The white squad's bend-but-don't-break defense kept the green out of the end zone in the waning moments of the annual Green/White intrasquad football scrimmage at Memorial Field on Saturday morning, leaving the white with a 21-14 victory in the team's final action of the spring.
With the game tied at 14 late in the fourth quarter, Josh Cohen '09, who assumed the starting quarterback spot in the latter part of the fall season, drove the white team to a quick score and the lead. The trip was expedited by a nifty run by Milan Williams '09, where he burst through the line, cut left and picked up around 25 yards.
White finally took the lead when Cohen, who finished 9-12 for 124 yards, slung a 15 yard pass to Brendan Holm '07 in very tight coverage with just under a minute left.
Green nearly tied things up in the final moments. Green quarterback Mike Fritz '07, who was unavailable through much of the fall because of a broken finger, drove his squad almost the entire length of the field, only to have his second shot at the end zone from the 13 yard line fail as time expired.
That white finished ahead on the scoreboard would have surprised anyone who had viewed only a portion of the game. Green dominated play through much of the game, methodically marching down the field with a combination of runs, quick passes and delayed screens that confounded the white defense. The green team's clock-devouring offense didn't leave white with too many offensive chances.
While green was able to march down the field, white repeatedly put up valiant efforts to keep green out of the end zone. In the turning point of the game, green moved the ball with relative ease down almost the entire length of the field. With the ball around the twenty yard line, Mike Fritz '07 took a shot at the end zone, but didn't notice safety Casey Frost '09 coming underneath the route. Frost made the pick, and ran it back 95 yards to the one yard line, where he was brought down by Philip Galligan '09.
Galligan had an outstanding game, leading the charge of a receiving crew that experienced some success last fall. Galligan finished the game with six catches for 83 yards and a score.
"He's a great effort player, and he's got some speed and quickness," Head Coach Buddy Teevens '79 said.
Galligan deferred much of the praise that landed on him to his teammates.
"With our running back, Jason Bash '06, playing so well it really opened up our passing game and allowed me to make some plays," Galligan said.
The Big Green struggled mightily last fall running the ball and stopping the run. The running game looked improved on Saturday. Bash managed 58 yards on only eleven carries. Williams, in part due to Bash's clock-munching runs, didn't get too many touches. However, when he did get his hands on the ball, he looked to be a justifiable use of the first draft choice that the white team captain used on him.
"The run game was sporadic, but number three [Williams] is tough to bring down, and Bash was consistent," Teevens said.
The offensive line, packed with players singled out in a halftime ceremony for their strength gains over the winter, opened some sizeable holes for the backs to exploit. While that didn't seem to bode well for the run defense, Teevens explained that, because of a dearth of offensive linemen, essentially the first string offensive line played for both squads, against the first, second and third string defensive linemen that green and white drafted.
Green team quarterbacks Fritz and Tom Bennewitz '08 put up a better showing than some of their backup brethren. Bennewitz scrambled for green's second score, and Fritz also showed some mobility.
"All three of [the quarterbacks] competed well, and were fairly accurate ... [Bennewitz and Fritz] made it a lot more competitive today," Teevens said.
"They have been battling it out all spring and it's made them all better," said Ryan Fuselier '06, who had three catches for 55 yards and a score.
Fuselier is one of a number of seniors who will return next fall not only to play, but also to help guide and lead a team that has very few '07s on the roster.
The kicking game, another problem area for last year's team, did not look to have made the same kinds of strides. The kicking and punting looked shaky, with a number of misses and blocks.
"Esterbrook is the most improved [of the kickers], but he was a little nervous early," Teevens said.
Despite the special teams struggle, the squad looked good, and perhaps more importantly, deeply invested in the spring game. The white sideline erupted as green's final attempt fell incomplete, and the players charged onto the field to celebrate.
"The guys were really pulling for each other," Teevens said. "That's really going to be a hallmark of our football team."
At the post-game barbecue, offensive tackle Preston Copely '07 and defensive tackle Mike Rabil '06 were announced as the new captains of the football team.
