Williamsburg - The William and Mary football program wrapped up the spring practice season on Saturday afternoon with its annual Green and Gold Game at Zable Stadium. The event was played as a controlled, intra-squad scrimmage, as the offense (Green) faced the defense (Gold) over 16 series with various starting field positions and game simulated scenarios.

At the conclusion of the event, head coach Jimmye Laycock announced the team captains for the 2006 season, and Speed, Strength and Conditioning Coach John Sauer handed out the 2006 John A. Stewart Memorial Winter Warrior Award. In a vote by the players, four seniors were named captains: tailback Elijah Brooks (Largo, Md.), linebacker Trevor McLaurin (Wilmington, Del.), offensive lineman Cody Morris (Jeansville, Pa.) and corner Alan Wheeling (Dublin, Va.). McLaurin was also named a co-recipient of the Winter Warrior Award, sharing the honor with senior defensive end Josh Wright (Madison Heights, Va.). The Winter Warrior Award is given annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of dedication, effort and achievement that defined Stewart's career at the College. Awardees are judged on their improvements both on the field and in the offseason-training program.

W&M concluded a spirited, physical spring session with an entertaining afternoon that provided numerous highlights on each side of the ball. The Tribe offense was particularly sharp through the air, while the defense put together a solid effort against the run and posted multiple scoreless possessions.

Sophomore Jake Phillips (Warm Springs, Va.) and junior Mike Potts (Middletown, Del.) combined to throw for an even 300 yards and five touchdowns on the afternoon with each completing a number of big plays. Phillips completed 10-of-14 attempts for 150 yards and three scores, while Potts went 10-for-17 through the air for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Christian Taylor (Yorktown, Va.) completed 2-of-4 attempts for 18 yards over two series and was intercepted once, the only turnover on the afternoon.

Junior Joe Nicholas (Sugarloaf, Pa.), and sophomore D.J. McAulay (New Haven, Conn.) led the receiving corps with a combined 10 receptions for 180 yards. Nicholas had five receptions for 94 yard and two touchdowns, including a 44-yard catch-and-run score down the middle of the field from Potts that converted a third down and 29. McAulay, who had two catches in nine games as a true freshman in 2005, pulled in five balls this afternoon for 86 yards, including a 49-yard strike from Phillips to start a possession for the Green team, which scored all five of its touchdowns through the air.

Junior tight end Drew Atchison (Charlottesville, Va.) had an 8-yard scoring reception, his only catch, from Phillips, who also hooked up with sophomore DeBrian Holmes (Ft. Eustis, Va.) on a 3-yard scoring pass. Redshirt freshman R.J. Archer (Earlysville, Va.) hauled in a 22-yard touchdown reception from Potts and finished with two grabs for 29 yards. Sophomore wide outs Joe Marianacci (West Pittston, Pa.) and Elliott Mack (Irvington, N.J.) each added two catches going for 48 and 28 yards, respectively.

Defensively, sophomore corner Derek Cox (Winterville, N.C.), who started the final two games of 2005, registered the game's only turnover, intercepting Taylor in the end zone late. Sophomore linebacker Josh Rutter (Union Bridge, Md.) continued to shine after an outstanding debut last fall, recording a number of hard hits, a couple pass break-ups and one quarterback hurry on a fourth-and-goal from the 3-yard line that prevented a touchdown. Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Adrian Tracy (Sterling, Va.) had a solid afternoon with multiple stops, including a solo tackle for loss, and senior line-backer Chris Ndubueze (Lanham, Md.) made a nice open-field tackle for a 6-yard loss on an attempted reverse, as the de-fense yielded roughly 83 yards rushing over 33 attempts (2.5/carry).

Brooks was the leading rusher on the afternoon, grinding out 22 yards over 10 carries. Phillips gained 20 yards on three rushes, while junior Tony Viola (Broadway, Va.) finished with 19 yards rushing on nine attempts, and redshirt freshman Matt Nickerson (Fairfax Station, Va.) turned out 18 yards on seven carries.

The Tribe's special teams looked solid this afternoon as well, as senior Blair Pritchard (Mechanicsville, Va.) and redshirt freshman Brian Pate (Fredericksburg, Va.) battle for the enviable duty of replacing All-American kicker Greg Kuehn. Prit-chard knocked his only field goal attempt through from 31 yards on the opening series, and Pate was a perfect 2-for-2, hitting from 31 and 21 yards. The duo also rotated turns punting in two separate sessions with Pritchard recording a long of 55 yards.

Phillips completed 3-of-5 attempts for 27 yards and rushed once for 13 more on the opening series of the scrimmage, leading a methodical 15-play, 51-yard march that was capped with Pritchard's field goal. Phillips' scramble converted a third-and-nine, and Nicholas had a 9-yard reception on third-and-seven, as the unit converted three total third downs on the drive. McAulay brought in two of his five catches on the drive, and Brooks carried six times, which resulted in only seven yards against a stingy defensive front. Rutter and senior linebacker Ryan Nickell (Yorktown, Va.) each had three stops on the se-ries, and Tracy stopped Brooks for a loss of two.

Sophomore linebacker Michael Pigram (Hopewell, Va.) made a couple of nice open-field solo tackles over the next two se-ries, as the defense forced consecutive three-and-outs, before Potts engineered a quick five-play, 80-yard scoring drive in the fourth series. Potts was 4-for-4 on the drive, completing an 8-yard toss to McAulay and a 7-yard strike to Archer to set up second-and three from the Green 40-yard line. On second down, Potts connected with Marianacci over the middle for a 38-yard gain, then hit a wide-open Archer in the right side of the end zone for a 22-yard touchdown.

The defense stepped up when Phillips and the Green squad started a possession at the Gold 20, holding the offense to Pate's 31-yard field goal. Viola rushed for seven yards on first down, but Pigram and sophomore defensive tackle Josh Larkins (Toms River, N.J.) combined for a TFL on second down, and Phillips' third-down pass sailed incomplete in the end zone re-sulting in Pate's fourth-down attempt.

Potts also got a turn with a short field, finding the end zone on a wild three-play drive. After a penalty on first down backed the offense up to the Gold 34, Rutter and redshirt freshman Fred Johnson (Richmond, Va.) combined on a 4-yard tackle for loss, before redshirt freshman Cort Herbert (Germantown, Md.) was credited with a sack on second down that pushed the offense all the way back to the 44. But, on third-and-29, Potts found Nicholas over the middle for a 44-yard touchdown connection.

The defense had perhaps its finest effort on the next series, when a pass interference call gave the Green team a first-and-goal at the 5-yard line. An incomplete pass and pass break-up by Rutter led to third down, then Nickell and junior T.J. O'Neill (Duxbury, Mass.) stuffed redshirt freshman Raphael Bynum (Stafford, Va.) for a gain of just two, before Rutter chased down Potts out on the left edge keeping the Green team out of the end zone.

Phillips and the Tribe offense exacted a little revenge later in scrimmage, finding the end zone on a drive that started first-and goal from the 8-yard line. Viola carried three-straight times for five yards, setting up fourth-and-three, where Phillips hit Holmes right at the goal line for the score.

In the final series of the afternoon, Phillips orchestrated a crisp, 2-minute drill drive to set up a Pate's second field goal. The Green squad started from its 40, and Phillips found McAulay for an 11-yard gain on first down. Brooks then rushed three-straight times for 12 yards, before Phillips hooked up with Nicholas on a 25-yard gain that set up first-and-10 on the Gold 12. Brooks carried to the 9, and Viola took it to 4, where Phillips spiked the ball to set up Pate's 21-yard field goal on the final play of the afternoon.