Paul Leavy | The Valdosta Daily Times Valdosta State Unversity quarterback Brett Whitmire (7) picks up a first down late in the second quarter.

The Valdosta State football team concluded spring practice Saturday, with the playing of the annual spring game at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.

The Blazers endured a one-hour delay due to severe weather, but managed to finish all four quarters. In the end, the Black team defeated the White team, 28-21.

“I thought we had a really good spring practice,” Valdosta State head coach David Dean said. “I thought we got better, in all phases that we wanted to get better in. I think our defense dominated the first scrimmage that we had, but I think the last week our offense made a lot of strides. They played very well today. So I think, as a football team, we got better.”

Offensively, the Blazers ran the ball successfully, mixing in plenty of option plays to go along with off tackle carries.

“We had our quarterbacks live today,” Dean said. “You don’t really get a good feel of all the option stuff when they are not live. So we made an effort to run a lot of our option stuff today. But I don’t know how much of our offense it will be, but it looked good.”

Between the two teams, seven different quarterbacks took snaps. Senior Brett Whitmire was an impressive 5 of 5 for 122 yards with two touchdown passes. He also ran for another touchdown to lead the Black squad. Graham Craig finished the day 7 of 14 for 81 yards with two touchdowns and an interception to lead the White team. Kaleb Nobles, who entered VSU this semester after graduating early from Fitzgerald High School, was 3 of 6 passing for the Black team.

Starting quarterback Cayden Cochran did not play, because he is still recovering from a collarbone injury.

“When (Cayden) gets into camp, he is going to have to be playing very well,” Dean said. “We have some good, solid backups, some guys that are emerging and getting better every day. … It is good to have that competition there.”

After the White team took a 7-0 lead behind a passing touchdown from Craig to Connor Wetherington, Whitmire led the Black team down the field for a score, connecting on a 34-yard touchdown pass with Quin Roberson.

After a White team punt, Whitmire gave the Black team a 14-7 lead, scoring on a six-yard touchdown run. Whitmire wrapped up the Black team’s scoring in the fourth quarter with a 22-yard touchdown connection with Gerald Ford, which was set up by an interception by Camen Marshall.

“We had 14 good practices,” Whitmire said. “There was never a day where people were loafing. We had an awesome spring. … There is definitely a chip on our shoulders with those last three games (of 2011). We just have to get past that and keep doing what we are doing.”

Quarterback Justin Roberts scored a touchdown in the third quarter for the Black team, breaking loose on a 52-yard run down the middle of the field, which made the score 21-7.

The White team managed two late fourth quarter touchdowns. The first came on an eight-yard run by Eric Scott, who finished with 53 yards on six carries. The following possession, the White team concluded all scoring with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Craig to Theseus Jackson.

“I am just glad the weather held off,” Craig said. “A lot of guys were looking forward to it. It was just a lot of fun to get competing and playing some live football.”

Craig’s performance was his first with the Blazers, after transferring from Murray State, where he played for former VSU coach Chris Hatcher.

“I have been in (this offense) for a long time,” Craig said about the similarities between the two teams. “A lot of the older guys here, who know the offense, have really made it easy. They have taken me in.”

Quin Roberson finished the day with five catches for 110 yards and a touchdown, while Gerald Ford finished with two catches for 32 yards and a score, both coming with the Black team.

“I am kind of interested to see how that draft came out,” Dean said. “How (Roberson and Ford) can end up on the same team, but it is good to have Gerald Ford back after he missed last year. He has had a great spring, and he hasn’t missed a beat this spring. And it is good to see Quin come out and make good plays. That is what we expect out of him.”

Connor Wetherington finished with four catches for 62 yards and a touchdown for the White team. Theseus Jackson led the way on the ground with 87 yards on 13 carries, while recording two catches for 17 yards and his fourth quarter touchdown.

After the game, Dean said several players stepped up throughout spring practice.

“Stevon Bruton stepped up this spring,” Dean said. “We just signed him out of New York. He is playing outstanding football right now. I think Edwin Thermidor, a redshirt freshman, that early on in the spring we were saying, ‘Did we do the right thing in signing him?’ We did; he made some great strides the last half.”

Dean also called spring practice a success, and said the players will get no time to rest, because they will resume weight room workouts on Monday.