St. Andrews hosts Webber International to kick off 2023 season

Aug. 24—LAURINBURG — The wait is over.

After nine and a half months without a game, college football returns in Laurinburg this Saturday, as the St. Andrews Knights open their season with a nonconference matchup against the Webber International Warriors.

And with a 1-10 record last season now behind them, the Knights have reset with new players and coaches joining the program.

"What really motivated us from this 1-10 (record) was we went out and got some football players to add to the guys that wanted to commit to the program," St. Andrews head coach Bob Curtin said. "So, the guys that came back are really committed to the program, really committed to turning it around, and we put some really good guys, albeit they're young, but we put good guys around them."

It will be the first time that the Knights and Warriors have ever faced each other on the gridiron, but Curtin said the schools may be seeing each other more often in the future.

"I like having this Webber (International) game, just simply because we can establish a pretty decent rivalry," Curtin said. "They are the parent organization so to speak, and we're a few years behind them in terms of the history of our program. We've got to catch up quick."

One big question that awaited an answer this summer was who the Knights' starting quarterback would be for their first game.

Curtin said he finally made a decision earlier this week after practice.

"We came in with (six) great quarterbacks," Curtin said. "It was a tight race all the way down. Jalen (Dodd), our returner from spring ball, is the guy we've appointed to lead the program. He's a great young man, as all of them are, but he's a great young man. He has command of the offense, and more importantly, he's got command of the playbook right now. He's got to take the team to where we want to get to, and he understands that."

With Dodd named St. Andrews' starter, he feels "confident" he can help lead the team to a win against the Warriors.

"I feel good," Dodd said. "I'm ready to go in and rock and roll with the team. I think our boys can compete with them (Webber International). I feel like the way that we've been working, the way we've been preparing for them, we can be really good."

The Warriors' offense averaged nearly 30 points per game a season ago and relied on passing the ball with QB Cody Braden.

Although Braden has graduated, and the team hasn't released their starter yet, Curtin said the Warriors offense is still very talented, especially with running back Terry Weems Jr. leading the backfield again.

"They know how to put the football in the end zone for sure," Curtin said. "They've got a really good running back (Weems Jr.). Very tough runner; pounds the ball a lot. We've got to stop him. He's sort of the catalyst if you will. And they like to throw the ball a lot. They throw a lot of those quick routes, a lot of underneath stuff. And they do that to gain momentum. Then, they'll change the pace and get a good run game in there. But, they're very tough on offense."

The bright spot for a Warriors defense that allowed 26 points per game last year was their secondary. However, with some of those players not back, the defensive backfield will look different against the Knights.

St. Andrews wide receivers coach Jerome Moody broke down what he expects from the Warriors' defensive backs.

"We know they like to play a lot of Cover 3," Moody said. "We've been plugging away at that the last couple of days trying to design stuff to beat that specific coverage and other coverages, too."

St. Andrews will be the only college football team that plays a Week 0 game in North Carolina this weekend. Curtin has no issue with an earlier-than-normal start to the season, though.

He said the eagerness for the matchup is well-known around campus.

"We're excited," Curtin said. "There's a different air around the campus. People are feeling a little more excited; a little more energetic. The guys on the team are taking it in stride, but you can see they're excited. They try to maintain their calm composure, but it's an exciting time."

Kickoff between St. Andrews and Webber International is scheduled for 1 p.m.