VERO BEACH — Senior members of the Vero Beach Fighting Indians football team, band and cheerleaders were honored before Vero Beach hosted Santaluces at the Citrus Bowl Friday night. Seniors were introduced prior to kickoff and escorted onto Billy Livings Field by friends and family to celebrate their final football game of the 2013 season.
“It was an emotional moment for me as we walked across the field,” Vero defensive lineman Joe Gallo said. “To think that this is the last time I will play on this field with these guys is sad. It means a lot.”
Vero coach Lenny Jankowski said that he spoke with the team about Senior Night at the Citrus Bowl.
“I told our guys that this is a special day that they will always remember. Just like the comeback win last week this will be one of those moments they will look back on later in life,” Jankowski said. “I told the younger players that they owed this game to the seniors and help make it a great night for the seniors on the team.”
Vero Beach still had several key injuries to its defense including defensive end Tyler Horstman and linebacker Adam Kuh. Vero Beach already secured their playoff spot with their win over St. Lucie West Centennial last week but coach Jankowski said they were playing to win.
“You know we are not a team that turns it on or off depending on the game. We want to keep the momentum going through the playoffs,” said Jankowski.
Vero Beach scored on their first possession when Vero quarterback Dalton Stokes completed a 37-yard pass to receiver Jimmy Williamson with 10:34 to go in the first quarter. Santaluces made a 37-yard field goal and scored on a 65 yard touchdown pass from Luis Martinez. The Chiefs missed the extra point and led 9-7 at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter Vero kicker Jason Rivas made a 22-yard field goal to put Vero back in front 10-9. Vero Beach recovered a Chiefs’ fumble on their next offensive series on the Santaluces 30 yard line. Vero Beach scored on a 5-yard pass from Stokes to receiver Will Dawkins for a 17-9 lead. Stokes scored on a keeper with 6:19 left in the second quarter to take a 24-9 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Vero Beach Fighting Indians honored former Vero pitcher – and now a pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays – Alex Cobb at halftime by retiring his high school jersey. The jersey was encased in glass accompanied by a photo of Cobb when he pitched for Vero Beach and a baseball. As Cobb spoke to the crowd he was obviously moved by the gesture.
“When they asked me to come back for this night I didn’t think much of it,” Cobb said. “But now that I’m here I remember what it was like to play here on this field in front of our fans and I started to get a little emotional. I told myself to keep it together but you start thinking about all of the memories here.”
Cobb played quarterback for the Fighting Indians as well as pitched for Vero Beach.
The Fighting Indians gave up 13 unanswered points to the Chiefs in the third quarter and that closed the gap and left Vero Beach clinging to a 24-22 lead at the end of the third.
Santaluces regained the lead 29 -24 in the fourth quarter by putting together a 72-yard drive that ended with a 13-yard Martinez touchdown pass to Jarvis Riley with 10:03 to go in the game. Vero Beach answered by driving 80 yards and scoring on a Dalton Stokes 7-yard touchdown run with 8:11 to give Vero back the lead 30-29.
Vero went for 2 but failed. Santaluces had an opportunity to win the game with 2:12 to go when Alvaro Casco’s 27 yard field goal attempt went wide left. Vero took over on downs and ran the clock out for the 30-29 win.
“We knew they had a good quarterback and a couple good receivers but we wanted to win this game for the seniors,” Jankowski said. “Next up is the playoffs and I know our guys will be ready.”
