Cathedral senior Stephen Edwards has always liked contact. That’s why he never tried out for quarterback – until last year.

&uot;They were looking for somebody to back up Von (Hutchins) and nobody was stepping up,&uot;&160;Edwards said. &uot;Somebody told me to get up there, so I threw some passes.&uot;

Edwards played quarterback for the junior varsity last year and came in to finish a few varsity contests. He played running back and linebacker last year. He will be going one way this year.

&uot;It’s going to make me mad when somebody hits me and I don’t get to hit them back,&uot; he said. &uot;That’s what I’ll miss the most – playing defense. But I’m willing to sacrifice for the team.&uot;

Edwards got his first taste of starting quarterback at the Vidalia Jamboree last Saturday.

&uot;That really got me started and fired-up,&uot; said the 5-foot-11, 180-pound Edwards. &uot;Everybody on the team is ready to kick it off.&uot;

Cathedral hosts Wisner Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Green Wave have only one returning starter on offense and three on defense.

&uot;Our practices weren’t looking good at first, but we’ve pulled together,&uot; Edwards said. &uot;This team may not be the most talented team Cathedral has ever had, but it’s a team with fire. We’re just going to go out and play hard. We have a lot to prove. That’s our motivation.&uot;

The Green Wave also moved up to Class 2A this year.

&uot;I like playing bigger schools,&uot; Edwards said.

Hutchins finished with more than 2,000 yards in total offense and in returns last year. He is now a member of the Ole Miss Rebels.

&uot;I told myself a long time ago that I’m not a Von, that I have to be as good as I can make myself,&uot; Edwards said. &uot;I can’t be Von and run for 30-yard touchdowns. I’ll lead the team not as much by my play as by example. I’ll make sure I do all of the little things right.&uot;

While he never sought the quarterback position, Edwards admits he’s taken to it now.

&uot;I’ve been waiting for this moment ever since we started lifting weights,&uot; he said. &uot;As a quarterback, I have to make sure everybody is prepared.&uot;

Edwards, who only threw four passes last week in the jamboree, said he has been watching other quarterbacks closely now.

&uot;I never really had a lot of time to work on it this summer with baseball,&uot; said the All-Metro shortstop. &uot;I watch quarterbacks all the time now. I watch how they release the ball, how they drop back to pass and learned how to get back in the pocket quicker and set up.&uot;

Edwards said his passing motion is similar to his throwing motion from shortstop, which he knows is not really the correct form.

&uot;Coach Craig (Beesley) doesn’t care if its a perfect spiral, as long it gets to where it’s supposed to go,&uot;&160;he said.

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