Gold Team Edges Out Flash Bowl Victory, 13-12
4/29/2023 8:22:00 PM | Football
KENT- The Gold Team stopped a two-point conversion late in the fourth quarter to secure a 13-12 victory over the Blue Team in the first #KentGRIT Flash Bowl Spring Game inside Dix Stadium.
With the teams split evenly into the Blue and Gold Team, the back-and-forth affair that took place on Saturday night was expected.
Xavier Williams opened the scoring on Saturday night with a short touchdown run, putting the Gold Team on top 7-0 in the first quarter. Gavin Garcia responded for the Blue team, scoring his first of two touchdowns on the day from eight-yards out. Garcia knocked on the door of a 100-yard day, rushing for 94 yards and both Blue Team scores. Blue Team honorary head coach Kent Cleveland went for two, but the Gold Team snuffed out a reverse and took a 7-6 lead into the half.
Gold Team honorary head coach Rosie Nix dialed up some trickery in the halftime huddle, opening up the second half with some razzle dazzle. Gold Team quarterback Tommy Ulatowski pitched the ball back to wide receiver Luke Floriea on a reverse. Floriea said after the game that the play was designed to throw it back to Ulatowski but Trell Harris was wide open down the field. Floriea hit the open man and Harris scampered in untouched for a 75-yard score. Nix elected to go for two but came up empty to make it 13-6. Floriea finished the day with 75 yards receiving to go along with the lengthy touchdown pass.
The Blue Team put together a drive late in the fourth, converting on several third and fourth downs to set up a goal to go. The Gold Team nearly made a goal line stand to ice the game, but Garcia found the end zone on fourth down to bring the Blue Team within one. Again Kent Cleveland went for two but the Gold Team broke up the ensuing slant pass to hold the lead.
Ulatowski iced the game with a pass up the seam to Preston Taylor for a first down across midfield. The Gold Team was able to kneel out the clock and clinch Flash Bowl I.
Both teams were led by honorary head coaches and Golden Flash alums Rosie Nix (Gold) and Kent Cleveland (Blue) with the assistant coaches split between both teams. The Flash Bowl caps the spring season for Kent State football. They open up the 2023 season at Central Florida on Thursday, August 31st.
