Protection dominates in St. Andrews spring soccer recreation

LAURINBURG — For the primary two quarters of St. Andrews’ spring soccer recreation between the Blue and White groups, each groups went back-and-forth on the scoreboard, which led to a one-point lead for the Blue workforce on the half.

Within the remaining two durations although, the Blue workforce was in full management on protection and ended the sport with a bang on the ultimate play.

Defensive again Eduardo Turnbull Jr. flew over receiver Will Gordon ultimately zone and got here down with an interception to seal a 41-22 victory for the Blue workforce on Saturday.

“We assumed issues had been going to go a little bit sluggish for the protection,” St. Andrews head coach Bob Curtin stated. “We put in our new protection, the one which we’re going ahead with, it’s a 3-4; what it did was, it allowed us to rejoice a few of our athletes. I actually like what we’re seeing out of the protection as a result of we gave up a variety of factors final 12 months; we gave up too many factors. You’ll be able to’t win championships and not using a good protection, that’s simply the way in which I really feel. It was a very good job for the offense and the protection (in the present day). And this protection is aware of the offense, clearly.”

Turnbull Jr., who was injured final 12 months and redshirted, was an instance of Curtin’s final remark. He stated he knew the White workforce would attempt to come at him typically all through the sport and made certain to make them pay.

“To have the ability to seal that, it felt actually good, man,” Turnbull Jr. stated. “I simply knew they (the White workforce) had been gonna come (up) with one thing that was gonna come proper at our corners and I knew they wished to finish the sport on an enormous play for them on the offensive aspect. I simply got here again from a shoulder surgical procedure so I felt like I used to be gonna be extra focused; I simply knew that it was gonna be me.”

Whereas the Blue workforce had a powerful second half — outscoring the White workforce 20-2 — they began the sport very otherwise.

On the opening play of the primary quarter, quarterback Jalen Dodd discovered receiver Aronson Cook dinner Jr. on a submit route for a 65-yard rating, placing the White workforce forward 6-0.

“Earlier than the scrimmage, we wished to go huge,” Cook dinner Jr. stated. “I used to be prepared; I learn the protection, they got here down, and I knew I may get the DB, so I simply took off.”

The scoring system for the sport included six factors for touchdowns, 4 for an interception, three for a play over 50 yards, two for a play over 20 yards, a defensive 3-and-out, a fumble restoration, a security, or a defensive sack, and one for a turnover on downs.

After the Blue workforce stormed again to take a 12-8 lead, Dodd would discover receiver Dontae’ Crowder for a 14-yard toe-tap rating on the finish of the primary quarter.

The primary three drives of the second quarter all favored the protection, with two sacks, a turnover on downs, and a 3-and-out placing them up 19-14, however Dodd would get his third, and remaining, landing move of the sport by discovering tight finish Nijel Pearce from 10 yards out, earlier than the Blue workforce managed to get a 3-and-out proper earlier than halftime to retake the lead at 21-20.

Dodd, who just lately transferred in from NCAA Division II college Carson-Newman, felt his efficiency on the day was stable total.

“I feel I did fairly all proper,” Dodd stated. “I feel I can get higher, contact up on some extra issues, however I couldn’t of carried out it with out the o-line (and) the receivers; Cook dinner had a superb recreation, o-line held up for me a lot of the performs in order that’s actually what helped me out in the present day.”

Whereas Dodd’s play was eye-catching, he wasn’t the one quarterback that noticed the sphere. Mason Value and Dodd rotated in-and-out each two drives at quarterback however, when Value was within the recreation, the offense struggled to maneuver the ball. Each are battling to develop into the beginning quarterback this upcoming 12 months, after final 12 months’s starter, Andrew Fowler, graduated and is now the operating backs coach.

But, regardless of how Dodd and Value performed within the spring recreation, Curtin stated he isn’t able to tab Dodd as his starter within the fall.

“He appeared nice in the present day so it’s powerful to not do this,” Curtin stated. “We’re gonna go forward and allow them to exercise by means of the summer season; we’re gonna go forward and proceed to develop and proceed to develop. However we took away some issues; there’s some positives with each quarterbacks and we’re gonna usher in some younger quarterbacks.”

The Blue workforce compiled 5 sacks, 4 turnovers on downs, a 3-and-out, and the late interception from Turnbull Jr. within the second half, whereas the White workforce had a 36-yard landing by Cook dinner Jr. known as again on the primary drive of the half, and scored their solely factors on a security from a snap that went out of the again of the top zone on a punt.

The second half could haven’t been the offensive score-fest that intrigues followers, however the pleasure stage didn’t change at Knights Discipline. Curtin was pleased with the turnout and hopes the neighborhood assist continues to develop with the soccer program.

“That’s one of the vital issues,” Curtin stated on neighborhood assist. “We’re gonna pleasure ourselves on being a neighborhood program. We’re sitting in the midst of Laurinburg in Scotland County; I at all times discuss, it’s form of a soccer mecca for down right here within the Sandhills. It’s vital for us to rally the neighborhood and allow them to know that we’ve acquired actually good faculty soccer proper right here within the Sandhills.”

Curtin additionally appears to be like to deliver the very best workforce potential on the sphere this upcoming season and thinks that the spring recreation helped him additional perceive what his workforce wants to enhance on.

“Primary, we’ve acquired to return to the drafting board, we’ve gotta examine the playbook, we’ve gotta get higher,” Curtin stated. “We’ve gotta be ready to return right here bodily match, robust, proceed the load program, proceed the velocity college; after which, lastly, be able to carry this younger freshmen class that’s coming in.”