VERO BEACH — The Citrus Bowl was alive with activity as Vero Beach hosted the Palm Beach Gardens Gators Friday night. The Vero Beach football team used the game to promote the Wounded Warrior Project that helps thousands of injured warriors returning from the battlefield and helps provide assistance to their families.
Jon Teske principal at Citrus Elementary and a member of the United States Army Reserve was selected to represent local servicemen and women during the coin toss prior to kickoff.
“It’s an honor to be here and be back on the field,” Teske said. “I tell my students to always do their best in school and at home and I try to be a positive role model for them.”
Football teams from the Indian River County Recreation Department were also invited to attend the game and all players were introduced during team warmups. Mike Redstone the Director of the Recreation Department said the players and families look forward to this event all year.
“All season long players and parents talk about going on the field at the Citrus Bowl together,” Redstone said. “ It’s a great opportunity for the players from all of the teams to see what it feels like to be on a high school field in front of a huge crowd of fans. The kids and parents get extremely excited.” All of the players from every team and their coaches were introduced prior to kick off by the PA announcer.
Throw in the Vero Beach high school graduating class from 1963 and you have the setting for an incredible night of community fun and excitement.
Vero Beach was coming off of a big district win last week over Treasure Coast and Vero coach Lenny Jankowski said he was anticipating a great game.
“This Gardens team has some playmakers and their quarterback is being recruited by several colleges,” Jankowski said. Gardens will be a good test for our team. They always play hard.”
Vero Beach scored twice in the first quarter. Their first touchdown was on a three yard run by Vero running back Jason Pierre at the 7:55 mark. Vero’s second score happened with 2:04 left in the first when Vero defensive back Ira Graham picked off the Gators quarterback and returned it 88 yards for the score. Vero kicker Jason Rivas was injured on a successful PAT after Vero’s first score.
That left Vero Beach without a kicker. After the Ira Graham touchdown Vero Beach had to go for two but could not convert and they led Palm Beach Gardens 13-0. The Rivas injury created an unusual circumstance for the Vero team. Several varsity players attempted to fill the void left by Rivas but had dismal results. Coach Jankowski asked one of his assistants to find JV kicker Ryan Tamulevicz who was filming the game for the coaches in the end zone.
“I was in street clothes and one of the coaches came up to me and said that they needed me to get dressed,” Tamulevicz said. “I changed as fast as I could and tried to stretch out on the sidelines before I had to kick. I was very nervous but I had a chance to call my parents and tell them to come to the game because I was getting to play.”
Vero Beach and Gardens exchanged touchdowns in the second quarter and Vero led at halftime 21-7.
Vero running back Jason Pierre scored on a 62 yard touchdown run with 8:42 to go in the third quarter. Vero’s 2 point conversion failed and they led Gardens 27-7. Tamulevicz’s only miscue came in the third quarter when the Gators blocked a punt and ran it in for the score. Vero Beach scored again in the third quarter when backup quarterback Carter Stanley threw a 69 yard touchdown pass to Vero Beach receiver Jimmy Williamson.
Vero connected on the two point conversion and led 35-14. The resilient Gator team pushed back with a score of their own before the end of the third and trailed Vero Beach 35-21.
The Gators were able to accomplish the only score of the fourth quarter on a touchdown pass with 5:33 to go in the game but that’s as close as the Gators would get. Vero would go on to the 35- 27 win. Coach Jankowski said that things don’t always go as planned.
“We knew that those guys had some talent and we felt like we were prepared,” Jankowski said. “When our kicker went down we had to deal with that situation. We had guys step up and fill in when they were needed and they did a good job. It sounds like a cliché but we will look at the film tomorrow and realize we did some things well and we need to improve on some things.”
