Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Shorts, Woodbury rebound from slow start

Troy Shorts said a faulty memory can be a blessing in football. Especially when things go wrong. That was Shorts' message to his younger teammates after Woodbury opened the season with a 35-6 loss to Haddonfield.

Troy Shorts said a faulty memory can be a blessing in football.

Especially when things go wrong.

That was Shorts' message to his younger teammates after Woodbury opened the season with a 35-6 loss to Haddonfield.

"I said, 'Guys, you have to have a short memory,' " Shorts said. "There was nothing to be done about it. We had to put it behind us."

The team's only senior with starting experience, Shorts has been a leader on and off the field for the Thundering Herd, coach Al Mailahn said.

The 5-foot-10, 180-pound running back has scored five touchdowns, and Woodbury has rallied from that loss in the opener with a pair of victories entering Friday's Colonial Conference interdivisional clash with Sterling.

"He's so coachable," Mailahn said. "He's done everything we've asked him to do."

Shorts has at least one touchdown in every game. He scored three touchdowns in last week's 28-6 win over Lindenwold.

Mailahn said the Thundering Herd have incorporated some I-back formations into the team's offensive approach to take advantage of Shorts' vision and downhill-running ability.

Shorts also is a top receiver and "the best punt returner we've had since I've been here," Mailahn said.

Shorts has a scholarship offer from Central Connecticut State. He also has been involved with Temple, Rhode Island, and Rutgers, among other programs.

Shorts is one of just five seniors on the Woodbury roster.

"We're young, but I know this team can be competitive," Shorts said.