Gym Rats pounce Reserve White, scamper to victory

  • Published
  • By John Stuart
  • Tinker Public Affairs
There was no need to point out the error in Reserve White's ways April 13. They already knew.

With their 50-yard touchdown play from quarterback Randy Schell to receiver Jim Gassoway in the second quarter, they'd dealt a heavy blow to their Gym Rats opponents as they went up 6-0. It was a knock down that Tuesday night, though anything but a knock out. The defending-champion Gym Rats weren't through yet and they went on to win it 7-6 in a close game.

Although it didn't look like it, the Gym Rats were building momentum. The flame couldn't be extinguished, not even when Chris Jackson intercepted a pass from Gym Rats' quarterback Tony Salafia on their first drive of the third quarter.

The Rats were building momentum, yes, but they still made it a nail-biter. That is until their second possession of the half. Bouncing back from the interception a drive earlier, it only took seven plays for them to take their pigskin friend to the house.
The drive depended on several big-yardage plays to boost field position. A 5-yard offsides penalty garnered when Reserve White jumped at the line also helped the squad in orange and black.

Finally it was Salafia down the sideline with a pass to receiver Taylor Lamar in stride for the 40-yard touchdown play. It was tied at 6-6 and the Rats were faced with a decision: PAT or 2-point conversion. They didn't tarry long, or underperform as Mike Dominey booted in the PAT to make it 7-6.

Ultimately it was too much for Reserve White, who had two more drives to put points on the board but came up short on both. The Rats claimed the win to improve their record to 6-1 while Reserve White slipped to 4-2.

"It felt good," Lamar said of his touchdown. "We'd tried that play before but it didn't work. We knew it was open that time so we went back to it and came up successful."