BLOG 19: Bulldogs enjoy spirited, fun Crimson and Gold game

Ferris quarterback Tom Schneider scrambles out of the pocket as he is being pursued during the Crimson and Gold Spring Game on Friday at Top Taggart Field (Photo/Sandy Gholston)

By Sandy Gholston

BIG RAPIDS – Offensively, Ferris has high expectations and, at times during Friday’s annual Crimson and Gold Spring Game, that unit looked solid.

On Friday, there was no shortage of offense as the White team got off to a fast start with the first four scores en route to a 40-23 win over the Crimson team at Top Taggart Field. Quarterback Tom Schneider had a big game as he threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Damien Miller, at 43 seconds of the first quarter; caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from fellow quarterback Robert Banaszak, at 12:14 of the second quarter; scored on a 19-yard run, at the 12-minute mark of the third quarter; and scored again on a 20-yard rush, at 6:47 of the fourth quarter.

Schneider, who showed the ability to get the job done with his legs and with his feet, was hardly the only player to excel as Banaszak threw the TD pass to Schneider and, in the fourth quarter, completed a 3-yard touchdown pass to DeAndrie Rogers.

“We had the depth to divide into two separate teams and that was good because it gave a lot of guys a chance to get out there and play some football,” Ferris head coach Jeff Pierce said after the game. “We also wanted to give the guys a chance to go out there on the floor and have some fun and we feel like they were able to do that.”

While the defense made some plays, particularly the secondary (with picks for Chad Wilson, Cody Groulx and Kyle Fitzpatrick), it was the offense that will grab most of the headlines. With a combined 63 points on the scoreboard, the offense unit showed some flashes of why expectations are high for it heading into the fall.

“I feel like we have a group where a lot of guys have really stepped up … especially at the end of the spring,” said Tim Hogue, who has been one of the featured players in Ferris’ offense. “Offensively, I think we’ve been working hard and we’re really starting to come together as a group the way we know we’re going to need to do going into the (fall) season. We’ve got a lot of guys who can make plays and we showed some of that (in the spring game).”

The offense still has some rough edges to smooth out as some snaps were mishandled, the defense got to the quarterback a few too many times, several interceptions and a few other things that will have to be cleaned up.

If you have any questions, ideas or comments feel free to contact Sandy Gholston at sgholston2@netzero.com