Spring football game reveals fall potential
photo by Alexis Madlang
The defensive line calls a fumble recovery in the third quarter.
Wide receiver Caleb Barber caught a deep throw from quarterback Anthony Benzija. Jumping through the air and getting the perfect catch to gain over 30 yards.
The varsity football team traveled to Lake Brantley on May 21 to play their spring football game, but lost 24-21.
The energy in the stadium picked up after tight end Parker Douglas scored a touchdown in the first quarter. Shortly after, Lake Brantley scored a field goal making it 7-3.
As the game transitioned into the second quarter, running back Antwone Felix scored the second touchdown of the game changing the score to 14-3. Brantley scored a touchdown near the end of the quarter leading the Huskies ahead with 14-10 at the half.
Felix scored another touchdown within the third quarter, leading the team 21-10. However, they threw two picks and had a fumble, turning the game over into the Patriots’ hands. Lake Brantley scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, ending in a 24-21 loss. Despite the loss, the team remains upbeat about the upcoming season.
“We are going to have a very successful fall season because our team has lots of potential,” safety Trey Henson said. “We will have a winning record for sure, this is the year we beat Oviedo.”
Although the varsity team was defeated by Lake Brantley, the coaches and players got what they were looking for out of the game. Spring football’s main purpose is to serve as an evaluation period for the underclassmen, to sort out who will be a varsity or JV player in the upcoming fall season. A week before, on May 14, the varsity and JV team played against each other in the “Black and Blue” game under the Sam Momary Stadium lights.
After both games coaches identified many strengths among the team, such as a fast defense, rallies to the ball and offensive ability to put points on the board.
“Team chemistry is off the charts,” Coach Richard Quinones said. “The players and coaches get along so well and we all are on the same page.”
During the one month of training leading to the game, the team was unable to spend time in the weightroom due to testing or unavailability. The team was forced into an irregular weightlifting schedule, but were still able to practice every day after school. Looking into summer training, Quinones wants to keep emphasis on weightlifting, then spend time installing offense and defense while getting a lot of reps together.
“I think the coaches got a real sense of who we are as a team,” Douglas said. “We fought till the end, and competed with a good team and I think that’s something they will be proud of us for.”
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