|
|
|
2002 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
2002 Team Roster
2002 Coaches Staff
RECAP - 2002 U.S. ARMY ALL-AMERICAN BOWL
Alamo Stadium, San Antonio, TX
January 5, 2002
West 26
East 6
Lorenzo Booker of Port Hueneme, Calif. scored two touchdowns and Vincent Young of Houston, Texas was the winner of the Pete Dawkins Trophy as game MVP as the West scored a decisive 26-6 victory over the East before a crowd of 17,185 in the 2nd Annual U.S. Army All-American Bowl held at Alamo Stadium in San Antonio.
Booker, the West’s starting tailback, scored on a two-yard touchdown run just 23 seconds into the game following a fumble by East quarterback Tyler Palko on the game’s opening play. Booker, who was named the 2002 National High School Player of the Year (presented each year to the nation’s outstanding high school football player) finished the day with 66 yards on 12 carries, including two touchdowns.
Young proved to be a double-threat at quarterback. The 6-5, 194-pounder rushed for 71 yards on just 10 carries while also connecting on four-of-nine passing attempts for 90 yards. His jet speed and strong arm (throwing one pass 65-yards in the air, only to have a receiver drop the ball) electrified the near capacity crowd and paced the quick-strike West offense which mounted four first-half scoring drives of 1:12 or less.
The West punished the East on both sides of the line of scrimmage, accumulating 291 total yards to the East’s 99 this despite seven West turnovers. Five of those turnovers came in the second half, after the West had taken a 24-0 lead after two quarters.
Haloti Ngata of Salt Lake City anchored a stingy West defense that yielded just six first downs, forced four turnovers, and held the East to zero-of-seven in third down conversions. Ngata registered seven tackles and forced a fumble which set-up the West’s second score. Ngata will play next season for the University of Nebraska.
Palko, a 6-2 quarterback from Imperial, Penn., who will play collegiately at the University of Pittsburgh, led the East offensively, passing for 91 yards while completing eight-of-19 attempts. He notched the East’s only points when he hooked up with running back J.R. Zwierzynski of Oswego, Illinois for a four-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter.
|
|
|
