PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers football wrapped up spring practice with its annual Scarlet-White Game, presented by PNC, on Saturday afternoon at SHI Stadium. The Scarlet defeated the White, 30-24, with Tommy Marcketta – a 16-year-old Children's Specialized Hospital patient, autism advocate and SONJ athlete – scoring a touchdown on the RWJBarnabas Health Final Play of the Game.
QB
Gavin Wimsatt completed eight passes for 76 yards and a touchdown to lead the Scarlet, also finishing with five carries for 64 yards and two scores on the ground. WR
Nasir Montgomery hauled in a team-high 54 yards and a touchdown, while WR
Deondre Johnson caught three passes for 40 yards.
QB
Athan Kaliakmanis finished 10-of-17 for 147 yards and two touchdown passes for the White, finding WR
Naseim Brantley and WR
Dino Kaliakmanis for scores in the first half. Brantley also hauled in a 42-yard reception from Kaliakmanis for the longest play of the afternoon, while RB
Edd Guerrier finished with 13 carries for 77 yards and a touchdown.
On defense, LB
Sam Gadie produced a game-high nine tackles for the Scarlet, including five solo stops. LB
Davoun Fuse led the White with seven tackles, while DL
Liam Rempel tallied a sack. DB Kaj Saunders hauled in a fourth-quarter interception for the Scarlet in the win.
Wimsatt orchestrated the first score of the afternoon, capping a six-play, 62-yard scoring drive with a one-yard touchdown run for a quick 7-0 lead. Kaliakmanis followed with a scoring drive of his own, completing three passes, including a nine-yard touchdown pass to his brother,
Dino Kaliakmanis, to tie the score at 7-7 at the end of the quarter. Kaliakmanis completed a 42-yard deep throw to Brantley during the drive.
It was Wimsatt once again finding the end zone with his legs, scoring on a 37-yard rushing touchdown for a 14-7 lead at 10:47 left in the second quarter. Wimsatt completed three passes during the nine-play, 75-yard drive, which included a nice 16-yard reception from Montgomery.
The White countered with its own 75-yard scoring run, which was finished off by a seven-yard touchdown run from Guerrier. The rookie carried the ball five times for 24 yards, which included a 10-yard run for a first down. Guerrier's score tied the game at 14-14 with 5:56 left before halftime.
Both teams traded scores ahead of the locker room. Kaliakmanis found Brantley in the back of the end zone for an eight-yard touchdown pass, while Wimsatt closed the half with a three-yard touchdown to Montgomery as the game was tied 21-21 at the midpoint.
Defense played a key part in the second half, with PK
Jai Patel's 37-yard field goal the only scoring in the third quarter. After Patel drilled a field goal for the Scarlet in the fourth quarter to tie the score at 24-24, Sanders recorded an over-the-head interception for the highlight turnover.
Both teams held steady until the final play, as Marcketta scored from 15 yards out to represent RWJBarnabas Health with his highlight touchdown to put a punctuation mark on spring practice.
