By Jonathan Gordon, CWU Athletics
ELLENSBURG, Wash. (May 12) -- Senior Ryan Robertson (Sammamish, Wash./Eastlake HS) completed 9 of 14 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns, helping the White team to a 13-10 victory over the Crimson team in the annual Central Washington University Spring Game on Saturday afternoon at Tomlinson Stadium.
All three of the touchdowns scored in the scrimmage, which was played with two 30-minute, running-clock halves, were passing scores covering 30 or more yards. Robertson opened the scoring with a 53-yard strike to sophomore Dalton Thomas (Tacoma, Wash./Auburn Riverside HS) at the midway point of the first period to give the White team a 7-0 lead. Junior Josef Kistler (Galloway, N.J./Absegami HS) booted a 35-yard field goal for the Crimson team two series later, and the score was 7-3 at halftime.
Robertson, the only quarterback among five in the Spring Game with any four-year college experience, then gave the White team its second and final score of the game with a 37-yard pass to sophomore Greg Logan (Graham, Wash./Graham-Kapowsin HS) with 17:16 remaining. That score was countered by the Crimson team on its very next series, as junior newcomers Jeff Nelson (Eugene, Ore./Summit HS) and Stevie Will (Riverside, Calif./Martin Luther King, Jr. HS) -- from Sierra College and Riverside City College, respectively -- connected on a 66-yard pass down the sideline, and Kistler's extra-point made it a 13-10 score.
Each team had multiple opportunities to score down the stretch -- either for the White team to extend its lead or for the Crimson team to go in front -- but neither team gained a first down the rest of the way. In fact, the White team had turnovers on two of its final three possessions and the Crimson team lost possession on a punt, interception, and then on downs in its final three series.
The White team, which featured the projected first-team offense and second-team defense, escaped with the victory despite five turnovers. Four of those miscues were fumbles against the first-team defense.
Earning takeaways in the game were freshmen Isaiah Davis (Port Orchard, Wash./South Kitsap HS) and Cedrique Chaney (Kelso, Wash.) with interceptions for the White and Crimson team, respectively, while senior John Koopman (Enumclaw, Wash.), senior Jarrel Johnson (Bennettsville, S.C./Myrtle Beach HS), redshirt freshman Mitch Haldane (Mountlake Terrace, Wash.) and junior Randall Gordon (Marysville, Wash./Archbishop Murphy HS) all had fumble recoveries for the Crimson squad.
In the tackle department, the two teams combined for 17 tackles for losses and nine quarterback sacks. Redshirt freshman Ryan Blowers (Graham, Wash./Graham-Kapowsin HS) led all players with two sacks -- on the final two plays of the first half -- while two of his White squad teammates joined him with two tackles for losses. Sophomore linebacker Shey Patton (Spanaway, Wash./Spanaway Lake HS) was one of those with two TFLs, and he led the White team with six total tackles. Junior newcomer Dwan Edwards (Spanaway, Wash./Spanaway Lake HS), a transfer from Long Beach City College, also had two tackles for losses.
Senior Kevin Puckett (Pomona, Calif./Garey HS) led all players with seven total tackles for the Crimson squad. Johnson was the lone Crimson team player with two tackles for losses.
Central Washington will begin the fall portion of its season in early August when players report for pre-season camp. The first game this fall will be played Sept. 1 at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, with the Wildcats' home opener slated for Sept. 22 versus Azusa Pacific University.
