Hit the ground running

Spring ball game for Vaqueros marks many firsts for UTRGV

While the Vaqueros’ first spring ball game in program history ended in a 17-5 win for the white team, the game marked a crucial series of firsts before their first game in August.

It is the first time the team played in front of a crowd for four quarters and in front of the newly inaugurated UTRGV Marching Band at capacity of 3,562 attendees at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Brownsville.

Head coach Travis Bush said the game was a “fun” way to end the program’s first spring practice window.

“It was a fun day,” Bush said. “We’re really proud of the way that our guys [played]. … We’re still young across the board but, definitely, it was a good spring for our team.”

He said with the transfer portal opening Wednesday, the team looks to add seniors and juniors to a young Vaqueros’ roster.

Freshman quarterback Aztel Chavez shined in tonight’s game, tallying approximately 134 total-scrimmage yards to go alongside a rushing touchdown while seeing limited snaps.

Chavez told reporters it was great to play in front of the crowd and the band for the first time as a team.

“The atmosphere was great,” he said. “White team, we came in with just an energy. … We were all locked in and it was fun to play against our guys.”

UTRGV’s freshman running back corps tallied great individual performances while splitting snaps. Brennan Carroll and Fabian Garcia both had over 25 yards on 8 touches each.

Cindy Valdez, who is on the season tickets’ waiting list, attended tonight’s game.

“Seeing the students doing so well and seeing the community coming out to rally behind them is what it’s all about,” Valdez said.

After white’s first drive ended without points, the orange team took over with senior quarterback Eddie Lee Marbuger under center for its first drive. 

It ended in a field goal by freshman kicker Jordan Melucci for the first points of the game.

After two false-start penalties, the field goal unit came on and white team’s freshman kicker Troop O’Neal sent the ball through the uprights, evening the score at 3.

Chavez took over again, taking white down the field aided by huge gains from wide receivers Christian Sasbrook and Kyran Lee. 

The white drive ended with a 7-yard touchdown run by the quarterback to put white up 10-3 with three minutes left in the second quarter.

 White’s defense, then, forced an orange three-and-out with freshman quarterback Aidan Jakobsohn under center ahead of the two-minute warning.

The first points of the second half came after orange’s defense forced freshman QB Zion Brown to stop in his own endzone, cutting white’s lead to 13-5 on a safety.

Jayden Paluseo then took over under center for white and, during a drive in which he went 3-3 for 38 passing yards, he threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Justin Kimber, pushing the score to 17-5, which would hold until the end of the game.