Gilchrist, Cavaliers hoping to take next step

The Mount de Sales Cavaliers had some good moments in 2015 and will look to continue on the right path in 2016.

Led by senior quarterback Pinkney Gilchrist, the Cavaliers are looking to make the playoffs for the first time since joining the GHSA two years ago.

“I think that ever since (head coach Keith) Hatcher arrived, we have been heading in the right direction,” said Gilchrist, who will be a second-year starter this season at quarterback. “We have had a great offseason in the weight room, and we are really at a different level than we were three years ago.”

Gilchrist threw for 800 yards and eight touchdowns a year ago.

“I went to the Samford camp this summer, and it was crazy good, but at this time, I don’t have any offers,” Gilchrist said about possibly playing in college. “Right now, it is very possible that this year will be my last year of football, so that leaves me 12 or so games to be the best that I can be. Not playing football anymore is a sad, scary thought, but I just want to do all I can do to get this team to the playoffs.”

Hatcher is also optimistic that this can be the year that Mount de Sales takes that next step and makes the playoffs.

“The transition to the GHSA is no longer new to us,” said Hatcher, whose team won four games a year ago, including beating FPD and Tattnall Square. “That was the biggest change our kids had to endure, but they also had to deal with an entirely new coaching staff. The players are now very familiar with my expectations, and our offseason program this year has far exceeded the ones we had my first two years here.

“Physically we are an entirely different team than we were a year ago, and that has generated a lot of excitement for us. Now, will that equate to more wins during the season? That is a question that we don’t know the answer to yet.”

Hatcher has 58 players on the roster and will look for defensive lineman Dylan Mixon and linebacker Will Pounds to lead the way on defense while Gilchrist and lightning-quick running back Adrian Hardwick are expected to provide the spark on offense.

“Pinkney had a really good year last year, and we expect him to be even better this year with a year under his belt, and Adrian was our most productive back as a sophomore last year, so we feel like he has a tremendous upside,” Hatcher said. “Dylan is very active and had tremendous strength gains for us in the offseason, and Will is a senior who led our team in tackles a year ago.”

With the season quickly approaching, Hardwick’s excitement level continues to rise.

“Now that we are in pads, everyone is ready to get going,” said Hardwick, who ran for 810 yards as a sophomore. “Sometimes it’s tough to see a team’s improvement, but in pads, it’s easy to see. We feel like we can compete with anyone in the region, and we are all tired of losing.”

This story was originally published August 13, 2016 at 4:18 PM with the headline "Gilchrist, Cavaliers hoping to take next step."