Florida Tech Gets Revenge on Newberry
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| Setzler Field - Newberry, SC |
The Florida Tech Panthers opened their 2016 football season
Saturday, at Newberry College in South Carolina and came away with a big 42-28
victory. The win avenges a 31-28 home
loss to the Wolves in the opening game of 2015, on September 5.
It was a total team effort Saturday, with the offense
carrying the load in the first half and the defense coming up with five second
half turnovers, allowing the Panthers to pull away late. For much of the night
though, it was a see-saw battle.
Junior Quarterback Mark Cato picked up where he left off in
2015, putting together a solid effort on Saturday. After the defense was able
to keep the Wolves off the board on their first drive, Cato went to work from the
shadow of his own goal posts, at the 10-yard line.
It was a good mix of run and pass on the first drive, with Senior
Dalin Modican pulling in a 15-yard pass early and a run by Sophomore Antwuan
Haynes, a few plays later, good for 12. Cato capped it with a 51-yard bomb to Kenny
Johnston, for the touchdown with 8:40 left in the quarter.
Florida Tech (1-0) started their next drive at the one,
after a 46-yard punt. The third drive of the quarter started at the 32, but both
those drives came up empty.
Newberry (0-1) got on the board with their first drive of
the second quarter. Starting QB Raleigh Yeldell completed passes of 12 and 15
yards on the drive, before hitting Cole Watson for 38 yards and the score with 11:48
to go, tying the game at seven.
The Panthers answered quickly, with Cato finding Romell
Guerrier on the second play of the drive with a 65-yard catch and run, giving
the visitors a 14-7 lead. They looked primed to add to the lead when Joe
Jackson picked Yeldell off and gave Florida Tech the ball at the 19-yard line.
The Newberry defense stepped up and kept the Panthers stalled there, bringing Junior
kicker Zachary Leatherman in to attempt a 33-yard field goal, that he missed
wide.
The Wolves then proceeded to go on a drive that lasted more
than five minutes, culminating in an 11-yard touchdown pass from Yeldell to Baptiste
Staggers. The extra point was missed, keeping Florida Tech ahead, 14-13.
Things got a little sloppy on Florida Tech’s next drive when
they had two consecutive false start penalties, leading to a first and 20
situation. Cato didn’t panic, completing a 26 yard pass to Guerrier a couple plays
later and after scampering for 21 yards with his feet, he found Terrance Bynum
for 34 yards and a touchdown with 59 seconds left in the half, giving the
visitors a 21-13 lead.
Yeldell and the Wolves refused to go quietly. He found
running back Romelo Doctor for completions of 17 and 23 yards, Markell Castle
for 25 and finished things with an eight-yard toss to Watson, with 17 seconds
left. Down 21-19, the home team went for two and Yeldell completed it to Knox
Butcher.
With that, the teams headed to the locker room, capping off
a first half that featured only one three-and-out for each team.
The second half got off to a shaky start on both sides. Cato
was intercepted by Jimmy Holmes, after it was tipped by Guerrier. The ensuing
drive started at the Florida Tech 33, but Yeldell would eventually give it up
when he was picked in the end zone by senior defensive back Manny Abad.
Cato put together a promising drive, highlighted by Haynes 20-yard
catch. They got all the way down to the 25 of Newberry, but Cato would be
intercepted in the end zone, by Rashaad Smith, wasting a 50-yard drive.
Newberry didn’t keep the ball long, as Yeldell was picked
off by lineman Billy Sturgis, who tipped it to himself and went 28 yards,
before being brought down. The play immediately brought to mind the old Chris
Berman ‘rumblin’, bumblin’ stumblin’ line. Not because of anything Sturgis did
but more because of his size and position.
It was the fourth interception in about six minutes of
playing time and Cato capitalized quickly, finding Freshman tight end Kevin
Purlett for the score, giving Tech a 28-21 lead with 9:05 left in the third.
Another turnover was just moments away, as Dv'nn Cooks would fumble the ensuing
kickoff and Jace Brown would recover for the Panthers in enemy territory at the
38.
The Florida Tech drive would go 10 plays, but they would
have to settle for another field goal attempt by Leatherman. This one was good
from 20 yards out and gave the visitors a 31-21 lead. Guerrier was hurt on the drive and left the
game with a wrist injury.
As they had for much of the first half, the Wolves got up
off the deck and answered quickly, going 90 yards in five plays, thanks to a 72
yard catch by Castle, closing the gap to 31-28.
Florida Tech would not back down, answering back with a 13
play drive and another Leatherman field goal. That gave Florida Tech a 34-28
lead with 41 seconds left in the third.
The teams traded turnovers to start the fourth, with Manny
Abad forcing a fumble that was chopped out of the hands of Watson and recovered
by Jake Holsinger just shy of midfield. Cato was then intercepted by LaQuan
White at the Newberry 13. The Wolves weren’t able to do anything with it.
With 8:13 left on their own 46, the Panthers went to work on
the clock. They ran the ball with Trevor Sand, Haynes and Cato. A 17 yard run
by Cato was the longest play and he capped it with a one-yard run, with 3:59 to
go. That gave the Panthers a 42-28 lead and took 4:14 off the clock.
The Wolves went down swinging, going 70 yards on the next
drive. Yeldell’s 13 yard run got the home team down to the five, but Andrew
Adair stepped in front of his next pass, picking it off in the end zone. This
was a few plays after Yeldell completed a 15-yard pass to Braxton Ivery, that Trai
Cadore made a touchdown saving tackle on. The Panthers went on to run out the
clock and pick up the hard-fought victory.
Head coach Steve Englehart said in his post-game interview
with Jerry Durney and Paul Van Scott that he wasn’t sure how severe the injury
to Guerrier was, but the training staff didn’t seem to think he would miss much
time. He said Bynum suffered a wrist injury as well, but did not have details.
Cato finished 17-for-35, for 298 yards. He threw four TD’s
and 3 INT’s. Sand carried the ball 21 times for 101 yards and Guerrier had
three catches for 98 yards. Yeldell had an impressive night, going
37-for-55 for the Wolves, good for 447 yards. He threw four TD’s and had four
picks. He also ran for 49 yards.
Castle caught 10 passes for 181 yards and Watson had 8 for
106 yards, leading the Newberry receivers.
Florida Tech will now turn their attention to Mississippi
College, who visits Melbourne on Saturday, September 10, at 7:00 p.m. It will
be the home opener for Florida Tech.
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