Montgomery 4A
Whitman's Adjustments Pay Dividends
Whitman 13, Springbrook 7
Whitman's Dan Toched leaps into the waiting arms of Dan Masters, No. 53, after returning a second-quarter interception back for a touchdown against Springbrook Friday night.
(Preston Keres - TWP)
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Saturday, November 3, 2007
When Whitman Coach Jim Kuhn approached Anthony Young-Wiseman during the summer about switching from wide receiver to quarterback, Young-Wiseman wasn't particularly thrilled with the idea. He relished running precise routes and outleaping defenders for the ball. He wasn't sure if giving up those things was something he was ready to do.
Although he passed for only 58 yards and threw four interceptions, Young-Wiseman was able to complete a 23-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Jeff Susskind midway through the fourth quarter that sparked Whitman to a 13-7 victory over Springbrook in a critical Montgomery 4A West Region matchup.
"It was something new," said Young-Wiseman, a junior. "I've been playing wide receiver for the past two years and that was a very big adjustment. But with the help of my teammates, especially my offensive line, I've been able to do a good job."
Young-Wiseman -- who had his best game of the season in a win over Churchill on Monday when he threw for three touchdowns and ran for another -- said the transition from wide receiver to quarterback has been tough. Reading defenses and memorizing where each of his teammates is supposed to be on the field at any given time have been his toughest challenges. He struggled in that regard last night in the first half, throwing three interceptions in the first 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, Springbrook quarterback Phoenix Butler-Poole had three picks of his own, but mixed in a 48-yard touchdown strike to Malachi Boodie on the first play of the second quarter that put the Blue Devils up 7-0. But Whitman's defense responded, keeping Butler-Poole and Springbrook (4-5, 3-3) in check after intermission. The Vikings surrendered just one passing yard in the second half; Butler-Poole finished 6-of-16 passing for 47 yards.
The defense provided Whitman (6-3, 4-3) with its first score. With 2 minutes 46 seconds remaining in the second quarter, Adam Masters batted a Butler-Poole pass at the line of scrimmage. The ball landed in the hands of lineman Dan Tochen, who ran 43 yards up the left sideline for the score.
"I've been waiting for that for four years," the 6-foot-4, 256-pound Tochen said. "I love it, man."
Young-Wiseman took over in the fourth quarter. After connecting with Susskind -- who reeled in the pass despite wearing a cast on his injured left wrist -- he amassed 73 rushing yards on Whitman's ensuing drive, eating up chunks of ground as well as the remaining 4:12 on the clock.
Whitman 13, Springbrook 7
Playoff Picture: Whitman kept its 4A West Region playoff hopes alive with the win. The road only gets tougher for the Vikings, however. They finish the regular season at No. 9 Sherwood on Friday. Meanwhile, Springbrook's loss effectively ended its playoff hopes.
