2011 SPRING GAME FINAL STATISTICS
Incarnate Word went through its annual spring football game Thursday night and for all but the final minute of the game the underdog White team had the Black squad right where it wanted the game to be before lightening struck and the Black team prevailed 20-10.
Coach Mike Santiago and his staff divided up the 70 players into the Black team which consisted of the first teams on both offense and defense and the Whites who were the backups on both sides of the ball.
And the Whites dominated early.
At the end of the first quarter Thomas Rebold kicked a 19-yard field goal putting the Whites on top 3-0 following a drive of 10 plays and 54 yards. Then, with 1:12 remaining in the second period, the Whites struck again when quarterback Albert Obregon tossed it 14 yards to Colton Palmer in the left back of the end zone. Saul Meza's kick made it 10-0 at halftime.
“There were guys on the White team tonight who wanted to make the bus,” Santiago said afterwards. “They were saying when that bus leaves I want to be on it while there were some guys on the Black team who were getting comfortable. I told them they have to wake up and they gotta play every day.”
It worked as the second half was all Black. After a first half when it managed but six rushing yards on six carries the Black team erupted in the final two quarters for 154 yards on the ground and a final total of 160 topped off by a 104-yard night by running back Brennan Furtado. He carried 16 times with a long of 16 and an average of 6.5. On those 16 carries he had but four yards negative all night.
Passing in the first half the Black team was 5-10 for 77 yards and two interceptions. At the end of the game the numbers for the Blacks were 12-21-3 for 171 yards and two scores.
And yet with the rushing game in full bloom for the Blacks, the Whites were hanging on. Down 10-7 with 5:09 left in the game the Blacks took possession on their own 33 with 3:16 to go. Furtado got 16 on first down. All-in-all on this drive Furtado gained 55 yards on six attempts.
The Blacks had a first and goal at the White one. An incomplete pass in the end zone followed by a muffed snap left the ball at the two. Eric Massoni threw to Dominic Hamilton and an offensive interference call in the end zone pushed the line scrimmage back to the 19. Next play, Massoni to Hamilton, a Meza kick and the Blacks had their first lead of the night at 14-10 with 31 seconds left in the contest.
The Whites had one more chance but three incompletions and a quarterback sack gave the ball to the Black squad at the White 20 with 0:08 on the clock. Take a knee, not a chance. Paden Lynch took the snap, raised up and threw to Hamilton in the end zone and it was 20-10 at the buzzer.
Statistically for the White team Alex Torres carried 12 times for 30 yards. Obregon was 4-5 for 81 yards with no interceptions. He had the one TD pass. Receiving, Palmer was the leader with his three catches for 48 yards and the score.
Over on the Black side, Furtado's 104 yards on 16 totes topped all players. Rios finished with 11 carries for 32 yards and a touchdown. Lynch threw it 13 times with eight completions for 97 yards and two scores. Hamilton was the leading receiver with five catches for 80 yards and the two touchdowns.
Defensively, Michael Tate led the White team with 11 tackles including six solos and two for losses of 10 yards. Matt Garza had two interceptions for the Whites while Robert Williams had one.
With the spring sessions completed, the Cardinals now return to the weight room to finish out the schoolyear before returning to campus in August to prepare for the 2011 season opener September 3 at home against East Central Oklahoma.
