Drew Cathey was halfway through the Iona College football playbook as of last week with camp starting on August 11.

“Right now, I am trying to pick up the play book and get use to the speed of the game,” said Cathey. “It’s going to take time.”

The graduated-Becton senior has been working out and studying all summer for his chance to some day lead the Iona Gaels.

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“High school is much more simplified and college has a lot more terminology,” said Cathey about his early experience with college football.

Going into the 2008 season Cathey is battling three returning quarterbacks from last season and four other incoming quarterbacks.

“I’m hoping to get to see some playing time,” said Cathey who is looking at majoring in either mathematics or psychology. “It’s going to be tough.”

Cathey is well versed on high school football as he started at quarterback for Becton for almost his entire four years for the Wildcats.

The incoming Iona freshman has gotten a taste of college football as he has head up to New Rochelle, New York for voluntary 7-on-7’s on Sundays during the summer. “It’s hard to get reps, but I am trying the make the most out of them,” said Cathey. “Right now it’s hard because it is only every Sunday.”

In his last season with Becton, Cathey helped bring back Becton football into the playoffs. It had been four years since the Wildcats got a taste of state playoff football.

Cathey credits then first year head coach, Roger Kotlarz, for helping him get to Iona. “The last year I was happy with it and it gave me a good position to play in college,” said Cathey.

In his final season with the Wildcats, Cathey put up his best numbers, 1,521 yards and fired 25 passing touchdowns, to help return Becton back to prominence. He was also named to the first team All BCSL National.

When he was looking for a school, he did not really look at much more than Iona. The only other two schools that he looked at were New Haven and Marist.

“I liked (Iona head coach Fred) Mariani. He’s a really good guy and he runs the offense like at Becton,” said Cathey who talks to the head coach who is also the offensive coach at least once or twice a week. “It’s not too far and not too close. It’s a good fit. It’s not too big and not too small.”

Looking back on his seasons with Becton, he points with pride to two games during his senior year, a win against St. Mary’s and the game against Belvidere, a loss in the state playoffs. The Wildcats defeated the Gaels 47-20, the first win over St. Mary’s for Cathey in his four years. In the game Cathey threw for 228 yards while completing 14 of 21 pass attempts and four touchdowns including a pair to Kevin Paz.

“We finally beat them,” said Cathey about the growing rivalry between the two schools that are walking distance between them.

While his high school years the goal was to defeat the likes of St. Mary’s, he has a higher goal to start a college football game.

Becton’s Cathey looks to make his mark as an Iona Gael
by Edward Kensik, The South Bergenite (NJ)
http://www.southbergenite.com/NC/0/1584.html