The UTM Skyhawk football team competed in the annual Blue and White Spring game April 13.
Although the weather affected the crowd’s turnout, it didn’t seem to bother the first-team offense and second-team defense, who defeated the second-team offense and the first-team defense with a final score of 17-14.
The game was tense throughout the four 12-minute quarters, however the first-team offense got an early lead on a 22-yard field goal by junior kicker Ryan Courtright for all the points of the first quarter.
Both teams scored touchdowns in the second quarter as freshman quarterback John Bachus III found junior wide reciever Donnell Williams for an 11-yard touchdown completion at the beginning of the quarter.
Following this, senior quarterback John Hudson answered on the following possession with a 32-yard touchdown completion by senior wide reciever Terry Williams to retake the lead.
On the defensive side of the ball, junior safety Jaquez Akins led players with eight tackles and a quarterback hurry.
The only score in the third came from a 1-yard strike from Bachus to senior wide receiver Rodney Williams to give the Blue first team defense an advantage of 14-10.
The score would stay the same until late in the play when r-sophomore linebacker John Ford returned an interception for 42 yards and a touchdown to confirm a 17-14 victory for the first-team offense and second-team defense.
Now that the Blue and White Spring Game and the 15 off-season practices are behind the Skyhawks, speculations are being made coming into the 2019 fall season.
“I see lots of improvement, especially with the DB’s. They’ve gotten so much better, so much faster,” Sherrod Pittman, a r-sophomore linebacker from Jacksonville, Florida, said. “I think the boys will be on point this year.”
While several weren’t pleased with last season’s results, fans and players are now looking to the 2019 season with their heads held high and putting their best foot forward.
For more information regarding the spring practices, contact Sports Information at 731-881-7632.
