How an overlooked Calvary football player has become a star on a talent-laden team

Savannah Christian football's Jamari McIvory had just ignited the home crowd at Pooler Stadium with a pick six of more than 80 yards for the first score of the game Friday night.

Calvary Day needed a spark — and Caden Arnold was there to provide the Cavaliers with some fireworks of their own.

The senior took the ensuing kickoff on the right side of the field and followed a line of blockers toward Calvary's sideline, once he got to the edge he turned on the afterburners and was gone for a 66-yard kickoff return for a score.

It was a pivotal moment in a 42-21 win in the rivalry game for the Cavs, who improved to 5-0 on the season and retained their No. 2 Class 3A ranking in the state.

Merklinger & company lead Calvary to win How Jake Merklinger and Calvary Day playmakers won a battle with rival Savannah Christian

Jung remembered for his devotion to BC 'He was one of a kind:' Charlie Jung remembered for devotion to Savannah, Benedictine football

SCD's Bueno fights diabetes to compete 'Nothing is going to stand in my way:' Savannah-area athlete battles diabetes to play football

The big play was nothing unusual for Arnold, the 5-foot-10, 170-pound receiver who is sometimes overlooked in an offense stacked with Power-5 recruits. Senior Jake Merklinger is a 5-star quarterback headed to Tennessee, while his fellow 5-star, Michael Smith, is a star tight end committed to South Carolina.

Junior receiver Thomas Blackshear has more than 20 offers including Georgia, Alabama and Colorado, while his classmate, receiver Doopah Coleman, has an offer sheet including Ohio State, Alabama and UGA.

With his teammates garnering a boatload of attention, Arnold quietly goes about his business making play after play. He showed his athletic promise as a freshman when he became the starting shortstop on the Cavalier baseball team — and he's been proving his worth on the football field ever since.

On Friday, he added three receptions for 43 yards -- including a spectacular diving grab for a 22-yard touchdown in the second quarter. He has 19 catches for 320 yards with four scoring receptions on the season.

"I play football with a chip on my shoulder because I've always been overlooked," said Arnold, who maintains a 4.0 GPA. "I always hear about teams worried about stopping Michael (Smith), Thomas (Blackshear) and Doopah (Coleman), but they never mention me -- that motivates me. I think I've improved from working in the weight room -- getting bigger, stronger and faster. And I've gotten stronger mentally -- I don't let things from the outside fluster me anymore."

Arnold is known for his blazing speed — having clocked 4.4 times in the 40-yard dash numerous times, and he is as sure handed as they come which makes him a favorite target for Merklinger, who has played with Arnold since they were in seventh grade.

"The thing that stands out to me about Caden is that he is super smart," Merklinger said. "And he's extremely athletic. He's so quick, with soft hands and he runs great routes. I think he's been overlooked because of his size, but he always gets open and he's like a safety valve for me. We have a great connection."

Last spring on the baseball field, the slick-fielding shortstop hit .414 with an OPS of .996 with 19 RBIs and 35 runs with 15 stolen bases to earn first-team All-Greater Savannah honors. He said he thought his college future was in baseball until his junior season in football, when offensive coordinator Russell DeMasi, now coaching at Wayne State University in Michigan, gave him a confidence boost.

"Coach DeMasi showed that he really believed in me and said I could be something special as a football player," Arnold said.

DeMasi was one of the first to extend a scholarship offer to Arnold, who has a list that includes Erskine College, Lenoir-Rhyne, Stetson, Marist, Shorter and North Greenville University.

"Whatever college signs Caden is going to get a great player," Merklinger said. "He's super competitive, smart and he's just a great dude. I think he could be an All-American — colleges are just starting to realize how good of a player he is."

Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Caden Arnold of Calvary plays with chip on shoulder to prove he belongs