The Texas Elite Spartans’ first home game of the 2022 Women’s National Football Conference season was April 9, hosting in-state rival Houston Heat. The home crowd was treated to a show as the Elite Spartans opened an early lead and dominated throughout the game for a final score of 47-0. The team dedicated the crushing win to former Offensive Line Coach Billy Hughes Jr., who passed away last summer.
“There was excitement, and there was some emotion involved,” said the current O-Line coach and starting center, Elizabeth “Dillow” Jenkins. “There’s an ambiance about having that season opener playing in front of your fans and friends and family. There was a lot of really, really amazing vibes and excitement.”
Jenkins said that friends of Coach Hughes were in attendance and participated in the coin toss as honorary members. They also presented the team’s owner and head coach, Odessa Jenkins, with a picture of Coach Hughes at halftime in commemoration of Hughes’ passing.
The Elite Spartans continued a trend that began in week one, scoring on five of their first six possessions, including an opening drive that went 47 yards, including a 25-yard rumble by running back Destanie Yarbrough. Yarbrough opened week one with a 22-yard touchdown run on the Elite Spartans’ first play from scrimmage.
The six-play drive was capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run by Rasan Gore after quarterback Brittany Bushman completed a 13-yard pass to wide receiver Maria Jackson. Bushman was named Offensive Player of the Week for her week one performance when she led the league in passer rating, yards, and completions.
The Heat’s second possession failed to move the ball and ended with a fourth-down punt that netted only 13 yards as the strong North Texas wind caused the ball to take an Elite Spartans bounce. The team capitalized on the short field, with Bushman finding 2021 IX Cup MVP Amanda Heilman for a 4-yard touchdown pass to put the Elite Spartans up 14-0 in the first quarter.
The Elite Spartans’ third touchdown of the day came on the first play of the second quarter. Bushman fed a run-play option hand-off to receiver Brittany Satterwhite on an end-around play that left her completely untouched as she flipped into the end zone. Satterwhite is playing this season after a 5-year hiatus from the sport, returning to honor the memory of Coach Hughes.
With the score at 21-0 early in the second quarter, the Elite Spartans could bring in some of the younger players who serve as backups to get some reps in real-world action. Notably, third-string quarterback and former flag football star Kristi Taylor saw time on the field, even rushing for a touchdown.
Rookie running back Ashley McBay also got to see some action, accumulating 52 yards on five carries and collecting her first WNFC touchdown in the process.
The Texas Elite Spartans defense continued their 3-year tradition of not allowing teams to score during the regular season. The defense recorded seven tackles for loss, with LaShaunte Bowman recording two TFLs and a sack in the game and safety Cash Singleton recording her third and fourth interceptions of the season.
The Elite Spartans defense held Houston to only 39 yards of total offense. Houston running backs managed to gain only 3 yards on 15 carries. Starting quarterback Brittany Carney completed six of 17 passes for 33 yards, an interception, and a passer rating of 19.5.
“I think that our ability to get as many athletes involved as we did this early in the season is really critical for us because as we go deeper into the season, when we start going into the playoff tournament and we play two games in three days, the depth of our roster becomes even more important,” Jenkins said.
The Texas Elite Spartans will get a break this week before hitting the road for a match against the Mississippi Lady Panthers for week four, then return home for the team’s first-ever contest against the Washington Prodigy.
The Spartans currently lead the league in total points scored with 81 and are one of only four teams that have not given up any points at this stage of the season.
