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Butler, Rodriguez filling key roles for 'Cats
Published November 26, 2009
ANGLETON — Roderick “Peanut” Butler and Shaun Rodriguez are two Angleton Wildcats on a deep team who have continued to make plays on the gridiron when they count the most to help the squad into the third round of the Class 4A playoffs.
Both will be at Woodforest Bank Stadium in Shenandoah on Saturday, with Butler sporting his No. 11 Wildcat jersey and Rodriguez wearing No. 52, as Angleton faces Brenham in the regional semifinals.
Listed as a defensive back/wide receiver, Butler has come up big in playing seven different positions for the Wildcats, while Rodriguez has one thought in mind when booting the ball.
“Roderick is a breakaway threat who is wild and reckless and sometimes no one knows where he is going or what he is fixing to do, but he is definitely a weapon,” Angleton head coach Finis Vanover said. “He is a fierce competitor, and he thinks he is going to beat you at anything when he is out there.”
Butler is not leading the area in rushing, passing or receptions, but stands out on the field because he keeps making plays when they count.
“This game means a lot to me because I’ve been playing since I was 6 and I know a lot about the game,” Butler said during practice Tuesday at Wildcat Stadium. “I believe if I keep going with what I know I will be OK.”
This year, Butler has lined up as a quarterback, wide receiver, outside linebacker, safety and cornerback, and on special teams as a kickoff returner and on the kickoff team.
“I am just happy that coach finally saw that I can play in many different places and he can use me in a lot of different ways,” Butler said. “People would say I am too small, but I want to play running back because that is where I started playing when I was in little league and played that until I got to high school.”
“Roderick wants the ball in his hands to a fault, and that is OK. But he also has the talent to do something with it when he gets it,” Vanover said. “This week he is going to have to come through with some big plays for us in order for us to advance.”
With Butler covering sideline to sideline, Rodriguez has made a world of a difference with his leg. Standing only 5-foot-3 and weighing 120 pounds, Rodriguez has bombed away and this season converted on 43 extra points and three field goals.
“We struggled last year with this position,” Vanover said of his former kicker. “We knew we had a void that we needed to fill, and (Rodriguez) stepped in from the first day and has been cool as a cucumber. I can’t remember how long it was before he missed one, and he’s been as close to money in the bank as you can possibly get for us all year with extra points and field goals.”
Rodriguez’s trek toward making the team came with a slight push from a few Wildcats.
“Some of the other teammates came up to me, especially the linemen, one day saying they were short on a kicker and we’d like you to come out and try out,” Rodriguez said. “So I thought I’d give it a shot.”
Playing mostly in backup roles since his junior high days, Rodriguez only dreamed about donning the Wildcat uniform one day.
“He came in during training camp and told me that he could kick the ball,” Vanover said. “We were in a pickle after (former kicker Oliver) Babcock decided to concentrate on his soccer career. So that Monday morning he showed up and he said he could kick, and he wasn’t lying.”
With some help from Babcock, Rodriguez adjusted to the kicking role once he got through that first game of the season at home against Dickinson.
“Basically, (Babcock) taught me some placement things,” Rodriguez said. “He told me where I should be when I am kicking the ball on certain spots and taking my steps properly. All these little things that have helped out. After I made that first one in that first game, I knew it was going to be all right.
“I just knew it was going to go well.”
Rodriguez’s longest field goal of the season was a 43-yarder against Terry in the first round of the playoffs. The kick put the Wildcats ahead 3-0 just before halftime.
“That was real exciting,” Rodriguez said. “As soon as it got past the linemen I knew it was in. I just felt it.”
Rodriguez has solidified the team’s kicking game.
“It has been amazing to see how stronger his leg has gotten, and he isn’t very big if you haven’t noticed. There isn’t a lot there,” Vanover said with a smile. “We kind of had to work on his uniform with some seamstress stuff to make sure it fit right.”
As the Wildcats continue their trek toward a state berth, there is a plethora of Angleton players making plays every week.
Joel Luna is the sports editor for The Facts. Contact him at 979-237-0160.
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