Posted 2:08 am Saturday, August 28, 2010
Van Vandals Take Flight
By KURT KITCHINGS
Sports Correspondent
VAN -- Van opened the new football season with a new coach, a new offense and outstanding results, defeating nearby rival Grand Saline 44-6 Friday night.
Sports Correspondent
VAN -- Van opened the new football season with a new coach, a new offense and outstanding results, defeating nearby rival Grand Saline 44-6 Friday night.
Van's new head coach Jared Moffatt installed the spread offense as an addition to the hard-nosed, run-first Vandal attack in this, his first season.
Quarterback Garrett Smallwood made his coach look very smart, amassing 185 yards through the air, completing 11 of 17 passes.
Smallwood's favorite target for his first outing was sophmore receiver Colby Rucker who received six of the 11 passes and accounted for 141 of the total 185 yards.
Rucker also added a touchdown for the Vandal attack in the third quarter.
Van started out slow, punting on it's first possession before a 27-yard hookup from Smallwood to Rucker set up a five-yard run by Tory Parsons with 4:57 remaining in the first.
Van found success in the second quarter when, on an Indian fourth-and-25 from their own 10-yardline, Tanis Cotton recovered a blocked punt attempt in the endzone for a touchdown.
Offensively, Van awakened some, going in and coming out of halftime adding another Parsons 5-yard run with 0:10 remaining in the half and a Cory Fuller 25-yard run with 7:41 remaining in the third.
Backup quarterback Reid Hiler tacked on the final Vandal score on a one-yard run with 8:42 remaining.
Grand Saline had a tough go all night against a very tough and speedy Vandal defense, but did manage to find success on its next-to-last possession when runningback TJ Gillison plunged in from three yards out.
Van (1-0) travels to Brownsboro next Friday while Grand Saline (0-1) will host Malakoff.
-- -- --
Van 44, Grand Saline 6
At Van's Memorial Stadium
Van 44, Grand Saline 6
At Van's Memorial Stadium
Grand Saline 0 0 0 6 -- 6
Van 7 14 14 9 -- 44
Van 7 14 14 9 -- 44
First Quarter
VAN -- Tory Parsons 5 run (Chuy Alverez kick), 4:57
VAN -- Tory Parsons 5 run (Chuy Alverez kick), 4:57
Second Quarter
VAN -- Tanis Cotton recovered blocked kick (Alverez kick), 5:23.
VAN -- Tanis Cotton recovered blocked kick (Alverez kick), 5:23.
VAN -- Tory Parsons 5 run (Alverez kick), :10.
Third Quarter
Third Quarter
VAN -- Colby Rucker 41 pass from Garrett Smallwood (Alverez kick), 2:32.
Fourth Quarter
VAN -- Alverez 36 field goal, 11:06.
VAN -- Alverez 36 field goal, 11:06.
VAN -- Reid Hiler one run (Kick failed), 8:42.
GS -- TJ Ollison three run (PAT pass failed), 4:00.
GS -- TJ Ollison three run (PAT pass failed), 4:00.
VAN GSH
First Downs 17 7
Rushes-Yards 40-215 17-28
First Downs 17 7
Rushes-Yards 40-215 17-28
Passing Yards 185 180
Comp.-Att.-Int. 11-17-0 17-31-3
Comp.-Att.-Int. 11-17-0 17-31-3
Punts-Avg. 4-29 6-29
Fumbles-Lost 3-2 2-2
Penalties-Yards 11-75 4-33
Fumbles-Lost 3-2 2-2
Penalties-Yards 11-75 4-33
