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Hartline, Boeckman team for good offense. Scarlet beats Gray, 20-7
By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Sunday, Apr 20, 2008
COLUMBUS: Fans do turn out in droves, but there's a reason they call spring football practice. That being neither side looks that impressive. Adding rain and wind certainly doesn't help.
That was the case with the annual Ohio State spring game, which the Scarlet won 20-7. The Buckeyes showed they have a long way to go if they are to live up to what could be a preseason top five rating.
The defenses proved more than ready, but the offenses sputtered for much of the game — with a couple of notable exceptions.
Brian Hartline (GlenOak), who played for the Scarlet team, looked as if he's ready to take his game up a notch in the upcoming season. He caught six balls for 82 yards, including a long reception of 48 yards from starting quarterback Todd Boeckman, who was 12-of-18 for 145 yards and two interceptions.
With fellow wideout Brian Robiskie sidelined with an injury, Hartline got the chance to play pitch-and-catch with Boeckman. In fact, one of Boeckman's interceptions came when he tried to hit Hartline deep, and defensive back Kurt Coleman read the play and made a spectacular catch.
''Just because you've been through a lot with that guy, it can happen. . . . He's been dependable,'' Boeckman said of Hartline. ''You know he's going to make those tough catches and get the football. I have faith in all of my receivers because I know they can go up and get the ball.
''He's really stepping up with Brian Robiskie being out. He's being that leader in the receiving room over there. He's helping the younger guys out and making the plays on the football field.''
Hartline said he expects to be more productive and more vocal in the coming season; those are two things that he has taken the time to work on during the 15 days of spring practice.
''I always wanted to lead, but there's kind of a totem pole there, and there are older guys ahead of you. You can say things here and there, but usually it's just keep your mouth shut and play,'' he said. ''Now I can voice my opinion more and know that my opinion is well needed, but I have to watch myself more, too. You don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.''
Coach Jim Tressel called Boeckman's play solid. The senior quarterback showed some flashes but looked rusty. The quarterbacks as a whole played up and down. Freshman Joe Bauserman (7-of-14, 125 yards and one touchdown) showed some excitement, especially on a 51-yard bomb to Taurian Washington. He had another 63-yard pass play to Washington, but it was called back on a penalty.
Antonio Henton, who finished last year as the backup quarterback, looked jumpy in the pocket, but he showed elusiveness in those situations.
The defense made some big plays, especially Lawrence Wilson (St. Vincent-St. Mary).Wilson is returning from a broken leg suffered in the opening game last year and looked dominant in spots Saturday. Playing for the Gray team, he recorded three tackles and a sack, and he came close to sacks on a couple of other plays.
Other defensive standouts included defensive back Andre Amos (eight tackles) and linebacker Marcus Freeman (seven tackles).
Spring forward
Tressel called the spring practice session successful.
''It was a good positive day. We had a good positive 15 days of practice and good concentration by our guys and I think we took a needed step,'' Tressel said. ''And I think these next three months are going to be crucial as the guys are out on their own deciding how good they want to be.''
Wells update
Chris Wells (Akron Garfield) didn't play, as he continued to recover from wrist surgery.
Bucknotes
Former Buckeyes Cris Carter and Mike Tomczak were honorary coaches for the game. . . . Darrell Givens, a highly touted defensive back out of Lackey High School in Indian Head, Md., attended the spring game and gave OSU a verbal commitment, according to Scout.com. . . . Buckeye players wore a sticker with the initials of a school crossing guard on their helmets to honor her for sacrificing her life to save a student who was crossing the street. . . . It certainly didn't look like it, but announced attendance for the game Saturday was 76,346.
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/sportsblitz/.
COLUMBUS: Fans do turn out in droves, but there's a reason they call spring football practice. That being neither side looks that impressive. Adding rain and wind certainly doesn't help.
Get the full article here.
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