Catcher or Quarterback, New Town's Dowdy a Proven Leader

A couple weeks back against Western Tech, New Town trailed 5-0 in the top of the first inning and was one more defense blunder away from completely unraveling.  

The Titans already had committed two run-producing errors in the frame and had yet to record an out.

Catcher Shawheem Dowdy had seen enough.

The junior lept out from behind the plate, whipped off his mask and shouted, encouragingly yet authoritatively, “Ya’ll better pick this up right now!” (Dowdy’s bellow probably carried all the way to the Lakeside Boulevard McDonald's.)

A pop out and a strike-out double play later and New Town escaped the inning without any further damage. The Titans came back to top Western Tech 10-5, and committed just one fielding error for the remainder of the game.

Dowdy’s sudden eruption was no accident. The junior prides himself on his leadership abilities, regardless if it’s on the baseball diamond at catcher where he quarterbacks the defense, or on the football field where he, literally, is the quarterback.  

No matter the sport, he strives to get the most out of his teammates—and himself.

“That’s part of being a leader,” Dowdy said. “You could just yell at other people, but you also got to know how to show and back up what you say. That’s what I usually tend to do.”  

The 6’4 junior—an imposing figure in a catcher’s mask or a football helmet—is proving his mettle in both sports, currently batting .333 out of the two-spot in the lineup, while leading the Titans’ spread offense for the past two seasons, both culminating in playoff appearances, in the fall. 

Two seasons ago as a sophomore signal-caller, Dowdy beat out a junior for the first-string spot, starting every game for the Titans, all while remaining one of the most humble players on the team, according to head football coach Joe Holland.

“He’s a very passionate guy and he cares about what he does,” Holland said. “He’s not out there as a formality, he’s out there toughing it out. He took some shots as a sophomore, but he kept going back out there.”

Assuming leadership positions in both sports, Dowdy hasn't just asked for his teammates’ (many of whom are seniors) respect—clearly, he’s earned it.

“The catcher controls everything on the field…I heard him all the way in centerfield,” recalls senior Andre Johnson, a teammate of Dowdy in baseball and football. “Shawheem’s really consistent on the field and off the field. He encourages us and when we get down he’s one of the first people to say let’s stay in this.”

Dowdy, who also serves as a backup forward on the basketball squad in the winter, cringes at just the thought of not being an athlete and having sports absorb his life.

Playing multiple sports since he was just seven years old, Dowdy credits athletics with keeping him on track and focused throughout his life—and out of trouble.

“Without sports I’d probably be in the streets. If I didn’t have sports, my grades would probably be much lower,” said Dowdy who boasts a solid 3.25 GPA amid his all-important junior year.

Aside from just his leadership on the diamond, Dowdy is a perfect fit behind the plate for New Town, using his strong throwing arm to lock down on the opponent’s run game, while serving as a secondary coach on the field for head coach Chad Zamarron.

Zamarron, one of the softer-spoken coaches you’re going to find, greatly appreciates the fact that Dowdy can function as his voice on the field.

“It’s really good for me because I’m quieter as a coach, and having him and Jason [Terry], they as louder guys pick up the team as a second coach,” Zamarron said. [Shawheem] knows all the spots where [the defense] needs to be and if someone’s out of position. He’s even reminded me sometimes if I’m watching something else.”

Whether it’s coaches or players, everyone who takes the field with Dowdy feeds off his passion for sports and his desire to come out on top—the guy simply does not like to lose.

And, while it may not appear he’s sweating a loss, that’s him just being a leader, keeping his emotions in check on the outside while his craving to win burns on the inside.

“When I lose I brush it off in front of the team and say ‘hey we’re good we got the next one,’” Dowdy said. “But, when I go home I’m down on myself. I could have done this better I could have done that better and all that other stuff.”

Regardless of how well he hides his emotions, his teammates are well aware they have a true leader on their hands.

“As a senior I know that New Town is going to be OK with him as a junior becoming a senior [next year],” Johnson said of his catcher and quarterback. “He’s going to get everything together and there isn’t much to worry about with leadership.”