Fun With Scarlet-White Festivities at Rutgers
The annual Rutgers Scarlet-White game happened on Saturday, April 27th, at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, giving the fans the first look at the team that will hit the field for the start of their 2024 football campaign on Saturday Augst 31st against Howard University.
There was excitement in the air as this year the Big Ten expanded and welcomed into the fold the likes of Oregon Ducks, Washington Huskies, UCLA, and USC.
The day was full of fun for all to attend, from a Ferris wheel to water games, to face painting to autograph signing from former NFL and current NFL Rutgers Alumni players to the introduction of former Rutgers and the newest Arizona Cardinals Players, Max Melton who was drafted the night before.
Then it was scrimmage time on the field, this was the chance for the first team to go against the second team and the third team to go against the fourth team members. It was the chance for all to get into the game and do what they had been doing all spring long, show what they got.
Of course, the two people most were watching were the Quarterback returning starter Gavin Winsett and newly transferred QB Anton Kaliakmanis. I can say both Quarterbacks looked sharp in their reps and Gavin showed how he has grown into that position increasingly each season and with each rep. Antan showed that he is poised in the pocket and can run to the outside if necessary and has a tight spiral ball when throwing deep.
The best play of the day came on the last play when Special Olympic athletes from NJ, came onto the field, and it was a run to the end zone by them to seal the deal for the scarlet team and then seeing all the football players running toward them to embrace them.
The team looks like they are starting to jell not just on the field, but as a team and chemistry is important to a successful year as a team.
Till August 31st there will be more practicing, decisions to be made on the depth chart, and conditioning for not just the soft tackles they have been taking, but the full-on contact drills so they feel what they will be enduring with this Big Ten conference.
