There was finally a Justin Scott-Wesley sighting during Saturday’s game, and the Bulldogs were happy with what they saw.
The junior wideout from Camilla has been dogged by one thing or another all season. But Scott-Wesley finally broke open in the end zone and the 19-yard pass he caught from Hutson Mason in the first quarter not only was his first touchdown of the year, it was his first reception of any kind.
“I catch balls every day in practice,” Scott-Wesley said. “To do it in a game is a great feeling.”
It hasn’t been easy for Scott-Wesley. He came into this season off a major knee reconstruction and still feels the effects of that injury. He missed the first four games of the year from disciplinary suspension, but then suffered a cut in the web of skin between his right thumb and forefinger. Scott-Wesley had to have stitches to close the cut, but the injury gets aggravated almost every week from catching footballs in practice.
“I’m extremely happy for that guy,” senior receiver Chris Conley said. “He has worked extremely hard. He’s had a lot of setbacks, with the knee, with his hand, with things here and there. He’s been in a lot of pain. To see him be able to come out and push through and play really well today, that’s a testament to him and the way he has stayed focus through all that.”
Said Scott-Wesley: “A lot of highs and lows. But I’m not focusing on that. I’m trying to stay somewhere in the middle and come out every day and work. If I’m hurting, some days you’ve just got to push through the pain. At the same time you have to listen to your body. So I just focus on working every day and preparing myself as best I can.”
Scott-Wesley added a 14-yard catch in the fourth quarter, giving him two for 33 yards for the game — and for the season. That’s a far cry from the 311 yards he had in only four games before suffering the knee injury last season.
“I can’t even remember how I felt back then,” Scott-Wesley said. “So I’ll just say feel great right now.”
