Brian Meadows

P aul Cauthen Jr. was happy Statesville won its first game of the football season Aug. 22, but he wasn’t thrilled about his performance in the process. Self-evaluation accompanied him on the bus ride back from East Surry and then the car ride home once the Greyhounds returned to the school.

Yes, the 6-foot-1, 170-pound receiver hauled in a pass for a big gain during the 48-20 victory. He also dropped a couple of passes.

“I just told myself when I got in the car with my mom that I’ll never play like that again,” said Cauthen, a two-way player who also lines up as a free safety. “That wasn’t me.”

He used the moment of reflection as motivation, and it produced a breakout game in Week 2.

The sophomore, in his first full-time varsity season, caught six passes for 128 yards a

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