AVE MARIA, Fla. --- The Ave Maria football team improved to 5-2 on the season after a 28-13 win over the visiting Warriors of Webber International. Travis Makauskas led the Gyrenes with five catches for 154 yards and two touchdowns.
Scott Jones finished with 78 yards rushing on 26 carries and two touchdowns. Clayton Uecker finished 12-22 with two interceptions and two touchdown passes.
The Ave Maria defense had three interceptions and five sacks. Tanner Bowling finished with eight solo tackles, four assists, a sack and two tackles for a loss. Gage Hayes had two interceptions.
"Defense played huge today and coach Sanchez is doing a great job on the defensive side of the ball. They did a great job stopping Webber up front and shutting down the run," said head coach Marty Quinn.
"On the back end, senior Gage Hayes is really elevating his game to some new heights with two interceptions and Tyrell Everett came up with another big interception for us today."
The Gyrene defense got Ave Maria going to start the game. After forcing a three and out on Webber's opening drive, the defense was called on again quickly after an interception by Clayton Uecker on his first pass of the game. The Gyrene defense held the Warriors to a field goal attempt, which they missed.
On the ensuing possession for Ave Maria, Uecker made up for the interception with a 78-yard touchdown pass to Travis Makauskas to give the Gyrenes the early 7-0 lead.
After punts by both sides, Webber International capped a 6-play, 54-yard drive with a touchdown to even the score at seven.
The Gyrenes responded to the Webber touchdown drive with one of their own on the ensuing drive. Scott Jones capped an 11-play, 75-yard drive with a five yard touchdown run to put Ave Maria up 14-7.
The Ave Maria defense made another statement with 4:50 remaining in the second quarter, holding Webber on a fourth down try to give the ball back to Uecker and the Gyrene offense. And they took advantage.
Getting the ball on their own 23-yard line, the Gyrenes drove 77-yards on seven plays for a touchdown. A 38-yard touchdown pass from Uecker to Makauskas highlighted the drive.
"I thought we did a really good job in the first half stopping the run and moving the ball up and down the field," said Quinn. "The guys brought a lot of energy to this game and weren't complacent after getting out to a early two score lead."
Ave Maria extended its lead to 28-7 and took several minutes off the clock to start the second half. The Gyrenes ran 12 plays and over sic minutes off the clock in the 88-yard touchdown drive. Jones again finished the drive with a three-yard jaunt into the endzone.
Webber International added a score in the fourth quarter to cut the Gyrenes lead to 15, 28-13.
The big story in the second half was the play of the Gyrene defense. Ave Maria forced interceptions of the final three Webber International drives.
"All three levels of the defense are putting things together and are playing good team defense. We don't have to rely on one or two guys, everyone is stepping up and making plays."
Ave Maria returns to the field next Saturday when they host Edward Waters (Fla.) in the Gyrenes' home finale. The game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.
