HUNTINGTON - With no less than 20 scholarship players unavailable to play, Marshall's intended Green-White Game format was doomed well before Saturday.
HUNTINGTON - With no less than 20 scholarship players unavailable to play, Marshall's intended Green-White Game format was doomed well before Saturday.
What wasn't scrubbed on a partly sunny day at Joan C. Edwards Stadium was the basic intention, to put on a show for the 6,107 fans assembled. Mark Cann, Cody Slate, Terrell Edwards and Co. did so in the Green's 44-8 victory over the White.
With a squad full of regulars decked out in jerseys and jeans - and some on crutches - coach Mark Snyder decided to throw out Thursday's draft, which attempts an equitable split. Instead, the top healthy players were allotted to the Green squad and the walk-ons, with a smattering of reserve scholarship players, toiled for the White.
Quarterbacks Brian Anderson and Jonathan Garner played for both squads, as did running back Kelvin Turner and safety Omar Brown.
The results were predictable, though DeMetrius Thompson, Stuart Lips and B.J. Evans put up a spirited fight for the "sub-varsity." Cann went 16-of-21 for 181 yards, rushing for a touchdown, Edwards scored on three short runs and Turner had a 59-yard run while playing for the Green.
Edwards finished with 77 yards rushing, with Chubb Small adding 39. Turner had 85 for the Green after gaining 39 for the White.
The Green outgained the White 484-115. But as lopsided as the talent was, the effort was not. The White team was hitting hard and even talking a little junk.
"I love those guys," Snyder said. "The varsity coaches came in at halftime and said, 'They're playing their butts off!' That's pretty neat to see. I really, really enjoy that."
The teams played four quarters, two of 12 minutes followed by two of 10. The Green scored touchdowns on its first two possessions, needing to drive just 46 and 45 yards in six and five plays, respectively, to do so.
The big plays came on the second drive, when Small used a burst of speed to travel 20 yards with a screen pass. Edwards rushed 21 yards on the next play, nearly scoring.
When the Green inserted Anderson on its next possession, the White enjoyed its best moments. On second-and-15 from the Green's 5-yard line, Thompson screamed in nearly untouched, tagging Anderson for a safety before he could unload the football.
That play punctuated an active spring for Thompson, a walk-on from Capital High who will be a sophomore. He has played defensive end and tackle, outside linebacker and even strong safety - the sight of No. 77 following a receiver on a pass route has been odd indeed.
"My goal is to put a little bit more weight on [he's 225 pounds] and work on footwork, speed, and we'll come back in the fall and see what happens when everybody gets healthy," Thompson said.
Snyder likes the odds of Thompson following Capital classmate James Burkes, who has overcome long odds to play and even start on the defensive line. "You know what? He's going to hang around here long enough to help us. You watch," Snyder said of Thompson.
As the first quarter moved into the second, Garner led the White to the first of two 37-yard Elliott Boyd field goals to make it 14-5. Garner, who picked up more snaps with Wesley Beardain on crutches, converted a third down on the drive and Turner had a 21-yard run.
After that, it was almost all Green.
Turner lost a fumble to give the Green the ball on the White 14, with Edwards traversing the distance in three carries. Late in the first half, Cann needed about a minute to drive from his 22 to the White's 6, setting up the first of three Craig Ratanamorn field goals and putting the White up 24-5.
Slate began that drive with a great catch on a low ball, good for 26 yards. Three plays later, Cann placed a perfect ball on the sidelines for E.J. Wynn, gaining 38 yards to the 2.
Cann began the third quarter with a 12-play, 80-yard touchdown drive, capped by Edwards' third touchdown run. Cann was a perfect 6-for-6 on the drive.
"Mark did OK. I think he scored each time he was in," Snyder said. "I thought he managed the game pretty well. He's got a long way to go, though, no question about that. But I think he's got a chance to be really good some day."
Ratanamorn kicked a 33-yard field goal after Anderson was intercepted by Phillip Gamble. Turner made it 41-8 in the fourth quarter with his long run, which came after he bounced off the first level of defenders and outran everyone else.
There were no major injuries, even with a lot of heavy hitting. On consecutive plays in the fourth quarter, Ashton Hall tattooed Chucky Roberts on a pass pattern (it was flagged for a late hit) and Joe Bragg buried Tyler Shick on a halfback option.
"I thought they'd have one foot in the parking lot, I really did," Snyder said. "Again, I've got to take my hat off to the White team - there was some crisp hitting going on."
Ratanamorn sent the fans to the parking lot in a good mood with his 47-yard, game-ending field goal. After Garner led the Green squad from its 2 to the White 17 in the final two minutes, Snyder "flagged" the offense twice, just to lengthen the field goal. But the distance was no problem for Ratanamorn, who plunked the ball through the uprights and into the first row of bleachers.
"It was good to see him under some duress, fans out here and stuff like that," Snyder said. "I don't think he missed one today. I don't think he was close to missing one."
To contact staff writer Doug Smock, use e-mail or call 348-5130. His blog can be found at wvgazettecom/smockblog.
White 2 3 0 3- 8
Green 14 10 10 10- 44
FIRST QUARTER
Green - Edwards 3 run (Ratanamorn kick), 9:05
Green - Cann 1 run (Ratanamorn kick), 4:45
White - Safety, Thompson tackled Anderson in end zone, 1:29
SECOND QUARTER
White - Boyd 37 field goal, 10:20
Green - Edwards 6 run (Ratanamorn kick), 5:37
Green - Ratanamorn 23 field goal, :00.
THIRD QUARTER
Green - Edwards 6 run (Ratanamorn kick), 4:57
Green - Ratanamorn 33 field goal, 1:31
FOURTH QUARTER
White - Boyd 37 field goal, 5:29.
Green - Turner 59 run (Ratanamorn kick), 4:10
Green - Ratanamorn 47 field goal, :00
A - 6,107.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
White - Bryant 10-39, Shick 2-1, Ludwick 1-0, Anderson 1-(minus-3), Roberts 1-(minus-12), Garner 2-(minus-16). Green - Turner 5-85, Edwards 14-77, Small 6-39, Garner 4-4, Cann 1-1, Anderson 3-(minus-6).
PASSING
White - Garner 9-21-1, 67; Anderson 6-13-1, 36; Shick 0-1-0, 0; Ludwick 1-1-0, 3. Green - Cann 16-21-0, 181; Garner 7-14-0, 97; Anderson 1-2-0, 6.
RECEIVING
White - Henry 7-49, Skiles 3-26, Roberts 3-20, Oskin 2-8, Anderson 1-3. Green - Milligan 7-65, Slate 5-62, Wynn 4-76, Small 2-26, Edmonson 2-23, Parkhurst 2-22, Spann 1-13, Edwards 1-(minus-3).
HUNTINGTON - With no less than 20 scholarship players unavailable to play, Marshall's intended Green-White Game format was doomed well before Saturday.
What wasn't scrubbed on a partly sunny day at Joan C. Edwards Stadium was the basic intention, to put on a show for the 6,107 fans assembled. Mark Cann, Cody Slate, Terrell Edwards and Co. did so in the Green's 44-8 victory over the White.
With a squad full of regulars decked out in jerseys and jeans - and some on crutches - coach Mark Snyder decided to throw out Thursday's draft, which attempts an equitable split. Instead, the top healthy players were allotted to the Green squad and the walk-ons, with a smattering of reserve scholarship players, toiled for the White.
Quarterbacks Brian Anderson and Jonathan Garner played for both squads, as did running back Kelvin Turner and safety Omar Brown.
The results were predictable, though DeMetrius Thompson, Stuart Lips and B.J. Evans put up a spirited fight for the "sub-varsity." Cann went 16-of-21 for 181 yards, rushing for a touchdown, Edwards scored on three short runs and Turner had a 59-yard run while playing for the Green.
Edwards finished with 77 yards rushing, with Chubb Small adding 39. Turner had 85 for the Green after gaining 39 for the White.
The Green outgained the White 484-115. But as lopsided as the talent was, the effort was not. The White team was hitting hard and even talking a little junk.
"I love those guys," Snyder said. "The varsity coaches came in at halftime and said, 'They're playing their butts off!' That's pretty neat to see. I really, really enjoy that."
The teams played four quarters, two of 12 minutes followed by two of 10. The Green scored touchdowns on its first two possessions, needing to drive just 46 and 45 yards in six and five plays, respectively, to do so.
The big plays came on the second drive, when Small used a burst of speed to travel 20 yards with a screen pass. Edwards rushed 21 yards on the next play, nearly scoring.
When the Green inserted Anderson on its next possession, the White enjoyed its best moments. On second-and-15 from the Green's 5-yard line, Thompson screamed in nearly untouched, tagging Anderson for a safety before he could unload the football.
That play punctuated an active spring for Thompson, a walk-on from Capital High who will be a sophomore. He has played defensive end and tackle, outside linebacker and even strong safety - the sight of No. 77 following a receiver on a pass route has been odd indeed.
"My goal is to put a little bit more weight on [he's 225 pounds] and work on footwork, speed, and we'll come back in the fall and see what happens when everybody gets healthy," Thompson said.
Snyder likes the odds of Thompson following Capital classmate James Burkes, who has overcome long odds to play and even start on the defensive line. "You know what? He's going to hang around here long enough to help us. You watch," Snyder said of Thompson.
As the first quarter moved into the second, Garner led the White to the first of two 37-yard Elliott Boyd field goals to make it 14-5. Garner, who picked up more snaps with Wesley Beardain on crutches, converted a third down on the drive and Turner had a 21-yard run.
After that, it was almost all Green.
Turner lost a fumble to give the Green the ball on the White 14, with Edwards traversing the distance in three carries. Late in the first half, Cann needed about a minute to drive from his 22 to the White's 6, setting up the first of three Craig Ratanamorn field goals and putting the White up 24-5.
Slate began that drive with a great catch on a low ball, good for 26 yards. Three plays later, Cann placed a perfect ball on the sidelines for E.J. Wynn, gaining 38 yards to the 2.
Cann began the third quarter with a 12-play, 80-yard touchdown drive, capped by Edwards' third touchdown run. Cann was a perfect 6-for-6 on the drive.
"Mark did OK. I think he scored each time he was in," Snyder said. "I thought he managed the game pretty well. He's got a long way to go, though, no question about that. But I think he's got a chance to be really good some day."
Ratanamorn kicked a 33-yard field goal after Anderson was intercepted by Phillip Gamble. Turner made it 41-8 in the fourth quarter with his long run, which came after he bounced off the first level of defenders and outran everyone else.
There were no major injuries, even with a lot of heavy hitting. On consecutive plays in the fourth quarter, Ashton Hall tattooed Chucky Roberts on a pass pattern (it was flagged for a late hit) and Joe Bragg buried Tyler Shick on a halfback option.
"I thought they'd have one foot in the parking lot, I really did," Snyder said. "Again, I've got to take my hat off to the White team - there was some crisp hitting going on."
Ratanamorn sent the fans to the parking lot in a good mood with his 47-yard, game-ending field goal. After Garner led the Green squad from its 2 to the White 17 in the final two minutes, Snyder "flagged" the offense twice, just to lengthen the field goal. But the distance was no problem for Ratanamorn, who plunked the ball through the uprights and into the first row of bleachers.
"It was good to see him under some duress, fans out here and stuff like that," Snyder said. "I don't think he missed one today. I don't think he was close to missing one."
To contact staff writer Doug Smock, use e-mail or call 348-5130. His blog can be found at wvgazettecom/smockblog.
White 2 3 0 3- 8
Green 14 10 10 10- 44
FIRST QUARTER
Green - Edwards 3 run (Ratanamorn kick), 9:05
Green - Cann 1 run (Ratanamorn kick), 4:45
White - Safety, Thompson tackled Anderson in end zone, 1:29
SECOND QUARTER
White - Boyd 37 field goal, 10:20
Green - Edwards 6 run (Ratanamorn kick), 5:37
Green - Ratanamorn 23 field goal, :00.
THIRD QUARTER
Green - Edwards 6 run (Ratanamorn kick), 4:57
Green - Ratanamorn 33 field goal, 1:31
FOURTH QUARTER
White - Boyd 37 field goal, 5:29.
Green - Turner 59 run (Ratanamorn kick), 4:10
Green - Ratanamorn 47 field goal, :00
A - 6,107.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
White - Bryant 10-39, Shick 2-1, Ludwick 1-0, Anderson 1-(minus-3), Roberts 1-(minus-12), Garner 2-(minus-16). Green - Turner 5-85, Edwards 14-77, Small 6-39, Garner 4-4, Cann 1-1, Anderson 3-(minus-6).
PASSING
White - Garner 9-21-1, 67; Anderson 6-13-1, 36; Shick 0-1-0, 0; Ludwick 1-1-0, 3. Green - Cann 16-21-0, 181; Garner 7-14-0, 97; Anderson 1-2-0, 6.
RECEIVING
White - Henry 7-49, Skiles 3-26, Roberts 3-20, Oskin 2-8, Anderson 1-3. Green - Milligan 7-65, Slate 5-62, Wynn 4-76, Small 2-26, Edmonson 2-23, Parkhurst 2-22, Spann 1-13, Edwards 1-(minus-3).
Post a comment