On Wednesday night, the Jesuit Rangers football team displayed perhaps one of the best Spring Games in the history of the school.
Divided into two teams, the Rangers played well into the evening, pleasing the crowd and showcasing their talents in a fashion that gives Jesuit fans hope for next season. The two teams were composed of all varsity players, with the exception of six freshmen. The Gold Team was made up of the first team offense and the entire backup defense. On the other side, the Blue Team had the first team defense and all offensive backups on its roster.
Referees and cheerleaders came out, and the stadium lights were turned on. The fancy game-day jerseys were brought out, with the Friday Night announcer taking his position behind the microphone.
The game started a little slowly, with the Gold Team receiving the ball first. A couple of dropped passes plagued the drive, but the offense pushed the ball into field goal position for kicker Jeff Fulcher (’13) to punch in the field goal from about 30 yards out. Once the Blue Team came out, their drive did not last very long at all. Ending with an interception by safety Bill Snyder (’13), the Gold offense came back out in a hurry.
The two teams fought hard back and forth, no lead being insurmountable. Both rushing and passing successes highlighted the game. There were a few takeaways by the defenses, which pleased the coaches. Offensive highlights included a touchdown catch by WR Jake Oliver (’13), a few long runs by RB Christian Franz (’12), a long touchdown pass to WR Ryan Grant (’12), a long screen to RB Garrett Van de Ven (’13), and a last minute touchdown by Orion Salters (’14).
The last minute touchdown catch by Salters brought the Blue Team within two points with about 20 seconds to go in the 4th Quarter. Hoping to force what would have been one of the rare overtimes in Spring Football Game history, the Blue Team came up short with a slant pass being knocked down one play after they made their first attempt at tying the game in which a penalty was called. Coaches said that had the game tied up, the game would’ve “for sure [gone] into OT.”
Both teams lit up the scoreboard, showing a balance throughout the whole team. The game ended in a 34-32 victory by the Gold Team, letting the community know that the offense is ready to shine. With both nice offensive and defensive performances, people should expect to see an extremely balanced and successful team come the fall.
The night ended as always with the team meeting for a prayer, and Coach Brandon Hickman, noting the game was “one of the best spring games [he’d] ever been a part of,” announcing to the team a new tradition that will be started. After each game, the team will, win or lose, run down the track right next to the stands and high-five fans and thank them for coming.
After a solid spring session, the Jesuit Rangers look to have a phenomenal summer. The team will continue to workout and prepare for the fall.
Next stop: The Cotton Bowl. See ya there Flower Mound.
Photography by David Brezette
