By Staff
By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
Brad Roach lived up to the hype.
The starting quarterback for Catawba College was voted to the 2007 South Atlantic Conference Preseason All-Conference football team.
After throwing for 2,704 yards and a school-record 24 touchdowns during the regular season, Roach was tabbed the SAC’s Offensive Player of the Year while also being named to the first team All-SAC team at quarterback.
Roach, a former standout at Williamston High School, led the Indians (10-6, 6-1 SAC) to a co-conference championship with Carson-Newman. He also helped lead Catawba into the NCAA II playoffs.
Catawba, a No. 4 seed in the Southeast Region, will play host to No. 5 seed Albany State (8-2) on Saturday. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.
The winner will play at top-seed Valdosta State (9-1) on Nov. 24.
Roach, who has completed 187-of-310 (60.3 percent) passes, has a chance to etch his name on a couple other records at Catawba. The senior co-captain is close to the completion percentage record (60.7 percent) and passing yardage (2,785) in a single season. Luke Samples holds both records.
In a 55-49 win over Carson-Newman earlier this year, Roach tied a school-record with four touchdown passes. He came close to three other records by completing 37-of-64 passes for 486 yards.
Samples holds those school records with 38 completions, 66 attempts and 495 passing yards in a single game.
Roach has added 91 yards rushing and three scores on 32 carries this season.
As a junior, Roach was 178-of-339 for 2,250 yards with 14 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. He also had 25 yards rushing and one score.
He was 206-of-384 for 2,302 yards with 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions his sophomore season. He added 22 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
In his career, Roach is 571-of-1,033 (55.2 percent) for 7,256 yards with 54 touchdowns and 45 interceptions. He also has 138 rushing yards and six scores on the ground.