another word for it. They got demolished last year. Of course, you remember that? 52 points we put up over 800 yards. Cole Gonzalez setting all those records was National Player of the week for that performance down there.
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:In Greenville so that that was even sweeter.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:yeah. CLO coach clay Hendricks was not very happy after the ball game and let Coach Bell know about that. After he said like, we were running up the score and so forth, and, and I'd like to tell him a few times that Furman has, I've accused them of running up the score on us over the years, but people forget that type of stuff. But Paladins I thought very impressive. They've really turned it around. Re head yesterday, 358 yards passing Gavin Hall, 101 yards rushing. They've really solidified their offense after a slow start and they're starting to play better defense. This is gonna be some kind of battle Saturday at
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:Yeah. Yeah, we're, we're definitely gonna have to play our best game of the season.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Oh, yes,
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:Do seem to be tuning it up one game at a time though, which is good.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Yes. Right.
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:you know the big question mark at the beginning of the season.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:My goodness. You talk about a question mark. I mean, they really struggled yesterday against VMI on the road, and they've gotten trounced Citadel just wore them out. They're they're, they're struggling right now. East Tennessee state, I really still think's a very good
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:I agree.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:team. And that'll it. Could something big come down? You know, that will be our last home game in November. I think that won around the 15th or something like this. They'd come into town and that'll still be a big ball game. But that was, that was a huge one yesterday and East coming off of a tough loss, you know, the week before. But again, at the Citadel. I, they did not look very good early. And then they turn around, they're playing much better. So every game is gonna be a challenge. It's just gonna be a a just one of these sort of like what we saw yesterday could come down to that, that type of conclusion. For both, both
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:There, there, there are no easy games that, that we're gonna see this season for sure.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:yeah.
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:But like I said, we appear to be getting better, getting more comfortable with our people. Still a ton of injuries. When he read the injury list before the game yesterday, I was like, really? Because we had like seven guys who were not not able to start yesterday.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Yeah. Yeah. We could use Branson Adams. I wish we had him back in that backfield.'cause he is a stronger, bigger, harder run. And this is where we have some problems on those, you know, third and two plays and third and four plays that and, and the other team stacking you up
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:Exactly.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:And yeah, that's another, that's another
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:Right, right, right. So, okay. Now we can move on to soccer. Lady soccer this afternoon is playing at Citadel. They're getting kicked off in a few minutes. But so far they're, they're looking pretty good. How did we lose Furman a week ago? One mill.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:you that. The, the firm and coach told coach Chad Miller after that ball game, he said, I don't know how we won it. He said, that is a, that was a great offensive performance by your team. We're just unbelievable the number of shots this team's getting on goal and everything like this. And it just, not for some reason not going in I don't know if we've got great goalies in the southern converts or not, but this, I really think that this. This Western Carolina team is as good or better than last year's team that that won the regular season. right now they're two, one and one in in the conference playing, like I say at the Citadel today, and they're back home Friday against Wofford which is not having a great season, but it's gonna come down. It's really very competitive this year. You know, Furman obviously. Pretty good by beating us. Sanford's always good. That's gonna be nothing. And Chattanooga, east Tennessee State are having really good season, so it's gonna be a heck of a southern conference soccer championship race this year. And the tournament could be something else. And that's why important to win that regular season and get to host the championship like we did last year here in
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:Well, if, if we can continue what we've done in the last few games,
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Mm-hmm.
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:possession, I mean, when you get 30 shots against Furin, when you get 36 shots against VMI, sure. You're, you've got possession, right? You're, you're dominating the game in the skill side of things. But anything can happen in soccer because, you know, one wacky, maybe it bounced off of one of our players and, and, and goes in for a quote unquote own goal, you know, and, and you lose. So we've got to definitely do a better job of making those shots count.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Yeah, yeah. The, but that nine to nothing win over VMI that, that, you know, if you're thinking about baseball or football or something like that, you're talking about probably in football, a 40 to nothing win or
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:Yeah.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:that. And baseball, you know, 25
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:Yeah. Nine to nothing doesn't happen.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:how you equate that. Yeah.
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:I've been, I've been watching professional soccer here in Atlanta for the last 10 years eight years. And we have two games where matches where we've scored more than five points in all that time. So, yeah, it's a that was a statement for sure.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Yeah, definitely. You know, Isabella demarcos playing down at the Citadel this afternoon after that, that hat trick against VMI three goals. And that is her hometown. She went to Bishop England High School there in Charleston, so who knows what guy. She could have another super day
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:She'll have some fan support, which is good.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Yes, yes, yes. Yeah.
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:let's look at volleyball. They have had a less auspicious start, but they've, they've, they've done okay. And,
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:yeah. Yeah. They're trying to get back in. Yeah. Trying to get back into the Southern Conference race. And they took a good step with that three to one win last night over UNC Greensboro. They're back to two and two in the Southern Conference, so they're, they're not outta the race by any stretch now. This Thursday they've got Chattanooga coming in and then Friday night again that would be Friday against with Chattanooga and then at home again with Sanford. So they got two, two home matches coming up that could really make them healthy. You know, say, say if they could win those four and two coming out of that home stand, they'd be right back up in the championship race. Yes.
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:Yep.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Yeah.
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:anything else that we need to talk about? You know, we, we have a fall schedule for softball and, and tennis only has a few matches going on in the fall, so
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Yeah.
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:some
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Yeah.
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:Go ahead.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Mm-hmm. Tennis is down at Clemson this weekend against some real, real tough competition. Cross country I think has only one more meet before the conference championship. I think that's at upstate, down in Spartanburg on the 18th. And then championship Southern Conference Championships November the first For cross country, right? Yeah.
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:And then the, the golf teams have a couple more matches. I had it pulled up and I, I don't have it right in front of me.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:boy, the men's men's team really playing extreme. It played a, had a great match over here at Waynesville and JT Post an invitational. Almost pulled that one out against a very good competition. Then went up to Pennsylvania, and that West Virginia tournament which is actually being played in Pennsylvania and played extremely well against a very impressive list of, now, Penn State, West Virginia, people like that competition. So the, I tell you men's, men's golf team really, really right now impressive looking and might I think gonna be a legitimate Southern Conference championship contender this year. Yeah. For the first time in several years.
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:That's good. All right, well that about wraps, this special edition as I was saying version of tracking the cats. We've got
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Yeah.
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:another actual full interview coming up this week. Tell us about that, Steve. I.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Okay, we're gonna have Todd Rowley the ex Catamount All Southern Conference catcher, and of course, one of our coach that took us to two Southern Conference championships coming up. And he's more known, I guess now as Cal Rowley's father. Yes. But he's out there right now in Seattle watching the Mariners play. They lost last night. To Detroit, and extra innings. But this is gonna be very good. And just one little thing if you haven't had a chance to read it. There's a article and Sports Illustrated in the September issue, last month's issue. And you can maybe find it online. It's digital. Also print, you know, sports Illustrated only prints once a month now, and you can do it digital or print. it's called glute force, G-L-U-T-E Force. Yeah. As in gluteus Maximus force. And it is a heck of an article talking about Cal Riley and a lot of it about Todd, about his makeup and why, why he is what he is, is like, you know, a manager on the field and not so much the home runs, it's just talk about how he. Got there and really interesting. But this will be a great conversation. We might have another announcement about Todd Raleigh when we do get him on here on Wednesday and so forth. And a couple other quick things. Bob the sky box, the last. Steel beam and the sky box went up. This week they've now finished all the superstructure, the steel work for that. And now they'll start filling in, you know, with the floors and everything. But I got to autograph the last steel beam as it was, the top of the sky box frame. All that stuff. So my name's on it, and they told me that the reason they did that was because I was denied an elevator in the old press box back in 1973 when we built the one at Whitmeyer. And almost, you know, how many times I've been up and down on those steps and so forth. That was the first thing they took out of the project when they started Running Shore, the money. So. They said that this, this will be where the elevator ends at that, that piece of frame. So I got to autograph it as they erect, put it, put it on the crane to take it up Friday
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:That's great. I was gonna ask, how did you get up there to autograph it?
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:no, no, no, no, no. It was on the ground. Yeah. Yeah. that. One other thing there's a really good piece on Western Wednesday Western's alumni site. A great interview with James Hogan and
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:Sure.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:with Zey Matthews. Our, a lot of people forget about Zey. Major league pitcher now with the Minnesota Twins native of Colory actually Kaney Fork. And I think you would really enjoy people who like to go online and see that. You can see it's on, youTube and so forth. But they did a great job of going, actually went to Minneapolis to interview him there in the stadium.
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:If you go to
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:watch
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:wc
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Ze,
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:wcu.edu and then do a search on Western Wednesdays, and you'll be able to pick that up.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Right. Yeah. I think, I think Zes gonna have actually a good major league future. I really do.
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:Very cool.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:Yeah.
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:Alright, well that about wraps, this special edition of Tracking the Cats, as always brought to you by Stanbury Insurance. With offices in Silva, Waynesville, Clyde and Highland. So stop by there if you ever need any insurance for, and I, I need insurance on my, my Body right now after yesterday's game.
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:both of us.
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:So,
squadcaster-28eb_2_10-05-2025_131955:of us.
bob-sabin_2_10-05-2025_131956:but that does it for this edition. We will see y'all again this Wednesday with another full edition of tracking the Cats.
