On a November-like Friday night, Eric Wolford rolled out the early signs of what to expect in 2013, and it may not have been what people would have guessed.  The Red got the best of the White in the 41st Annual Spring Football Game, 17-10.

Defense has been echoed as the weakness since Wolford started at YSU. However, the effort of both defenses was the glaring improvement to give even the biggest pessimist in the barn a pitchfork to help find that buried needle.

“Our  defense has been a work in progress and it is a compliment to our coaches that they came out and played the way they did today”, said Wolford.  “Everyone knows that in any sport, you can’t win a championship without a good defense, and that is what we have been working toward.”

Coach Wolford was loose and joked with everyone before the game.  I got to descend from the press box to the 1st floor with the coach on the elevator, and he was in great spirits and very optimistic about both, the game, and the 2013 season.  During the scrimmage, he applauded the effort of seemingly everyone who played at some point.

As far as the game goes, the Red jumped out to a 10-3 lead at the half.  Demond Hymes plunged in from two yards out to put the Red ahead, 7-0.  The score was set up when Derek Rivers caught a tipped ball off of a Dante Nania attempt.

New kicker, Joey Cejudo, accounted for the rest of the first half scoring kicking a field goal for each team. Cejudo’s first attempt was good from 43 yards out and gave the Red team a 10-0 lead.

Cejudo then put the White team on the scoreboard with a 43-yard field goal.  Could it be a year of field goals?

“I was trying to give him some advice about kicking field goals”, joked honorary coach, Dr. Chet Cooper.  “The kickers did a good job tonight and I think I have him convinced to go for three instead of seven sometimes.”

In the second half, the Red team increased their lead to 17-3 when Aaron Edwards scooped up a fumble and raced 22 yards to the end zone.  Tyler Hogan kicked the PAT for the Red team.

Dale Peterman made a big play at around midfield for the White defensive unit.  Peterman drilled Hymes on a completion, knocking the ball loose.  Jamarious Boatwright pounced on the pigskin and the White team was back in business.

The White team would capitalize on the turnover and cut the lead to 17-10 with 5:02 left to play.  Nick Wargo capped the drive  with a six-yard toss to Justin Getz.

With two minutes left, the YSU video board was switched to the news of the second terrorist of the Boston Marathon being alive and now in police custody.  As I looked to the video board, I saw the flag flying at half mast, and realized that there are things beyond our control that change priorities.

The Red team used the continuous clock to their advantage as they were able to run the clock out and head to the locker room victorious.

“We have stressed competition” commented Wolford.  “When they had bad days, we make changes and wake them up.  As soon as a player starts to feel to good about himself, he will get complacent and take a step backwards.  So we stress to do the extra things that can make a player special.”