West Ashley lineman hopes to be responsible for turning Wildcats around

Wade Spees
The Post and Courier

West Ashley's Cedric Chisolm

At 6-5 and 270 pounds, Cedric Chisolm is the rock of the West Ashley offensive line.

This fall will mark his third season as a starter, and his experience will be important to the Wildcats, who showed promise in Bobby Marion's first year as coach. The Wildcats posted a 4-7 record and aim for a winning record in 2008.

"My goal is to make this team better," Chisolm said. "I want my legacy to be that I helped turned the program around. We're getting more accomplished as a

team. The offense is getting better. The defense is getting better. Everything is looking good."

West Ashley has struggled in football since opening its doors in 2000. Four victories might not seem like a lot, but the Wildcats won only 16 games and lost 67 in the seven seasons before Marion arrived.

One of the first things Marion stressed when he was named coached was that his players had to be dedicated in the weight room. Chisolm heard the coach and became a workout warrior.

"The one thing that really helped him tremendously was that he got much, much stronger," said Marion, who was a longtime assistant at Stratford before landing the West Ashley job. "He's much stronger, especially in his upper body."

Chisolm worked hard in the weight room, and he's worked hard on the field this summer.

He attended the Clemson camp and was one of the top linemen when it came to pass protection. He also camped at Charleston Southern and was named the top lineman, Marion said.

"He has a bunch of potential," Marion said. "For a kid his size, he can really move his feet. He's a very good offensive lineman who has skilled-athlete speed. He has that kind of speed. He can really come off the ball, and he's still learning. Before we got here, all he knew was how to zone block. Now, he knows a little about the different types of pass protection including drop-back, sprint-outs and stuff like that."

The speed and extra strength should help take the pressure off quarterback K.J. Cohen, who showed good potential last year with 1,500 yards passing.

"We have everyone returning on the offensive line, and we're expecting big things from that group," Marion said. "We have to be able to run the football to take pressure off our passing game. Last year, in certain situations, defenses knew we couldn't run the football and it killed us. We have to run the football."

Chisolm is ready to open holes for the Wildcat runners. He's big, quick and athletic enough to play at the next level.

"I hope that experience takes me to the next level," Chisolm said. "But right now, I'm a veteran who has to focus on leading the team, making sure it gets better."