DCFL Game thread

[BeerBaron]

Please don't post in here, games only. Also wanted to put the schedule in it's own place.

GAMES
THREAD

[BeerBaron]

Week 1 - Omaha Kangaroos at Sacramento Attack

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/OmahaKangaroos.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/SacramentoAttack.gif

Welcome one and all to the first ever game of the DCFL! This highly anticipated matchup will surely be a great game, and the league office has decided that it would make for a great primetime game to kick off the first season of the league.

Hosting this game are the Attack of Sacremento. They figure to be a very aggressive ball club on both sides of the ball. On offense, they feature #2 overall draft pick Scott Wright, a QB out of USC. Wright will be looking to hook up deep with star WR TJ Sunstein out of Oklahoma State. The pair has been putting in a lot of work together since the draft and will look to be the focal point of this offensive "attack." On defense, star pass rusher Bunj Torres will lead the charge of this primarily 3-4 defensive scheme.

Coming into town are the visiting Kangaroos of Omaha. After the draft was completed, it was hard to find a team that stockpiled as much offensive talent as Omaha. First round pick Julio Stone will be the primary piece of weaponry for QB Crail Johnson, but look for big days out of slashing RB Leopold Carmichael and WR Kendrick "Bolt" Williams as well. Defensively, Omaha features the monstrous LB Adolf Klux as well as CB Troy Ryder who has the task today of shutting down Sunstein.

Omaha has won the toss and has elected to receive, likely to get their star studded offense onto the field first.

Stay tuned as the first game of the DCFL season gets under-way!!

First Quarter

Will Beckum is set to kickoff for Sacramento with Leo Carmichael back to receive for Omaha. Carmichael fields the kick at about the 5 and brings it upfield. He makes a great move after following his blockers and gets the ball out to the 35 before he is finally wrestled down. Pretty good starting field position for Omaha.

This offensive unit for Omaha is the pride and joy of Head Coach TJ Kenny-Dowall, who is known for developing great WCO style passing games. He hand-picked WR Julio Stone and QB Crail Johnson to lead his attack, and we'll see how well he's done in this game.

Omaha is starting out in a more exotic offense, with 4 WR's, Leo Carmichael one of them in the slot, and a TE. Johnson is alone in the shotgun formation in the backfield. He takes the snap and fires a quick rocket to Carmichael who is running a slant but the pass sails incomplete, a little too high. Omaha goes with the hurry up out of the same formation, not allowing Sacramento to make substitutions. Carmichael motions into the backfield from the slot. Johnson takes the snap, looks right to Stone then quickly hands off to Carmichael on the draw play. Carmichael dances a bit but Sacramento fills the gaps nicely, he dives ahead for about two yards. Now facing 3rd and long, Omaha shows a more conventional look on offense. Johnson takes the snap and drops back but Sacramento brings the heat on a blitz. Johnson steps up in the pocket to avoid a hard charging Bunj Torres but can't find anyone open. Johnson tries to direct traffic a little bit signaling for Julio Stone to come back to him but Johnson is forced to run forward by Spocklestein right into the arms of LB Brian Stumpf for a short gain. The punting unit will come on for Omaha. Nick Kouparitsas boots it deep Chip Diller who calls for a fair catch around his own 30. Now we'll see what Sacramento can do on offense.

Sacramento runs a fairly balanced offensive attack under Head Coach Chuck Sampson. Scott Wright lines up under center with veteran RB Robert Crucial and FB Darnell Webster split behind him. First down, Wright play fakes to Crucial and rolls out to his right. He puts a pass up high and Sunstein jumps up to reel it in for a quick 12 yard pickup. Crucial takes hand offs up the gut on the next two plays, picking up 4 yards each time to bring it to 3rd and 2 near midfield. Wright takes the snap and fakes to Crucial before rolling out to his left. He pump fakes to the TE but finds him well covered and instead decides to tuck the ball and run, easily picking up the first down and then some. Wright cuts back to avoid a closing in Mitchell Pearce and....ohhh....flags down on that one. Adolf Klux horse collars Wright from behind. Wright gets up a little slow but appears to be ok. Klux jaws at the official a little bit but it's a pretty cut and dry penalty. Wright made it to about the Omaha 40 and the penalty will move Sacramento up to the 25 with a brand new set of downs. Crucial takes the swing pass on first down for a 3 yard pickup. On 2nd down, Wright play fakes to Crucial and goes to roll out again but...BAM! He is met hard by a blitzing Klux who takes Wright down for a good 7 yard loss on the sack. Now on 3rd and long, Wright takes the snap out of the shotgun and fires a quick bullet to Tony Taylor who is wrapped up quickly a few yards shy of the first down. Beckum comes on to attempt the medium length field goal and knocks it through easily.

Sacramento leads 3-0

Beckum kicks off to Carmichael who is waiting deep for Omaha. Carmichael fields it a yard deep in the end zone and brings it out. He hits a hole hard and has some space but is tripped up by a diving defender and can't keep his feet under him, sliding to a stop around the 30 yard line.

And with that, the First Quarter draws a to a close with Sacramento holding the lead 3-0.

Second Quarter

Omaha will look to break out of the offensive quagmire they found themselves in on their opening drive. A nice scamper by RB Braith Anasta gets them off to a good start as he picks up about 6 yards. Johnson goes back to the shotgun and fakes a toss to Carmichael coming out of the backfield. He looks right to Julio Stone and fires in a rocket....PICKED OFF! SS Kyle Carpenter jumped Stone's route and has nothing but open field in front of him! Carmichael gives chase from behind but can't get there fast enough as Carpenter takes it in for a pick 6! The first TD scored in the new league is of the defensive variety. I have no idea what Johnson was thinking on that one. Stone is an amazing receiver but you have to pick your battles when throwing into triple coverage....that was just a bad mental error by Crail Johnson.

Sacramento leads 10-0

The good news is that Omaha will get it right back. Sacramento has been playing with fire kicking to Carmichael and will dance with the devil again here. Carmichael takes the short but high kick at the 10 yard line and brings it upfield. Carmichael dances around a bit but has trouble turning upfield and is forced out of bounds just shy of the 30. Coach Kenny-Dowall gave Crail Johnson quite the talking to during the last break and hopefully for Omaha, he's going to get his head in the game. The first down pass is completed as Johnson throws a quick screen to Carmichael who cuts upfield for 7. A Braith Anasta run on 2nd down picks up 4 and nets Omaha a new set of downs to work with. On first down, Johnson runs a sweep to Carmichael who bounces outside behind some great blocking by RT Tim James. Carmichael gets into space and streaks downfield! FS Vernon Wurmer is the last guy with a shot at Carmichael and he takes a good angle, tripping up Carmichael near the sideline. Carmichael gets his feet back under him but whistles are blown as it looked as though he stepped out around the Sacramento 40 yard line. A great pickup for Carmichael nonetheless. Now in Sacramento territory with a new set of downs, Omaha starts off with a play fake to Anasta. Johnson plants his feet and....launches a bomb deep down the right side of the field where Julio Stone has Harold Mouton and Kyle Carpenter beat by a step! Johnson takes a big pop from Torres just as he releases but the pass appears to be on target! Stone pulls away from the defenders and lays out in the back of the end zone! Stone reels it in and drags both feet! Touchdown Omaha!!

Sacramento leads 10-7

Samuel Adams waits deep for the Craig Fitzgibbon kickoff. Fitzgibbon gets some good air under the kick and Adams fields it at the...fumble! He bobbled it and is forced to dive on top of it at the Sacramento 7 as Omaha defenders came crashing in. Adams managed to recover but Sacramento is going to face some tough field position on offense. On first down, Scott Wright hands to FB Darnell Webster who barrels forward for about 3 yards just trying to get some more breathing room in which to operate. On 2nd down, Wright drops back and looks for Sunstein who is well covered. DE Kendrick Odom manages to beat RT Fred Hampton and comes crashing in on Wright! Wright is forced to retreat but Odom manages to wrap up his legs inside the 5 for the sack! Wright could do nothing but tuck the ball and go down there. That will bring up 3rd and long as Wright simply hands off to Crucial for a small gain. Sacramento decided not to chance it here and will punt on 4th down. Carmichael is back deep to receive the Horace Crosby punt. Carmichael fields it near the 50 and shakes a gunner. Carmichael has some space......oh boy! He cuts into the open field and gets a great block to spring him! He has only the punter to beat and he does so easily! A punt return TD by Leopold Carmichael gives the Kangaroos their first lead of the game!

Omaha leads 14-10

The first half is ticking to a close and Sacramento suddenly finds themselves trailing after a special teams gaffe. They do have their full compliment of timeouts to work with though, and plenty of time to get down the field. Samuel Adams fields this kickoff cleanly at the 8 and brings it out to about the 25 before he is wrapped up. Scott Wright gets a few final words of encouragement from Coach Sampson and is headed onto the field. The first play is a quick throw to Sunstein who uses his size to reel in the pass over top of Ryder for a quick 10 yards. Remaining calm and collected, Wright prepares the offense and takes the snap. He looks for Sunstein again but safety help is sliding that direction, so Wright turns, steps around some pressure inside the pocket, and calmly hits TE Donald Schoenstein on short route for a 6 yard pickup. That play brings us to the two minute warning.

Still with all 3 timeouts, Sacramento doesn't have to limit themselves in their playcalling. Wright goes over a few points with the coaching staff on the sideline and heads back to the field. Wright starts out of the shotgun and then hands to Crucial on a draw play. Crucial cruises up the middle and picks up 5 before he gets lit up by Adolf Klux. Wright goes with the no huddle and signals the next play. Wright takes the snap out of the shotgun and takes off to the right before slinging the pass on the run to Sunstein. Troy Ryder, though vastly outmatched in terms of size, makes a well timed jump and tips the ball up and away incomplete. That would bring up 3rd down. Wright takes the snap and drops back while Omaha brings heavy pressure. Wright steps up into the pocket to avoid the rush and and fires a laser beam down the middle of the field to slot receiver BB Stykes for a fast 20 yard pickup. Sacramento then spends their first timeout as they cross midfield here.

Wright gets the play call from Sampson, and goes back to work. This time, he fakes pass before shoveling it to Crucial who takes it off tackle for a small pickup. MLB Xavier Thames sniffed it out and ganged up with Klux to make the stop. Wright tries to get the offense set, but there appears to be some confusion. Sunstein tries to help out by getting Stykes set in the slot but Wright is forced to call their 2nd timeout as the play clock ticks down. The game clock sits at just over a minute to play in the half.

Now on 2nd and 9, Wright goes back under center with 4 receivers split out wide. Wright takes the snap and drops back as Omaha brings the blitz. The o-line holds and Crucial helps pick up some of the blitzers as well buying Wright time to find a target. He launches it deep to Sunstein who has Ryder stuck fast to him and safeties closing in. Sunstein goes up and uses his body well to shield Ryder from the ball as he hauls it in near the 15 yard line. Wright hurries his team downfield trying not to use that final timeout here. He gets the offense set and looks to fire another pass out to Sunstein in the corner of the endzone! Sunstein goes up, appears to catch it......but no! The refs say incomplete because he didn't have both feet in. A quick look at the replay confirms that his 2nd foot hit the white as Ryder was all over him trying to knock him out of bounds. With a little time left and a timeout in reserve, Wright lines up again in the shotgun. He gets a good amount of time in the pocket to scan the field and throws short right to TE Schoenstein who....drops it. That will bring up 3rd down. Wright again prepares out of the shotgun and takes the snap. Cruicial moves up to pick up a blitzer and....BAM! Wright gets absolutely blindsided on a CB blitz by Ryder! Wow....he did manage to hang onto the ball though luckily. Coach Sampson will let the clock tick down before using his final timeout to send the field goal unit on. Beckum lines up, and knocks it through.

Omaha leads 14-13

HALFTIME

Third Quarter

Sacramento decided not to kick it off to Carmichael this time around, instead squibbing it short. After a few hops, one of the up men pick it up for a short gain out to the 35. Now it would be up to Omaha's shaky offense to do something constructive and extend their lead.

The drive started off pretty simply with two straight Braith Anasta runs which brought the drive to 3rd and 4. Johnson play faked to Carmichael and then fired it to TE Jaleel Starks to pick up the first down. As they broke from the huddle, Crail Johnson motioned out to the left and it was Julio Stone who was left in the backfield ready to take the snap. Bolt Williams motioned in with him as there was great confusion among the Sacramento ranks. Finally, Darius Bain called a timeout just as the ball was snapped, the official blowing the play dead. Stone looked quite upset as he was hoping for a big play here clearly.

After that short break, Omaha came out in a more conventional set. Crail Johnson play faked to Carmichael and then turned to throw. Torres had broken off his blocker and was bringing the heat. Johnson fired left in a hurry and pass is tipped! DE Hal Jordon got a hand on it and a diving Darius Bain hauled it in! Several Omaha players piled on but Bain kept ahold of the ball throughout the scramble. Sacramento had forced another turnover and Crail Johnson looked clearly frustrated.

With great field position just on the Omaha side of midfield, Wright and the Sacramento offense came off the sideline ready to play. Wright threw incomplete at the feet of slot receiver BB Stykes on first down, but Crucial took a second down carry 8 yards to create a manageable 3rd and short situation. Wright handed off to the big FB Webster who pounded ahead, fighting for every inch as he just barely picked up the first down. A new set of downs in hand, the Sacramento offense looked to Crucial who took two straight carries for about 7 total yards. Again, Sacramento would see 3rd and fairly short, but this time, Wright play faked to Crucial and rolled to his right. He has Schoenstein open short in front of him for the first down but had Sunstein deep in one-on-one coverage with Troy Ryder. Wright went for the gamble and put up a flare to Sunstein just outside of the goal line! Ryder jumped all he could be was outmatched by Sunstein's size as Sunstein hauled in the catch! Ryder pulled hard on Sunstein dragging him out of bounds just shy of the goal line as Sunstein stretched out his arms in a futile attempt to score. Sacramento would now face 1st and goal from inside the 1 yard line.

Sacramento formed up in a goal line offense with Crucial behind Webster in the I-Formation. Wright handed to Crucial but he ran into a wall of his own lineman. Crucial turned and tried to take the run outside but Adolf Klux shot through the line and tripped Crucial up forcing him to lose a yard on the play. On 2nd down, Wright handed to Webster just as Omaha sent a safety blitz. SS Setamaita Sa lunged through an opening taking out Websters legs as he fell forward for only a slight gain, not enough to punch it in. Omaha's goal line defense was clearly frustrating the Sacramento offense now. On 3rd down from about the 1, Wright play faked to Crucial and rolled to his right but Adolf Klux didn't bite. He gave chase to Wright forcing Wright to put up an errant throw towards Sunstein in the back corner of the endzone. Sunstein got a hand on it but would have been well out of bounds anyway, the pass fell incomplete. Sacramento was only one yard out and it was 4th down. Scott Wright pleaded with his coach to let him go for it but Sacramento took the safe approach and sent on the FG unit. Beckum booted it through without trouble for the go ahead 3 points.

Sacramento leads 16-14

Omaha got tricky on this kickoff, putting speed demon Bolt Williams deep and bringing Carmichael up in front of him, making it very hard for Sacramento to avoid them both. Beckum tried his best on the kickoff but it didn't quite work out, as Bolt Williams stood by and allowed it to hop out of bounds just shy of the pylon. Sacramento would be flagged and Omaha would start with great field position at their own 40.

Omaha started off offensively with a quick flip to Carmichael who picked up about 3 before he was walled off and brought down. On the next play, Johnson brought Julio Stone in motion from the right side and just as Stone got into the backfield, Johnson took the snap. Johnson flipped it quickly to Stone who took off around the left side looking to throw it deep to Carmichael! However, Carmichael was well covered so Stone instead flipped it short behind him to Bolt Williams who took it back across the field in the style of a reverse. Williams shook one defender but was well behind the line of scimmage and could shake Torres who brought him down violently for a big loss of 14 on the play. The Omaha offense features a lot of talent but they just don't look like they've been able to gel just yet. Now facing 3rd and 21, Sacramento only rushed 3 and dropped everyone else into coverage, yet they still managed to get pressure on Johnson. Johnson was forced out of the pocket to his left and fired a deep bomb intended for Bolt Williams. Williams made a poor adjustment however and found himself out of position, with CB Jasper Gash nearly able to pick it off. The ball was tipped and would fall incomplete, lucky for Johnson who would have thrown his 3rd pick of the ball game. Omaha would have to punt. Kouparitsas booted one well forcing Sacramento to fair catch it. They would start at their own 18 to begin the 4th quarter.

Fourth Quarter

Though they could still use a few more points to pad their lead, Sacramento had firmly begun the process of trying to kill the clock. Starting out at their own 18, Sacramento had begun using a series of short screen passes and runs up the middle with Robert Crucial with great success. They found themselves again at nearly midfield having killed a third of the 4th quarter clock when disaster struck. Wright tried to hit TE Donald Schoenstein for a 3rd and 5 conversion but Schoenstein stumbled and only got his fingertips on the ball, causing it to pop up in the air. OLB Garth Stokes reeled it in for Omaha and began taking it upfield! He got a few blockers out in front of him and only had the QB Wright to beat! Adolf Klux drilled Wright and knocked off his helmet in the process, freeing up a lane for Stokes to run through all the way to the endzone for a TD! However, wait, wait, there were flags down. Scott Wright, as well as Coach Chuck Sampson, were angrily calling for an illegal hands to the face on Klux. Sure enough, that is what the flags were for. The interception would stand but the return would not as Klux pretty clearly blocked Wright by jamming him in the facemask. With the penalty added on, Omaha would start just on their own side of midfield.

Omaha really needed Crail Johnson to keep it together here. They'd be leading this game easily without his previous turnovers. On first down, they took it out of his hands and flipped it to Carmichael who made a fantastic juke to shake Torres before picking up 11 yards. Next, Johnson threw a nice, safe screen to Stone who picked up an easy 10. Omaha was now within range of the go-ahead FG but definitely wanted the TD more here. Two straight runs from Braith Anasta picked up 4 yards each, bringing up a 3rd and 2. Johnson play faked a sweep to Carmichael but turned to see Sacramento bringing the heat. Spocklestein broke free of his blocker and Carmichael could do nothing to slow the big DT who forced Johnson to make a bad throw off of his back foot. He was looking deep for Stone and.....INTERCEPTION!! Johnson threw into the double coverage around Stone and Harold Mouton made a great play picking it off. Stone managed to wrap up Mouton before he could go anywhere with it, taking him down at about the 10 yard line after the poor deep pass. Crail Johnson was simply not protecting the football on this day. Even taking the sack there would have been better because they could still have attempted the long, go-ahead field goal. But now, Omaha would need their defense to step it up and get them the ball back.

Coach Sampson gave his QB a long talking to, likely telling him to avoid the same problem that Johnson has been having with poor decision turnovers. Deep in their own territory, Sacramento would be content with handoffs and short passes as they slowly worked their way out to their own 40 this way. Time was trickling away as Omaha was struggling to get the 3rd and short stops they needed. Finally, Omaha managed to get two good stops on first and second down allowing only 2 combined yards to bring about 3rd and 8 as the 2 minute warning ticked down.

After that short break, Omaha came out showing blitz to try and force a mistake on this crucial play. They came with it but the blitzers were picked up and Wright maneuvered himself intelligently within the pocket and threw a strike to Sunstein for a 15 yard gain and the first down. Omaha was forced to call timeout to stop the clock, they had two to go. Again Sacramento went back to the run and again they had some success. Two straight carries by Robert Crucial picked them up 7 total yards and forced Omaha to use another time out before another important 3rd down play. Wright faked the handoff and rolled to his right looking for Sunstein the whole way. When he proved to be covered well, Wright looked to take off and try to pick up the yards himself but was forced out of bounds by an aggressive Adolf Klux just shy of the first down marker. Going out of bands was probably the bad decision as they wanted to keep the clock running and force Omaha to use their final timeout, but Klux has been known to hurt people and Wright wanted to avoid that....

After some deliberation by Coach Sampson, he opted to send in the field goal unit. Will Beckum hadn't failed him all day, no reason to think he would start here today. It would be his longest attempt of the day and....woah! He missed it wide right. Omaha still had some hope in this game down only by two, with one timeout in half decent field position with just under a minute to play.

The drive started as Crail Johnson fired a laser beam to Bolt Williams along the sideline for a pickup of 8. He jumped out of bounds to stop the clock. Next, Johnson lined up in the shotgun and...bobbled the snap!! It was a little high and Johnson was forced to dive on it for a big loss. Worse yet, the clock was still running. Johnson leapt back to his feet and tried to get the offense in position. He took the snap correctly this time and fired a rocket down the right sideline this time to Julio Stone who leapt up to grab it for a nice gain and a first down. He was brought down in bounds however and Omaha was forced to use their final timeout just outside of field goal range with about 20 seconds to go.

Coach Kenny-Duwall tried to calm his QB and probably told him not to think about the earlier turnovers here. His team was still in a position to win and he needed only to make the smart plays here.

After that timeout, Johnson took up his position in the shotgun with 4 WRs and Carmichael at his side. Johnson took the snap and found that Sacramento was coming hard. Forgoing the usual late game strategy of most teams to play prevent defense, Sacramento was true to their name and were still on the attack defensively here. Johnson didn't have time to set up in the pocket and was forced to try and dump it off to Carmichael short. Johnsons pass was high and Carmichael tipped it up as he jumped for it. He repositioned himself under it but was contested by Darius Bain who wrapped him up as Carmichael bobbled with the ball. It would fall incomplete as the clock ticked down to 10.

Now there wasn't enough time to make a play in the middle of the field and still spike it for a FG attempt. This had to be either a TD or a play along the sideline. Johnson cleared out the backfield when Carmichael went into motion and split out wide. Johnson took the snap and scanned the field. Sacramento showed blitz again but instead dropped just about everyone into coverage. Johnson fired to Carmichael about 10 yards down the field along the right hash marks. Carmichael caught it and initially tried to head to the sideline but was cut down by Kyle Carpenter shooting in.

The clock ticked down. 5....4.....Johnson was scrambling to get everyone into position for a spike........2......1.........Johnson took the snap but the whistles sounded. He was too late.

Sacramento would hold on for the victory.

Sacramento wins 16-14

Stats to come.....

Omaha Stats:

Passing:
Crail Johnson - 13/25 - 168 yards - 1 TD - 3 INT

Rushing:
Leopold Charmichael - 11 rushes - 56 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
Braith Anasta - 13 rushes - 38 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
Bolt Williams - 1 rush - -11 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
Crail Johnson - 2 rushes - 6 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles

Receiving:
Julio Stone - 4 catches - 77 yards - 1 TD - 0 drops
Leopold Charmichael - 7 catches - 56 yards - 0 TD - 1 drop
Bolt Williams - 2 catches - 17 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops
Jaleel Starks - 1 catch - 12 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops

Blocking:
Jericho Bridges - 3 pancakes - 0 sacks allowed
Tim James - 2 pancakes - 0 sacks allowed

Defensive:
Ted Neal - 2 tackles
Lopini Paea - 4 tackles
Kendrick Odom - 4 tackles - 1 sack - 1 TFL
Adolf Klux - 8 tackles - 2 TFL
Xavier Thames - 6 tackles
Garth Stokes - 4 tackles - 1 INT
Troy Ryder - 3 tackles - 1 PBU - 1 sack

Kicking:
Craig Fitzgibbon - 0/0 FG - 2/2 XP

Return:
Leopold Carmichael - 25.0 KRA - 17.0 PRA - 0 KRTD - 1 PRTD

Sacramento States:

Passing:
Scott Wright - 17/25 - 201 - 0 TD - 1 INT

Rushing:
Robert Crucial - 22 carries - 86 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
Darnell Webster - 6 carries - 20 yards - 0 TD - fumbles
Scott Wright - 3 carries - 21 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles

Receiving:
TJ Sunstein - 7 catches - 93 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops
Tony Taylor - 1 catch - 12 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops

Blocking:
Jamwel Rooney - 2 pancakes - 1 sack allowed
Cromwell Thigpen - 4 pancakes - 0 sacks allowed
Ray Maiava - 2 pancakes - 0 sacks allowed
Steven Nguyen - 3 pancakes - 1 sack allowed

Defensive:
Hal Jordan - 3 tackles - 1 batted ball
Leonard Spocklestein - 6 tackles - 1 TFL
Bunj Torres - 5 tackles - 1 TFL
Darius Bain - 9 tackles - 1 INT - 1 TFL
Brian Stumpf - 6 tackles
Harold Mouton - 3 tackles - 1 INT
Kyle Carpenter - 5 tackles - 1 INT - 1 DTD

Kicking:
William Beckum - 3/4 FG - 1/1 XP

[BeerBaron]

Week 1 - New Orleans Nightmare at Chicago Pandas

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/NewOrleansNightmare.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/ChicagoPandas.gif

Welcome the city of Chicago, where we will be witnessing today's battle between these two teams. There is a little bit of wind swirling around the stadium that could have an effect on the passing and kicking games here today.

On one side, we have the Chicago Pandas led by Head Coach Brian Wang. His philosophy is to put together a powerful o-line and funnel everything through them, something he will be looking to do here today. He also has a pair of Rutgers Alum WR's for journeyman QB Ray Mutler to throw to here today in James Speed and Kenny Writt. If they can duplicate the success they had in school here in Chicago, they could prove to be a dangerous tandem.

Facing the Pandas will be the New Orleans Nightmare, who figure to run the ball a LOT and out of some formations that haven't really been used much in pro football recently. Coach Tommy Brooklyn has used a lot of high draft picks building his style of offense, and we'll see how well that translates to the DCFL game today.

Stay tuned, as this battle of Eastern Division rivals should be a good one.

First Quarter

New Orleans won the toss but chose to differ until the 2nd half. Chicago will receive the ball first then. Their opening drive proved to be fairly quiet as they ran behind their powerful o-line with HUGE RB Aaron Campbell. They managed to get near midfield before the drive stalled and they were forced to punt. New Orleans would get their chance on offense after a decent return by Tyvon Trinity got them starting field position at their own 40. New Orleans began with a few fancy runs, pulling their guards and having Tank Jackson run behind Anger Killstone to pick up a quick 20 yards and get across midfield. QB Seneca Williams play faked to Jackson and rolled to his right before launching a bomb intended for Trinity. He got too much under it though as he overthrew everybody. New Orleans quickly went back to running and then found themselves with a 4th and inches situation. Instead of opting for the FG, they ran it will Killstone who bashed his way forward to pick up the first down. KK Slider shot into the backfield on the next play and managed to take down Jackson for a short loss, which was followed up by another incomplete pass off of the play action. Facing 3rd and long, Williams ran the option flipping it out to Jackson who picked up 5 on the play but wouldn't get to the first down. Young rookie kicker Kris Stevens would be called on for the FG attempt and would just barely boot it through, just missing the left upright.

New Orleans leads 3-0

James Speed took the following kickoff out to the 35 and Chicago's offense would go from there. More power running behind their big o-line would follow as they again pushed back the New Orleans defense to get to around midfield before starting to stall. QB Ray Mutler put up a nice pass that hit Kenny Writt in stride down the left sideline but he pulled up while running and went out of bounds. Ouch....looks like the hamstring that took him out at the combine is acting up again. The trainers are going to have to take a look at him, hamstrings are not quick to heal and if not handled properly, can affect your entire season. The catch and run did take Chicago to the New Orleans 30 however. A few runs and short passes later, Chicago found themselves at the New Orleans 15 where Cutler was nearly sacked by a hard charing Domenik Coleman before firing up a floater to James Speed in the end zone who....caught it! TD Chicago!!

Chicago leads 7-3

New Orleans brought the kickoff out to the 27 where they will start the 2nd quarter.

Second Quarter

New Orleans was looking to answer that Chicago TD and was looking to keep pounding the ball via their exotic run game to do the job. Seneca Williams faked a sweep to the left and took a run to the right himself picking up a quick 10 before Elvis Jackson took him down. A few more runs later and New Orleans was near midfield. Jamaal Umenyiora, who was being shut down by NO LT Jabroni James, switched it up and lined up over RT Tennessee Rutherford who could not match his speed. Umenyiora turned the corner fast and slipped between Killstone and Jackson, taking Jackson down hard for a loss. A few unsuccessful plays later, New Orleans would have to punt. Chicago would start at their own 37 and start off with a run. Then, play action, Mutler rolls to his right, away from blitzing Coleman and Sanchez, and hits James Speed short. Speed spins away from CB Al Harrison and......he breaks it! It's now a track meet between he and Randy Duncan...he could, go, all, the....way! TD Chicago!!

Chicago leads 14-3

New Orleans needs to catch a break now. Their offense is great when the game is close because it's hard for defenses to defend well, but it doesn't lend itself well to playing catch up. Chicago is now playing the run all out with both safeties in the box and they are run blitzing their linebackers like crazy. Running to the left side behind Jabroni James and David McMurray had been their best bet so far, and with Anger Killstone lead blocking too, New Orleans must have figured out that it would be their best bet to run that way. One 5 consecutive plays, they went that direction and even though Chicago knew it was coming, they couldn't completely stop it. New Orleans drug it out beyond midfield and then....the break they were looking for. Tank Jackson bore through a hole his top 3 blockers made, bounced off a would-be tackle from FS Yeremiah Carrasco and then blazed his sub 4.4 speed as he took it all the way to the house! New Orleans had gotten back into it!

Chicago leads 14-10

Chicago was content with the lead as it was, and simply ran out the clock to go into halftime.

Third Quarter

These are two coaches known for their prowess at making in-game changes, so it will be interesting to see which coach can do it better here.

New Orleans will get the ball to start. Ike Stantios had been somewhat quiet on his earlier kickoffs, but he was kicking into the slight wind here. Now it is at his back and he....blasts one deep into the endzone. Tyvon Trinity just lets it bounce out.

New Orleans continued with their second quarter gameplan of pounding the rock behind the left side of their o-line and their fullback Killstone. Killstone himself got a few short yardage carries on the opening drive but mainly opened the way for Jackson to burst through. New Orleans tried a few draws and options with Seneca Williams but Chicago was basically preying upon their desire to run the ball and Williams wasn't throwing it well enough when he did attempt a pass to back them off.

The two teams traded conservative offensive blows as each defense stepped it up. Late in the 3rd quarter, Sanchez shot through the line and forced a Ray Mutler fumble to set up New Orleans with their best field position in a while. The drive stalled and kicker Kris Stevens missed a long FG attempt to end the quarter.

Fourth Quarter

The physical battle in the trenches continued and then Mutler hit James Speed on another long pass to close in for the score. Kenny Writt was still out with a a pulled hamstring, but the rest of the offense covered. Ike Stantios blasted through a FG to go up 17-10 midway through the fourth.

Tank Jackson passed the 150 yards mark and Seneca Williams managed to complete a pass to Trinity after Elvis Jackson fell down biting on a play fake. A few plays later on another fake, Williams was looking for Trinity again in the end zone but instead found Elvis a yard deep in the endzone. Jackson brought it out, shook a would-be tackle from Tank Jackson and ran it all the way back 101 yards for the INT return TD!

Chicago leads 24-10

New Orleans was pulling out all the stops but Chicago's defense seemed built to stop the Nightmare run game. Williams tried to pass more as the final minutes ticked down but saw limited success. Chicago managed to get the ball back and started to really milk the clock. A late Stantios FG put them up 27-10 as the game drew to a close.

Chicago wins 27-10

New Orleans Stats:

Passing:
Seneca Williams - 6/15 - 81 yards - 0 TD - 1 INT

Rushing:
Tank Jackson - 31 carries - 156 yards - 1 TD - 0 fumbles
Anger Killstone - 10 carries - 41 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
Seneca Williams - 14 carries - 61 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles

Receiving:
Tyvon Trinity - 4 catches - 51 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops
Tank Jackson - 1 catch - 8 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops

Blocking:
Jabroni James - 6 pancakes - 0 sacks allowed
David McMurray - 5 pancakes - 0 sacks allowed
Charles Zarnes - 2 pancakes - 0 sacks allowed
Tennessee Rutherford - 3 pancakes - 0 sacks allowed

Defensive:
Domenik Coleman - 6 tackles - 2 TFL
Heath Rawlings - 8 tackles
Roman David Sanchez - 3 tackles - 1 sack - 1 TFL - 1 FF - 1 FR
AJ Kampman - 3 tackles
Joseph Schwab - 9 tackles - 1 TFL
Al Harrison - 3 tackles - 1 PBU
Randy Duncan - 4 tackles
Nintendo Bigby - 4 tackles

Kicking:
Kris Stevens - 1/2 FG - 1/1 XP

Return:
Tyvon Trinity - 23.2 KRA - 8.2 PRA

Chicago Stats:

Passing:
Ray Mutler - 16/23 - 230 yards - 2 TD - 0 INT

Rushing:
Aaron Campbell - 27 carries - 92 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
Ray Mutler - 1 rush - 2 yards - 0 TD - 1 fumble

Receiving:
James Speed - 4 catches - 105 yards - 2 TD - 0 drops
Kenny Writt - 1 catch - 35 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops
Peter Johnston - 3 catches - 25 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops

Blocking:
Samson Williams - 2 pancakes - 1 sack allowed
John Ogen - 3 pancakes - 0 sacks allowed
Max Stevenson - 4 pancakes - 0 sacks allowed
Brian Stone - 3 pancakes - 0 sacks
Todd Smithsonian - 5 pancakes - 0 sacks

Defensive:
Caleb Williams - 9 tackles - 2 TFL
Jamaal Umenyiora - 8 tackles - 3 TFL
Joe Wallace - 11 tackles - 1 TFL
KK Slider - 14 tackles - 1 TFL
Elvis Jackson - 5 tackles - 1 INT - 1 DTD - 1 PBU
Yeremiah Carassco - 6 tackles

Kicking:
Ike Stantios - 2/2 FG - 3/3 XP

Return:
James Speed - 24.6 KRA - 10.1 PRA

Noteable Injuries:
Chicago WR Kenny Writt - Pulled Hamstring - 0-2 weeks (80% if he plays next week)

[eaglesalltheway]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/IndianapolisRaptors.gif
Indianapolis Raptors at
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/WyomingJackalopes-1.gif
Wyoming Jackalopes

Hello I'm Rick Stanzi, bringing you Indy at Wyoming, in the first week of DCFL Football action. I would like to welcome you and your household to the beautiful stadium here in Wyoming. I would just like to comment on the facilities here and would like to say that this is a magnificent complex for a football game. Not a bad seat in the house as well as a great design scheme. There is however, one drawback. The main concession area is directly under this booth, and I am already beginning to crave what the delicious aromas are that are wafting in my direction.

Speaking of wind, we have a slight breeze at about 5 mph, which is very light considering the terrain of this area. We will be experiencing sunny skies throughout the day, so weather should not have too much of an effect on this game. Stay tuned, as the coin toss is coming your way...

Welcome back, you are just in time for the coin toss, both teams captains are out at midfield. It appears as though Indianapolis has called tails. Its up... heads it is. Wyoming has elected to receive and Indy will defend the north end zone, with the wind at their back. While the teams get ready I will give a brief rundown of eeach teams players and style...

Indy comes in with talent all across its roster. QB Devin Saint has two RBs, highlighted by Ernie Cobourne, who he can use to his advantage in executing the offensive schemes. One of the ultimate slashes in this league, Jrue Reed, will see much of his time at TE, however, he can be utilized in various positions. Expect to see a lot of that today. On the defensive side of the ball, Indy is anchored by the big DT Ben Grant. Coupled with Grant on the DL is Caleb Westgarth, who will also be playing some OLB in the 3-4 alignments. The secondary for Indy is highlighted by stud SS Demond Decker.

Wyoming defends home field with another talent-laden roster. QB Herman Walter Plainview will direct this offense, and has an incredible target is his TE Logan Stevens. LT Ray Tyson is a monster for defenders to handle, he may get some unaccustomed attention for O-Linemen. Wyoming's defense is highlighted by what may be the best secondary in the entire DCFL. The CB duo of Azi Kwame and Dwayne Camacho is hard enough to deal with, but bringing in SS Dan Baker, who will also make a major impact in running situations only stabilizes the high quality that this secondary brings to the table.

OK, the teams are in position. Kickoff is just moments away...

First Quarter

Dwayne Camacho is back deep as Guy Planas awaits the whistle. The whistle blows, and the DCFL season for both these teams is underway! Camacho settles underneath this kick at the 1 yard line, and retruning it to the 36 before being wresteld down. He looks like he has some major wheels.

Plainview and the rest of the Jackalope offense take the field and look to start the season off well. First play is an Off Tackle run right behind Ray Tyson, who drove Caleb Westgarth back an extra 8 or 10 yards. Marshall Taylor would pick up 7 on the play. The next play would be a short pass completed to Logan Stevens, who would pick up 8 and get the first first down for Wyoming of the season. The next two runs up the middle would only net one yard and on 3rd and 9, Plainview's pass would fall incomplete to intended target Phillip Garcia. Dante Dassler would punt it away, and the ball would land out of bouds at the 18.

Saint, as well as his stable of weapons, would come out firing with their first posession. It seems as though Offensive Coordinator Michael Scott wants to stay away from the dangers of Wyomings CB duo. Two runs would give Indy a first down at their own 33, and then a pass to TE Jrue Reed would add another first down and bring them out closer to midfield. A pass would be completed out to RB Ernie Cobourne, who had lined up in the slot position, but Dan Baker would bring him down shy of the first down. Saint would drop back on second down and couldn't see anyone open, so he scampered for 6 yards and a first down. Indy, now almost in FG territory, would run the ball a few more times, gaining another first down, setting themselves up firmly in FG territory. Saint would connect on a few more receptions, setting Indy up inside the Wyoming 15. Indy would be stymied on two runs, and then a quick pass to Jrue Reed would result in only a 4 yard gain due to an outstanding read by Azi Kwame. The Raptors would be forced to attempt a 27 yard field goal. Max Koger would kick it straight and true.

3-0 Raptors, 5:20 left in the first.

Planas would kick it off again and Camacho would be brought down at the 24, much better coverage from Indy this time. A steady dose of runs and some well-placed passes by Plainview would get Wyoming to Indy's 22 as the first quarter expired...

2nd Quarter

Plainview started out the second quarter continuing his hot streak, completing 5 stragith passes now, many of which were short easy passes. He would continue his streak down to the 4. Indy would stone two more runs, and it was now 3rd and goal fromt the 4. Plainveiw would drop back, and fire the ball right into the hands of his TE Logan Stevens for the Wyoming TD! Daniel Santiago would have no problem with the extra point, sending it right down the pipe.

7-3 Jackalopes, 12:09 remaining in the second

Santiago would kick it off to Max Cienfuegos, who would have a nifty return, albeit only to the 26. Saint would come out firing himself, no doubt driven by the play of his opponent. Saint would complete 6 straight passes to all of his different targets. The running combination of Coboune and Brinks, as well as some Reed, was beginning to take its toll. The three headed attack was taking advantage of Wyoming's Defensive Line, and many times, neither runner was touched until they reached Linebacker level. Dan Baker would be forced to make a lot of plays. And when your safety is making too many tackles, it shows that your front 7 is struggling. Indy would continue this running attack, coupled with a horizontal and short passing game. They were sucking clock like a New York prostitute. The drive would finally be capped by a run right up the gut for a short TD by Brinks, who had the benefit of a devastating lead block by Jrue Reed. The kick would go through...

10-7 Indy, with 3:41 left before half.

Camacho would yet again receive the kickoff, this time returning it to the 25. Logan Stevens would be the benficiary of another Plainview pass, which would set Wyoming up nicely at the 40. This momentum would be halted, however, as Ben Grant and Caleb Westgarth, from his OLB position, would finally combine for a sack on second down. Indy's Defensive Coordinator would finally get the sack that this defense needed, as Wyoming had done a decent job of keeping pressure off of Plainview until this point. On third and long Plainview would toss one up one the far hash, but Demond Decker would break it up. Wyoming would punt it away, and Indy would now have posession at their own 16 as the two minute warning began...

Indy, who had only two posessions in the first half to this point, had done a good job of managing the clock and using it to their advantage. They would run the ball twice, with little ground gained. It seemed as though Wyoming was content being down one posession heading into the second half, as they weren't calling any time out. Indy must have been content with the lead and getting the ball to open the second half as well, because they hadn't called any time either. Saint would drop back and complete a pass to the WR Quentin Harrison, but he would be stopped just shy of the first down, and the first half would expire.

Going into Halftime, Indy Leads 10-7

3rd Quarter

Cienfuegos would once again await the kickoff for Indy, and he would return the ball to the 22, after starting out of his own end zone. Indy would not have a chance to establish momentum for another monster drive, as they would be brought down for a loss on first down, and Saint would not complete his throws on second or third down, leaving them to punt. Planas would boot this one, forcing Camacho to fair catch at his own 27.

Plainview and the rest of the offense would come out looking to score here. They need to score here with how Indy has used the clock so far in this game, especially in the first half. Wyoming would give a steady dose of running, with Ray Tyson and Logan Stevens having key blocks at numerous points throughout the drive. WR Darnell Bird also had some key catches during the drive, which would bring Wyoming to Indy's 36. Indy, however, would hold strong on this set of downs. Wyoming would be limetted to a one yard gain on first down, Decker would break up another pass on second, and Westgarth would pressure Plainview enough to make him throw the ball away on third. Wyoming, with the wind at their back, felt that Santiago could make the kick, and decided to attempt it. He would set up, the snap would come down, the kick is away, NO! It was blocked at the line! The ball went straight up and into the hands of Caleb Westgarth, who had blocked it! He would be tackled immediately, giving Indy the ball at their own 37. Good field position for Indy here.

Well, Indy's philosophy continued here, as they continued to abuse the clock. Many runs with some completions to Reed, Cobourne, and the rest of the receiving crew ate up the clock. The 63 yard drive would take up 12 plays and just over 6 minutes of the clock, but Indy would be forced, yet again, to attempt another short field goal. Koger would stick the kick just inside the left upright.

13-7 Indy, 3:03 left in the third.

Camacho would rest underneath this one at his 4. He would catch the ball at the right hash, came upfield, missed a tackler, cut upfield... It was between him and the kicker... Oh dear did he just make the kicker look silly! Dwayne Camacho sprints away from the kicker, who is now on the field, looking dumbfounded, and into the end zone! The crowd erupts! What a return from Camacho! There wasn't a man within 30 yards of him...

14-13 Wyoming, 2:49 until the fourth.

Santiago would kick off for Wyoming and Indy would not return it. Witht he wind at his back, Santiago kicked it 5 yards into the end zone, and Cienfuegos thought better than to return it.

Wyoming's CB duo had done a great job of shutting their men down today, and as a result, not much had been heard from either, except for Camacho's return just recently. Indy would continue to run their offense with a heavy dose of the three headed rushing attack. Jrue Reed would have a nice 13 yard run to bring the ball to midfield as the 3rd quarter would expire...

4th Quarter

Ernie Cobourne would open the final quarter with a 12 yard reception, which would set Indy up just outside of field goal range, they would need a few more yards, especially now with the wind working against them. However, the debate over "would they be close enough" was avoided after a Thurman Brinks run brought Indy to the 28 and another first down. Indy would once again get into a goal line situation after a few more plays, but once again, after two Brinks runs were stopped short of the end zone, they would have to attempt another short field goal. Max Koger would nail the 20 yard attempt.

16-14 Indy, with 10:48 left in the game.

Planas would once again kick off, this time avoiding Camacho completely, and his kick would eventually bounce out of the side of the end zone and Wyoming would start with the ball at their own 20. Wyoming would begin a very solid drive, mixing in some punishing runs behind Ray Tyson, who has had a good game up to this point, except for the half sack given up to Westgarth. Logan Stevens would receive some attention as well, both for an incredible catch at midfield and his blocking throughout the drive. Wyoming would continue working the clock until they reached the Indy 31. After being sacked the play earlier, Plainview would drop back and fire the ball to Darnell Bird, who was streaking down the right sideline, beating his man. Bird would make the catch and just beat Decker to the end zone, who was doing a great job taking care of Stevens on that play. Touchdown Wyoming!

21-16 Wyoming, with 5:37 left to play.

Santiago would kick off, and Cienfuegos would receive it at the 3. He would return it out to the 29, and Indy would set up shop from there. Once again, heavy doeses of Reed, Cobourne, and Brinks would lead Indy on this drive. Reed would make a clutch catch on third and long after Saint had been sacked. This would get Indy to the Wyoming 48. Indy would run 3 more plays, a run and two passes, and would get to Wyomings 25 as the two minute warning came into effect.

Indy calmly continued their plan of mixing pass with run and reached Wyoming's 3 yard line with 1:19 left. Wyoming, bringing in their goal line defense, had to expect a run, as that is what Indy had relied on heavily all day. On first down, Indy ran it with Brinks, but would be stopped at the two. Indy called timeout, their second of the half. Indy would line up in another run formation, and the snap... Its a run up the middle with Brinks again, no wait! Its play action, Ernie Cobourne is wide open in the end zone, Saint completes it! Touchdown Indianapolis, the Raptors take the lead!

Indy now must decidewhether to go for 1 or 2, and considering they are only up by 1, it is an easy decision. They now line up in a more traditional front, the ball is snapped to Saint who drops back, fired for Reed... It's broken up by Camacho. Conversion is no good! Another potentially big play by Camacho, lets see if this hurts the Raptors in the end...

Indy leads 22-21, with 1:08 left.

I'm sure Indy is concerned they may have left too much time for Wyoming, and now they want those timeouts back, but they have the lead, so they'll take it. Planas kicks off again, Camacho doesn his best to get under it, does so, and looks to make the return. He moves forward, dances a bit, reverses his field, makes some progress and dances a bit more until he is tackled at the 23. He could have gotten much more out of that if he would have been more decisive with his cuts like he was in his TD return. It seems like he was trying to do too much...

Wyoming takes the field at their 23 with exactly 1:00 reamining and all of their timeouts. All they need is a FG, and to be comfortable, they want to get to Indy's 30 or better for FG position. First and ten, Plainview puts great touch on the ball intended for Stevens, but Decker comes out of nowhere to jar it loose from Logan Steven's hands. He has made quite a few big plays out there today... Second down, Plainveiw in the shotgun, and Westgarth beats Ray Tyson around the edge and hits Plainview as he was throwing, the ball is almost intercepted by Charles Whimper, but it falls to the ground. Third down. Wyoming with maybe two more plays that will make or break their game. Decker comes in on the blitz... Plainview sees him right up in his face but can't do a thing about it... Sack by Decker, 4th and 14 now... Timeout Wyoming. Plainview is now under center, drops back, and finds Logan Stevens! It looks like its just enough for a first down but its close. The refs are going to need to measure it. This should be fun for them, as neither team has comitted a single penalty yet, and the refs have done very little in this game. The stick goes down... First down Wyoming by the nose of the ball. Wyoming gets the clock re-set for their time and call timeout. They have one remaining. Indianapolis is now in a 3 Down Linemen set for this set of down. Plainview from under center drops back and reads his field... Crunch! Grant and Westgarth meet again for the sack, forcing Wyoming to use their last timeout. Plainview is alright, but getting hit by those two sure will knock some cobwebs loose, let alone twice in one game. Second down now, Plainview drops back, completes it to Bird, but he gets hit by CB Alan Tounton and he fumbles!!! It is recovered LB Julio Feng, and Indy has posession at Wyomings 44 with :39 left in the game. Indy would kneel down to end the game. The fans leave Wyoming's Stadium in a somber mood, they feel the Jackalopes should have won this game. I'm leaving this stadium wanting some hot dogs, those smell too good...

Final: Indianapolis Raptors 22, Wyoming Jackalopes 21

Stats...

Indianapolis

QB Devin Saint- 19/29, 185 yds, TD, 1 rush, 6 yds

RB Ernie Cobourne-17 Rushes, 83 yds, 3 rec, 23 yds, TD
RB Thurman Brinks-14 Rushes, 64 yds, TD

TE Jrue Reed- 8 rec, 68 yds 6 Rushes, 38 yds, TD

LT William Quinn- 1 Pancake, 0 sacks given up

C Turk Francis- 0 Pancakes, 0 sacks given up

DE/OLB Caleb Westgarth- 6 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack

DT Ben Grant- 9 tackles, 4 TFL, 1 sack

DT/DE Drew Wilhelm- 5 tackles

DE Carles Whimper- 4 tackles

SS Demond Decker- 7 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack, 3 PBU

Wyoming

QB Herman Walter Plainview- 22/34 256 yds 2 TDs

RB Marshall Taylor- 18 att, 81 yds 4 rec, 26 yds

TE Logan Stevens- 9 rec, 111 yds, TD

LT Ray Tyson- 5 pancakes, 1 sack given up

RG Terrence Jacobs- 2 pancakes, 1 sack given up

DE Tarik Lewis- 6 tackles, 1 TFL

DT Inky Stiles- 3 tackles

OLB Tyrone Taylor- 9 tackles, 1 TFL

CB Azi Kwame- 5 tackles, 1 TFL, 3 PBU

CB Dwayne Camacho-3 Tackles, 2 PBU, 5 returns, 190 yds, TD

SS Dan Baker- 9 tackles

[BeerBaron]

Week 1 - Las Vegas Outlaws at Honolulu Wave

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/LasVegasOutlaws.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/HonoluluWave2.gif

Welcome one and all to beautiful Honolulu Hawaii. Many people say that football is meant to be played out in the cold, out in the elements, but I can safely say that 80 degrees and sunny with waves rolling up on the beach is just as good.

This will be the first game for each of these teams this season, and it looks like a good one that will feature a lot of offensive firepower.

Visiting are the Las Vegas Outlaws, led by well-rounded Head Coach Spruce Meadows. While he calls plays for the offense, he knows a little bit about everything the game has to offer and will try to impart that to his team today. Offensive weapons like Dwayne Wright, Marcus Fenikz and Johnson Johnson will be looking for big games today while defenders like Chance Arceneoux and Charles Marshall will look to prevent the Honolulu offense from getting in gear.

Speaking of that Honolulu offense, we will see star QB Michael Vick in action today. His favored target in the preseason has been big Eko Mutumbo and they will look to connect plenty today. On defense, they will count on stud pass rusher Drake McDonald and smart MLB Scott Carr to make plays for them.

Stay tuned as this battle out in the Pacific is set to get underway shortly!

First Quarter

Things started with a bang as Marcus Fenikz took the opening kickoff back for a would-be TD, only to have it called all the way back to the LV 40 yard line on an illegal block in the back that helped to spring Fenikz. Dwayne Wright got off to a hot start on several straight carries before WR Johnson Johnson reeled in a 30 yard catch down the sideline on what was actually a pretty poorly thrown ball by QB James Rockefeller. The drive stalled there as DE Drake McDonald overpowered LT Bradley Barrington on a bull rush to sack Rockefeller for a big loss. Marcus Fenikz made a lot out of a little on a 3rd and long screen pass but came up about 2 yards shy of the first down. K Jorge De La Rosa came on and knocked the short FG attempt through.

Las Vegas leads 3-0

After a touchback on the kickoff, Honolulu decided to try some trickeration to get things started. QB Michael Vick tossed the ball to RB Ray Leonard who ran right and then threw a nice pass to TE Eli Wright for a quick 20 yards. Things stalled there though Leonard was stuffed twice in the backfield and a 3rd down pass fell incomplete. Honolulu would punt.

Fenikz' return set up LV at their own 35. Dwayne Wright was running like a man possessed and broke a 25 yarder to cross into Honolulu territory. Things would stall there however as Rockefeller was nearly picked off by FS Quentin Brown and Fenikz was stuffed for no gain on an attempted draw play. Jesus Llull would be called on to punt and he actually did well, trapping Honolulu inside of their own 5 yard line.

Honolulu got some breathing room on first down as Ray Leonard ran behind a great block from C Trevor Andrews to pick up 5 yards. A false start on the next play negated that however. After a less successful run, Vick dropped back to throw but Chance Arceneoux, who had lined up as a 4-3 UT, shot through the line untouched and was on top of Vick before he could go anyhwere. Sack.....safety! The official rule it a safety though Vick tried to argue that he was not in the endzone when he went down. The call stands though.

Las Vegas leads 5-0

Fenikz brought the safety kickoff out to the 40 before he was finally tackled, bringing the first quarter to an end.

Second Quarter

Vegas was still riding Dwayne Wright hard who had racked up 50 yards in the first quarter alone. He broke one for 10 to start the second quarter of play before LV tried a play action. Rockefeller rolled right and threw a pass intended for Johnson Johnson but...interception! Scott Carr had dropped into coverage and read the play beautifully, picking the ball off on a big jump. He returned it to the Las Vegas 33 before he was finally brought down.

On first down, Honolulu went for it all. Leonard was kept in to block as Eko Mutumbo streaked down the field and Vick hit him in stride for a quick strike TD!

Honolulu leads 7-5

Honolulu kicked it short and high to keep it away from Fenikz, forcing one of the up-men to take it. LV would start at their own 37. They went back to the Dwayne Wright approach and it continued to work as LV utilized a bit of a ZBS to keep Honolulu on their toes. After that early blunder, Barrington was keeping McDonald in check but McDonald would get up to bat a 3rd down pass forcing LV to punt.

The punt went off the side of Llull's foot and set up Honolulu with great field position at their own 40. Ray Leonard was struggling a bit as LV kept up the attack against the run. Vick completed two consecutive 3rd and long passes to Mutumbo and Eli Wright to keep the drive alive. An incompletion finally slowed them as they were forced to attempt a long FG. Walt Turnbow came on but his kick sailed wide left. No good.

Vegas took over with great field position as the half was drawing to a close. Through a series of short passes and judicious timeout use, Vegas managed to get to the Honolulu 25 as the clock hit 20 seconds and they used their final timeout of the half. Rockefeller hit Johnson Johnson on a hook route to move inside the Honolulu 10. Johnson managed to get out of bounds to stop the clock giving Vegas one more crack at the end zone. Rockefeller threw for TE Sam Slowinski but the pass was batted down as Scott Carr nearly reeled in his 2nd pick of the day. Vegas would settle for the De La Rosa FG to go up headed into the half.

Vegas leads 8-7

HALFTIME

Third Quarter

With an odd looking score like this, things just had to straighten out, right? Wrong. Honolulu return man Carl Steptoe fumbled the kickoff after a bit hit laid him out. Steptoe was slow to get up and had to be helped off the field by the training staff. Vegas recovered and would begin at the Honolulu 32 yard line. Honolulu brought pressure but Rockefeller hit Fenikz out of the backfield on a swing pass. Fenikz slipped by a tackle from Ian Wells and found himself in a footrace for the endzone. No one caught him. TD Las Vegas!

Vegas leads 15-7

With Steptoe out of the game, backup WR Nate Swift was back as the returner and did a decent job, getting the ball out to the 27. On came the Honolulu offense who as still struggling a bit to run the ball against Vegas' advanced defensive fronts. Ray Leonard wasn't even averaging 3 ypc, so Honolulu started to utilized the short passing game in lieu of the run. Vick hit 6 different receivers in a row and he worked his way down the field. Vegas OLB Charles Marshall shot in on a blitz and sacked VIck, but Vick made up for it on the next play by hitting TE Eli Wright in stride for a 25 yard pickup. Leonard's problems continued as Vegas sent a run blitz that caused him to fumble 3 yards in the backfield, luckily, C Trevor Andrews was there to dive on it. The next play found paydirt however as Vick hooked up with Eli Wright once again for a nice TD strike.

Vegas leads 15-14

Honolulu kicked to Fenikz this time and he got a decent return, out to the 35, before he was forced out of bounds. On first down, Dwayne Wright busted off another great run of 20 yards before he was chased down from behind by Drake McDonald who showed off his great pursuit skills and motor. Wright went over the 100 yard mark on his next run to round out the 3rd quarter.

Fourth Quarter

Honolulu DC Elgin Whittaker spent the short break trying to get his defense better equipped to stop the run. Well, it didn't help much....on the very next play Wright broke loose again and got the ball inside the Honolulu 20 yard line. Bradley Barrington was excelling in this quasi-ZBS LV was running and Wright was finding holes all over the place. Marcus Fenikz got the next carry as Wright took a breather on the sideline and moved the ball well for another 7 yards. Back in came Wright who took another handoff, found a wide open running lane and proceeded to collide with SS Ugeuth Ogbannaya at the goal line, driving him in for the score. TD Las Vegas!

Vegas leads 22-14

Things were looking dire for Honolulu as their defense simply could not stop the run. Their offense retook the field after the kickoff went for a touchback. Ray Leonard was still struggling to run, as Vegas was dominating the trenches on both sides of the ball. Vick found some open targets in the passing game however, and made two excellent completions to Mutumbo and Wright for first downs. Approaching midfield, Vegas brought the house on a blitz but Vick was able to fire off a pass, even with Chance Arceneoux around his legs. Wright hauled it in with room to run and carried the pass inside of the Las Vegas redzone before he was chased down from behind. On the next play, Vegas brought the heat again but the blitz was picked up well and Vick stood tall in the pocket, calmly splitting two defenders to force a pass into WR Ricky Smith who was taken down inside the 5 yard line. Ray Leonard couldn't punch it in on the next play, but on the following play, Vick dropped back to throw, saw a hole open up in front of him, and carried it in himself untouched for the score.

Vegas leads 22-20

But then it would get interesting, with Honolulu unable to stop the run and the 4th quarter clock ticking down, they decided to go for two. Vick sent Leonard in motion and cleared out the backfield. He dropped back, looked for Mutumbo in the corner of the endzone....no! Batted away by RJ Slither. Honolulu still trailed.

The kickoff was squibbed and Fenikz could only manage a return to the 34 after picking it up on a hop. The Las Vegas plan seemed pretty straightforward, keep running as it had worked all game long. Three straight runs by Wright picked up another first down, then a short pass to Fenikz netted a few more yards. Honolulu used a timeout just to try and get their defenders some rest from the battering run game. Wright was nearing the 175 yards rushing mark as he fought hard against DT Evan Howard for yardage on the next carry....FUMBLE!! The ball just popped loose and there was a made scramble to follow. It looked like Drake McDonald got a hand in there to strip the ball out as Wright was driving for more yards.....the refs were trying to dig up the ball......Honolulu ball! Somehow Scott Carr came up with it, a very opportunistic steal there. Elgin Whittaker gave both McDonald and Carr a big hug as they came off the field, finally slowing Vegas' rushing assault.

Now it would be up to the Honolulu offense to go for the win. Their first play was good as Vick lasered it into Ricky Smith for a quick pick up to take the game to the two-minute warning mark. Vick continued picking apart the Vegas secondary as he hit three straight passes to move into FG range, forcing Vegas to use a time out to save some clock in case Honolulu would score. Vegas tried to bring some pressure but it was again picked up by the Honolulu o-line giving Vick time to find Mutumbo open inside the 15 yard line. Honolulu seemed content to let the clock run down and kick the go ahead FG attempt, but Vegas called timeout to try and prevent that. Two straight Ray Leonard runs were followed by another Vegas timeout. Vegas was now out and Honolulu was in FG position with exactly 1:00 to play. They went for another Leonard run and allowed the clock to tick down to :25 before calling one of their own timeouts on 4th down. K Walt Turnbow came onto the field for what looked like a chip shot. A lot of pressure was on his shoulders though, luckily Vegas was out of timeouts to ice him. The snap was good, hold was good, and the kick...was good. Right down the middle.

Honolulu leads 23-22

With about 20 seconds to play, Turnbow squibbed the kickoff and the ball came to a dead stop at the Las Vegas 37 yard line where it was downed by one of the up-men. This would be difficult for Vegas with no timeouts and a mediocre passing game...

On first down, Rockefeller hit a quick strike to Johnson to pick up a chunk of yardage and then ran to the line and spiked the ball. It would be 3rd and short with about 15 seconds to play. Rockefeller took the snap and looked for Jimi Hendrix deep but the pass was underthrown and nearly picked off before it fell incomplete. Time left for one final play. Rockefeller took the snap and flung it quickly to Fenikz on a toss. Fenikz danced around quite a bit, made some progress up the field but was corralled. He lateraled it back to Johnson who was immediately hit and lateraled it to...no one....the ball bounced near the sideline as Will Franks-Turner swatted it out. Game over.

Honolulu Wins 23-22

Las Vegas Stats:

Passing:
James Rockefeller - 14/21 - 195 yards - 1 TD - 1 INT

Rushing:
Dwayne Wright - 29 carries - 171 yards - 1 TD - 1 fumble
Marcus Fenikz - 6 carries - 42 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles

Receiving:
Johnson Johnson - 5 catches - 75 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops
Marcus Fenikz - 10 catches - 75 yards - 1 TD - 0 drops
Sam Slowinski - 1 catch - 10 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops

Blocking:
Bradley Barrington - 1 pancake - 1 sack allowed
Frank Ice - 3 pancakes
Hank Patrick - 3 pancakes

Defensive:
Chance Arceneoux - 5 tackles - 1 sack - 2 TFL - 1 safety
Charles Marshall - 6 tackles - 1 sack - 1 TFL
Noel Miles - 4 tackles - 1 TFL
Ryan Charleston - 5 tackles
Tim Yeley - 3 tackles
RJ Slither - 1 tackle - 1 PBU
CE Flash - 2 tackles - 1 PBU

Kicking:
Jorge De La Rosa - 2/2 FG - 2/2 XP

Return:
Marcus Fenikz - 27.0 KRA - 11.7 PRA

Honolulu Stats:

Passing:
Michael Vick - 28/37 - 305 yards - 2 TD - 0 INT

Rushing:
Ray Leonard - 21 carries - 63 yards - 0 TD - 1 fumble
Michael Vick - 2 carries - 7 yards - 1 TD - 0 fumbles

Receiving:
Eko Mutumbo - 7 catches - 106 yards - 1 TD - 0 drops
Eli Wright - 6 catches - 85 yards - 1 TD - 0 drops
Ricky Smith - 2 catches - 30 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops
Ray Leonard - 2 catches - 4 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops

Blocking:
George Hall - 2 pancakes - 1 sack allowed
Trevor Andrews - 5 pancakes - 1 FR

Defensive:
Drake McDonald - 6 tackles - 1 sack - 1 TFL - 1 ff - 1 tipped ball
Evan Howard - 5 tackles
Vince Barker - 3 tackles
Scott Carr - 14 tackles - 1 INT - 1 FR
Ian Wells - 6 tackles
Will Franks-Turner - 3 tackles - 1 PBU
Quentin Brown - 4 tackles - 1 PBU

Kicking:
Walt Turnbow - 1/2 FG - 2/2 XP

Notable Injuries:
Honolulu RB/KR Carl Steptoe - Chest Contusion - Probable at 90% for the next game

[eaglesalltheway]

Pittsburgh Explosion at...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/PittsburghExplosion.gif
The Memphis Showboats
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/MemphisShowboats.gif

Welcome to Memphis football fans, where we are getting ready for what is sure to be a great game as the Pittsburgh Explosion take on the home town Showboats under beautiful conditions...

Here we are with the coin toss, Pittsburgh calls tails, and it is. They elect to receive. Memphis will defend their north endzone, there is a slight crosswind across the stadium.

First Quarter

Isaac Justice is back deep for Pitt, awaiting the kickoff from Luigi D'Amore. The whistle blows, and the inagural DCFL season is off for these two teams. Luigi did not prove to live up to his last name, as he is not loving his kickoff going out of bounds, giving Pitt the ball at their 40. Pittsburgh offense, led by RB Seth Green and QB Al Wood takes the field with great field position against what, on paper, may be the most formiddable defense in the entire DCFL. Implementing a 3-3-5 alignment, many offenses will struggle reading coverages, as well as picking up exotic blitzes, and with the personnel Memphis has, it could make for a top ranked defense. The first offensive play is a run in between big Gaurd Andrew Bleu and Right Tackle Paul Tagliani. Fulgrim Chemos, running down Seth Harris, and Normand Jackson would combine for the first tackle of the game. Pitt would gain 3 on the play. Wood would drop back on 2nd and third down, completing the 3rd and 7 to Frank Williams for a gain of 9. Pitt would continue the drive with a balanced approach of Seth Harris in the run game as well as a variety of weapons in the passing game, and would, surprisingly, march down to Memphis's 6 yard line. Was this Memphis D all hype? It seems not, because Normand Jackson would stuff Green on first down, Rover Tyson Kase-Owens would bat down a Wood pass, and Fulgrim Chemos would pressure Wood into an incomplete pass on third down, forcing Pitt to attempt the 23 yard field goal. Rex Birch, off of the left hash, would kick it straight through the uprights, giving Pitt the lead.

Pitt leads 3-0 with 9:47 left in the first quarter.

On the following kickoff Birch would kick it to Nicholas Torrain, who would field it at the 5 and return it to the 30. Memphis, with their Pistol-style offense would take the field, highlighted by TE Brock Wainwright and WR Tom Adams. QB William Bennett would set the offense, with RB Marcellus Willich to his right. Willich would take it up the middle, for a gain of just one. With NT Doestevsky "Dusty" Vissiaranovich manning the middle of Pitt's DL, that looks like it should be a no-fly zone for any RBs... Bennett would keep the ball on an option, but would be brought down by Chris Shakur after a gain of only 3. On third down, Bennett would drop back and complete it to his TE Brock Wainwright, for a gain of 7. First down for Memphis at their 41. Bennett would drop back again on the first down, fire for Tom Adams... its PICKED! Antonio Blades comes up with the INT and is wrestled down at midfield.

Memphis' defense faced yet another test. Pitt once again had a short field to work with. They would hold strong though, forcing Pitt to go 3 and out, and as a result, would have to punt. Matt Burns would punt it out of bounds at the 11, and Memphis would have to go from there.

Bennett and the offense would set up a nice little drive, taking 6 plays and coming out to their 48 as the first quarter expired...

Second Quarter

Memphis would continue their success at the end of the first quarter all the way into Pitt's 26 yard line, with mostly a passing attack with emphasis toward the WR Adams and TE Wainwright. After a sack on first down and and incomplete pass on first down, Memphis was in a tough spot. Bennett would drop back... his targets wer all covered, and Mitch Cavanaugh was bringing pressure. Bennett would avoid Cavanaugh and scamper the 14 yards for Memphis' first down. On the first down, Bennett would fire a bullett into the hands of Tom Adams, who would come down with it for a TD. D'Amore would kick it thorugh.

7-3 Memphis over Pitt, 7:55 left in the half.

D'Amore would once again kick off, and once again, kicked the ball out of bounds. The fans n the stadium were beginning to grow unsettled, and some "boo"s could be heard. Pitt would once again start with the ball in excellent field position, and once again, Memphis' highly touted defense would be expected to come up big. Seth Harris would be the focal point of this drive, as he had 3 runs and 2 receptions that would bring Pitt to Memphis' 33. The next three plays would be stopped short of the first down, and Pitt would once again be forced to attempt a field goal. Birch would nail the 47 yarder...

7-6 Memphis leads Pitt, 3:01 left in the second quarter.

Pitt would kick off, and Nicholas Torrain would return it to his 28 after a short kick by Birch. Pitt would once again hold tough, and forced Memphis into a 3 and out. Mario Plummer would kick it to Justice, who fair catches it at his own 28. Pitt had just under two minutes left and looked to take the lead. The first throw was a bomb by Wood that would fall incomplete. Great coverage all the way across Memphis' secondary. Another Wood pass would fall incomplete. On 3rd and 10, Pitt would run a screen, but seth Harris would be brought down just shy of the first down by TKO. Memphis would call timeout. Burns would boot it away, bouncing out of bounds at Memphis' 22.

Memphis' offense would take the field with 1:35 remaining and two timeouts. A first down pass would be completed to Wainwright, but unfortunatley would not get out of bounds. Memphis hurried to the line and would complete a pass WR LaBrandon Alleman, but he too could not get out of bounds. Memphis would call timeout with 59 seconds left in the half. After a third down conversion, Bennett would once again find the open man for the first down, unfortunately, none of his receivers were getting out of bounds... Bennett would once again hurry his offense to the line. Its snapped to him, in the shotgun, throws it deep to... Chris Shakur! There must have been a miscomunication, as there wasn't a single target in the area for Bennett. Shakur could have fair caught it if he wanted to... Shakur would return it to hsi 33, and Pitt would run two plays with Seth Harris to finish the half.

Halftime: Memphis leads 7-6

To open the second half, Pitt is kicking off to Torrain, who once again has a nice return, bringing it to his 29. Memphis' offense still seems stunned by their last play in the firs thalf, and as a result, never got much momentum going, resulting in another 3 and out. Plummer would once again punt, this time booming a nice one, pinning Pitt at their own 17.

If momentum seemed in Pitt's favor going into the half, they did a great job of killing it to open the second half. In a 3 and out that actually lasted 6 plays due to penalties, all by Pitt, they would punt from their own 4. Burns would have to put in a quick motion for this to prevent it from being blocked. The snap comes back, he winds up... Ugh, what a horrible punt, it went off the side of his leg and out of bounds at the 28. A 24 yard punt from Burns certainly isn't helping their situation right now.

Memphis's offense would take the field so close they could hear the grass rustling in the end zone... Unfortunately, they couldn't take advantage of the opporunity, netting only 3 yards before being forced to attempt for a FG. D'Amore woud attempt the 42 yards field goal, and its good, just inside the left upright.

Memphis leads 10-6, with 8:21 left in the third.

Justice would field the kickoff for the first time this game, as D'Amore took no chances and sent it stragith down the middle of the field two yards into the end zone. Justice would return it to the 25, and Harris and Wood would take over from their. They were in dire straights, and needed to switch momentum. They would do just that. In a drive that looked like a thing of beauty, Pitt woudl march down to Memphis 2 yard line, implementing 7 pass plays and 6 run plays as the thrid quarter clock would run out.

4th Quarter

With Pitt seemingly taking all the momentum after that third quarter, they needed to cash in on this opportunity. They had worn down the Memphis D a bit, but the break may have given them a second wind. That seemed like the case on first down when Eric Baby would bust through the line and bring Seth Harris down for a loss of one. Pitt woudl gain that yard back and then some on second down though, as Harris glided into the end zone between his RG and RT. Birch would line up for the extra point, the snap, he hod, the kick, is blocked. Butch Peefington would block the extra point, but would be touched after falling on the ball...

Pitt leads 12-10, 14:19 left in the 4th quarter.

Birch would kick off, and this one would not be returned, he kicked it out of the end zone, he is obviously ticked about that blocked extra point. Memphis would once again take the field. They would mix in a few option plays, and even a wildcat formation in one instance, and had worked their way to midfield. On second down, Willich woudl get the ball up the middle, but would be wrapped up by the "Dusty", and OLB Ozzy Fox would come in and strip the ball... There was a massive scrum, but "Stalin", as he preferrs to be called, came up with the ball. Tough set of events for Memphis. It would once again be a steady dose of Seth Harris in this drive, bringing Pitt to Memphis' 14. Wood would find Frank Williams in the corner of the end zone for the Pitt TD. This time, the kick would not be blocked, and it would go through...

19-10 Pitt over Memphis, 6 minutes left in the game.

Brich with the kickoff again, and Torrain would once again sit back for the return. Torrain would slip two defenders and make it out to the 38 before being brought down. It was Crunch time for Bennett and his offense. They had already committed 3 turnovers, adn a fourth would severely decrease the chances of success.

Bennett would start out with a nice 5 yard run to the left , sliding before Chris Shakur could lay a big hit on him. Memphis would get bogged down by false starts on next two plays, and Memphis' coach could be seen steaming along the sidelines... Now 2nd and 15, Bennett compelted a nifty throw to his RB who was brought down shy of the first. It would be 3rd and 2. Its play action, Bennett throws and completes it to his TE on a drag route for the first. Now with just over 4 minutes remaining, Memphis really needed to kick it up. Two throws by Bennett would fall short of their intended receivers. On third down Bennett would have to run on his own, but Kenny Mustain would tackle him 4 yards short of the first down. Out of field goal range, Memphis would be forced to go for it on 4th and 4 with 3:29 remaining. Bennet would drop back, looking for his TE, throws it, but Chris Shakur breaks it up.

Pitt, with the ball at their 42, seemed content to milk the clock. They would run on first down, picking up 6, run on second down, picking up two. Memphis would need to stop Pitt here if they even wished to have a chance. The two minute warning arrives. Memphis would load the box on this third down play. Woods, with the snap, goes to...play action, TE Flint Green would slip free, uncovered and caught the ball for a first down. He would be brought down by Butch Peefington. Pitt would run two more plays, getting a first down, and forcing memphis to use the last of their timeouts. Pitt would proceed to victory formation until time expired..

Pittsburgh Xplosion 19, Memphis Showboats 10

Stats

Pittsburgh

QB Al Woods-17/28 149 yards, TD

RB Seth Green-19 att, 81 yds, TD, 8 rec, 61 yds

RB Aaron Natale-5 att, 21 yds

WR Frank Williams-5 rec, 67 yds, TD

LT Dexter Allen-2 Pancakes, 1 Sack allowed

RG Andy Bleu- 5 pancakes

RT Paul Tagliani-2 Pancakes, 1 sack allowed

DE Mitch Cavanaugh- 5 tackles, 1 TFL

NT Doestevsky Vissiaranovich-6 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 FR

OLB Oxxy Fox- 6 tackles, 1 FF

OLB Omar Robinson- 6 tackles, 1 sack

CB Antonio Blades- 4 tackles, 1 INT, 1 PBU

FS Kenny Mustain- 5 tackles, 1 PBU

SS Chris Shakur- 7 tackles, 1 INT, 3 PBU

K Rex Birch- 2/2 FG, 1/2 EP

Memphis

QB William Bennett- 17/30, 129 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs, 5 rushes, 30 yards

RB Marcellus Willich- 16 rushes, 59 yards, 2 rec, 21 yds

TE Brock Wainwright- 6 rec, 49 yds

WR Tom Adams- 5 rec, 45 yds TD

RT Thermopylae Jones- 1 Pancake, 1 sack allowed

C Jameson Johnson- 0 Pancakes, 0 sacks allowed

LT Caesar Moonblood- 2 Pancakes, 0 sacks allowed

DE Darius Crocker- 4 tackles, 2 TFL

DE Fulgrim Chemos- 6 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack

OLB Eric Baby- 5 tackles 1 PBU

MLB Normand Jackson- 10 tackles, 3 TFL

CB Nicholas Torrain- 3 tackles, 1 PBU

CB Stafon Claxton- 4 tackles, 1 PBU

CB Orion Johnson- 2 tackles, 1 TFL

RV Tyson Kase-Owens- 6 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 PBU

FS Butch Peefington- 5 tackles, 2 PBU, 1 blocked kick

K Luigi D'Amore- 1/1 FG, 1/1 EP

[BeerBaron]

WEEK 2


10charactersssssssssssssssseffwordssssssss

[BeerBaron]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/WyomingJackalopes-1.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/LasVegasOutlaws.gif

Week 2 - Wyoming Jackalopes (0-1) at Las Vegas Outlaws (0-1)

Welcome fans one and all to sunny (and very hot) Las Vegas, Nevada for todays game.

Both of these teams are reeling off of tough week 1 losses where they both arguably played just as good, or even better, than the team they lost to in the end.

So sit back and enjoy, the action is starting shortly!

First Quarter

Both teams started out pretty evenly matched in a game of field position. Vegas got close to midfield on their first two drives riding again on the legs of Dwayne Wright and Marcus Fenikz. Wyoming was trying to work the short passing game with marginal success. A big play almost happened when LV DT Chance Arceneoux sliced through the line and appeared to force a Herman Plainview fumble, but it was ruled that his arm was going forward. James Rockefeller hit Johnson Johnson on a route over the middle, splitting Dwayne Comacho and Dan Baker in coverage. The pass play put Vegas into fringe field goal range as their drive stalled out. K Jorge De La Rosa was called on for the long attempt, but sailed it wide right. The teams would end the first quarter deadlocked at 0-0.

Second Quarter

Things started to look up for Wyoming as Plainview connected with TE Logan Stevens deep over the middle for a big pickup on 3rd down. RB Marshall Taylor then took a swing pass to the left, slipped away from OLB Charles Marshall, and picked up a good chunk of yardage before he was run down. Disaster struck on the next play however as Plainview was hit from behind as he threw, causing the ball to fly wildly right into the arms of CB RJ Slither for the pick. Plainview was slow to get up and his history of concussions caused the training staff to take extra precautions. The Las Vegas offense wasted no time getting to work after the turnover, as Dwayne Wright lit up Wyoming's weak front 7. Wright had passed the 50 yard mark halfway through the 2nd quarter already, and added to that as he sprung a 25 yard run to get inside the Wyoming 10 yard line before he was pushed out of bounds by Dwayne Comacho who had come all the way across the field to make the play. Vegas soon stalled however as Fenikz came on to spell the winded Wright. His first carry ran right into a run blitz by OLB Tyrone Taylor and then Fenikz bobbled an attempted screen pass causing him to again be tackled for a loss. Las Vegas broke through however as on the ensuing 3rd and long, Rockefeller threw a dart to TE Sam Slowinski in the end zone for the TD.

Las Vegas leads 7-0

After a touchback on the kickoff, backup QB Pierre Bernard came on for Wyoming. Plainview had checked out ok in the concussion test, but the team was going to sit him until the 2nd half just to play it safe. With the backup QB in, Wyoming decided to try and surprise Vegas by throwing deep and it worked. Bernard hit WR Darnell Bird on a 50 yard strike to take Wyoming into Vegas territory. Bernard had his next pass batted down however and Marshall Taylor was stuff on his rushing attempts. K Daniel Santiago would be called on for the FG and he would boot it through easily as the 2nd quarter clock drew down.

Las Vegas leads 7-3

Wyoming squibbed the kickoff to avoid Marcus Fenikz, and Vegas just went the safe route and kneeled the ball before halftime.

HALFTIME

Third Quarter

Marcus Fenikz had a great kickoff return to start the 2nd half, only being pushed out of bounds at midfield by the last defender in front of him. Wyoming was now selling out to stop the run, and it was working for the most part. Dwayne Wright was slowed down on his first few carries only to be saved by Rockefeller throwing a risky pass into double coverage to Johnson Johnson for the first down. Another couple of Wright runs were held to small gains, but Fenikz picked up the first down on a draw play that went for 10 yards. A minimal rush attempt by Fenikz and two incompletions by Rockefeller, including what should have been a pick by Azi Kwame but was dropped, and Vegas found themselves needing to kick a FG. Jorge De La Rosa was called on and...he missed again. Wide left this time, and from much closer. He was frustrated. Plainview came back for Wyoming but their offense was stagnating. Save a few completions to Stevens, and Wyoming's drive petered out. They punted out of bounds to avoid Fenikz, but set up Vegas in great field position. Wyoming's D was now trying to force Vegas to beat them through the air as they stacked 8 in the box every play. Wright still found a little running room but wasn't breaking off big ones like he was earlier in the game. Fenikz took a swing pass for some nice yardage and Rockefeller hit Slowinski for a first down. The drive would stall there though and Jorge De La Rosa would be called on again for a long FG attempt. This time he would deliver and knock the 53 yarder through with ease.

Las Vegas leads 10-3

Wyoming's offensive woes continued as Vegas came at them with exotic blitzes trying to dominate the line of scrimmage. DE Ryan Charleston picked up a sack on Plainview and Arceneoux tipped a pass intended for Stevens. They would punt again out of bounds to avoid Fenikz, but set up Vegas with excellent field position to end the 3rd quarter.

4th Quarter

It was now about running down the clock for Las Vegas, though their lead was hardly spectacular. Runs and short passes featuring Wright and Fenikz were the main weapon, but Rockefeller did hit Slowinski for a nice play as well. Then, out of the blue, a bit of trickeration. Rockefeller tossed out to Fenikz who set his feet and slung one deep with all he had. Azi Kwame and Dan Baker ran with all they had, but Johnson Johnson had them beat by a good two steps and hauled in the pass for a nifty TD to pad Vegas' lead.

Las Vegas leads 17-3

Wyoming couldn't muster much on the return and things didn't look too bright for their offense at first either. Plainview was sacked violently on an aggressive blitz by Noel Miles and then Plainview had his pass batted down by MTT Trump. Facing 3rd and long with the 4th quarter clock a major enemy, Plainview managed to roll out and find a wide open Logan Stevens for the first down. Vegas again came with a blitz on the next play but Plainview avoided them by rolling to his right and hit Marshall Taylor on the check down. Plainview would complete 3 straight passes more to get into Vegas territory and then Marshall Taylor broke a big run to get inside the Vegas 10 yard line. Plainview was nearly picked off on the next play by a leaping Charles Marshall and then threw a pass over top of everybody looking for Stevens in the end zone. Facing 3rd and goal from a good 9 yards out, Plainview threw to Phillip Garcia short left and he dove for the endzone, coming up about a yard shy. Down two scores from the one yard line, Wyoming decided to go for it. Big bruising back Murray Bing came in and took the handoff. He powered forward and......was wrapped up by a host of Vegas defenders. He didn't make it in! Vegas would take over at their own 1 yard line and tried to just run with Wright to kill some clock. Vegas went 3 and out but did manage to get some breathing room for their punter. Wyoming brought the house in an attempt to block the punt but couldn't get to it. Dwayne Comacho was back deep to see if he could do anything with it but was forced to call fair catch. Time was a factor as again Wyoming tried to use short passes to work down the field. Eventually, they were again stopped shy of the first down but decided to go for it on 4th down since a FG really did nothing for them. Plainview faked the draw and rolled to his right where he was met by Charles Marshall. Plainview tried to fire off the pass but it was wobbly and fell incomplete several yards from anybody. Vegas again took over on downs and would try to run out the clock with Wright, who went over the 100 yard mark again. Wyoming used all of their timeouts trying to get the ball back but it would be in vain as Wright pushed ahead on a 3rd down to pick up the game clinching first. A few kneel downs and this one was in the bag for Vegas.

Las Vegas wins 17-3

Wyoming Stats:

Passing:
Herman Plainview - 24/45 - 263 yards - 0 TD - 1 INT

Rushing:
Marshall Taylor - 16 carries - 75 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
Herman Plainview - 2 carries - 7 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles

Receiving:
Darnell Bird - 4 catches - 41 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops
Phillip Garcia - 3 catches - 42 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops
Logan Stevens - 8 catches - 75 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops
Marshall Taylor - 6 catches - 33 yards - 0 TD - 1 drop

Blocking:
Ray Tyson - 5 pancakes - 0 sacks allowed
Terrence Jacobs - 3 pancakes - 2 sacks allowed

Defensive:
Tarik Lewis - 3 tackles - 1 TFL
Inky Styles - 5 tackles
Charlie Mack - 5 tackles
Tyrone Taylor - 5 tackles - 2 TFL
Azi Kwame - 3 tackles - 1 PBU
Dwayne Comacho - 2 tackles - 1 PBU
Dan Baker - 7 tackles

Kicking:
Daniel Santiago - 1/1 FG - 0/0 XP

Return:
Dwayne Comacho - 24.3 KRA - 8.2 PRA

Las Vegas Stats:

Passing:
James Rockefeller - 14/21 - 180 yards - 1 TD - 0 INT
Marcus Fenikz - 1/1 - 56 yards - 1 TD - 0 INT

Rushing:
Dwayne Wright - 24 carries - 103 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
Marcus Fenikz - 6 carries - 25 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles

Receiving:
Johnson Johnson - 5 catches - 120 yards - 1 TD - 0 drops
Sam Slowinski - 6 catches - 45 yards - 1 TD - 0 drops
Marcus Fenikz - 5 catches - 51 yards - 0 TD - 1 drop
Dwayne Wright - 2 catches - 10 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops

Blocking:
Bradley Barrington - 2 pancakes - 0 sacks allowed
Frank Ice - 3 pancakes - 0 sacks allowed
Hank Patrick - 3 pancakes - 0 sacks allowed

Defensive:
Chance Arceneoux - 4 tackles - 1 TFL - 1 PBU
Noel Miles - 5 tackles - 1 TFL
Ryan Charleston - 3 tackles - 1 sack
Charles Marshall - 5 tackles - 1 TFL - 1 PBU
Tim Yeley - 3 tackles
RJ Slither - 2 tackles - 1 INT - 1 PBU
G Flash - 2 tackles

Kicking:
Jorge De La Rosa - 1/3 FG - 2/2 XP

Return:
Marcus Fenikz - 34.6 KRA - 10.0 PRA

[eaglesalltheway]

Chicago Pandas (1-0)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/ChicagoPandas.gif
at the Omaha Kangaroos (0-1)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/OmahaKangaroos.gif

Here we are in lovely Omaha as the Kangaroos look to implement home field advantage in an effort to get into the win column against the 1-0 Chicago Pandas..

First Quarter

Chicago has won the toss, and they elect to receive. James Speed awaits the kickoff from Kraig Fitzgibbon... He catches it at the 2 and returns it to the 35, a nice return there from Mr. Speed, who surely lived up to his name on this return. Chicago's offense takes the field with one less option for QB Ray Mutler to throw to. WR Kenny Writt will miss this week, but looks like he will be back in time for the Pandas week three game. Chicago boasts one of the most well-rounded O-lines in the DCFL, and this should help overcome their lack of playmakers right now. Omaha's defense is talent-laden at the LB positions, highlighted by controversial SLB Adolf Klux. Troy Ryder stars at CB in the secondary. The battle between him and James Speed looks to be a good one.

Chicago's first offensive series would start off well, but sputter at midfield after two straight incompletions to WR Mike Parris, who is filling in for the injured Kenny Writt. Ike Stantios would kick it away, sending the ball out of bounds at the 11. Omaha's offense, which didn't quite live up to the incredibly high expectations last week, takes the field with an entire stable of weapons for QB Crail Johnson. Chicago would have to counter these options with a great set of defenders themselves in Jamaal Umenyiora, KK Slider, and Elvis Jackson. Omaha would assume a pass-heavy attack, utilizing their excellent receiveing options in Julio Stone, Bolt Williams, and Leopold Carmichael. With all these weapons, and their gameplan, it didn't take long for Omaha to score the first TD of the game, a 13 yard reception to Julio Stone. The extra point would hold true.

Omaha leads 7-0

Elvis Jackson would return this kickoff for Chicago, once again a nice return for Chicago, bringing it out to the 35. Chicago would once again start off in good field position. The offense would hold its consitstency a little longer this drive, however, they weren't getting much help from the run game, and WR James Speed was seeing a lot of attention. Chicago would be stopped at Omaha's 27, and Kicker Ike Stantios would come in to attempt the 44 yarder... Stantios would nail this one, right down the middle and with plenty of leg, he could have made it from 54 at least...

Omaha leads 7-3.

Carmichael would receive the kickoff from Stantios 6 yards into his end zone, and elects to take a knee. Both these teams have valuable return options, but with Ike Stnatios for Chicago, will Omaha be able to take advantage of their return threats in Carmichael and Bolt Williams? Crail would start out the drive 5 for 5, completing 2 passes to both Bolt and Leo, and another to Julio. The fans could be seen holding a sign... "BLJ-Bacon, Lettuce, and Jabanero.." I'll have to take their word on the quality of that sandwhich... Leo would have a few good runs in the later half of this drive as well, but Omaha would be stopped at the 30 as the first quarter expired. Omaha would elect to kick off from the other end, as the wind would slightly favor them more from that side.

Second Quarter

The quarter would begin with a FG attempt by Fitzgibbon, and its a good thing he chose this side, because he just barely got this 47 yard over the crossbar. The slight wind at his back is most likely the reason that ball had the distance to be good.

10-3 Omaha

Fitzgibbons would kick off, Speed returning again. This time speed would only get out to the 26 after some much needed changes in the Kangaroos ST coverage unit. Chicago would put together a very sloppy drive, but it was getting reults. Mutler would complete 5 third down passes on this drive, 3 of which to his TE Peter Johnson. The Chicago offensive line was beginning to get the push needed to have their running game remain effective. Thier RBs may not be highly regarded, but a good offensive line will make a RB look better every time. Chicago would end the 8 minute drive with a TD to James Speed.

Game is tied 10-10

Omaha was hungry to return the favor. Bolt Williams was back to return this one. He would receive the kickoff 2 yards into his endzone, and man, is his world class showing through here. He wasn't even touched until he got to the 35, where he broke an arm tackle, but would be pushed out of bound at his own 44. Great field position for Omaha. Julio has had a relatively quiet first half for himself thus far, despite his TD. Chicago has had CB Elvis Jackson on him all day with help over top. Omaha would run a few plays with the more prototypical RB Braith Anastia in the backfield, and Carmichael lined up in the slot. This would result in complication for Chicago's secondary, as covering Julio, Bolt, and Carmiachel is a daunting task. As a result, the double would occasionally be taken off of Julio, and when that did happen, Stone was there making plays. Stone would have 3 catches on this drive, but Jackson was doing a great job of limitting Stone's gains, tackling him almost instantly after Stone had posession. The drive would culminate in a TD pass to Carmichael on a quick slant. The extra point would go through.

Omaho leads 17-10

Chicago would receive the kickoff with just under 4 minutes left in the half, and Jackson would return. Once again he would have a decent return, bringing it out to the 32. Mutler would once again come under ceter for another drive, which started off with some effective running plays, but LB Adolf Klux seemed like he had enough of their BS, and delivered two devastating hits to Chicago RB Aaron Campbell. Campbell looks to have had the wind knocked out of him on that second one, and is one the sidelines with the training staff watching over him. He looks to be fine, though Chicago is going to have to wait until he gets his air back... James Speed and Peter Johnson would see a lot of the action without Campbell in the game, but with another weapon for Chicago out right now, it proves to be too much, and Chicago could only muster a FG attempt as time expired, a 33 yarder would be drilled by Stantios...

Omaha leads 17-13 at Halftime...

Third Quarter

Omaha would receive the kickoff for the second half, and Carmichael would return it to the 29. Chicago's defense would really step it up after an Omaha first down, and on the next set of downs, Slider would stuff an inside run, Umenyiora would collect a sack, after he had slipped when the ball was snapped, and Elvis Jackson would knock a ball from Julio Stone's hands on third down, forcing Omaha to punt. Nick Kuparitsas would kick it away and it would go out of bounds at Chicago's 19. Aaron Campbell was seen on the sidelines, and would be coming out with the offense, seemingly fine now.

Chicago's offense was looking to continue its successes it had in the first half, but omaha really turned up the defense. Ted Neal would respond with a sack of his own, and Adolf Klux would tackle Campbell for only a short gain. Ryder would tackle Speed shy of the first down, and Stantios would let loose a booming punt, forcing Carmichael back to his 15, ultimately having to call for a fair catch.

Both of the defenses were putting on a show in the third quarter. Omaha would have a drive ended in 4 plays, Chicago had another three and out. Omaha would take over again, and had a nice drive going, reaching Chicago's 40. Crail Johnson would drop back, fired for Bolt, but it was intercepted! Elvis Jackson, with an incredibly instictual play, peeled off of Stone after reading Johsnon's eyes and leaped right in front of Bolt. Carmichael would drag him down before he could get much of a return.

Chicago would now start this drive at their 39 with just under 4 minutes left in the quarter. Chicago would use predominantly a two back set to start out. Peter Johnson would have a great block to seal the edge for Campbell, and on the ensuing play, RB Steve Masterson would receive the screen pass and would run upfield for a big gain, getting Chicago into FG territory. (Just for you Renji:)) Chicago would gain one more first down before the Omaha defense would stiffen, and forced antoher attempted FG from Stantios. He would sail the 45 yarder right thorugh the uprights as time expired in the third quarter.

Omaha Leads 17-16.

Fourth Quarter

Bolt Williams awaited the kick, receiving it 6 yards into his end zone... but he elects to return it! He makes it only to the 16, a questionable decision there by Bolt. I think the coaches are going to be talking to him about that when he comes back to the sidelines. Omaha comes out on the field with Anasta the lone back. Bolt Williams is wide left, Carmichael in the slot, and Julio Stone wide right. 3rd WR Anthony Minichiello is lined up in the TE position on the right side of the line. Teh ball is snapped, its an off tackle run to the right, no Anasta pitched it back to Carmichael, who came around behind him, Carmichael si spriting towards his left, makes it around the end, its only Bolt and his opponent, Chicago CB Charles Harris, in front of him. Harris, realizing Carmichael has the ball, breaks free of Bolt's "block", but Carmichael shows off some athletecism, juking him nearly out of his cleats. It's just Carmichael and the end zone now... Officially an 89 yard run by Leopold Carmichael! Omaha would line up for the extra point, and it would be good.

24-16 Omaha leads.

Chicago's sideline looks a bit deflated after that play, and Omaha's stadium is bordering on explosion. Speed handles the kickoff adn returns it to the 30. Chicago needs to answer, and Elvis Jackson can be seen on the sidelines encouraging the offense and the rest of his teammates. Chicago would begin the drive well once again, but key plays by both Adulf Klux and Xavier Thames would prevent Chicago from moving past midfield. With 10 minutes still remaining in the game, Chicago would punt. Stantios would pin Omaha inside the 10, at the 8 yard line.

Omaha would not find much success, going 3 and out, forcing another Kouparitsas punt. This punt would go out of bounds at the Chicago 41. Mutler and the offense would take the field again. Chicago would gain minimal yards on first down. Mutler would drop back on second down, fire for his TE, but no! Adulf Klux would get in the way of it... he's bobbling it, secures it, and starts downfield. Mutler hits him hard for the tackle. I don't think Klux has seen a hit that hard since his fight with Jabroni James!

Omaha would assume control at Chicago's 49 with just under 10 minutes left in the game. Johnson is in the shotgun. Oh my, Bolt just put a double move on his man, and with no help over the top he is wide, WIDE... Johnson, almost nonchalantly, throws it to Bolt, without a man 15 yards close to him, who catches it and races toward the end zone, TD Omaha, the second quick score in this quarter for the Kangaroos. Bolt must have spent some extra time with Julio to learn that move. The extra point would go in.

31-16 Omaha.

Elvis Jackson would receive another kickoff and take it to the 27. Chicago still had plenty of time left to at least tie the game up, with 9:32 left in the game. They would start out this drive well, completing some nice throws to Speed and Johnson, and would work their way into Omaha territory. On first down, Mutler would drop back, firing for Speed, but once again he would be intercepted, this time by Troy Ryder. Ryder would return it all the way to the 21 before being brought down from behind by Speed.

Omaha, however, would not be able to fully capitalize on the second INT by Mutler, and would only be able to muster a 21 yard field goal out of it.

34-16 Omaha.

With just under 4 minutes left for Chicago, it was conservation time. They needed at least 3 scores, and that was not going to happen, especially today without Kenny Writt. They adopted a more conservative approach, and would score a TD to Peter Johnson with 3 seconds left in the game, completing the extra point.

34-23 Omaha

Chicago would kick off, and Carmichael would wait for it in his end zone, but it would go out of the back of the end zone for a touchback. Crail would kneel on it there to end the game.

Final: Omaha 34, Chicago 23

Stats

Chicago
QB Ray Mutler-16/31 169 yards, TD, 2 INTs

RB Aaron Campbell- 17 att, 89 yds

WR James Speed- 7 rec, 98 yds, TD , 4 ret 118 yds

WR Kenny Writt- DNP (Injury)

TE Peter Johnson- 5 rec, 46 yds

LT Samson Williams- 3 Pancakes, 1 sack allowed

LG Max Stevenson- 4 Pancakes

C Todd Smithsonian- 6 Pancakes

RG Brian Stone- 4 Pancakes, 1 Sack Allowed

RT John Ogden- 2 Pancakes

DE Jamaal Umenyiora- 6 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack

DT Caleb Williams- 2 Tackles

OLB Joe Wallace- 7 Tackles, 1 TFL

MLB KK Slider- 8 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 PBU

CB Elvis Jackson-6 tackles, 1 INT, 1 PBU, 3 ret, 102 yds

FS Yeremiah Carrasco- 4 tackles

K Ike Stantios- 3/3 FG, 2/2 EP

Omaha

QB Crail Johnson- 26/39 301 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT

RB Braith Anasta- 11 rushes, 40 yds

WR Julio Jones- 8 rec, 79 yds, TD

WR Bolt Williams- 8 rec, 119 yds, TD, 3 ret, 93 yds

WR/RB Leopold Carmichael-7 rec, 71 yds, TD, 5 rushes, 114 yds, TD, 3 ret, 94 yds

TE Jaleel Starks- 2 rec, 23 yds

LT Jericho Bridges- 1 pancake

RT Tim James- 3 Pancakes

DE Ted Neal- 7 tackles, 1 sack

DT Lopini Paea- 3 tackles

DE Kendrick Odom- 4 tackles

OLB Adolf Klux- 11 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 INT, 1 PBU

MLB Xavier Thames-7 Tackles, 2 TFL, 1 PBU

OLB Garth Stokes- 6 tackles, 1 TFL

CB Troy Ryder- 4 tackles, INT

K Kraig FitzGibbon- 2/2 FG, 4/4 EP

[BeerBaron]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/SacramentoAttack.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/HonoluluWave2.gif

Week 2 - Sacramento Attack (1-0) at Honolulu Wave (1-0)

Ah, nothing like calling games from beautiful Hawaii, especially one featuring the only matchup of 1-0 teams this week. One of these two teams will help cement a lead in the competative Western Division while the other will be thrown back in with the rest of the pack in the chase.

This game should be a good one, so stayed tuned for the action.

First Quarter

With normal KR Carl Steptoe out injured, Nate Swift would field the opening kickoff for Honolulu and he didn't disappoint, taking it out to the 35 before he was finally tackled by a Sacramento STs unit that struggled last week. Honlulu did well on their opening drive, with Michael Vick hitting on several good passes. The drive would stall however near midfield with Ray Leonard being stuffed for a loss on two straight runs and then Vick throwing incomplete on 3rd and long. Herbert Heckleman's punt was anything but good as he blew an opportunity to pin Sacramento deep and instead gave up the touchback. Sacramento came out on fire offensively, with Scott Wright throwing three straight passes to TJ Sunstein, each completed. CB Will Franks-Turner was going to have his hands full with Sunstein today it seemed. Robert Crucial was doing well on the ground as took a few handoffs for nice pickups behind FB Darnell Webster. Nearing midfield, Sacramento pulled G Cromwell Thigpen on a run to the right. Thigpen blasted MLB Scott Carr and allowed Crucial to pick up 35 yards before he was run down by FS Quentin Brown inside the red zone. Scott Wright would play fake to Crucial on the next play, roll to the left, dodge a would-be sack from DE Drake McDonald, and then fire across his body to Sunstein who out jumped Franks-Turner in the back of the endzone for the TD!

Sacramento leads 7-0

After a touchback on the kickoff, Honolulu would face a lot of pressure from Sacramento's defensive front. SS Kyle Carpenter was sent on a blitz and would hit Vick as he threw, causing the pass to fall incomplete. After an average Ray Leonard run, Vick would again face pressure from Leonard Spocklestein up the middle and would be sacked. A 3 and out for Honolulu to end the first quarter.

Second Quarter

Sacramento would start at their own 42 after the shoddy punt and would continue their first drive success. Honolulu still hadn't quite learned how to stop the run after the first game it seemed, and Robert Crucial was racking up serious yardage as Sacramento was pulling Thigpen or C Ray Maiava frequently to block for him. Only a Drake McDonald TFL would slow him on this drive, and Scott Wright would make up for it on the very next play with a scramble of his own that picked up 16 yards before he slid to a stop. A few more runs and short passes, and Sacramento was inside the Honolulu 5 yard line. Crucial drove it to the one yard line, but was stuffed trying to punch it in. FB Darnell Webster would have no trouble on the next play though as he would crash through into the endzone for the TD!

Sacramento leads 14-0

TMQ's rule of the other foot, which I believe suggests that when something bad happens, expect something even worse to follow, would come into play for Honolulu here. Nate Swift would fumble upon being hit on the kick return and star MLB Darius Bain would be there to jump on it. A scrum quickly ensued and the refs were forced to separate the players on the pile. Bain still had the ball but he came up clutching his arm. VERY bad sign for Sacramento if he is hurt. He went with some trainers back into the locker room.....uh oh. We'll keep you posted on that as best we can.

Meanwhile, Sacramento's offense continued dominating. Robert Crucial was really carrying the load as the primary offensive weapon, with Scott Wright adding some nice short passes. As they got up to the Honolulu 10 yard line, Wright play faked to Crucial, rolled right, pump faked to Sunstein who was well covered in the end zone, and then reversed field as Drake McDonald was charging at him hard. Wright rolled back to his left and flung up a pass for WR Tony Taylor who was wide open in the end zone. TD Sacramento!

Sacramento leads 21-0

It already felt like a now or never situation for Honolulu...they were being blown out. They would start at their own 24 without much time left in the first half. Michael Vick was undeterred however. The short passing game wasn't there today and Sacramento was getting a lot of pressure on him. He persevered and found some more success in the middle of the field without Bain patrolling there. Eli Wright was becoming more of a factor, though Harold Mouton was doing a good job to take Eli Mutumbo out of the game. Finally, Vick pump faked to Wright and got FS Vernon Wurmer to bite leaving Mutumbo one on one with Mouton deep. Vick slung up the pass and Mutumbo used his size to go up and get it in the front of the endzone for the TD!

Sacramento leads 21-7

With time scarce, Sacramento opted to just run the clock out and take their lead into halftime where they could hopefully get word on Darius Bain.

Third Quarter

Great news out of the Sacramento locker room: No breaks or tears for Darius Bain, just a severe sprain of his left wrist diving for the loose ball on the kickoff. He would not return to this weeks game as a precaution but he should be good to go next week, at about 90% effectiveness wearing a brace on his wrist. That's always a risk that gets taken when you play key starters on special teams....luckily it seems he will be ok.

Sacramento would come out with the same game plan from the first half here: run run run short pass. Robert Crucial was starting to split more carries with Webster to keep each of them fresh while Sunstein was reeling in a lot of shorter passes to keep drives alive. Scott Carr could be seen trying to fire up the Honolulu defense but they were just being thoroughly dominated up front once again. Sacramento's interior o-line was quite strong and could pull with the best of them. Wright hit Crucial on a short screen pass close to the endzone and Crucial carried it in untouched for another Sacramento TD.

Sacramento leads 28-7

Honolulu was seeing a bit more success with Ray Leonard and the running game, likely thanks to Bain's absence in the middle of the Sacramento defense. A play action fake bought Vick some time and got the safeties to bite, allowing him to find an open Eko Mutumbo for a big gain. Two straight runs followed but then a Vick pass fell incomplete intended for Eli Wright. Walt Turnbow would be called on to attempt a looooong 59 yard FG. The snap was good, hold was good, kick was.......oooooo......good! He literally bounced it in off of the bottom crossbar, wow.

Sacramento leads 28-10

Fourth Quarter

Backup safety and special teamer Hiram Priscoe brought down the Sacramento return man by the facemask, so Sacramento would get great starting field position thanks to the penalty. It wouldn't take them long to work the rest of the way down the field either. Their duo of backs continued to pummel into Honolulu's front and were picking up 4-7 yards each time. Scott Carr was getting a lot of tackles and seemed to be the only Honolulu defender worth a damn, but most of his tackles came after gains already occurred. As they approached the endzone, Wright play faked to Crucial and rolled right looking to throw. A wide area lay ahead of him however and he beat OLB Herman Waters in a footrace to the pylon for another Sacramento TD.

Sacramento leads 35-10

Coach Andy Johnson was absolutely berating his defense every time they came off the field now. You can bet that they were going to get worked much harder in practice this week....The Honolulu offense meanwhile continued to be mediocre. Ray Leonard was running the best he had in the past two games, but it was still far from great. Vick dropped back to throw as Sacramento brought pressure. Bunj Torres snaked by LT Geroge Hall and managed to wrap up Vick's legs as he took him down. Vick got up gimpy though, uh-oh.....he had lingering ankle problems in college and it looks like he hurt the same one here. He finished the drive but after a few incomplete passes, that didn't take long. Honolulu would punt. Sacramento took over in decent field position and went right back to running. Crucial went over 150 yards on the day, which couple with rushes by Webster and Wright put Sacramento over 200 on the day. They milked the clock for all they could and they eventually punched it in again on a Robert Crucial run. Sacramento really didn't even look like they were trying to run up the score, they just couldn't be stopped on even the most basic runs right now.

Sacramento leads 42-10

Though Vick looked ok to play, Honolulu decided not to risk it and sent in backup Matt Squire to get some real game snaps. They seemed content to accept the loss this week and simply ran the ball and threw some short passes with some other backups in the game as well. Between the two teams both running late, the clock ticked by in no time.

Sacramento wins 42-10

Sacramento Stats:

Passing:
Scott Wright - 23/31 - 296 yards - 3 TD - 0 INT

Rushing:
Robert Crucial - 29 carries - 158 yards - 1 TD - 0 fumbles
Darnell Webster - 12 carries - 45 yards - 1 TD - 0 fumbles
Scott Wright - 3 carries - 18 yards - 1 TD - 0 fumbles

Receiving:
TJ Sunstein - 12 catches - 133 yards - 1 TD - 0 drops
Robert Crucial - 6 catches - 52 yards - 1 TD - 0 drops

Blocking:
Jamwel Rooney - 2 pancakes - 0 sacks allowed
Cromwell Thigpen - 6 pancakes - 0 sacks allowed
Ray Maiava - 3 pancakes - 0 sacks allowed
Steven Nguyen - 3 pancakes - 0 sacks allowed

Defensive:
Hal Jordan - 2 tackles
Leonard Spocklestein - 5 tackles - 1 sack - 1 TFL
Bunj Torres - 4 tackles - 1 sack - 1 TFL
Darius Bain - 3 tackles - 1 TFL - 1 FR
Brian Stumpf - 5 tackles
Harold Mouton - 2 tackles
Kyle Carpenter - 4 tackles - 1 PBU

Kicking:
Will Beckum - 0/0 FG - 6/6 XP

Notable Injuries:
Darrius Bain - Sprained wrist - Probable at 95% for week 3

Honolulu Stats:

Passing:
Michael Vick - 17/35 - 205 yards - 1 TD - 0 INT

Rushing:
Ray Leonard - 15 carries - 55 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles

Receiving:
Eko Mutumbo - 3 catches - 71 yards - 1 TD - 0 drops
Ricky Smith - 1 catch - 10 yards - 0 TD - 1 drop
Eli Wright - 6 catches - 45 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops

Blocking:
George Hall - 1 pancake - 1 sack allowed
Trevor Andrews - 2 pancakes - 0 sacks allowed

Defensive:
Drake McDonald - 3 tackles
Evan Howard - 3 tackles
Scott Carr - 15 tackles - 1 TFL
Ian Wells - 5 tackles
Will Franks-Turner - 2 tackles - 1 PBU
Quentin Brown - 7 tackles

Kicking:
Walt Turnbow - 1/1 FG - 1/1 XP

[BeerBaron]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/MemphisShowboats.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/IndianapolisRaptors.gif

Week 2 - Memphis Showboats (0-1) at Indianapolis Raptors (1-0)

Welcome one and all to this week's primetime showdown between Memphis and Indianapolis.

Memphis saw their great defense wear down in week 1 as their offense just couldn't stay on the field. The coaches worked hard all week on some new offensive gameplans, so expect that to change this week.

Looking to keep on winning is Indianapolis, who just survived a nail-biter with Wyoming in week 1. They feature a very balanced attack on both sides of the ball and will look to force some Memphis turnovers here this week.

Stay tuned, kickoff is just around the corner!

First Quarter

Memphis has won the the toss and has elected to differ, which means they will "lead with strength" putting their defense on the field first.

Back to return was the young Max Cienfuegos for Indy. He fielded the kick at the 4 yard line and would bring it out to the 27 before he was wrapped up.

QB Devin Saint would lead the Indy offense onto the field. They would start out in the I-Formation with Thurman Brinks back and Ernie Cobourne split out wide. Brinks ran up the guy where he picked up a few. On the next play, Saint would fake to Brinks and then...ooo....close to a sack by a hard charing Fulgrim Chemos. Saint was forced to scramble and, after finding no one open, just tossed the ball out of bounds instead of into the teeth of the Memphis defense. Third and long now, with Jrue Reed and Cobourne both out wide. Saint dropped back, got a little more time on this play, and fired a bullet for Reed....Oh! Almost picked off by Butch Peefington! He had the play read perfectly and nothing but open field in front of him if he could have just held on. That will force an Indy punt however. Edison Bright was back deep but would call for the fair catch.

Now it was the Memphis offense's turn to try and shine. They struggled mightily in week one but saw a lot of extra practice this week to get better. On first down, QB Will Bennett play faked to RB Marcellus Willich and then took off himself up the middle for a quick 6 yard gain catching Indy napping. Next, Bennett got the ball to Willich on a toss play to the outside, Willich was run down after gaining a few by Caleb Westgarth bringing up a 3rd and inches play. Bennett faked to Willich and rolled left, narrowly avoiding Charles Whimper. Bennett tossed up a mid-range pass to TE Brock Wainwright who was locked up with S Desmond Decker and....they both went down. Flags were down as Wainwright was looking for the PI and he would get it. Decker's coverage was a little too close that time and Memphis would get the first down on a penalty. Two more runs by Willich found mediocre results and Memphis would face a 3rd and 5. Bennett dropped straight back looking for Tom Adams to the right, but he was double covered tight. Bennett went to scan the rest of the field and BOOM!! Blindside shot by big NT Ben Grant who displayed great second effort in getting by C Jameson Johnson. Bennett held onto the ball luckily but it would be 4th down and long. P Mario Plummer nailed a good one that would go inside the Indy 15...take a hop....and oh! Great play by backup CB Edison Bright who flashed great speed to get down there and keep it out of the endzone. Another Memphis player would touch it dead at the 3 yard line setting up Indy in some very poor field position.

Indy would come out in a tight blocking formation, likely trying to get some breathing room. Ernie Cobourne gained about a yard on first down before he was stuffed by a wall of Memphis defenders. On 2nd down, Thurman Brinks faired no better being stuffed after a minimal gain. Facing 3rd and long, Saint play faked to Cobourne and dropped back. Fulgrim Chemos shredded the double team attempt by William Quinn and Cody Marmo with his sights on Saint. Saint tucked the ball and lunged forward as he was wrapped up by Chemos, diving out to the one yard line to at least avoid the safety. This would mean punt however and Guy Planas has very little room in the back of the end zone to do so, what a way to end the first quarter for Indy. Memphis brought the house and...They blocked it! This ball spiked into the ground before a big pile of players amassed around it! Refs busily dug through the pile trying to see whether it would be a safety or a touchdown, depending on who had come up with it.....Touchdown signaled! Reserve DT Quanell Quinn came out of the pile with the ball! Big time STs play for Memphis there to take an early lead.

Memphis leads 7-0

Both teams were still struggling offensively though, so major adjustments would need to be made for the 2nd quarter of play.

Second Quarter

The Luigi D'Amore didn't go so well for Memphis. Repeating a problem from last week, D'Amore's kick took a hop at about the 10 yard line and the Indy returner allowed it hop out of bounds just shy of the pylon for a penalty. Indy would start in great field position at their own 40.

Memphis kept up their strategy of stuffing the run while playing bump and run on the outside to shut down the short passing lanes as Indy couldn't make headway doing either. Memphis brought the house on 3rd and long but Devin Saint stepped up into the pocket and then found a running lane forward. He took off and slide down just beyond the first down marker. The chain gang would be called on to confirm that it was a first down and yes, Indy would have their first non-3 and out of the day. A first down run was stamped out quickly by the Memphis front, but Saint did manage to hit Cobourne on a swing pass that picked up about 6 on 2nd down. Good 2nd effort on a Thurman Brinks run brought Indy close to another first down, but after a measurement, they would come up just inches shy. Being so close left Indy willing to gamble, and it probably helped that the Memphis offense hadn't done much in the game either, so they would go for it. Indy lined up in a very tight, clear run package that.....it looked like they only had 10 men on the field. WR Quentin Harrison looked as though he was coming off of the field but stopped and lined up along the Indy sideline! Memphis DC A.C. Anderson was screaming trying to point it out but Saint took the snap before Anderson could call timeout! Saint play faked inside and then rolled left. Memphis CB Stafon Claxton had broken off the play and ran fast to try and get coverage on Harrison but he was a good 10 yard behind! Saint was being pursued heavily by Memphis defenders but managed to hock up the ball just as he was hit by Eric Baby! The pass was wobbly and Harrison would have to adjust in the endzone, allowing Claxton to catch up! Harrison jumped as Claxton threw his arms in the air but the pass hit Harrison right in his outstretched hands for the TD! Some trickeration from the seemingly more tradition Indy offense just tied this game up! Wow, what a series...

Game Tied 7-7

Memphis managed a return out to the 24 yard line where they would take over on offense for the first time in what felt like a long time. If Time of Possession were points, Memphis would be getting blown out, but luckily that was not the case. Will Bennett tried to hit Tom Adams on first down, but he was well covered and the pass was tipped away from everyone incomplete. Marcellus Willich got a carry on 2nd down and picked up a few before he was stopped bringing up a long 3rd down situation. Bennett dropped back, faked the draw up the middle, and then threw for Brock Wainwright who caught the ball just shy of the first down marker. Wainwright went to turn upfield and....OO!! Big wallop from Desmond Baker on the big TE. Blew his helmet clean off but somehow Wainwright held onto that ball. The two exchanged some words before officials separated them. Memphis was about a yard shy of the first down, but decided to punt as they were deep in their own territory. The punt would be fair caught by Indy at their own 35.

The Memphis defense was still doing a good job of disrupting what Indy likes to do offensively by shutting down the run and cutting off the short passing game forcing Indy to try and go deep, which outside of that trick play, hadn't been working out. Saint did hit Reed for a first down after two failed runs by threading the needle between two defenders, but the drive would again begin to stall. Cobourne was stuffed in the backfield by a blitzing Normand Jackson and then Saint's pass was batted away by a leaping Fulgrim Chemos. Facing 3rd and long, Saint dropped back but his line didn't hold and Eric Baby shot through to wrap him up for the sack. Indy would again be punting. The punt was fair caught deep in Memphis territory but flags were down.....Planas was down after the punt and a Roughing the Kicker call would be made. Coach Bellavia was extremely displeased with the call, and replay shows he has the right to be as it was pretty clearly a flop by the punter. Regardless, Indy was now across midfield thanks to the penalty yards with a fresh set of downs.

The Memphis defense was showing some signs of wear as t hey have been on the field quite a bit this half, more than twice as much as their offense. Indy was seeing more success with the aspects of their offense that Memphis had been shutting down to this point. Cobourne and Brinks both had a few nice runs to pick up first downs and Saint displayed great accuracy and anticipation on a curl route by Harrison to move inside the redzone. Brinks was stopped on the next play however as Memphis sent a run blitz and big DE Chris Crocker blew him up in the backfield. Saint completed a little 5 yard hook pass to Reed, but was nearly sacked Chemos on 3rd down and forced to roll out. He found no one open and instead was run out of bounds a little shy of the first down. The measurement showed that they were more than a yard off so on came the FG unit and veteran Max Koger punched it through with ease.

Indy leads 10-7

Time was ticking down here in the first half so Memphis needed to find some offense fast. They got a half decent kick return out to the 30 and would start from there. Will Bennett faked a toss to Tom Adams who swooped in on an end around and instead carried the ball against the flow for a nice 10 yard pickup before he was tackled from behind by Westgarth. Indy sent a blitz on the next play but Bennett again slipped by and threw a short pass to Willich who ran in open space for 15 yards before meeting with Desmond Decker. Memphis would call a timeout with a little over a minute to go, their first.

Bennett caught his breath during the short break and returned to the field ready to command the offense. He faked a toss to Willich and rolled right, but found his targets well covered and the pass rush coming straight at him. He dropped back a bit and reversed field risking a huge loss here...He finally saw a target downfield and hefted up the pass aiming for LaBrandon Alleman near the 20 who....caught it! He tried to get out of bounds but was tripped up by Allen Taunton just short, Memphis would take their 2nd timeout here with enough time for a few more cracks at the endzone.

On the first play after, near disaster. Desmond Decker had jumped Brock Wainwright's route and tipped the pass up in the air trying to pick it off. Several players converged around the falling ball but LT Caesar Moonblood managed to leap into the fray and swat it down to the ground, potentially saving the turnover. Memphis couldn't advance any further after that as their offense became stalled so on came the kicker to try and tie it up. Luigi D'Amore notched it through, though just barely as he almost hit the left crossbar.

Game Tied 10-10

D'Amore's kickoff faired better than some of his previous ones, as it was taken for a touchback. Indy just ran the ball a few times to wear out the clock and take the game into half all knotted up a 10.

HALFTIME

Third Quarter

Memphis would get the ball to start the Second Half and wanted to come out strong. Nicholas Torrain was deep to receive and brought it out from 3 yards deep in the end zone. He followed his blockers.....found a nice hole....and was off! He had only the kicker to beat but could not do so! Guy Planas threw himself at Torrain's legs tripping him up and slowing him down enough for another defender to bring him down at the Memphis 45. Great starting field position for the Showboats.

Good things came to an end there however as Bennett was sacked for a big loss after a play fake by Westgarth. A little of that was made up as Willich had a nice 2nd down run, then Bennett took a QB draw play for a first down. Willich was stuffed on the next two runs however and Bennett's pass fell incomplete on 3rd down. D'Amore would be called on for the long FG attempt. The snap was good, hold was good, kick was....barely good. It just went over in the bottom left hand corner of the crossbar.

Memphis leads 13-10

Indy's return was average out to the 25. Devin Saint led the offense onto the field hoping to pick things up a little bit here. Memphis defense was well rested after a few good series by their offense and halftime though, and was out looking to dish out some pain. Fulgrim Chemos blew up an attempted run in the backfield, playing like a man possessed all game. Saint would throw two straight incompletions next as pressure was in his face each play. Indy would have to punt. Memphis fair caught it at their own 41, again having better than usual field position from which to strike.

Memphis' run game finally started to heat up as Bennett did well on a few designed QB draws and reserve RB Lionel Washington had a few nice runs of a fresh pair of legs to get Memphis up to the Indy 40. Bennett play faked to Washington on the next play and rolled right looking for Tom Adams who....picked off! Eric Maez ripped it right out of Adams' hands as he was trying to bring it in and stumbled away. Maez tripped over his own feet and was touched down just shy of midfield. Adams should have caught that pass....

Now it was Indy's turn to come back on with good field position for a change. Indy tried running with both Cobourne and Brinks but found little space. Devin Saint did complete a nice pass to Reed on 3rd down to pick up the first however. Cobourne would catch the ball on a screen pass, spin away from nickleback Orion Johnson and pick up 15 before Tyson Kase-Owens brought him down. Indy was the furthest into Memphis territory they had been in a while. Cobourne and Brinks both had decent runs to close in further when disaster struck. Saint hit Nelson Boster on the left side who was absolutely jacked up by Kase-Owens, forcing him to fumble the ball! Peefington scooped it up and scrambled around a bit on the return. He was finally boxed in by some Indy lineman but he lateralled back to Stafon Claxton who only got a few yards further before he was taken down by Cobourne. Both teams had just exchanged turnovers on consecutive series.

Memphis ran the third quarter clock down with a few runs and then picked up a first down on a Bennett draw to the Indy 40, where they would start the 4th quarter.

Fourth Quarter

Memphis continued to drive hard, using the run and some play action to move the ball along. Bennett hit Wainwright for a nice pickup and also threw a nice swing pass to Willich for a first down. Willich was tackled for a loss by Ben Grant however and Bennett was tripped up for only a 1 yard gain on an attempted QB draw. Facing 3rd and long, Bennett dropped back and fired deep for Tom Adams but he was well covered and the ball fell incomplete out of bounds. Memphis would have to settle for another FG attempt. Luigi D'Amore was called on, the snap was good, the hold was good and the kick.....was not good. After flirting with misses on the last two attempts, he finally sailed this one wide left.

Indy would take over on offense but would find little success. Cobourne was blown up in the backfield again by a hard charging Chemos and Saint was nearly picked off by Nicholas Torain but it fell incomplete. Then Indy took a play from Memphis book and called a designed draw up the middle to try and fool Memphis but....Normand Jackson said "no deal" and crushed the QB after a minimal gain. Indy blew this opportunity and would have to settle for a punt. Memphis brought it back to their own 37 and would start there on offense.

Bennett showed some nice moves dodging a would-be sack from Drew Wilhelm but would have to throw the ball away as Indy's secondary clamped down nicely. On 2nd down, a Washington run went nowhere and Bennett would throw incomplete on 3rd down for a quick 3 and out. Memphis would punt and the ball would roll out of bounds near the Indy 32.

Normand Jackson could be seen firing up his fellow defenders on the Memphis sideline, needing just another stop or two to seal their first victory of the season. They came out with aggression and played well, forcing two incomplete passes by Saint and tackled Reed on 3rd and long shy of the first down. Indy would now have to punt after a 3 and out. Memphis would call fair catch at their own 40 yard line, pretty good field position to try and milk the clock and/or pad their lead.

Memphis was now running almost exclusively, and out of a formation with little pass potential anyway. Indy was selling out to stop the run but was exhausted from the smashmouth style of this game. Memphis kept trucking ahead and hit the two minute warning just as they had gotten to the Indianapolis 35. Indy used that short break to rally their troops and would stop Memphis for no gain on their next two rushing attempts. It did force Indy to use two of their timeouts. On third and long, Bennett looked for a receiver but found no one and decided to scramble himself, but only picked up four yards before he slid to a stop fearing a big hit from Decker. Indy would use their final timeout with a minute or so to go and Memphis would try another D'Amore field goal. This time though, he booted it pretty much down the middle.

Memphis leads 16-10

Head Coach Gary Foster could be seen on the Indy sidelines talking things over with QB Devin Saint. They needed a TD to win and had no timeouts to do so, meaning this would be it. Memphis squibbed the kickoff not allowing a return and forcing Indy to start at their own 38. Unlike most teams, Memphis didn't switch to the prevent defense and stuck with the high pressure assault that worked all game long for them. Saint threw two incompletions to start the series off but hit Cobourne out of the slot for 9 yards. Saint hurried his unit to the line and got the snap off quickly on 4th and short. He dropped back and fired a hellishly accurate laser beam between three defenders into the chest of Harrison. For a first down. Saint hurried to the line and spiked the ball just across midfield.

Now 2nd down, Memphis was backing off a little hoping to avoid any longer passes. Instead, Saint took what they gave and hit Reed short who ducked out of bounds to stop the clock. Cobourne caught his whopping 12 pass of the game out of the backfield and took some room Memphis had allowed in the flat to pick up 10 and again duck out of bounds. Coach Bellavia took a timeout to settle his weary defenders as Indy was now to the Memphis 30 with 18 seconds left.

After that break, Indy came out fighting hard. Saint hit slot receiver Lance McMeans for another 7 yards or so and rushed to the line to get another snap off. Saint dropped back and quickfired a pass over the middle to Jrue Reed who was sandwiched between Kase-Owens and Peefington at the 5! Precious seconds were ticking away as Saint, now hoarse from screaming out "spike spike spike spike!!" set his offense and spiked the ball with 4 seconds to play.

With the clock stopped anyway, Memphis took another timeout to rest their defenders and game plan a bit.

Trailing by 6, this play would decide what has probably been the most physical football game so far in the young DCFL season.

What would happen? Stayed tuned through this final break to find out!

Alright folks, he we are. The play that will decide this game. Cobourne starts in the backfield, then splits out wide giving Saint 5 targets to throw to. The ball is snapped....Saint drops back...Fulgrim Chemos shoots through the line splitting a double team after lining up as a UT in the 4-3 setup, Saint has nowhere to go and cocks back to throw but Chemos wraps up his throwing arm! Saint tries to spin away but Chemos gets wrapped around his legs and takes him down for the sack! Chemos played out of his damned mind for much of the game and just sealed it there with a CLUTCH defensive play. Wow. The clock is gone and the game is over.

Memphis wins 16-10

Memphis Stats:

Passing:
William Bennett - 17/30 - 175 yards - 0 TD - 1 INT

Rushing:
Marcellus Willich - 19 carries - 68 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
Lionel Washington - 10 carries - 35 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
William Bennett - 11 carries - 70 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles

Receiving:
Tom Adams - 0 catches - 0 yards - 0 TD - 1 drop
Brock Wainwright - 5 catches - 52 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops
Marcellus Willich - 5 catches - 25 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops

Blocking:
Caesar Moonblood - 2 pancakes - 1 sack allowed
Jameson Johnson - 4 pancakes - 1 sack allowed
Thermopylae Jones - 1 pancake - 0 sacks allowed

Defensive:
Darius Crocker - 5 tackles
Fulgrim Chemos - 7 tackles - 2 sacks - 2 TFL - 1 PBU
Eric F. Baby - 8 tackles - 1 TFL
Normand Jackson - 13 tackles - 2 TFL
Nicholas Torrain - 3 tackles - 1 PBU
Orion Johnson - 2 tackles - 1 PBU
Stafon Claxton - 2 tackles
Tyson Kase-Owens - 4 tackles - 1 PBU - 1 FF
Butch Peefington - 5 tackles - 1 PBU - 1 FR

Kicking:
Luigi D'Amore - 3/4 FG - 1/1 XP

Indy Stats:

Passing:
Devin Saint - 25/41 - 245 yards - 1 TD - 0 INT

Rushing:
Ernie Cobourne - 14 carries - 46 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
Thurman Brinks - 12 carries - 32 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
Devin Saint - 2 carries - 5 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles

Receiving:
Quentin Harrison - 4 catches - 90 yards - 1 TD - 0 drops
Jrue Reed - 6 catches - 55 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops
Ernie Cobourne - 13 catches - 75 yards - 0 TD - 1 drop

Blocking:
William Quinn - 3 pancakes - 2 sacks allowed
Turk Francis - 5 pancakes - 1 sack allowed

Defensive:
Caleb Westgarth - 4 tackles - 1 sack - 1 TFL
Drew Wilhelm - 3 tackles
Ben Grant - 6 tackles - 1 sack - 2 TFL
Charles Whimper - 4 tackles
Erik Herbert - 7 tackles
Darren Oltman - 3 tackles
Demond Decker - 8 tackles - 1 PBU

Kicking:
Max Kroger - 1/1 FG - 1/1 XP

[eaglesalltheway]

New Orleans Nightmare (0-1)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/NewOrleansNightmare.gif
at Pittsburgh Xplosion (1-0)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/PittsburghExplosion.gif

Welcome to Pittsburgh, where the Nightmare will take on the Xplosion. Both teams come in looking for the win, New Orleans to keep from becoming the cellar dwellar in the East at 0-2, and Pitt looking for the divison lead at 2-0.

New Orleans comes in with a powerful running attack, with possibly the best RB/FB combo in the entire league in Tank Jackson and punishing lead blocker Anger Killstone. The running attack for New Orleans is further enhanced by Offensive linemen Jabroni James and David McMurray. The defense for New Orleans is headlined by pass rushers Domenik "Donkey Kong" Coleman and Roman David Sanchez. Pitt defends homefield with RB Seth Harris and Andy Bleu as the offensive gems. The stud defenders consist of "Stalin" Vissarianovich, and Chris Shakur. Lets get this thing under way.

First Quarter

New Orleans would win the coin toss, and elected to receive. Tyvon Trinity would field the Rex Birch kick one yard into his end zone, and would return it to the 28 from there. The nightmare would take to the field, as would immediately assume a punishing offensive attack. With one of the biggest Offensive Lines in all the DCFL, they were able to handle Pitt's front 7 very mightily on this first drive. Whether it be outside runs or inside runs, with RB Tank Johnson or FB Anger Killstone. Stalin was being neutralize don this drive with Guard David McMurray, and on occasion, McMurray was drving him off the line on his own, which was really hurting Pitt's run defense. Pitt would hog up the clock with a 12 play drive, 9 of which were runs, and would take the lead with a 4 yard run off of #1 Overall pick Jabroni James. The kick would go through the uprights.

Nightmare lead 7-0

Big Foot would kick off for New Orleans, holding true to his name, kicking it well into the end zone. Isaac Justice would not attempt a return.

Pitt's offense would take the field, with already half of the first quarter clock drained. Al Wood would take the snap from under center, and would start it off with a swing pass to Seth Harris, who would only pick up a short gain before being met by Roman David Sanchez. New Orleans' other defensive stalwart would rear his ugly ugly head on the next play, sacking Pitt QB Al Wood for a big loss of 6. Pitt, in a 3rd and long situation, would attempt a pass to WR Frank Williams, however, it would be broken up, and they would be forced to punt

New Orleans would get the ball back at their 34, and would continue their pounding approach. Killstone would pick up a blitzer on a key third down, and as a result, Tyvon Trinity would reel in the first down reception to Pitt's 23. Stalin would partially redeem hiself on this upcoming set of downs, however, keeping New Orleans short of the first down on both second and thrid down, forcing the Nightmare to attempt a FG. The kick by Kris Stevens would go though...

New Orleans now leads 10-0

Isaac Justice would return the kick to his 27, and Pitt woud get a first down after two plays, and the first quarter clock would expire...

Second Quarter

The Xplosion would continue the drive, with a good mix of short, intermediate, and some long passing attempts, as well as some running with Seth Harris and Aaron Natale. They would drive all the way inside the Nightmare 20, using up a good chunk of clock in the process. Seth Harris owuld receive the toss spins out of a Renaldo Smith tackle, and oh! hit from behind by Roman David Sanchez, its a FUM-BLE. Joseph Schwab would fall on it for New Orleans, and their offensive train was about to take the field.

Once again, the Nightmare would pound the clock, and it was beginning to become obvious they were wearing Pitt's Defense down. Stalin was seeing less time on the field due to what looks like fatigue issues, as well as other members of Pitt's defensive front. Fresh legs would prove to be little help, and New Orleans would drive down the field yet again, implementing more of the run heavy offensive attack, Tank Johnson was having great success running behind his O-Line and Anger Killstone, as well as his backup Jerome Alexander. Tank Johnson is averaging almost 7 yards per carry, and it seems there is nothing Pitt can do to stop it. The 14 play drive (9 runs) would eat up time until it was finally ended with an Anger Killstone run right up the gut, with an emphatic shove by the FB right into the much bigger "Stalin", knocking the behemoth straight on his back as he crossed the goal line. Stevens would nail the extra point, further extending their lead...

New Orleans leads 17-0

Pitt needed a spark heading in to half time. Justice would get a small spark going, and would return it to his 35, where Killstone would meet him with a thunderous blow. Great job of Justice to retain posession there...

Seth Harris and the Pitt offense needed to make something happen, as time was not on their side, they had just under 4 minutes left in the half and needed to get some pint on the board. Pitt would get a first down, bringing them out to midfield, and on a second down play, they would get that spark. Harris would get the insdie run right behind his RG Andrew Bleu, who had done a great job of peeling of the double team with his center, then sealed off the ILB. Harris would hit the whole and cut outside, right where blitzing LB Roman David Sanchez had just vacated, and it was between him and the safety... Randy Duncan came up towards Harris, who cut in, then cut out, nearly turning the poor man inside out and backwards. It would be nothing but Harris and the end zone, as he would coast into the goal line with 1:57 remaining in the half. Pitt would kick it through, and teams would take their two-minute warning.

Nightmare lead 17-7

Birch would kick it off and it would be returned by Trintiy to the 30. Pitt would attempt a pass on first down, but it would fall incomplete, and they re-assumed their running attack. They would run two straight plays after, Pitt calling timeout in hopes they could stop them and get the ball back, or maybe it was to further rest their defenders, but New Orleans would get the first down, and Pitt realized they wouldn't stop the running attack, so they would call any more timeouts, as it would only help New Orleans. The Nighmare, however, limitted by the personnel, either couldn't get to FG range or were just content with the lead, and they would go into the half with the score still...

New Orleans 17, Pitt 7

Third Quarter

Pitt would receive to open the second half, looking to build on their previous offensive drive. Justice would return this one to his 42, a great return for Pitt, lets see if they canbuild on this and get it back to a one posession game. A first down run would be halted for no gain by New Orleans DT Heath Rawlings. Wood's pass on second would fall incomplete, and on third down, Donkey Kong would meet Mr Wood for the second time, only he was the one laying the Wood. Donkey Kong would sack Wood for a loss of 7, but would take the ball, pound his chest with it, then spiked it. The back judge would throw the flag, and Domic Coleman would be flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, and flagged 15 yards. It would hurt New Orleans too much, however, as his sack brought Pitt too far back for the penalty to result in a first down. Burns would punt it away for Pitt, and Trinity would return it to his 21.

New Orleans once again had a big field in front of them. It hadn't stopped them in the past, however, and it seemed as though it wasn't on this drive either. Pitt's defense still looked exhausted from their duties in the first half, where 8 and even 9 men in the box weren't stopping New Orlean's rushing attack. It wasn't helping here either, as Pitt tried different sets to no avail. The defense was just too exhausted, mentally and physically, and New Orleans would have another mammoth, time consuming drive of 13 plays, with 10 runs. Jackson would dive in on a short run, further extending their lead...

Nightmare leading 24-7

Justice would once again wait for the kickoff, and he would kneel in the end zone. Pitt's offens eouwld take the field, and would get a nice drive of their own, as both of the units on the field right now have seen relatively little action in this game. Both Aaron Natale and Seth Harris would have nice runs on this drive, and Harris' contribution to the passing attack would continue, with Frank Williams making contributions as well. The 3rd quarter would expire, as Pitt approached the end zone, inside the 10...

Fourth Quarter

Pitt's good forutunes on this drive would end with the thrid quarter, however, and Pitt would be forced into a FG attmempt, after three straigh plays resulted in negative yards, bringing Pitt back almost to the 20. Birch would hammer this one through, and Pitt would bring it to a two posession game...

New Orleans leads 24-10

Pitt needed to find a way to stop New Orleans' rushing attack, or they wouldn't even have a chance to win this game. Trinity would return this one to his 33, and New Orleans would look to seal this one away with another one of their patented drives. It would look like that wouldn't be the case, as on third and 1, Stalin would nail Jackson in the backfield for a loss. Hold on a minute, there is a flag on the play, Neutral zone infraction! Stalin lined up in the neutral zone, as a result of the penalty, New Orleans gains the first down. That must have been the straw that broke the camel's back for Pitt, as New Orleans would almost effortlesslyreach Pitt's red zone, where Tyvon Trinity would receive a pass out of the backfield and cruise to the corner of the end zone uncontested. The extra point would be shaky, but Stevens would convert it in the end...

New Orleans extends lead, 31-10.

Now with less than 6 minutes left in the quarter, Pitt needed something, and they needed it now. Justice would return it to the 31, before another heavy hit by Killstone. I wonder if that man's skull is literally thicker than everyone elses, he really can hit like a ton of bricks...

Pitt would need to get something out of this drive, and would need to do it in big chunks. Those chunks would not come however, as three straight Wood passes would fall incomplete. They would be resigned to punt it away. The punt would go out of bounds at New Orleans' 28. The next drive would result in a small moral victory for Pitt, as they would force a 3 and out, and New Orleans' first punt of the game. Fott's kick would bounce out of bounds at Pitt's 27, with just over two minutes remaining.

Pitt had taken out their first string QB Al Wood, and Seth "Green" Harris would be saved for futre weeks. FB Anger Killstone got a chance to show his stuff at LB for New Orleans, albeit one play, but he tackled backup RB Aaron Natale for a minimal gain. Pitt would punt it way with under a minute remaining, and Trinity would fair catch it there.

New Orleans QB Mo Washington would kneel it down twice, and that would end it...

Final Score: New Orleans 31, Pitt 10

Stats

New Orleans

QB Seneca Williams- 9/15 91 yds, TD

RB Joe Jackson- 28 att, 170 yds, TD

FB Anger Killstone- 9 att, 57 yds, TD, 7 pancakes, 3 Tackles

WR Tyvon Trinity- 5 rec, 59 yds, TD

LT Jabroni James- 7 pancakes

G David McMurray- 6 pancakes

C Charles Zarnes- 1 pancake

RT Tennesee Rutherford- 3 panckaes

DE/DT Domenik Coleman- 7 tackles, 3 TFL , 2 sacks

DT Heath Rawlings- 4 tackles

OLB Roman David Sanchez- 8 tackles, 3 TFL, Sack, FF

OLB AJ Kampman-5 tackles, TFL

ILB Joseph Schwab- 5 tackles, TFL, FR

CB Al Harrison- 4 tackles, PBU

FS Randy Duncan- 5 tackles

K Kris Stevens- 1/1 FG, 4/4 EP

Pitt

QB Al Wood- 13/25, 146 yds

RB Seth Harris- 13 rushes, 86 yds, TD, Fumble lost, 5 rec, 59 yds

RB Aaroan Natale- 4 rushes, 28 yds

WR Frank Williams- 5 rec, 61 yds

LT Dexter Allen- 1 Pancake, 1 sack allowed

RG Andrew Bleu- 6 pancakes

RT Paul Tagliani- 2 Pancakes, 1 Sack Allowed

DE Mitch Cavanaugh- 3 tackles

NT Dostevsky Vissarianovich- 6 tackles, TFL

OLB Ozzy Fox- 6 tackles

OLB Omar Robinson-7 tackles

CB Antonio Blades- 3 tackles

FS Kenny Mustain- 4 tackles

SS Chris Shakur- 9 tackles, TFL, PBU

K Rex Birch- 1/1 FG, 1/1 EP

[BeerBaron]

WEEK 3


10charactersssssssssssssssseffwordssssssss

[BeerBaron]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/MemphisShowboats.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/NewOrleansNightmare.gif

Week 3 - Memphis Showboats (1-1) at New Olreans Nightmare (1-1)

Welcome to one of the more interesting matchups on the DCFL schedule, one between the gnashing defense of the Showboats and the grind-it-out ground game of the New Orleans Nightmare. It will sure be the matchup to watch in this game as the saying "Unstoppable force vs. Immovable Object" comes to mind.

However, the other matchup may very well determine the result of this game. New Orleans has some nifty weapons defensively and they will need to try and keep the slowly improving Memphis offense stopped up.

Stay tuned, this one will begin shortly!

First Quarter

Both teams would start with their strongest units on the field as New Orleans would receive the opening kickoff. After an average return by Tyvon Trinity, New Orleans would start at the 25. First and second down saw some of their typical running; Tank Jackson behind James/McMurray/Killstone to the left. Normand Jackson shot in behind that trio on the 2nd rush to tackle Tank for no gain and force a 3rd and 5. Seneca Williams would throw incomplete on 3rd down to force the punt. The Memphis D had won round 1. After the punt, their offense would take over at their own 27. Will Bennett dropped back to throw but was sacked by NT Heath Rawlings as New Orleans brought an all out blitz. On 2nd down, Bennett changed the protection as NO showed blitz again but pulled back last second only rushing 3. Bennett found no open targets and was forced to scramble for a short gain. On 3rd and long, NO again showed heavy blitz but switched up last minute creating confusion and Bennett was nearly picked trying to check down to RB Marcellus Willich. They too would punt. Tyvon Trinity managed a good return to nearly midfield after a so-so Mario Plummer punt. NO was back on offense and they grinded forward. Memphis’ front held strong, especially with Rover Tyson Kase-Owens now exclusively in the box and Butch Peefington also playing a closer zone, but New Orleans would not change their game plan. Killstone and Jackson plunged forward behind their talented o-line and managed to eek out a few yards here and there. Seneca Williams ran a QB draw off of the play action and managed to run 7 yards before he was lit up by Peefington and nearly fumbled. Fulgrim Chemos, hero of Memphis week 2 game, managed to shoot between James and McMurray to bring Jackson down for a loss, then he managed to stand those two up with help from Eric Baby to stop Killstone for no gain on a carry by him. Memphis sent Kase-Owens on a safety blitz on 3rd and long, forcing Williams to scramble and throw incomplete aiming for Trinity along the sideline. New Orleans would have to settle for a FG. Rookie Kris Stevens was on….snap was good, hold was good, kick was….BLOCKED! Peefington got a hand on it and the ball would bounce harmlessly to a stop around the 10 yard line. And with that, the first quarter drew to a close.

Game Tied 0-0

Second Quarter

Taking over where the FG was attempted from, Memphis continued to struggle on offense. It seemed as though they planned to try and get Bennett into a rhythm early while passing to set up the run, but NO Defensive Coordinator D. Threat had a seemingly perfect gameplan. Memphis did try to run on first down but Domenik Coleman crushed Willich in the backfield on first down, and then Roman David Sanchez busted through the line to sack Bennett on 2nd down. Facing 3rd and wildly long now, Bennett simply threw a safe pass to TE Brock Wainwright who was brought down well short of the first down. Memphis would punt after another 3 and out. Trinity returned it again to near midfield and the NO offense would go back on the field. The “Unstoppable Force” was again stuffed as they had to fight for every yard and would come up short on 3rd down, forcing yet another punt by them. Memphis would call for the fair catch at their own 19. Their offense really needed to get going, though this drive was not meant to be. After a 1 yard run by Willich on first down, Bennett dropped back and was hit by Coleman as he threw. The pass sailed high and was picked by FS Randy Duncan who fielded it almost like a punt. Duncan brought it back to the original line of scrimmage before he was brought down by a crew of Showboat linemen. Coach Bellavia could only hang his head at this poor, poor showing of his offense and would have to rely on his defense to get him out of a jam once again. Killstone broke a good run on first down for 5 yards, but Tank Jackson would be stopped on a great play by Kase-Owens for a loss on 2nd down. Seneca Williams tried to throw for the endzone on third down, but the pass was batted away by Nicholas Torrain. On came the FG unit and this time, Stevens sailed it through.

New Orleans leads 3-0

Coach Bellavia tried to coach up his offense during the break and really talked long and hard to his QB Bennett to settle him down. The kickoff would be taken for a touchback, meaning Memphis would start at their own 20. Bennett tried a designed QB draw on first down but was stuffed for no gain by Joseph Schwab. Bennett hit Willich on a swing pass on 2nd down which was taken for a 4 yard pickup. New Orleans showed blitz on 3rd down and brought the entire freaking house, the famous “Engage Eight” with just two corners and a safety going deep. Bennett didn’t have time to look around or set his feet but managed to fire off a pass as he was creamed by Sanchez. Wainwright hauled it in with a lot of open room in front of him! He tore down the right hash mark as Al Harrison and Randy Duncan would pursue, converging on him for the tackle all the way at the Memphis 30. The gamble by the New Orleans defense didn’t work out there…but they would hold after that. Two runs by Willich netted nothing as NO was stout on defense. Bennett rolled right to avoid a heavy blitz again on 3rd down but the ball was batted away by Harrison after it was thrown for Tom Adams. Memphis would bring on it’s on FG unit, where K Luigi D'Amore has had his own struggles of late. D’Amore was true this time, though barely, as he squeaked it in just missing the left upright.

Game tied 3-3

D’Amore crushed the kickoff, forcing NO to take the touchback. A few runs by them didn’t do much yardage wise, but they did kill the first half clock. For the 2nd week in a row, Memphis found themselves in a knock down, drag out, physical battle.

HALFTIME

Third Quarter

Memphis got the ball to start the second half and would begin the drive at their own 29. Memphis tried to adjust to the pressure NO had been showing and had some opening drive success. Willich took a nice carry off tackle for a pickup of 11 to start the drive. Bennett stayed cool in the pocket despite some pressure and hit Tom Adams on a quick curl route for a nice pickup. Between some new found calmness by Bennett and some o-line adjustments to pick up the NO blitz, Memphis was looking a little better on offense. Nearing midfield, things started to bog down as New Orleans began to adjust. A catch by Wainwright would fall just shy of picking up the first down, bringing up 4th and 1. Too far out for a FG, Memphis would punt. Tyvon Trinity was back to return it and…it slipped right through his hands and bounced off of his knee upfield! He scrambled to get back on it but one of Memphis’ gunners had dove on it! Costly turnover for New Orleans as Memphis would start a new drive at the New Orleans 19. Bennett play faked on first down but was run down from behind for a big sack by Roman David Sanchez who shot in on a blitz, his 2nd of the game. Bennett threw incomplete on 2nd down, trying to hit Tom Adams along the sideline. On third and long, Bennett rolled right but found no one open and merely ran for about 7 yards before sliding down to avoid a big hit by S Nintendo Bigby. Luigi D'Amore would be called on for the FG attempt. Snap was good, hold was good, kick was…..no good! D’Amore’s struggles would continue as be bounced it off the left upright. Coach Bellavia could only shake his head…

Tricked ya! Still tied 3-3

Points were still a premium here. At least Memphis’ defense got well deserved break and would come on fresh. A run by Tank Jackson on first down was stuffed up for no gain as Memphis had brought a well time run blitz. On 2nd down, Seneca Williams was sacked as he rolled right by…Chemos! He had switched over to the right hand side to change things up and absolutely made Tennessee Rutherford his ***** on the play. Third and long…no dice. New Orleans tried a creative sweep run by Normand Jackson shot through some blockers and ended that. New Orleans would punt and Memphis would start at their own 33. Each team had one more 3 and out with no major success to draw the 3rd quarter to a close.

STILL tied 3-3

Fourth Quarter

After another New Orleans punt, Memphis would start at their own 35 yard line. The lineman on both sides of the ball for each team were clearly winded from the battles they were having up front, the winner of this game would probably be the one with the most willpower to finish it off. Memphis did not display that will power as they experienced another 3 and out here…Tom Adams dropped a sure first down pass on third and long. Memphis would punt yet again. Trinity brought the punt back to the New Orleans 41 on a decent return. Then, New Orleans coach Tommy Brooklyn had an epiphany. Running right into the teeth of the Memphis defense was doing nothing…so how about trying to go around more often? On the first two plays of the drive, New Orleans got across midfield using the good, old fashioned option play. Seneca Williams flipped it out Tank Jackson each time, forcing Memphis’ already tired front to run further on every play. On the next play, Williams kept the ball and went right. His path was all blocked off so he dropped back and reversed field. He was well behind the line of scrimmage now but saw Tyvon Trinity running deep in single coverage. Williams juked backward to dodge the incoming Darius Crocker and fired up a pass deep! Trinity was locked up with Torrain, both jumped….and Trinity hauled it in with Torrain all over him! Touchdown New Orleans with a flag down! PI on Torrain, would be enforced on the kickoff…wow, great playcall there by Coach Brooklyn. The extra point try by Stevens was….blocked! Peefington again! He used his good height and hops to swat it backwards! That may prove key for Memphis if they can turn this game around.

New Orleans leads 9-3

Coach Bellavia was trying to rile up his offense like they were to start the half. Things didn’t go quite that way however…AJ Kampman blew up a running play in the backfield for a loss on first down, then Bennett was forced to scramble for little gain on 2nd down. New Orleans was dialing up another blitz and forced Bennett into throwing off his back foot…the pass floated up and…it was incomplete, nearly picked off. Wainwright managed to bat it away from Bigby or that surely would have been picked…Memphis would have to punt and pray for a defensive stop here. Trinity would fair catch it at the NO 33. Given the way the rest of the game had gone, a 6 point lead seemed insurmountable and New Orleans kept right on running to grind the clock. Memphis’ defensive front was clearly tired as they were losing the ToP battle pretty badly. Killstone and Jackson split carries, along with the occasional scramble by Williams as they battled to the Memphis 40. Defensive Coordinator AC Anderson called a timeout, Memphis’ first, to give his defense a breather. He has been making substitutions for a while now but it seemed like every able-bodied defender Memphis had was exhausted at this point. Captain Normand Jackson tried firing up his troops as they came back onto the field, and would start the drive by making a play himself. He shot in on a blitz and swatted the ball right back into Williams’ face on a short pass attempt. On 2nd down, New Orleans went with their patented “run to the left” strategy. Fulgrim Chemos somehow managed to split between Jabroni James and McMurray but was lit up on a crushing block by Killstone allowing Tank Jackson to slip by for a 7 yard pickup. It was now a critical 3rd down. Memphis sold out to stop the run, only having their corners back deep. They threw everything they had into the line as Tank Jackson ran behind his usual trio of blockers. A big collision between he and Kase-Owens happened right at the first down marker…the refs spotted the ball and called for a measurement….New Orleans was just inches shy. Given that their kicking game had been quite bad today, they decided to go for it with about 3 minutes to play in the game. New Orleans lined up in a heavy running package, with Memphis in a package looking to stop it. Both sides clashed as Seneca Williams turned and handed to….no one! He turned the wrong way and completely missed Killstone!! Defenders broke the line and gave chase! Eric Baby managed to trip him up as Williams fired hoping to hit Tank Jackson but instead hit Normand Jackson right in the gut! Normand bobbled the ball around a bit but reeled it in for the pick! He tore off downfield with Tank Jackson in hot pursuit! Normand crossed midfield, to the 40, to the 30….finally Tank dove ahead took out his legs causing Normand to stumble and go down around the 20! Wowie wow wow wow….what a turn of events.

Phew, mass confusion ensued as both coaches were jawing to officials about one thing or another, but the play would stand. Memphis would start with the ball at the New Orleans 21 yard line and about 2:30 to play. New Orleans began playing a bit of prevent defense allowing Bennett more time to find targets. He hit Wainwright on first down to move closer, then Willich on a screen for the first down at the 10. It would be 1st and goal after the 2 minute warning.

New Orleans brought heat on first down, forcing Bennett to take it himself for 2 yards. Then Bennett hit Willich on a short pass over the middle to get inside the 5 and bring up 3rd down. Then they took one of their two timeouts. Bellavia gave them a quick speech, and back they went. Bennett faked a toss to Willich and rolled to his right, Coleman in hot pursuit. Bennett saw a lane to his right and ran for the pylon! Coleman was catching up from behind and two New Orleans DBs gave chase from the front! Bennett dove, being hit as he did…he reached the ball out for the pylon and knocked it over! Touchdown Memphis!!

But……the extra point. D’Amore has probably been the league’s worst kicker to date. Coach Bellavia grabbed him by the facemask as he went to go on the field and just looked into his eyes, not saying anything. He then patted him on the helmet and let him go onto the field. The snap was good, hold was good, kick was……right down the middle.

Memphis leads 10-9

New Orleans brought the return out to the 31 and would have one timeout to work with after using a few earlier in the half during some of their struggles. They came on in a pass heavy look, unusual for them. Williams hit an open Tank Jackson in the flat on the first play and he had a lot of space in the flat to pick up 15 yards. Williams hurried his team to the line, dropped back and put up a pass left for Bubba Franklin as…interception! Kase-Owens! He returned it a short way before sliding to a stop. Game sealed. A few kneels by Bennett and it was game over!

Memphis Wins 10-9

Memphis stats:

Passing:
William Bennett – 14/30 – 127 yards – 0 TD – 1 INT

Rushing:
Marcellus Willich – 16 carries – 39 yards – 0 TD – 0 fumbles
Williams Bennett – 11 carries – 60 yards – 1 TD – 0 fumbles

Receiving:
Brock Wainwright – 4 catches – 68 yards – 0 TD – 0 drops
Tom Adams – 1 catch – 12 yards – 0 TD – 1 drop
Marcellus Willich – 6 catches – 35 yards – 0 TD – 1 drop

Blocking:
Caesar Moonblood – 2 pancakes – 2 sacks allowed
Jameson Johnson – 1 pancake – 1 sack allowed
Thermopylae Jones – 2 pancakes – 0 sacks allowed

Defensive:
Darius Crocker – 4 tackles – 1 TFL
Fulgrim Chemos – 6 tackles – 1 sack – 1 TFL – 1 PBU
Eric F. Baby – 5 tackles
Normand Jackson – 14 tackles – 2 TFL – 1 INT – 1 PBU
Nicholas Torrain – 2 tackles – 1 PBU
Orion Johnson – 3 tackles
Tyson Kase-Owens – 8 tackles – 1 TFL – 1 INT – 1 PBU
Butch Peefington – 5 tackles – 1 PBU
Stafon Claxton – 3 tackles

Kicking:
Luigi D’Amore – ½ FG – 1/1 XP

New Orleans Stats:

Passing:
Seneca Williams – 6/15 – 87 yards – 1 TD – 2 INT

Rushing:
Tank Jackson – 25 carries – 80 yards – 0 TD – 0 fumbles
Anger Killstone – 13 carries – 41 yards – 0 TD – 0 fumbles
Seneca Williams – 15 caries – 55 yards – 0 TD – 0 fumbles

Receiving:
Tyvon Trinity – 1 catch – 40 yards – 1 TD – 0 drops
Tank Jackson – 3 catches – 15 yards – 0 TD – 0 drops
Anger Killstone – 1 catch – 1 yard – 0 TD – 0 drops

Blocking:
Jabroni James – 8 pancakes – 0 sacks allowed
David McMurray – 6 pancakes – 0 sacks allowed
Charles Zarnes – 4 pancakes – 0 sacks allowed
Tennessee Rutherford – 6 pancakes – 1 sack allowed
Anger Killstone – 4 pancakes – 0 sacks allowed

Defensive:
Domenik Coleman – 5 tackles – 1 TFL
Heath Rawlings – 6 tackles – 1 sack
Roman David Sanchez – 5 tackles – 2 sacks – 2 TFL
AJ Kampman – 4 tackles – 1 TFL
Joseph Schwab – 8 tackles – 1 TFL
Al Harrison – 3 tackles – 2 PBU
Randy Duncan – 5 tackles – 1 INT
Nintendo Bigby – 4 tackles – 1 PBU

Kicking:
Kris Stevens – ½ FG – 0/1 XP

Return:
Tyvon Trinity – 26.2 KRA – 9.1 PRA – 1 fumble

[diabsoule]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/HonoluluWave2.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/WyomingJackalopes-1.gif

Week 3 – Honolulu Wave (1-1) @ Wyoming Jackalopes (0-2)

Hello and welcome to lovely Cheyenne, Wyoming. I'm Vince Scully bringing you today's game between the Honolulu Wave and the Wyoming Jackalopes. Honolulu is coming off of a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Sacramento Attack while Wyoming has struggled to find a win in their first two games. Both teams come into this game eager for a win so stayed tune!

First Quarter

And we're back just in time for kickoff! Honolulu won the toss and has elected to defer to the second quarter. Walt Turnbow sets up the kickoff team, winds up, and boots a deep end-over-end ball to the 1 yard line where it is fielded by Kenneth Scott. Scott tears up field then abruptly laterals to Dwayne Camacho! Camacho takes the ball and squirts between two would be tackles, he zigs, he zags, and he finds an opening! Finally Camacho is taken down at the Jackalopes 45 yard line. Already to start the game and we have seen a little trickery at the hands of Wyoming.
The Wyoming offense sprints to the field led by QB Herman Plainview. This offense is more than capable of putting points on the board so lets see what they can do on their first drive. They come out in a split back formation, two wide receivers split to the right. Plainview takes the snap, steps back, and hands it off to Marshall Taylor. Taylor breaks right following his fullback and barrels through some would-be tacklers before being dragged down at the Honolulu 49 yard line for a gain of six yards. Second down, I formation. Plainview takes the snap, rolls out, looks down field, cocks his arm, and he launches... NO! The pass is deflected. Scott Carr looked like a man possessed as he shrugged off his blocker and was there just in time to swat the ball down. 3rd and 4 now for the Wyoming offense. This time Plainview would line up in the shotgun, Taylor behind him. The ball is snapped, Plainview gazes down field, then hands off to Taylor in a beautifully designed draw play that caught the Honolulu defense off guard. Taylor shoots between the right guard and center and dashes towards the side-line before he is wrestled down by Will Franks-Turner. However, Taylor gained 8 yards on the play for a first down. Honolulu did not take that well as you see Scott Carr in the defensive huddle yelling at his teammates trying to fire them up and watch their assignment. 1st down, Plainview steps back to hand the ball off again but this time there was some miscommunication in the backfield as Taylor went one way. Plainview had to take the ball on his own and try to make something happen but too late. Drake McDonald was already in the backfield and notched his first sack of the game for a loss of 2. 2nd and 12 and Wyoming fared no better as Scott Carr tore through the Wyoming offensive line for a 1 yard tackle for loss. 3rd down and Wyoming is going backwards. Plainview comes out, trips to the left, hikes the ball, falls back and fires a laser. He catches Darnell Bird in stride as the defense was confused by the Wyoming receivers routes. Bird prances down field before stepping out of bounds to avoid would could have been a knock-out blow by FS Quentin Brown. The damage was down, though, as this was another Wyoming first down and a gain of 16 yards. Wyoming is now at the Honolulu 30 yard line. First down and Wyoming runs a sweep to the left for a gain of 3 yards. The next down Honolulu runs an off tackle to the left for a gain of 4 yards. 3rd and a manageable 3 and another Wyoming run. This time it was a screen pass to the right to Taylor who picks up 5 yards. Wyoming is sure doing a great job at spreading the Honolulu defense. A fresh set of downs at the Honolulu 18 yard line and easy field goal range. On first down Plainview hands off to the fullback who plows his way ahead for a minimal 2 yard gain. Scott Carr was there to make the tackle. This drive has already taken six minutes off the clock. Second down and Wyoming runs an option to the right with Plainview faking a toss to Taylor but opting to keep it and wrestle his way ahead for a 6 yard gain. 3rd down, Plainview steps back and fires a beautiful pass to an open TE Logan Stevens at the one yard line who barely has to jog to make it into the endzone. K Daniel Santiago comes onto the field and boots the extra point through with ease.

Wyoming 7 Honolulu 0

Boy, Honolulu's defense does not look happy coming off the field especially linebacker Scott Carr. Daniel Santiago comes out to kick it off to the Honolulu special teams and it... doesn't look like he connected all the way. If Honolulu can return this even just a little bit they should be in good field position. Carl Steptoe fields it at the 16 yard line and dashes upfield following his blockers. He pushes his way through to the Wave 37 yard line. Looks like both teams will start with good field positions to open the game.
QB Michael Vick and the Wave offense trot onto the field with 6:37 to work with until the half. First play from scrimmage and Vick steps back to pass, he fires, and he connects with Ray Leonard for a gain of 4. 2nd down and Vick again falls back to pass, looks like Wyoming is sending pressure, he looks right then WHAM! Azi Kwame nailed him on a well-timed corner blitz which Vick never saw coming. LT George Hall tried to put a body on Kwame but he was just too fast. That is a loss of 5 and it is now 3rd and 11 for Honolulu at their own 36 yard line. Vick has four wide now, he gets the ball, he pump-fakes left then fires right to a streaking Eko Mutumbo and he catches him stride! Mutumbo jukes a defender then it's off to the races before he wrestled down by Dwayne Camacho but that pass has taken Honolulu from the shadow of their endzone and into Wyoming territory. A 26 yard play and the ball will be spotted at the Wyoming 38 yard line. The 1st first down for Honolulu will also see their first run and it is not pretty. Tyrone Taylor zips through the line and wrestled Leonard down for a loss of 2. He was in the backfield so fast that he almost received the hand-off. 2nd down and a pass from Vick to TE Eli Wright for a gain of 8. 3rd and 4 will see a Ray Leonard run between the LT and LG and.. Oh, this will be close. The chain gang is called out and Honolulu will be short by inches. A tough decision for Wave coach Andy Johnson. It will be a 42 yard field goal. In a play it safe moment Andy Johnson calls for his kicker, who is far from automatic at long distance. The kicking unit sets up, the ball is snapped, placed, and he boots. Oh, it's ugly but is it? It is! It's good! The ball literally hit the right up-right and bounced in. Honolulu catches a break. If he would not have made that coach Johnson would have been questioned tomorrow.

Wyoming 7 Honolulu 3

With 2:13 seconds left to play in the half, Honolulu's kicker jogs onto the field and boots a line drive to a waiting Dwayne Camacho. He will not have the success he did on his first return. Honolulu's special teams unit swarms him before he gets going and Wyoming will have to take over at the 17 yard line. Plainview takes the team out on the field and it looks like Wyoming will go back to the running game that worked so well for them on their first drive. In a designed QB keeper, Plainview drops back, pump fakes to the right then scrambles left, he dodges a diving tackler making him eat grass, cuts outside, then steps out of bounds for a gain of 7. That was some nifty footwork by Plainview. I wish I could move like that. 2nd down and Drake McDonald slips past Ray Tyson and annihilates Plainview. Oh, that hit looks nasty. Ray Tyson is just shaking his head as Drake just used finesse and speed to zoom past him. Plainview is slow to get up but manages to dust himself off. It is now 3rd and 7 after a 4 yard loss. Plainview hands the ball off to Taylor who squirts the line but is literally tossed down by Scott Carr in a monstrous show of brute strength. 4th and 4 and Wyoming will have to punt. Dante Dassler comes out and boots a thundering kick with excellent hang time allowing the Wyoming defenders to arrive on time which forces Carl Steptoe to signal a fair catch at the Honolulu 44. And with that we have reached the end of the first quarter and what an exciting quarter it has been!

End of First Quarter

Wyoming 7 Honolulu 3

Second Quarter

Michael Vick and company come onto the field looking to take the lead. On 1st down a run by Ray Leonard is snuffed out by DT Inky Stiles. 2nd down and Michael Vick is under center, the snap, Vick drops and he hands the ball of to Ray Leonard who plows ahead then he flips it back to Vick. Flea flicker! Vick reads down field and lobs it up to Ricky Smith who is tightly covered by Azi Kwame, who was not fooled by the flea flicker. Both guys jump, it's a battle for the ball, but Azi Kwame comes down with it. Interception! Kwame lands on his feet, struggling to gain his balance, finds it, and takes off. This man can run like a deer, I'm telling ya. He's following his blocker with big Tyrone Taylor leading the way. Ray Leonard is trying to catch him but it's off to the races for Kwame. He easily escapes a tackle by big center Trevor Andrews. Ray Leonard dives but catches nothing but grass. Kwame has taken this thing back to the house! A 54 yard interception return for a touchdown. The Wyoming crowd is going nuts. Walt Turnbow steps onto the field for the extra point and it is good. Oh my!

Wyoming 14 Honolulu 3

Turnbow comes onto the field to kick off to return man Carl Steptoe who brings it out to the Wave 27 yard line. It's back to work for Michael Vick and the offense. Head coach Andy Johnson still has faith in his young QB and they come out firing. First a short pass to Eko Mutumbo for six yards, then a dart to Eli Wright for 5 yards and a first down. Another 4 yard strike to Ricky Smith who is dragged down by MLB Charlie Mack. A quick toss to Ray Leonard for 5 yards and the Wave offense seem to have possibly found their rhythm. On 3rd and 1 Vick steps back to pass, avoids a Tarik Lewis tackle and fires it to Ray Leonard for yet another 6 yards. The offense seems to be nickel and diming their way down field. Another 1st down and another dink pass to FB Clark Pounds for 3 yards. The Jackalope defense is going to have to do something to stop the Honolulu short passing game as they are on the Wyoming 44 yard line. On 1st down Wyoming throws a bubble screen pass to Ray Leonard but he is lit up by Dan Baker. That hit was meant to send a message. 2nd down, a pump fake, and a quick hit to TE Eli Wright for 7 yards. 3rd and 3 to go and Vick starts in the I formation. He reads the defense, sends Eli Wright in motion, snaps the ball, and tosses it to Carl Steptoe in the flat who pushes upfield for another gain of 4 yards and another first down. Honolulu is really working the clock hoping not to give the ball back to Wyoming before the end of the quarter. 1st down and Vick again steps back to pass but he is drilled by blitzing linebacker Tyrone Taylor for a loss of 3. 2nd down, Vick back to pass and fires a rocket to TE Eli Wright who bobbles it but comes up with it before he is rocked by Dan Baker. I don't know if that ball came out or not. Apparently the refs don't either as they are going to have to take a look under the hood. Oh this is a close call. From one point of view it looks like a catch but from another it looks like he may have dropped it. Their taking their time out there. Finally, here comes the ref and he is sig-nal-ing a... fair catch. Oh, Honolulu caught a break there. That is an 11 yard gain and a first down. Wyoming's defense is on their heels. The Wave are in easy field goal range now but I don't think they want to settle for that. Vick lines up under center, takes the snap, and tosses it to Ray Leonard whose running around the tackle, wait, he's pausing, no! He's passing. Oh the trickeration! The ball is up and into the hands of Eko Mutumbo who falls down on the 3 yard line. Wow. Wow. Wow. What a play. Honolulu head coach Andy Johnson is dialing up all the plays in his playbook. A flea flicker and now a half-back option toss. This game is really exciting, folks. Honolulu comes to the line of scrimmage lined up in a Power I formation. Vick takes the snap and gives it to Ray Leonard who plows his way in between the LG and C, who give a tremendous push. Leonard keeps his legs moving pushing the pile, Michael Vick is even back there pushing Leonard forward. Finally the pile collapses but it looks like the ball is past the pile-on. Is it? Where's the signal? The rubble from the pile is being cleared off and yes, there's the signal. Touchdown! Walt Turnbow comes onto the field and boots the extra point straight down the middle. We've got a game here folks.

Wyoming 14 Honolulu 10

Turnbow boots it deep where Dwayne Camacho will have to take a knee in the endzone for a touchback. It seems like it's been quite a while since we have seen Wyoming's offense. They should be well rested. On first down, Wyoming keeps it on the ground and gives it to Marshall Taylor for an off-tackle run for a gain of 3. 2nd down and a hand off to big bruising back Murray Bing who barrels through the line for a gain of 5. That fella has some power. 3rd and 2, Plainview falls back and fires a pass off to Logan Stevens who steps out of bounds at the Wyoming 31 for a first down. Wyoming is going to have to work fast in order to get in field goal range. I don't know if their offense is built for that, though. I guess we'll find out. 1st down Plainview gets the snap and fires to Bird on a quick out for a gain of 4 and he managed to step out of bounds on the right side of the field. 2nd down and 6 Plainview takes the snap and runs to his left, another option play and it looks like Scott Carr has this one sniffed out. BAM! Plainview is nailed but not before he managed to flip the ball to Marshall Taylor who runs for a couple more yards before he steps out of bounds for a gain of 5. 3rd and 1 and now it's Wyoming's turn to inch their way down field. The ball is snapped, Plainview fires a quick strike to Darnell Bird on a WR screen, he slips past Will Franks-Turner and proceeds up field. He needs to get out of bounds. He's still flying upfield but there is no way he's going to make it. Ugh! I shouldn't have said anything. Ugeuth Ogbannaya just lit him up. That shot knocked Bird's helmet off. His brain is going to look like scrambled eggs after that shot. Bird's taking his time getting up. Wyoming Head Coach Chet Taylor is going to have to take a time out here. I hope he is ok. That hit is going to show up on SportsCenter later.
After the time-out and Bird is still on the side-line. He looks a bit woozy but he's on his feet and standing next to Coach Taylor. Wyoming isn't working with much clock. Bird wasted a lot of clock by failing to get out of bounds. It was a 14 yard gain but he paid for it. Wyoming is at the Honolulu 46 yard line but they have 1:13 seconds to work with. 1st down and Plainview sets back to pass and hits Marshall Taylor in the flat who just barely manages to wiggle his way out of bounds for a minimal gain of 2 yards. 2nd down now and Plainview hits Logan Stevens in stride but he is lit up by Drake McDonald which causes Stevens to drop the ball. The refs are ruling that he did not have possession. Oh, there's a break for Wyoming. 3rd down and 8. Plainview is in the shotgun but Bird is still not on the field. He hikes the ball, scans the field, the pressure is coming, Plainview is going to have to do something with it. He finally flings it downfield to a streaking Marshall Taylor but he overthrows him. Wyoming is going to have to trot their punter onto the field as they are not in field goal range. Dante Dassler comes on and boots a high, hanging kick that bounces out of bounds at the 9 yard line.
Honolulu takes the field but won't have much time to work with and seems content to take a couple of knees to run the clock out.

Wyoming 14 Honolulu 10

Halftime

And we're back from halftime and we have a tight one here. Both teams are going into the well pulling out all kinds of nifty plays just to get a couple yards down field. We have already seen a kickoff lateral, a flea flicker, and a half-back toss. This is going to be a hard-fought game which is sure to leave both teams exhausted. It looks like both teams are heading back onto the field so lets get ready for some second-half action here in Cheyenne!

During the coin flip Honolulu deferred so they will receive in the second half. K Daniel Santiago steps onto the field and boots a high, floating kick to Carl Steptoe who fields it at the 4 yard line and begins shooting upfield only to be upended at the 21 yard line. Michael Vick and the Honolulu offense come back onto the field. They used the short passing game to great effect before the end of the first half so lets see if they will continue chipping their way downfield. Vick in a pro-set formation. The ball is hiked and Vick falls back and fires it but it sails over his intended receivers head. I would tell you who the receiver was but there was no one wearing a Honolulu jersey anywhere close to the ball. 2nd down and Vick in an Ace formation. He fakes the the hand off, sets his feet and fires it over to Ray Leonard and Boom goes the dynamite. Leonard is absolutely lit up by Dan Baker. I don't see how Leonard held onto the ball. He will definitely feel that hit tomorrow and probably the next day. Leonard bounces up like nothing happened and runs back over to the huddle. That boy is made of steel. 3rd and 6 for the wave offense in an obvious passing down. Vick in a shotgun, gets the ball, plants his feet and fires a laser to Eko Mutumbo who bobbles it and drops it. Oh, man, he had nothing but field in front of him. That's a typical case of thinking about running before you have the ball. Wave P Herbert Heckleman goes onto the field for the first time today to punt it away. The ball is set and ALMOST BLOCKED! He barely managed to get that ball but it isn't pretty by any stretch of the imagination. It looks like he hit it off the side of his shoe and this ball isn't going very far. Looks like Wyoming will get the ball at the 50 yard line. A 29 yard punt. Coach Johnson is giving the rookie punter a “welcome to the DCFL” pep talk on the sidelines. I would not want to be that kid. If Johnson was a cartoon he would have steam coming out of his ears.

It is now Wyoming and Herman Plainview's turn to see what they can do and they have excellent field position. The set up in a two TE formation with Taylor and Bing in the backfield. Plainview sends Taylor in motion to the slot, hikes the ball and hands off to Bing and he barrels his way between the right guard and right tackle for a gain of 4. That boy looks like a bulldozer out there. 2nd down, I formation, same backfield and a hand-off this time to Taylor who tries the left side for 3 yards. 3rd down and 3 and Wyoming sets up in the old-fashioned T formation with a full backfield. The exchange is good and Taylor has a host of blockers in front, he zips through the O-line, dodges a tackle and he is into the Honolulu secondary for a gain of 11. Wyoming is adamant to shove the ball down Honolulu's throat. 1st down, I formation, Plainview hikes the ball and sends the ball flying over to Darnell Bird on a quick out for a gain of 4 yards. 2nd and 6, Ace formation, and another Bing run this time to the left side for a gain of 6. That big boy is punishing would-be tacklers. 1st down for Wyoming and they are moving seemingly unopposed down field. Honolulu LB Scott Carr is not happy about that as they are deep in Wave territory. Pro-Set offense this time, Plainview takes the snap, fakes the hand-off to Bing and finds Logan Stevens down field for a gain of 10 and another Wyoming first down on the Honolulu 12 yard line. Two TE set again, this time Honolulu is bringing 8 in the box, hand-off to Taylor who goes nowhere. Drake McDonald looks like he has had enough. 2nd and 10 at the 12, Pro-Set offense. Plainview takes the snap and rolls right, looks at his targets, can't find any then tosses it back across field to Marshall Taylor who is wide open on the opposite side of the field! Plainview had taken all of the defenders with him. Taylor catches the ball and coasts along the side line for a touchdown! Wait, there are whistles on the field, what happened? The refs are saying he stepped out at the 3 yard line! What a terrible mistake. This is bringing up 3rd and 1. He didn't even get the first down. Coach Chet Taylor is furious. He is on the field doing his best Jim Haslett impression. 3rd down and Wyoming brings in their big bodies and line up in the power I. Plainview takes the snap and takes it himself in a QB sneak and it looks like he clearly has the first down. This drive has taken forever it seems. Wyoming comes out in the goal-line formation, Plainview hands the ball off to Bing who is stood up by Scott Carr! Amazing. 2nd down, same formation for both teams, Plainview takes the snap and tosses it to Taylor who is just out of reach of Drake McDonald and is in for the score. Santiago comes onto the field for the extra point and it is up and in!

Wyoming 21 Honolulu 10

Santiago comes on with the kickoff team and squibs it to end the half. Honolulu will have a whole quarter to work with to make up an 11 point deficit.

End of 3rd Quarter

4th Quarter

With that squib kick Honolulu will set up in good field position at the 37 yard line. Michael Vick and crew come out to open the fourth and final quarter of play. Vick takes the snap and tosses the ball to Ray Leonard who follows his blockers in a power sweep to the right side and runs for a gain of 6 before being brought down by Dwayne Camacho. 2nd and 4, 4 wide, Vick under center, takes the step, drops back, looks downfield and dumps it off to Ray Leonard again who bruises his way ahead for a gain of 5. 1st down at the Honolulu 48 yard line. 1st down and a hand off out of Ace formation brings Ray Leonard nowhere as he is bundled up by Dan Baker who was coming in on a safety blitz. 2nd and 10 and Honolulu lines up in a singleback. Vick takes the snap, drops back to pass after faking the hand-off to Ray Leonard but that fools no one. All the receivers seem to be covered, Vick buys time with his feet and finds his big TE Eli Wright downfield for a gain of 6. 3rd and a critical 4 at the Wyoming 46 yard line. Vick lines up in the pro-set, send Ray Leonard in motion and he settles in at the slot. The ball is hiked, Vick drops back, the pressure is coming! Vick ducks past a tackler, rolls left and throws across his body to Leonard who catches the ball but is obliterated by Azi Kwame. What a tackle! That looks to be a gain of 3 but lets see. The zebras come out onto the field for a measurement and yes, he is just less than a yard away from getting the first down. Tough decision here for Coach Johnson. You can see him discussing with his defensive coordinator. They elect to go for it and keep Vick and company on the field after making a couple of substitutions. Let's see what they dial up here. Vick comes to the line, looks like their lined up in a off-set I formation. Wyoming has their defense close to the line with safety Dan Baker creeping up showing blitz. Vick sends Eli Wright in motion, looks like the defense is playing man coverage. Vick issues a hard count trying to entice the defense off-sides, it's not working. Play-clock is winding down, Vick snaps the ball, falls back, Leonard comes out the backfield, the receivers are working downfield but our tightly covered, Vick goes through the motions and fires it to Leonard but he sails it too high. Oh, flag on the field! This could be roughing the passer. Let's see

Personal foul, number 97, roughing the passer. 15 yard penalty, automatic first down!

Wow. Wyoming would have received the ball in excellent field position. Tarik Lewis knows it and so does Coach Taylor who has yanked him off the field and his chewing him out. Folks, I hope none of you can read lips. It is now a first down deep in Wyoming territory for the Wave offense. Vick seems to want to take advantage of Lewis being out of the game and calls a toss play to Leonard around the right side which goes for 6 yards. Honolulu is almost in the red zone with the ball spotted on the 21 yard line. This drive has eaten up seven minutes already. What a brilliant display of clock management by Coach Johnson. Another running play and another run to the right, this time an off-tackle which nets three yards. 3rd and 1 and they are now in the red zone. Wyoming now is bringing more guys up to the line as Tarik Lewis enters the game again. Vick steps to the line, snaps the ball, and fakes a toss to Leonard who is met by Tarik Lewis in the backfield. Vick instead immediately fires to Eli Wright for a gain of seven yards and a first down. 1st down at the 11 yard line. The Wave break the huddle come to line and set up in a Ace formation. Vick takes the snap, rolls left and fires downfield for Eko Mutumbo, the ball might be too high, no, Mutumbo plucks it out of the sky right over the head of Dwayne Camacho. Touchdown Honolulu!
The field goal unit is not coming out onto the field, it looks like Coach Johnson is going for two. The Wave offense comes out and lines up in a two TE set, a receiver each opposite the QB. Wyoming looks to bring pressure. The ball is hiked, Vike drops back, pressure coming hard, and he fires it to Eli Wright who dives outstretching his hand and yes! The ball crossed the plain before his knee touched. Two point conversion good!

Wyoming 21 Honolulu 18

Walt Turnbow comes onto the field and kicks it deep to Dwayne Camacho. He sprints ahead following the wedge, heads to the sideline and is decked by Scott Carr. Looks like the ball will be spotted at the Wyoming 31 yard line. Decent field position. 6:03 on the clock. Herman Plainview brings the offense onto the field which should be well-rested. They line up in an I formation and a hand-off to Bing will net 5 yards. On second down and another hand-off to Bing will bring them 2 yards away from the first down. 3rd down and a screen pass to Marshall Taylor will get a first down and a gain of 3. Looks like Coach Taylor is going to try and milk the clock and it will be up to the Honolulu defense to stop them. First down, power I, Plainview hikes it and hands it off to Taylor who pushes his way ahead for 4 yards. 2nd down another run and another gain of 5 yards by Bing. Honolulu is having a very hard time with him. 3rd down and 1 and a hand-off to seldom used RB Stephen Johnson who goes off the LT and is into the open field. He is brought down by Will Franks-Turner but it's a gain of 14 yards. Looks like those fresh legs come in handy. Already there has been 3 minutes eaten off the clock. 1st down at the Honolulu 35 yard line. The Jackalopes come to the line in a off-set I, Honolulu looks to be selling out to stop the run by bringing eight in the box. Plainview hands the ball off to Taylor who is stuffed by Drake McDonald for no gain. Second down and a hand-off to Bing who bruises his way ahead for 2 yards but is brought down by Scott Carr. This drive may be stalling. 3rd and 8 for Wyoming. Plainview comes to the line, I formation, the ball is hiked, a fake hand off to Bing and Plainview fires downfield to Darnell Bird who catches it and go out of bounds at the Honolulu 23 yard line for a gain of 12 and a first down! 2:11 seconds show on the play clock now that Bird went out of bounds. Plainview comes to the line, I formation again, this time he drops back to pass again and is planted by Scott Carr coming on a blitz. That was a nasty hit and Plainview couldn't escape. That will be a loss of 6. 2nd and 16 as we enter the two minute warning.

The Jackalopes come to the line after the two-minute warning and line up in a single-back field. Plainview hikes the ball and hands it off to Taylor who gets back to the original line of scrimmage for a gain of 6. Wyoming comes to the line and sets up in a Pro-Set offense. Plainview gets the ball, drops back and fires it for Phillip Garcia but it goes between his hands. Coach Taylor sends out K Daniel Santiago to attempt a 36 yard field goal. The snap, the ball is set, laces are out, and the kick is up and it is good. Just inside the left upright.

Wyoming 24 Honolulu 18

1:32 seconds on the play clock which won't be much for Honolulu to work with. Santiago boots the kick off deep Carl Steptoe is there to return, he runs forward, jukes left, finds a seam, and he's off! All he has to beat is the kicker and wow! Hahaha! Daniel Santiago just planted him. I've never seen a kicker hit like that. The ball will be spotted at the 46 yard line of Honolulu. Vick and the Wave offense step back onto the field. They will need to score a touchdown for the victory. Vick steps up and places his hands under center, he has four wide, he steps back, all his options are covered but he finds Eli Wright downfield who catches it and runs forward for a couple of yards before he is dragged down by Dan Baker. That gets the Wave a gain of 12 and into Wyoming territory. 1st down and shotgun formation, Vick sends a receiver in motion, he takes the snap, falls back to pass and underthrows his receiver. That ball was almost picked off by Azi Kwame. 2nd down. Shotgun formation again, Vick steps back and fires it to Ray Leonard who picks up 6 before stepping out of bounds. 3rd and 4. :42 seconds left. Vick steps to the line, gets the snap, and tosses it on a quick strike to Eko Mutumbo for a first down but Dwayne Camacho keeps him from going out of bounds. Coach Johnson opts not to call a time out and urges Vick to get his guys to the line. We're in a huddle up offense here, Vick gets the ball and finds Leonard in the flat for a gain of 3 but Leonard can't find his way out of bounds. Coach Johnson will have to call a time-out here. :23 left on the clock. Ball is at the Wyoming 29 yard line. The Wave offense come back onto the field, empty backfield, Leonard split out wide. The ball is hiked, Vick scans the field and can't find anyone but Eli Wright is open and Vick hits him for a gain of 8. Vick hurries his guys to the line and spikes the ball. :17 left. Ball at the 21 of Wyoming. Honolulu comes to the line, shotgun, trips right, ball is hiked, pressure is coming and Vick smartly throws it away. :13 left. 2nd down. Michael Vick comes to the line, shot gun formation, hikes the ball, scans the field and throws it to Leonard for a gain of 5 before he steps out. :8 seconds left. Ball on the Wyoming 16. This could be the last play of the game. Honolulu's offense comes to the line. They set up in the shotgun, the ball is snapped, looks like Wyoming is dropping everyone back into coverage. Vick is getting good protection. He's scanning the field and buying time with his feet. He see's someone! He cocks his arm and throws it towards Ricky Smith. INTERCEPTION! Dwayne Camacho was sitting in a zone and timed it perfectly diving in front of the ball and intercepting it to preserve the win.

Final

Wyoming 24 Honolulu 18

Wyoming wins! Wyoming wins! Their first win of the season! What a game!

Stats

Wyoming

Herman Plainview - 18/24 - 213 yards - 2 TD - 5 rush att - 24 yards
Marshall Taylor - 17 rushes - 85 yards - 1 TD
Darnell Bird - 5 catches - 50 yards
Logan Stevens - 3 catches - 25 yards - 1 TD
Ray Tyson - 8 pancakes - 1 sack given up
Terrance Jacobs - 6 pancakes - 1 sack given up

Tarik Lewis - 4 tkls - 1 TFL
Tyrone Taylor - 8 tackles - 1 TFL
Dwayne Camacho - 7 tackles - 1 INT - 3 PBU
Azi Kwame - 6 tackles - 1 INT - 1 sack - 1 TD - 2 PBU
Dan Baker - 6 tackles - 1 PBU

Daniel Santiago - 1/1 FB - 3/3 XP

Honolulu

Michael Vick - 16/25 - 184 yards - 1 TD - 2 INT
Ray Leonard - 11 rushes - 65 yards - 1 TD - 10 rec - 58 yards
Eko Mutumbo - 5 rec - 58 yards - 1 TD - 1 drop
Eli Wright - 9 rec - 67 yards - 1 2pt conversion
Trevor Andrews - 8 pancakes

Drake McDonald - 6 tackles - 2 TFL - 1 Sack
Scott Carr - 11 tackles - 1 PBU - 1 sack - 3 TFL
Ian Wells - 5 tackles
Will Franks-Turner - 5 tackles - 2 PBU
Quentin Brown - 4 tackles

Walt Turnbow - 1/1 FG - 1/1 XP

[eaglesalltheway]

Pittsburgh Xplosion (1-1)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/PittsburghExplosion.gif
at Sacramento Attack (2-0)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/SacramentoAttack.gif

Welcome to normally lovely Sacramento, California, where the Pittsburgh Explosion not only bring a talented team, but it seems they've brought some nasty weather with them. We will be experiencing torrential downpours throughout this contest, and winds approaching 35 mph. These factors will undoubtedly have an effect on this game.

Pittsburgh is coming off of a tough, physicl game with New Orleans, in which the defense was flat out abused byt New Orleans offense. They will be looking to recover from that loss, but this weather certainly won't be helping their cause. Sacramento comes in with a high powered offense. With great players at all levels, but will the conditions effect QB Scott Wright's effectiveness? Stay tuned to find out, as the first wuarter is on its way!

First Quarter

Pitt wins the toss, and elects to receive. The return man Issac Justice, would field the sopping wet ball at his 7, after it had bounced at the 14. He would return it back to the 25, running downhill the whole time, as changing direction will not be effective in these sloppy conditions. Seth HArris and Al Wood take the field, and start off with 3 consecutive runs for Harris, gainign Pitt a first down. Wood completes a pass to Frank Williams, who barrels through CB Harold Mouton, but is finally brought down by Kyle Carpenter, after a gain of 22. Pitt would continue the drive, implementing mostly runs and short passes, and worked their way down to Sacramento's 6 yard line. Mouton would atone for his earlier play in the drive by breaking up pass inteded for Frank Williams in the End Zone. Then DT Leonard Spocklestein would tackle Seth Harris for a loss. Wood's thrid down attempt would be nealry interecepted by OLB Bunj Torres, but couldn't get a handle on the ball do to the torrential downpours. Birch would come on to attempt a 26 yard kick, and in these condidtions, even a short attempt like this isn't a gimmie. So much can go wrong before the kick itself. But the snap, hold, and kick would all be good, and Pitt would assume the lead. The ball could be seen hooking way leftafter it passed the uprights, an indicator of just how strong the winds are today.

Pitt Leads 3-0

Birch's kickoff would fly out of bounds, Samuel Adams wouldn't even have an opportunity to return it. QB Scott Wright leads Sacramento's offense on to the field for the first time at their own 40. With weapons in both the pasing game and running game, Sacramento looked to take advantage of a Pitt defense that mustn't have too much confidence after last week's defeat. This wasn't the case, however, as Crucial would be held to two runs, netting just one yard, and a pass for TJ Sunstein would sail right of the big target. Pitt's defense was making sure a repeat of last week wouldn't happen again. Horace Crosby would punt it away, the ball going out of bounds at the 22, not the best kick, though acceptable given the circumstances.

Wood and Harris man the backfield once again, and would start with another odse of Harris on first and second down. Bane would tackle him at the line of scrimmage on first down, and tackle him in the flat on second down. He is a gamer in every sense of the word,as he must not be 100% right now, but he is still doing his job. A Wood pass would fall incomplete and Pitt woudl be forced to punt. Matt Burns would boot this one away, and the ball would land at Sacramento's 42. It didn't bounce anywhere else, just landed with a large "Thwaaap". Sacramento would take over from there.

Wright and the offense would take the field as the first wuarter came widnign down. Crucial would receive a pass and net a gain of 7, and Sunstein would gain 6 on a quick pass from Wright. That is how the first quarter would come to an end.

Second Quarter

Crucial would begin the second quarter with a nice inside run behind his FB Darnell Webster for a gain of 11, gaining another first down.

Pitt's situation would get worse on the next play, however as Kenny Mustain, coming in for a tackle on Webster, would be fallen on by Sacramento OL Steven Nguyen. Mustain was laying on his back grabbing his knee, writhing in pain. This didn't look good at all. He would be carried off the field, but he wasn't even putting any pressure on his right leg. Info to come as soon as we get any news on the situation. Sacramento would test his replacement, Luke Stryker, on the very next play on a pass to Sunstein. His CB has slipped at the snap of the ball, and Sunstien had Stryker in his sights after he would receive the ball. Sunstein met Stryker with a thunderous crunch, knocking Stryker down into the mud. With no one else to help, Sunstein would glide into the end zone for a 34 yard TD, then used the end zone as his own personal slip and slide. The kick would be good, despite the extra distance on it form Sunstein's excessive celebration penalty, and Sacramento takes the lead.

[spolier] Attack lead 7-3[/spoiler]

K William Beckum's kickoff would go out of bounds, due to the howling winds, and Pitt would take over in good field position with just over 10 minutes remaining in the quarter. Wood was met abruptly by DE Hal Jordan on first down, after the X stunt performed by him and DT Leonard Spocklestein allowed him to speed by LG Sigmund Wolf for the sack on Wood. The first sack of the game for Sacramento. It wouldn't take long to get the second one, as Spocklestein would split Wolf and C Dan June for Sacramento's econd consecutive sack. After a flas start penalty, Pitt played it safe and ran an off tackle run, which would pick up only 5, forcing them to punt. Burns' kick would sail out of bounds at Sacramento's 40, not a good kick.

Sacramento would take over again, and the drive started out with a 24 yard gain on a screen pass to Crucial, but Chris Shakur would bring him down before any more damage could be done. Webster would run it on the ensuing first down, and on second down, would gain the first down on a swing pass, where LB Omar Robinson would bring him down. Doestevski "Stalin" Vissiaranovich would bring Crucial down behind the line on the first down play, and WR Tony Taylor would gain 4 on second down. Sunstien would be the target on 3rd and 8, and he would catch it, Shakur would hit him out of bounds shy of the first down, and Sacramento would attempt a 33 yard FG. Beckum would sneak it just inside the left upright, and Sacramento would stretch their lead.

Attack lead 10-3

Beckum lined up for the kickoff, and Justice would receive it at his 4, where he would reutrn it to the 27. Pitt's offense would take the field with 5:26 remaining. We would once again see a lot of harris utilized as a runner and receiverit seemed, that quite frequently, he would meet up with LBs Bunj Torres and Darius Bain. Pitt woudl work their way out to the Sacramento 13, with under a minute remaining, and a timeout left. Torres would meet Wood on the first down play, but would got it off in time for it to be an imcoplete pass. Harris would run for a gain of two on second down, and a pass into the end zone intended for Frank Williams would be smothered by the wind. Pitt would attempt the short FG as the half expired. Birch would kick it through, narrowing Secramento's lead.

Attack lead 10-6

Halftime

Third Quarter

Sacramento will receive the ball to open the second half, and Samuel Adams will return this one back to his 32, a good return from Adams. Sacramento would waste no time with the ball here, putting up a nice drive, still inthe midst of heavy rains. Plently of short passes and runs were being used by Sacramento duuring this drive, but it was getting the job done, Chris Shakur was absorbing a lot of tackles as a result of this, despite Sacramento's best efforts to keep the ball away from him. Thid drive would soak up a lot of time, almost as much water as the field was soaking up, and the Attack would cap the 11 play, 7:12 drive with a completion to FB Darnell Webster. The kick would go through, and Sacramento would expand the difference in score.

Sacramento leads 17-6

Sacramento adapted a conservative strategy on the kickoffs with the wind being such a problem, they would kick it shorter, and Justice woudl field this one at his 16, it paid off, as he would only gain 10 on the return. Pitt would start off with a completion to Frank Wiliams for a gain of 6, but that would be the last play that would have any success for Pitt on this drive, and they would punt.

Sacramento would take over at their 29 after a good punt from Burns, but with conditions worsening, if that was even possible, they too couldn't put much of anything together, and would have to punt it back. Pitt had the ball at their 18, and with a one back set, and Harris out wide, they had a dangerous offense. Aaron Natale is a good RB in his own right, and he would get the ball for the handoff here, he would charge forward for about a yard or two...oh! the ball was punched out by Spocklestein, and Torres recovers it! Not good news for Pitt, as a fumble was one of the contributors to their downfall last week against the Nightmare.

The attack would take over at their 20, and were looking to capitalize on the turnover. Wright would roll left on first down, finding Sunstein in the middle of the defense. He woudl be brought down for a gain of 8. Second and 2, Wright back, dumpes it off to Crucial, who jukes away from Ozzy Fox, and finds the end zone! great catch and run from Crucial there. The extra point would be good.

Sacramento leads 24-6

Pitt would receive the kickoff and got a better return out of it, back to their 39, and they would drive down the field, getting to the Attack 40 as the third quarter would expire.

Fourth Quarter

Pitt woudl run on first down, gaining 4, and pass to Williams on 2nd down, gaining 5, putting Pitt in a 3rd and one. The run is to Harris, up the gut... oh its close, we need a measurement. Just shy, tis fourth and inches... What is Pitt's decision here? A FG is out of the question here with these conditions. Looks like they're going for it, and I can't totally blame them, with these conditions, and how Sacramento has handled the ball and the clock, there may not be time for 3 scores if they punt it away here. Its another run for Harris, Behind Bleu and Tagliani, Spocklestein cuts in behind Bleu while Gibbons is holding the point of attack, the two combine for the tackle, and this is just as close as before, another measurement is needed... The officials bring out the sticks... The marker goes down... Just shy, by two or 3 chain lengths. Turnover on down, and Sacramento will take over posession.

Scott Wright and Sacramento take the field at their 31 and have a nice little drive going here, working down to Pitts 25. Crucial gets one off tackle, he's hit by DE Chris Claudius, and he fumbles! the ball is on the ground, and Omar Robinson recovers it, chances are slim, but with 6 minutes left, Pitt needs at least a FG to come back, and would then need a two point conversion on a TD, but a TD would be really nice here.

Pitt is getting a nice drive going, setting upsome big chunks of yardage, and work their way down to Sacramento's 30 fairly quickly. Wood drops back on second down, ocks his arm back, the ball slips out of his hands and Bane is there to recover it! that will seal this one for Sacramento, and what a way to do it, with Darius Bane, who was questionable for even being in this contest. Pitt would challenge, but it was conclusive that Wood's arm never moved forward with the ball in his hand. Sacramento would run out the rest of the clock.

More bad news would strike Pitt, as word that Kenny Mustain suffereda sprained ACL, and would miss 4-6 weeks. Now that is adding insult ot injury, or is it the other way around...?

Final: Sacramento Attack 24, Pittsburgh Xplosion 6

Stats

Pitt:

QB Al Wood- 18/30 191 yds, Fumble

RB Seth Harris- 18 att, 99 yds, 6 rec, 67 yds

RB Aaron Natale- 7 att, 40 yds, Fumble

WR Frank Williams- 6 rec, 89 yds

LT Dexter Allen- 3 pancakes, 1 sack allowed

RG Andre Bleu- 6 pancakes, 1 sack allowed

RT Paul Tagliani- 2 pancakes

DE Mitch Cavanaugh- 6 tackles, 1 TFL

DT Stalin Vissarionaovich- 6 Tackles, 3 TFL

OLB Ozzy Fox- 5 tackles, 1 TFL,

OLB Omar Robinson- 6 tackles, 1 TFL, FR

CB Antonio Blades- 4 tackles

FS Kenny Mustain- 2 tackles (left in second quarter due to sprained ACL, will be back in 4-6 weeks)

SS Chris Shakur- 7 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 PBU

K Rex Birch-2/2 FG

Sacramento

QB Scott Wright- 20/30, 207 yds, 3 TDs

RB Robert Crucial- 19 att, 89 yds, 1 Fumble, 5 rec, 52 yds, TD

FB Darnell Webster- 9 att, 46 yds, 5 rec, 46 yds, TD

WR TJ Sunstein- 7 rec, 111 yds, TD

LT Jamwel Rooney- 1 Pancake

LG Cromwell Thigpen- 4 Pancakes

C Ray Maiava- 1 Pancake

RG Steven Nguyen- 3 pancakes

DE Hal Jordan- 4 tackles, 1 TFL 1 sack

DT Leonard Spocklestein- 7 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 Sack

OLB Bunj Torres- 9 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 PBU

ILB Darius Bain- 8 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 FR

OLB Brian Stumpf- 5 tackles

CB Harold Mouton- 2 tackles

SS Kyle Carpenter- 6 tackles, 1 PBU

K William Beckum- 1/1 FG, 3/3 EP

[BeerBaron]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/OmahaKangaroos.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/LasVegasOutlaws.gif

Week 3 - Omaha Kangaroos (1-1) at Las Vegas Outlaws (1-1)

Welcome one and all to this weeks primetime affair between the Kangaroos of Omaha and the Outlaws of Las Vegas. Here we are in brightly lit Las Vegas for would should be a fantastic game, with two of the league's most potent offenses on the field tonight.

The winner of this game also has a great chance to cement themselves in the at the top of the Western Division pecking order at 2-1, while the other will fall back with a host of other teams at the 1-2 mark.

For Omaha, they will be counting on big games from their big 3 offensive playmakers: WRs Julio Stone and Bolt Williams, as well as RB Leopold Carmichael. They will also need QB Crail Johnson to have a game closer to his week 2 performance than his abysmal week 1 game.

Las Vegas will look to their powerful rushing attack, led by Dwayne Wright and Marcus Fenikz. Also keep an eye out for some trick plays as Las Vegas is notorious for utilizing a few of them to shock their competition.

Stay tuned folks, this offensive slugfest looks to get underway shortly!

First Quarter

Las Vegas would receive the ball to start off the game and Marcus Fenikz was back deep awaiting the return. Craig Fitzgibbon booted the ball and Fenikz would field it a yard deep in the endzone. Fenikz brought it out, followed some blockers and found a nice little gap....he shook a tackle and tore off! Only Fitzgibbon was in front of him and Fenikz easily cleared past him! Cya! Opening kickoff return TD for Marcus Fenikz to give Las Vegas the early lead!

Las Vegas Leads 7-0

Definitely not the way Omaha wanted to see this game start. They would have a chance to answer with their own stud return man in Leopold Carmichael though. Jorge De La Rosa kicked off for Vegas with Carmichael taking it at the 3. Carmichael brought it up field, followed a few good blocks, but was run out of bounds after a nice return out to the 37. With that, Omaha's offense would take to the field.

Tonight is a bit chilly but calm here in Vegas, with the heat of the day now gone. Fans turned out in droves to sell the place out and were rewarded with discount booze for their efforts, so they were even a bit more raucous than usual, booing Omaha's offense mercilessly as they set up for their first play.

Vegas came hard on first down with one of their famous 5 man blitzes, but Crail Johnson only took a 3 step drop and slung it out quickly to Bolt Williams who was lined up in the slot on a quick slant. Williams sped for a quick 10 yard pickup before he was taken down. On the next play, Vegas again brought heat but Johnson neutralized them with a quick drop and throw, this time hitting Leopold Carmichael in the flat for a 5 yard pickup. Braith Anasta saw a carry on 2nd down which picked up 4, bringing about 3rd and short. Johnson play faked to Anasta before rolling to his right looking for Julio Stone deep. Vegas had several defenders back protecting against this very play so Johnson took it himself for a small gain, though it was enough for a first down. With the first play in a new set of downs, Omaha went back to the 3-step drop method of avoiding pressure by Vegas. Johnson hit TE Jaleel Starks for a quick pickup and then hit Carmichael again in the flat for a first down. Johnson would then throw a laser beam out to Julio Stone who outjumped both of the defenders on him for a nice 15 yard pickup. It seemed as though Omaha knew that Vegas would come into this game looking to pressure Johnson and decided to use a "slow and steady" strategy for moving down the field. Things hit a snag on the next play however as Johnson's pass had a little too much on it for Carmichael who had it bounce off of his hands in the slot. Johnson threw to Starks again but he was wrapped right up by Tim Yeley for only a 4 yard gain. On 3rd and 6, Johnson dropped back a little further looking for Stone to the left but found him heavily covered. Johnson scanned the field but was forced to scramble as Charles Marshall crashed the pocket. Johnson rolled right with a few defenders in hot pursuit and (wisely) tossed the ball out of bounds when no targets popped open. Omaha was still able to try for the FG, so on came Fitzgibbon. The snap was good, hold was good and the kick....sailed through.

Las Vegas leads 7-3

Trying to avoid kicking it to Fenikz again, Fitzgibbon squibbed the ball down the center of the field where one of the up-men fielded it at the 23 and brought it up to the 30 before being tackled. That is where Vegas would take over on offense for the first time.

Vegas looked to establish the run early and often as they had in past weeks, but Omaha was going to try hard to slow them down. Vegas started off by handing it to Dwayne Wright up the middle behind one of their more elegant ZBS plays, but the Omaha linebackers crashed that party for only a small gain. It almost looked as though Omaha was utilizing a "mush rush" with their defensive line...not trying to rush the QB at all but instead setting up to stuff the run immediately. Interesting to say the least. It worked again for Omaha as Marcus Fenikz was unable to do anything with a toss on 2nd down as he was immediately hit by Adolf Klux on the right side. That brought up 3rd and about 8, which meant pass was likely. James Rockefeller dropped back and looked right for Johnson Johnson who was locked up with Troy Ryder. Rockefeller slung up the pass but overthrew his target by several yards. Vegas would have to punt the ball. Trying to avoid Carmichael as best he could, Jesus Llull popped up the punt high and short, forcing the fair catch to be call at the Omaha 40.

Omaha's offense again came onto the field amidst a chorus of boos. Vegas was again playing their safeties back to protect against the big play and Omaha was again avoiding the tenacious Vegas pass rush with short drops and quick passes. Johnson hit Starks on a short TE comeback for a quick 5 yards on first down. There was enough time left in the quarter for one more play, so Johnson threw right on a quick slant for Stone. Stone picked up 10 easily as...he shed the tackle from RJ Slither! Stone found a lot of open field in front of him and then popped it into overdrive as he split right between the two Vegas safeties who looked as though they were sitting still! Stone carried the ball in for the TD and then proceeded to dunk the ball over the crossbars with the Vegas crowd booing loudly.

Omaha leads 10-7

Second Quarter

Omaha again attempted to squib the kick to avoid Fenikz, but this time Fitzgibbon put a little too much into it and one of the up-men pitched it back to Fenikz who brought it out just past the 40 yard line before he was tripped up. Good starting field position for Vegas who just saw their lead slip away.

Omaha was still using more run blitz/stunt type moves on defense to slow the rushing attack of Las Vegas and it was working. Even though his blockers were working hard, Omaha's d-line was setting up and forcing Wright to run through the holes they gave him, where there was usually a waiting linebacker ready to crush him. Marcus Fenikz faired no better running to the outside as Adolf Klux was really teeing off on him. Vegas could only pick up 4 yards on 2 runs to bring up another passing situation. Fenikz was in the backfield and then.....Rockefeller motioned out to the left...? What was going on here? Fenikz stepped up and took the snap, play faked it to Dwayne Wright (who was absolutely lit up by Adolf Klux biting on the fake a second later,) and then took it himself though nice hole in the middle for 10 yards and the first down. A little bit of wildcat action from Vegas, interesting. It was back to some more tradition runs on the next two downs, but Omaha was not letting that happen.Wright was clearly frustrated as nothing seemed to be working for him so far today. On another 3rd down, Rockefeller dropped back and took the time he was given by Omaha's unusual defensive strategy to throw up a floater to Johnson Johnson. He was locked up with Troy Ryder but managed to use his size to go up and reel it in for the first down. Dwayne Wright finally managed a better run for 7 yards after he slipped past a Garth Stokes tackle on first down, but was then planted hard by Adolf Klux for a short loss on 2nd down. Rockefeller hit Fenikz on a swing pass on 3rd down, but Troy Ryder wisely broke off his receiver and shot in to wrap up Fenikz by the legs. Fenikz dove ahead and stretched the ball out, but he would come up just shy. Las Vegas would call on De La Rosa for the FG attempt, which he knocked through with little trouble.

Game Tied 10-10

Both kickers in this game were being driven crazy trying to avoid the return men in this game. De La Rosa tried to coffin corner kick it to Carmichael, but he still managed a pretty good return out to the 37 slipping through a few defenders along the way. Crail Johnson went to work as he had on the past few drives, hitting Bolt Williams and Carmichael with quick passes to move the ball along. Then, play action to Anasta. Johnson rolled to his right, cocked back, and let loose a deep ball with amazing arm strength. Deep was Julio Stone with a corner on him and both safeties closing in. Julio turned to find the ball and all 3 defenders jumped up with him.....caught! Stone just went higher than I think I've ever seen a football play jump right there to haul it in at the Vegas 10 yard line! Wow, great play by the big receiver. Johnson set the offense and threw the ball on a quick slant to the right for Williams who dove ahead and...hauled it in! TD Omaha!

Omaha leads 17-10

Omaha again tried hard to avoid Marcus Fenikz, but this time it didn't go so well. The ball hopped out of bounds meaning Las Vegas would get to start at their own 40 yard line. Plenty of time still in the half to mount something on offense and come away with some points here.

Omaha continued to do well vs. the run, keeping Dwayne Wright frustrated and Marcus Fenikz from making anything happen. Rockefeller tossed a nice pass to Slowinski on 3rd down to pick up the first however, allowing their drive to continue. With a new set of downs, Vegas went back to a wildcat formation with Fenikz getting the snap. He faked running left then threw it short right to Wright who picked up 7 on the play. Wright would be given the ball on a more traditional handoff next to barely pick up the first down...but whats this? An Omaha player is down.

That is big DE Ted Neal holding his foot. Trainers would have to come out and help him off...terrible blow for an Omaha front that has done so well today. We'll keep you posted on his injury as backup Christian Haydenson would come on in his place.

Vegas took immediate advantage of Neal's absence by pulling a guard and running straight at Haydenson for a nice pickup. Fenikz would catch a screen pass on 2nd down, slip past a potential big hit from Klux, then pick up 15 yards before he could be taken down by a safety. The two minute warning has now hit and Vegas is driving well.

After that short break, Vegas went right back to work. Omaha was sliding some more defenders in behind Haydenson to prevent LV from trying to run that way, but it made things weaker elsewhere as well and Wright was able to pick up some nicer yardage on two straight runs. Nearing the endzone with about a minute to go, Rockefeller threw right to Johnson and....picked off! Wait! No! Troy Ryder looked like he was all over that one but Johnson made an unselfish play sticking his hand between the ball and Ryder's chest to deflect it away. Big save by Johnson there... On the next play, paydirt. Rockefeller pump faked to Fenikz short then threw for Slowinski who had found a big hole in the coverage in the back of the endzone for the TD!

Game tied 17-17

After an average return on the kickoff, Omaha was unwilling to risk anything in the small amount of time left and would simply run out the first half clock.

HALFTIME

Third Quarter

Omaha would start with the ball in the 2nd half. Carmichael got the return and brought it out to the 35 before he was taken down. On stepped Johnson and the offense looking to reestablish their lead after Vegas tied it up in the first half.

It looked as though Vegas had switched up some things on defense however, as they were dropping more into coverage and blitzing less while keeping their safeties deep in big play prevention. Johnson had two straight quick passes fall incomplete as Vegas had more defenders in the area. Then, facing 3rd and long, Johnson hit Carmichael on a route out of the backfield. He found some space to run and dove ahead for the first down. Johnson hit Starks for another quick 10 yards and then fired a ball deep looking for Bolt Williams but the pass was broken up by G Flash. On 2nd down, Omaha got tricky. Carmichael was motioned into the backfield and was given the ball on a toss. He ran left and flipped the pass back to Bolt Williams coming right! Bolt set up on the right side of the field, got a great block to keep him free from his QB Johnson, and used some of his High School Quarterbacking ability to launch the ball deep for Stone who had beaten his double coverage! Stone hauled it in on the run for his 2nd TD of the game!

Omaha leads 24-17

After a touchback on the kickoff, Vegas would be starting with their worst field position of the game at their own 20. It didn't take them long to chance that though.... Dwayne Wright battered ahead for a few on first down, but then Marcus Fenikz ran a sweep play to the right. Leading the way were FB Hector Gallaraga and pulled RG Hank Patrick who double team Klux to knock him down out of the play. Fenikz made a sweet move to slip past SS Setamaita Sa into the open field! Troy Ryder was coming hard after Fenikz but no one would catch him! 77 yard TD run for Marcus Fenikz!

Game tied 24-24

The was now re-tied and Omaha would go back on offense after a return out to the 33. Johnson had been having a very efficient game to this point and he would continue that here by completing short passes to Williams, Carmichael, Starks and then Stone. Braith Anasta would get a carry up the middle to keep things balanced, then Carmichael would take a run off tackle for a nice, quick pickup. Omaha was really moving again when Vegas decided to bring more pressure and sure enough, Chance Arceneoux shot through the line free and took Johnson down for the sack. Johnson managed to make some of that yardage back up by hitting Starks short, but it would still be 3rd and fairly long. Johnson was quickly learning that when in need, to find Julio. Stone outleapt the gaggle of defenders he draws on every play to make the catch for the first down. Johnson would go back to Stone again on the next play as Stone would make the catch, spin away from Slither and take off! Only FS MT Trump had a shot at stopping him and Stone simply turned on the afterburners to get by that threat for another TD! He flipped the ball into the stands and was hit by a drink thrown from the crowd. Stone only turned and pointed his finger in the direction it came from, then could be seen saying "I'll be back" to the fans, which of course led to lots of boos from that section.

Omaha leads 31-24

The kickoff was squibbed again, successfully this time, and one of the LV up-men brought it to the 38 before he was tackled. That is where Vegas would start out when the 4th quarter begins.

Fourth Quarter

Vegas was hoping to answer again on offense and got started with some good runs by Wright. Omaha's gimmicky scheme defensively shut the run game down early, but the injury to Neal coupled with Vegas adjusting had rendered it ineffective. Wright was seeing more space in which to run and was taking full advantage on several good runs to start the drive.. On the next play, Rockefeller play faked to Wright and threw deep right for Johnson Johnson. Troy Ryder had great position and coverage but Johnson simply wanted the ball more and made a great play to reel it in for a big 30 yard gain. Vegas was threatening again already. Wright took the first handoff on a new set of downs right and....bang! Big, thundering hit by Adolf Klux and the ball came loose! A mad scramble ensued but it looked like Omaha had jumped onto the ball! The refs dug through the pile and....sure enough, Omaha ball at their own 25!

Dwayne Wright was not happy and got into a shoving match with Klux after the play. Teammates and refs quickly intervened to separate the two before any punches were thrown.

The fans here were getting quite rambunctious and it would be up to their defense to stop Omaha's potent attack here. Omaha started the drive with a Carmichael run for a few yards then went back to passing. Johnson looked deep down the middle to Bolt Williams who was on a crossing route! Johnson slung the ball in and Bolt caught it....BANG! Wow!!! Big collision in the middle of the field from Vegas SS Manhattan. Bolt somehow kept the ball through that but was writhing around on the ground. The training staff would again be called onto the field for an Omaha player who was down. Bolt had taken his own helmet off and was sitting up on the field at least, but he was slow to get up and had to be helped off. More word on him when it becomes available.

Speaking of injuries, word from the locker room on Ted Neal is that he has a sprain in the arch of his foot that may take several weeks to heal. Expect him to miss the next 2-4 weeks.

After Bolt had been cleared off the field, Omaha went back to work minus one of their weapons. It looked as though Vegas was now out for blood on defense as FS MT Trump lit up Julio Stone on the next play after the pass from Johnson was overthrown. The crowd cheered wildly but Stone popped right back up and began jawing with the opposing safety. Things were getting quite chippy here in the 4th quarter.... Johnson made a nice safe pass on his next play to Starks, then hit Carmichael out of the backfield on a screen that took Omaha into the redzone. Vegas dialed up a blitz on the next play but Johnson managed to find a safety valve in Starks for a short gain as the pressure hit him. On the next play, Carmichael got the ball on a quick toss off tackle and took it to the 10 yard line for a first down. Vegas fans were really getting loud now knowing that they needed a stop on this next play, and managed to force a false start. It would now be 1st and goal from the 15 for Omaha. Johnson made up a chunk of that by throwing to Anthony Minichiello who had stepped on to replace Bolt, and picked up 8 yards. Johnson then threw incomplete looking for Carmichael to bring about 3rd and goal from the 7. The crowd got real noisy and Vegas showed blitz. Johnson tried to make an audible, but there was confusion from the crowd noise and then Vegas backed off from the blitz. With a second left on the play clock, Johnson was forced to take a timeout.

After talking some things over with his coach on the sideline, Johnson retook the field ready to play. Vegas came with a blitz and Johnson fired off a pass for the back corner of the endzone off his back foot. There was a crowd of Vegas defenders there, but more importantly, there was Julio Stone who went up and hauled in the pass! Slither tried hard to force Stone out of bounds but in a brilliantly athletic and acrobatic move, Stone managed to drag the tips of both of his toes in bounds. It would hold up as a TD! Of course, the fan reaction was to boo fanatically, but one can't help but be stricken by a little awe in light of Julio's 4th TD of the game.

38-24

Word out of the locker room on Bolt Williams is that he got the wind knocked out of him and suffered some bruised ribs. He would be held out of this weeks game but would be probable for next week.

Down two touchdowns with only a few minutes to play, Vegas needed a miracle fast. Fenikz put up a good return out to the 38 to give them decent starting field position at least. Time for running the ball had passed, so Rockefeller was out there in some pretty obvious passing sets. He dropped back on first down and fired a rocket for Slowinski who....dropped it. On second down, Rockefeller was pressured by a blitzing Klux and was forced to fire quickly for Johnson but Troy Ryder was there to bat it away. Facing 3rd and long, Rockefeller scanned the field but found no open receivers. He checked down to Fenikz in the flat but he was tackled well short of the first down. Vegas was going to go for it on 4th down now, needing two touchdowns to get back into this. Rockefeller dropped back, fired over the middle aiming for Slowinski but...picked off! Xavier Thames dropped back and read it well. Thames didn't get much of a return but it didn't matter.

Omaha went to work trying to drain the clock. A Braith Anasta run took it down to the 2 minute warning, then a few more runs forced Vegas to use all of their timeouts. Omaha didn't pick up the first down however, so they would have to punt. P Nick Kouparitsas had been used little today, but he would be asked to keep it away from Fenikz here, and he did. He sacrificed some yardage to knock it straight out of bounds near the Vegas 30.

Rockefeller came back onto the field trying to lead his team to some more scores. With no timeouts, it would be nearly impossible. He did laser one in to Johnson Johnson but he was tackled by Ryder and unable to get out of bounds. After that, more incompletions followed as well as another failed 1st down on 4th down. Omaha would take over on downs and would drain the remainder of the clock.

Omaha wins 38-24

Omaha Stats:

Passing:
Crail Johnson - 28/35 - 335 yards - 4 TDs - 0 INT
Bolt Williams - 1/1 - 45 yards - 1 TD - 0 INT

Rushing:
Leopold Carmichael - 10 carries - 46 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
Braith Anasta - 14 carries - 44 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
Crail Johnson - 1 carry - 3 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles

Receiving:
Julio Stone - 9 catches - 214 yards - 4 TD - 0 drops
Bolt Williams - 4 catches - 75 yards - 1 TD - 0 drops
Leopold Carmichael - 7 catches - 72 yards - 0 TD - 1 drop
Jaleel Starks - 6 catches - 58 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops

Blocking:
Jericho Bridges - 2 pancakes - 0 sacks allowed
Tim James - 3 pancakes - 0 sacks allowed

Defensive:
Ted Neal - 4 tackles
Lopini Paea - 3 tackles
Kendrick Odom - 4 tackles - 1 TFL
Adolf Klux - 10 tackles - 3 TFL - 1 FF
Xavier Thames - 7 tackles - 1 TFL - 1 INT
Garth Stokes - 5 tackles
Troy Ryder - 5 tackles - 2 PBU

Kicking:
Craig Fitzgibbon - 1/1 FG - 5/5 XP

Return:
Leopold Carmichael - 28.8 KRA - 7.9 PRA

Las Vegas Stats:

Passing:
James Rockefeller - 17/28 - 245 yards - 1 TD - 1 INT
Marcus Fenikz - 1/1 - 7 yards - 0 TD - 0 INT

Rushing:
Dwayne Wright - 20 carries - 75 yards - 0 TD - 1 fumble
Marcus Fenikz - 9 carries - 104 yards - 1 TD - 0 fumbles
James Rockefeller - 2 carries - 5 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles

Receiving:
Johnson Johnson - 5 catches - 65 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops
Sam Slowinski - 4 catches - 44 yards - 1 TD - 0 drops
Marcus Fenikz - 7 catches - 58 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops
Dwayne Wright - 3 catches - 13 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops

Blocking:
Bradley Barrington - 3 pancakes - 0 sacks allowed
Frank Ice - 2 pancakes - 0 sacks allowed
Hank Patrick - 5 pancakes - 0 sacks allowed

Defensive:
Tim Yeley - 5 tackles - 1 TFL
Change Acreneoux - 7 tackles - 1 sack - 1 TFL
Noel Miles - 4 tackles
Ryan Charleston - 3 tackles
Charles Marshall - 6 tackles - 1 TFL
RJ Slither - 4 tackles - 1 PBU
CEG Flash - 2 tackles - 1 PBU

Kicking:
Jorge De La Rosa - 1/1 FG - 3/3 XP

Return:
Marcus Fenikz - 40.2 KRA - 13.3 PRA - 1 RTD

Notable Injuries:
Omaha:
DE Ted Neal - Sprained Foot - out 2-4 weeks
WR Bolt Williams - Bruised Ribs - Probable, 95% if he plays week 4

[Dam8610]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/IndianapolisRaptors.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/ChicagoPandas.gif

Welcome to beautiful downtown Indianapolis, folks, on a beautiful night for football, there's not a cloud in the sky and it's 66 degrees, perfect football weather. Tonight's primetime matchup features the Chicago Pandas coming into town to face the Indianapolis Raptors. Tonight's matchup will more than likely come down to who can move the ball better, as both of these teams have great defenses. Chicago's defense features star end and pass rusher Jamaal Umenyiora, one of the best MIKEs in the league in KK Slider, and a shutdown corner in Elvis Jackson. Indianapolis, on the other hand, probably has the best defensive line in the league, led by defensive stalwart Ben Grant, with Caleb Westgarth backing him up as a sack artist and Demond Decker being the leader and playmaker of the secondary. Will Chicago's offense led by WRs James Speed, Kenny Writt, and their great interior offensive line be able to establish something against Indianapolis's fearsome foursome, or will QB Devin Saint figure out Coach Brian Wang's defense? We'll find out after this commercial break!

Welcome back, folks, we're awaiting the coin toss as the captains meet at midfield. Chicago calls heads. Tails it is. Indianapolis chooses to defer to the second half, and Chicago chooses to defend the goal opposite of the wind. And with that, the game is underway.

FIRST QUARTER

Punter Guy Planas sets up the ball and is ready to kick it off. The ball falls off the tee twice, so Matthew Corrao is forced to come over and hold the ball on the tee. The kick is off, and James Speed fields it 2 yards deep into his endzone. He decides to take it out and a wall seems to be forming...he's at the 20, the 30...makes a GREAT move to shake a defender and keeps heading upfield...an AMAZING block leaves him with only the punter to beat at the 50, he's at the 40, the 30...and Guy Planas BARELY brings him down at the 25 yard line, what a great start to this game! Speed takes the ball back 77 yards on the opening kickoff, and Indianapolis's special teams woes continue, Gary Foster looks furious right now, and Chicago is in great position to jump out to an early lead.

Chicago comes out on offense, their offensive attack features a potent WR combo in James Speed, who has already made an impact on this game, and Kenny Writt, and a dominant interior offensive line led by C Todd Smithsonian. They face an Indianapolis defense that features a dominant defensive line led by DTs Ben Grant and Drew Wilhelm as well as DE/LB Caleb Westgarth. SS Demond Decker leads the secondary and is someone you don't want to get hit by, he's quite the playmaker. Chicago is ready for first down as they line up in their usual I formation. Mutler takes the snap and hands off to RB Aaron Campbell for a 5 yard gain. On 2nd down, a repeat of first and Chicago has 1st and 10 on the Indy 15. Mutler takes the snap again and hands off to Campbell...he breaks free...OOOOOOOOO what a hit by Demond Decker, that saved a TD and Campbell seems to be down. He'll have to go to the sideline for this play. Chicago is having a lot of early success running the ball, it's now 1st and goal at the Indy 4 and they've run the ball 3 times, Drew Wilhelm seem to be losing his battle upfront. Mutler is lined up and ready for the snap, he takes it and hands off to Mastersen...NO! IT'S A FAKE! SPEED IS WIDE OPEN IN THE ENDZONE! Mutler throws and it's...CAUGHT! IT'S CAUGHT! But the refs rule it incomplete? Looks like his left foot stepped on the line, the inaccurate throw by Mutler caused him to have to adjust, and he made an amazing play just to haul that ball in, but he was clearly out of bound, so an inaccurate throw by Mutler costs the Pandas a TD. 2nd and goal now, Mutler takes the snap, hands it off to Mastersen, he takes it up the middle...did he get in? Here come the refs...no they say, as they place the ball on the half yard line. 3rd and goal, this is a huge play for both teams...the Pandas sub back in Aaron Campbell, it appears he simply had the wind knocked out of him and he's ready to go for this 3rd down play. Mutler takes the snap, it's a handoff to Campbell...WOW, WHAT A PLAY BY BEN GRANT! He met Campbell in the backfield on the handoff, beating a double team in the process. This could prove to be huge in the course of the game. It's now 4th and goal at the 3, and Head Coach Brian Wang decides to play it conservatively and send in his star kicker Ike Stantios to get him 3. Ball down, kick up...right down the middle, usual Stantios.

Pandas lead 3-0 12:36 left in the first quarter

Stantios now lines up to kick the ball off, he sends it deep into the Indianapolis night, and...did that clear the goalpost? IT DID! A great kick by Stantios gives Indianapolis a touchback and they will start at their own 20.

The Indianapolis offense comes out for the first time tonight, led by QB Devin Saint, one of the premier QBs in the DCFL. Not many other players stand out on Indy's offense, TE Jrue Reed and WR Quentin Harrison give him a couple of good targets and RBs Ernie Cobourne and Thurman Brinks provide one of the better RB tandems in the league. Chicago's defense is one of the tougher units in the league, and it features a star on each level. DE Jamaal Umenyiora is a pass rusher extraordinaire, as well as tough to run on, KK Slider is arguably the best MIKE in the league and a defensive leader, and CB Elvis Jackson will shut down just about any team's #1 receiver. It's first and 10 at the Indianapolis 20, Indianapolis comes out in the I with Reed at TE, Cobourne at RB, and Brinks at FB, their personnel package are something to keep an eye on, as they like to move those 3 around. Saint takes the snap, it's a handoff to Cobourne, who gets 4. 2nd down, same formation, same result. 3rd and 2, Saint takes the snap, hand it to Brinks this time, and he...did he get it...here comes the chain gang...and it's a first down by the nose of the ball. We've had a lot of intense moments early in this game. It's now 1st and 10 at the 30, Cobourne motions to the slot next to Reed, Saint hands off to Brinks again...WOW, he just plowed Joe Wallace there on his way to an 8 yard run. 2nd and 2, now, Saint takes the snap, it's a handoff to Cobourne, he gets 7. The Raptors seem to be having a lot of early success running the ball right behind the mauler Turk Francis, he seems to be winning his matchup every time. It's 1st and 10 now at the Raptors 45, Raptors are in the I...now Coubourne motions to the slot on Reed's side, Saint takes the snap, hands off to Brinks, he...NO! IT'S A FAKE! Saint drops back and looks...and looks...here comes Umenyiora, he's charging hard...WHAT A BLOCK BY BRINKS! Saint throws, and it's...CAUGHT! IT'S CAUGHT BY COBOURNE AT THE 20 AND THERE'S NO ONE TO BEAT! He's at the 15, the 10, the 5, TOUCHDOWN RAPTORS! A 55 yarder from QB Devin Saint! What a play! It certainly caught the Chicago defense off guard. They saw the handoff, and they bit hard. Great play call by OC Michael Scott there, he had Jrue Reed run a deep corner route, with Ernie Cobourne running a deep in right next to him. SS Andru Mitchell had no help with KK Slider biting on the play fake, so he took the bigger threat in Reed, that left Cobourne wide open in the middle of the field, and despite Slider's valiant effort, he couldn't recover in time to get back and cover Cobourne. Out comes Koger for the extra point. Ball down, kick up...it's good, and the Raptors have taken the lead.

Raptors lead 7-3 8:21 left in the first quarter

Guy Planas is back to kick again, here's the kick...this one is BOOMED...Speed fields it 8 yards deep, and...downs it, it looked like Planas was trying to compete with Stantios's leg on that kickoff, though that effort would be in vain, Stantios has the best leg I've ever seen.

1st and 10 for Chicago at the 20, they come out in the I, Mutler takes the snap, handoff to Campbell, gain of 5. Wilhelm is not holding up well right now. 2nd and 5, Mutler takes the snap, hand it off again, this time Campbell gets 2 thanks to the efforts of Grant, Herbert on the stop. 3rd and 3, Chicago still in the I, Mutler takes the snap, drops back, fires...COMPLETE to Kenny Writt for a gain of 14 and a first down. 1st and 10 at the Chicago 41, Chicago in the I again, Mutler takes the snap, fires a bullet to Speed, he catches it and he has some room to...NO! DECKER DRILLS HIM! THE BALL IS OUT! There's a scrum, and...CHICAGO BALL! Somehow Aaron Campbell was able to get there and fall on the ball! It's 2nd and 3 now, Mutler takes the snap again, fires another bullet to Speed, and gets the first on a gain of 10. Mutler seems to be hot right now. It's 1st and 10 on Indianapolis's 42 yard line now, Mutler takes the snap, hands to Campbell, nothing as Ben Grant beats Smithsonian and snuffs the play out, he actually lost a yard. 2nd and 11 now, Mutler takes the snap, hands off, Campbell gets the yard he lost the last play back, Ben Grant has awoken on this set of downs. 3rd down and 10 now, Chicago in the I, Indy shifts to a 34 front, Mutler takes the snap, drops back, looks, looks...finds nothing...here comes Westgarth...Mutler senses it, starts to roll...and he's SACKED! Huge loss on the play too, that's going to put them back on the Indianapolis 48, I think Wang might have tried the 59 yarder with the leg of Stantios to rely on, but from 10 yards further out, I think he'll have Stantios punt it away. Stantios takes the snap...It's a booming punt toward the left corner...HE HIT IT PERFECTLY! A coffin corner punt will force Indianapolis to start at their own 1 yard line, what a kick by Stantios!

It's 1st and 10 at the Indianapolis 1 yard line now, they need to make some space for themselves here. Saint takes the snap, hands off to Brinks, he bowls forward for a short gain. 2nd down now, Saint hands to Cobourne, another short gain. It's now 3rd and 6, and Indianapolis needs a first down here. Saint takes the snap, he fires...caught by Harrison! First Down! How did that happen? Oh, looks like Elvis Jackson slipped on that play, a costly misstep by Chicago leads to a first down. Now it's first and 10 again, Saint takes the snap, fires a quick swing pass to Cobourne, and he gains 5. 2nd down now, Saint takes the snap, hands to Reed this time, he gets a nice gain...is it a first down? NO! It's short says the chain gang. And with that, Indianapolis will let the clock run down and end the first quarter.

Raptors lead 7-3

SECOND QUARTER

3rd and inches now, Saint hands to Cobourne...HE'S DRILLED BY UMENYIORA! Did the ball come out?! No, it appears Cobourne was able to hang on, but he lost some ground, and Indy will call on the punt team. That was a great call by Brian Wang, he snuck Umenyiora over to the right on that play, it looked like Scott recognized it, as he was flailing madly on the sidelines, but he couldn't get the attention of his QB. It's now 4th down, and Planas comes on to punt. He takes the snap...bobbles it...OOOOOOOOO He barely got that off, Jackson almost blocked it. Planas kicked the ball to the sideline, and it wobbles out around the Chicago 30 yard line. Chicago takes over there.

1st and 10 for Chicago now, they're in their usual I, Mutler takes the snap, hits Speed again on another slant route, gain of 15 this time. They're just abusing Eric Maez right now. Mutler takes the snap again, fires to Speed on the quick slant again...FENG DROPS IT! Wow, Gary Foster had an answer that time, but his LB couldn't make the play. 2nd and 10 now, Mutler takes the snap, hand off to Campbell for a short gain, the Indy defense seems to be blitzing up the middle to take the run away from Chicago right now. 3rd and long now, the Pandas switch to a shotgun this time, Indy shifts to the 34. Mutler takes the snaps, looks...NO it's a handoff! Campbell gets a big run, is it enough? No, Campbell comes up a yard shy thanks to a heady play by Herbert, and Stantios comes in to punt again. Stantios takes the snap, gets it off...another beauty...and this one rolls out at the 8! Another coffin corner punt by Stantios, it's almost as if his presence gives Chicago a HUGE advantage, as Indianapolis's special teams have been terrible to this point, and he alone almost wins Chicago the battle of field position.

It's 1st and 10 for Indianapolis at their own 8 now, out comes Saint and the offense, and they come out firing, mixing runs with a lot more passes than we're used to seeing from Indianapolis. Saint is now 4/4 on the drive, and Indianapolis is threatening to make this a huge lead. It's 1st and 10 at the Chicago 35. Saint hands it off to Cobourne...there's a hole...he's brought down by the last man between him and the endzone, and he's fired up! It looks like Indianapolis is about to take a commanding lead in this game. 1st and 10 at the Chicago 22 now, Saint takes the snap, quick fires to Reed...caught at the 10, he makes a move...WOW, WHAT A HIT BY SLIDER! BALL'S LOOSE! ELVIS JACKSON SCOOPS IT UP AND THERE'S NO ONE BETWEEN HIM AND THE ENDZONE! He's at the 50, the 40, the 30, the 20, the 10, the 5, TOUCHDOWN PANDAS! WHAT A GAME CHANGING PLAY! An 88 yard fumble return touchdown by Elvis Jackson puts the Pandas in the lead when it looked like they were done for! This was just a great play by KK Slider, Reed was able to beat him to the spot, but the ever aware Slider smacked him HARD and put his helmet on the ball. Ball pops out, in comes Elvis with the scoop and 88 yards later, the Pandas have the lead. On comes Stantios for the extra point. Ball down, kick up...straight and true, the Pandas retake the lead.

Pandas lead 10-7 6:43 left in the 2nd quarter

Stantios lines up for the kick, here it comes...another booming kick...this time he hits the back left pylon in the endzone, I think he meant to do that. Indianapolis will start at their own 20 again.

1st down now, Indianapolis comes out and looks to recapture the mojo they had going on the last drive before the Pandas defense stood tall, and Saint comes out firing again, 3 consecutive first down passes and a holding penalty have the Raptors near midfield, and it's 1st and 10 again. Saint takes the snap, he's on fire, having completed his first 10 passes, he hands off to Reed for a decent gain. 2nd down, Saint takes the snap, hands off the Brinks, he gets a short gain, and that's the two minute warning.

3rd down, Saint makes Cobourne motion to the slot, hands to Brinks...NO! Another play fake, but the Raptors have been using it a lot today and the Pandas don't bite. Saint looks, looks...sees nothing...throws...no, a pump, still looking...WOW, HERE COMES UMENYIORA! He just beat a double with a chip from Cobourne, and he's charging hard on Saint! Saint rolls to his right...keeps rolling...now he's scrambling, and has to head out shy of the first. Indianapolis is at their 42, and coach Gary Foster knows that Max Koger's leg isn't what it used to be, so in comes Planas for the punt. He takes the snap...wow, it's evident he's no Stantios, that wobbly duck lands at the 15, and bounces back about 10 yards to the 25 of Chicago where they'll start.

1st and 10 for the Pandas now, Chicago is in the I, Indianapolis in a 34 front. Chicago comes out running, but gets nothing on first down, and burns a timeout. They appear to be trying to build their lead before the half. 2nd down, Mutler takes the snap, another handoff, and a good run by Campbell set up by a great block by Smithsonian, but Chicago is forced to burn another timeout as it's shy of the first. 3rd and 1 now, Mutler takes the snap, keeps it himself, and gets the first down. Gutsy dive by Mutler and a great call by Chicago. A spike on first down sets up 2nd and 10. Mutler takes the snap, drops back, hits Writt, he's got the first down...but he doesn't get out! Chicago burns their final timeout, and that's a killer, because even with Stantios they need a good 20 yards to be in FG range, and there's not much time left. 1st and 10 for Chicago, Mutler takes the snap, drops, looks, nothing...nothing...uh oh, here comes Ben Grant, this could get ugly...Mutler fires with Grant in his face...CAUGHT BY JAMES SPEED! BUT HE'S IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD! HE'S BROUGHT DOWN BY OLTMAN AND THE CLOCK IS TICKING! Chicago's offense sprints to their own 43, will they make it? Clock is ticking...5...4...they're lined up...2...ball is snapped, Mutler spikes it...the clock reads zeroes and the half is over...but wait, there's a flag on the play...Delay of Game on the defense, Chicago will get their hail mary pass. Ball on the 48 of Chicago now...wait, what is this? Ike Stantios and the special teams unit is coming on the field for Chicago? Indianapolis rushes its special teams unit on the field...they're not really going to try a 71 yard field goal, are they? I guess so, apparently Coach Wang feels more confident in Stantios's leg to get him 3 than he does in Mutler's arm to deliver him a hail mary, and that's probably the right call to make. Well, this should be fun to watch. Indianapolis calls timeout to ice Stantios. Really? It's a 71 yard field goal. Stantios has a leg, but this is doubtful even for him. I guess Coach Foster is taking the proper procedural steps though. Well, we watched Stantios in practice, he was drilling them from 65, but it didn't have much more behind it. So here comes Stantios to attempt the 71 yarder. Ball down, kick up...WOW, he NAILED that ball...he might get it...it's right down the middle, does it have the distance?! IT'S GOOD! IT'S GOOD! IT'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD! Ike Stantios has nailed a 71 yard field goal to widen the Pandas lead before the half! It turns out to be a great call by Coach Brian Wang sending Stantios in as he gets the extra 3 before the half. The Raptors are awestruck, and Ike pulls a celebratory flask out of his sock and drinks it down at midfield. That's the half folks, be sure to stay tuned for...well, the halftime entertainment sucks, but this game has been pretty good, right?

Pandas lead 13-7

THIRD QUARTER

Stantios comes out for another kickoff, is there really a point to these? We all know what will happen. Stantios sends it into the sky...look he hit the back right pylon this time. They should've just started the ball at the Indy 20, which is where it will be to open the half.

1st and 10 now as Saint and the Raptors offense take the field in the I, this time the Raptors go with their power backfield with Reed blocking for Brinks and Cobourne in the slot. A carry for Reed, a carry for Brinks, a new set of downs. Now Reed shifts to TE and Brinks is the lone back, Saint takes the snap and fires for a first down, good catch by Boster there to move the chains. 1st and 10, Saint takes the snap again and fires to Reed for another first down, Saint is absolutely on fire in this game, he's now completed his first 12 passes. 1st and 10 for Indy again, they're at midfield now, Saint takes the snap, fires, and hits Cobourne ove the middle for the first down, that's 13 in a row. 1st and 10, handoff to Cobourne, nice gain, Indy is in FG range now, and it's 2nd down. Brinks takes a handoff, and another first down, looks like Michael Scott made some excellent halftime adjustments, he now has his offense at the 25. 1st and 10 now, Saint hands to Cobourne...NO! It's a reverse to Reed! Slider sniffed it out! Reed is trying to break away and...loss of 3, now 2nd and 13. Bad timing for a trick play there, that may cost the Raptors. Saint sends Cobourne away, leaving Brinks in the backfield, takes the snap, hands off to Brinks, gets very little, they ran at Umenyiora that play, not a smart decision. 3rd and long now, looks like Scott is going conservative as Indy is in the I. Saint takes the snap, hands off to Brinks, very little again, Slider sniffed it out that time, but it looks like the Raptors were willing to settle for 3 after the negative play, so in comes Max Koger to attempt a 44 yard field goal. Ball down, kick up...HE HOOKED IT! IT SAILS RIGHT! NO GOOD! And the Pandas are given great starting position!

1st and 10 now for the Pandas at their own 34. Todd Smithsonian looked fired up on the sideline before they came in, let's see if that makes any difference on this drive. 1st and 10 now. Mutler takes the snap, drops back, hits Writt over the middle for a good gain. 1st and 10 again for the Pandas, Mutler takes the snap, hands to Campbell, Campbell hits a hole in the middle and breaks free! He's finally brought down by Taunton after a gain of 15. Great block by Smithsonian there, he actually pancaked Ben Grant on that play, I didn't even think that possible. 1st and 10 again. Mutler takes the snap, hands off to Campbell again...another big hole up the middle, this time he gains 20, and again a great block by Smithsonian set that up. The Pandas look to take a commanding lead now, and it seems as though they might have worn down the vaunted Raptors DL. 1st and 10 again, the Pandas are in the red zone, Mastersen comes in for Campbell, Mutler takes the snap, a handoff to Mastersen this time, and another first down run thanks to another great block by Smithsonian, this guy is dominating this drive. The Pandas are on the verge of a commanding 2 score lead now, it's 1st and goal at the 5 and the Pandas interior OL has finally found their groove. Here's the snap again, Mutler...what happened there? Mutler turned left, Mastersen went right, and now Mutler's stuck with the ball...and a suddenly charging Caleb Westgarth... he scans the muddled mess of what was supposed to be a run play for an open receiver quickly...Westgarth is closing in...Mutler barely gets off a wobbly duck as Westgarth takes him down hard...Whimper jumps and bats it, it's a jump ball in the endzone now...IT'S INTERCEPTED! INTERCEPTED BY DARREN OLTMAN! WHAT A PLAY TO JUMP UP AND GRAB THAT BALL AT IT'S HIGHEST POINT OFF THE DEFLECTION! Indianapolis gets a HUGE break as they get out of a redzone situation without allowing any points, and keep it a 1 score game. Quite a shame for the Pandas, too, as Smithsonian had opened another gaping hole. It'll be Indianapolis ball at the 20 as Oltman didn't want to risk taking that ball out and just fell down with the pick.

1st and 10 here, and now Indianapolis has the momentum after that huge interception, a hot Devin Saint leads the Raptors offense onto the field. Here's the snap, Saint drops, looks, looks...Jackson is blanketing Harrison over the middle, as is Slider on Reed...Saint fires...Caught! Ernie Cobourne is all alone on the left sideline! he's at the 40, the 50, he's bumped out at the Pandas 47. What a call by Scott there, he clears the area and clutters the middle of the field, leaving his RB all alone on a wheel route, and Cobourne makes another play, he's having a great game. 1st and 10 again, Saint takes the snap, fires quickly to Boster, gets a decent gain out of it. 2nd down, Saint takes the snap, hands to Brinks, gets a good run and a first down. 1st and 10 on the 34, Saint drops back, fires, hits Reed for another decent gain. 2nd and short, Saint takes the snap, hits Cobourne on a swing pass, he takes it upfield for a first down and puts the Raptors in the redzone. It's obvious right now that Michael Scott is riding the hot hand of his quarterback, who has now completed 17 consecutive passes to open the game. 1st and 10 again at the 18 this time, Saint takes the snap, hands to Brinks...A FAKE! Chicago doesn't bite, but Saint finds McMeans for a gain of 9. 2nd and 1, Saint takes the snaps, Chicago drops in a zone blitz, Saint fires...tight window...Reed makes the catch, and he's down at the 4! Devin Saint cannot be stopped right now, he's just making great throws and hitting his spots perfectly. Both teams bring their goalline package in, it's 1st and goal at the 4. Saint takes the snap, hands it off to Brinks, he gets nothing, great stop by the Chicago defense there. 2nd and goal at the 4, Saint hands to Brinks, he gets 2 this time, and...Indy calls timeout? I guess coach Scott wants to discuss his next move with his QB, as he's calling Saint over, and now the whole offense follows. They come back out onto the field...something doesn't seem right...they set up for 3rd and goal...does Indianapolis only have 10 men in their formation? Saint takes the snap, quick fires...HARRISON IS STANDING ALONE IN THE ENDZONE! TOUCHDOWN RAPTORS! Brian Wang was screaming at his defense to get someone over there, but he couldn't communicate it to them in time. That was an interesting move by the Raptors, they called timeout, brought Harrison into the frey of the mass offensive huddle, and put him on the edge of the field rather than sending Boster out on 3rd down, and had him report to the referee on the far sideline. It looked like Wang was the only one that saw Harrison out there, and the defense was bunched up near the line to stop the run. Devin Saint has completed 20 straight passes to open this game, what a start by him. Here comes Koger for the extra point. Ball down, kick up...it's good, and the Raptors retake the lead.

Raptors lead 14-13 3:46 left in the third quarter

Guy Planas is set to kick it off again, he sends a booming kick out, and James Speed fields at the goalline. He takes off, he's at the 20, 25, 30, he jukes a defender, he's at the 40, and he finally gets bumped out at the 50 yard line! Special Teams fails the Raptors yet again, and you have to wonder if Gary Foster is considering making some major changes there. At this moment, Chicago has great field position and looks to retake the lead.

1st and 10 at midfield, Mutler and the Chicago offense takes the field in the I. Mutler takes the snap, hands to Campbell, gets a good gain. 2 more plays, 2 more runs, and a first down by Campbell. 1st and 10 again, ball at the 38 now, Campbell takes the handoff, gets a decent gain. 2nd down, Mutler hands to Campbell, he makes it 3rd and 3. Mutler takes the snap again, hands to Campbell...Grant breaks through and tackles him for a loss! On comes Stantios to try a 50 yarder, he hit a 71 yarder earlier, and it had the leg to be good from 75. Ball down, kick up...straight and true, Stantios strikes again and puts the Pandas back on top!

Pandas lead 16-14 0:17 left in the 3rd quarter

Stantios readies himself for the kickoff, I wonder what he'll try to hit this time. Here's the kick...another booming kick, but shorter than usual...did that really just happen?! HE STUCK THE BALL IN LANCE MCMEANS'S FACEMASK! McMeans fell over, the refs ruled it a touchback, and Stantios walked off the field chuckling. I have to admit, that is pretty funny.

1st and 10 for the Raptors at the 20, and you have to figure they're going to try to ride the wave Saint is on right now. Here's the snap, Saint hands to Cobourne, he gets a nice gain on 1st down, and that brings the quarter to an end. We'll be back with the exciting conclusion after these commercials!

Pandas lead 16-14

FOURTH QUARTER

2nd and 2 here for the Raptors, Saint takes the snap, quick fires...ALMOST INTERCEPTED! Saint got cocky there and went after Elvis Jackson, Jackson had the throw read perfectly, but could only bat it away, and that brings up 3rd down. Saint takes the snap, hands it to Brinks, Brinks plows forward for a first down, he broke a tackle from Slider that time to get it too. 1st and 10 again, Saint hands to Cobourne, he has a short run. 2nd down, the Raptors switch up formations here, they hand it off to Reed, and he gets a nice gain, the Raptors are close to another first down. The Raptors stay in their power I, snap it, Saint hands to Brinks...NO! A play fake! SAINT THROWS A BOMB...Incomplete, he overthrew Jrue Reed, who was tightly covered on the play anyway, Saint didn't do a good job on that drive. The Raptors are forced to punt. On comes Planas for the punt. He gets it off...BOOMS this one, it has great hang time...Speed calls for a fair catch, and gets it at the 18, great punt by Planas, that had about 5 seconds of hangtime under it, and Chicago will start with poor field position for the first time today.

1st and 10 at the 18 for Chicago, Mutler takes the snap, drops to throw, incomplete intended for Writt. 2nd down, Mutler takes the snap, hands to Campbell, he gets nothing, Ben Grant snuffs it out. Chicago looks as though they're simply trying to get field position here as they come out in another I form on 3rd and long, and the hand off to Campbell again, gaining 3 and bringing on Stantios to punt again. Stantios gets the ball off...another BOOMING punt...it takes a Chicago bounce and lands at the 11 yard line! Stantios has given the Pandas the field position advantage yet again, he seems to kick every ball perfectly right now.

1st and 10 for Indianapolis now as Saint and the Raptors retake the field and start at their own 11. Saint takes the snap, drops, throws...incomplete intended for Reed, the Pandas defense seems to have adjusted to Saint having a monster game, and they've started dropping into a zone. 2nd and 10, Saint takes the snap, hands it to Brinks...he breaks a tackle...he breaks another! And another! He's got the first and more! That was a great power run by Thurman Brinks there, it looked like he had 3 yards, then he looked like Earl Campbell for a little bit and turned it into a first down, battering his opponents along the way. 1st and 10 again, Saint takes the snap, another handoff to Brinks, he gets a decent gain. 2nd down, Saint takes the snap, quick fires for Boster...incomplete, Boster couldn't get the positioning he needed on Harris and the ball falls harmlessly to the ground. 3rd down, Saint takes the snap from a singleback formation, fires a screen pass to McMeans, who makes a quick move and dives forward for a first down. 1st and 10 on the Raptors 46 now, Saint takes the snap, drops, looks, looks...finds nothing...Umenyiora beats Quinn and is charging hard around the corner...Brinks whiffs on the block this time but Saint feels Jamaal coming, rolls a couple of steps quickly and makes the smart play by throwing the ball away. 2nd and 10 now, Saint hands off to Cobourne, and he picks up 5 to make it 3rd and 5 for the Raptors at the Chicago 49. Saint takes the snap again, fires for Reed...OOOOOOOO WHAT A HIT! The ball and KK Slider arrived at the same time, and Reed went down hard! He's getting up alright, but needless to say, the ball was incomplete and the Raptors are forced to punt. Here comes Planas again, he boots it...it goes off the side of his foot! Another wobbly duck bounds out of bounds at the Pandas 22, and that is where Chicago will start.

1st and 10 for the Pandas now at the 22, Mastersen comes out to start this drive along with the rest of the Pandas offense. Mutler takes the snap, hands to Mastersen...NO! A fake! Indy's defense crashes on the middle as Mutler hits Mastersen on the sideline, Mastersen turns up field and gets a first down before being knocked out of bounds. 1st and 10 again for the Pandas, Mutler hands off to Mastersen, he gets a decent gain. 2nd down, Mutler hands off...NO! Another fake! MUTLER GOES DEEP FOR SPEED! HE HAULS...WOW! WHAT A SMACK BY DECKER! HE JARS THE BALL LOOSE AND IT'S INCOMPLETE! HUGE play there by Decker, he read it perfectly! 3rd down now, Chicago lines up in the I again and in comes Campbell, Mutler takes the snap, hands it off to Campbell...wow, he got close, they'll bring out the chain gang to measure it...HE GOT IT! First down! And that will keep the clock ticking. 1st and 10, here's the snap, hand off to Campbell...Herbert shoots his gap and snuffs it out for no gain, great recognition by him there. 2nd and 10, ball at midfield, the clock is becoming a factor now, there's only 6:32 left in the game now, and the Pandas are milking the clock. Mutler takes the snap with the play clock at 1, hands off to Campbell again, Campbell gets 6 yards and sets things up for the Pandas on 3rd down. Chicago continues milking the clock, Mutler takes another snap with 1 on the clock, hands off to Campbell again and...FIRST DOWN! Smithsonian with a great block on that play, he opened up the hole need for that first down. Just under 5 minutes left now and the Pandas continue to milk the clock, the Raptors need to consider taking their timeouts here. Mutler takes another snap at 1, hands off to Campbell, and he gets 3. The Pandas decide to give Campbell a breater for a play and send in Mastersen for a play, the game clock will tick under 4 minutes before the Pandas snap this ball. Mutler snaps it, hands to Mastersen, he gets 2, the Pandas are now well within Stantios's range, so they should get at least 3 out of this. Back in comes Campbell, it looks like the Pandas really want to close this game out here, Todd Smithsonian is visibly gesturing excitedly in the huddle. Out comes the Chicago offense in the I again, they wait for the clock to tick down, Mutler takes the snap, hands it off to Campbell...He's DRILLED in the backfield by Decker...AND THE BALL POPS OUT! IT'S A LIVE BALL! ERIC MAEZ FALLS ON IT AND THE RAPTORS HAVE THE FOOTBALL AT THEIR OWN 24! WHAT A TURN OF EVENTS! It looked like coach Foster pulled all the stops here, he sent seven up the middle and was hoping that someone would make a play on the ballcarrier, and Decker did. That's a huge play, as Indianapolis only needs a field goal to win this game now.

So after the huge fumble by Chicago, the Raptors take over at their own 24, and they're looking for QB Devin Saint to recapture the magic he had against Wyoming and for most of this game. He's got 3:26 and 2 timeouts to work with, and needs a field goal. 1st and 10, the Raptors run the ball, Cobourne picks up 8. It looked like the Pandas didn't expect that at all, but coach Scott seems to think his offense has plenty of time. Quick snap here, Saint hands it to Brinks, he picks up the first down, and Indianapolis goes into full hurry up mode. Saint audibles at the line, sends Cobourne in motion, takes the snap and hands off to Brinks, who picks up 6. Saint hurries everyone to the line again, takes the snap, drops back, and quick fires a swing pass to Cobourne, who is able to get out of bounds after a pickup of about 10. 1st and 10 now just inside of Pandas territory with 2:05 remaining. Saint takes the snap, hands to Brinks...NO! A fake! He quick fires a slant to Cobourne in the slot, who gains 8 to set up 2nd and 2, and that will bring us to the two minute warning.

2nd and 2 at the Pandas 38, Saint is ready, the Raptors are lined up in their usual I, Cobourne motions to the slot next to Reed, Saint takes the snap, hands to Brinks...Another fake! Chicago bites a little, and Saint fires...IT'S CAUGHT BY REED! He gets leveled by Slider at the 20 yard line! Great playfake by Saint here, he sold it to where he got Slider to bite for JUST long enough to be able to fire the out to Reed before Slider could recover. It was set up well by Cobourne running a fly pattern, Mitchell had to take him on the play because he's been burning them all game. 1st and 10 for the Raptors, they get up to the line, Saint takes the snap, quick fires to Boster, complete for a 5 yard gain. 2nd and 5, Saint takes the snap, fires a quick pass to Cobourne in the slot, Cobourne makes a move and makes a guy miss, and gains 9 yards, bringing up 1st and Goal at the 6 yard line. The Raptors take their second timeout with 0:43 left in the game. On 1st and Goal, they leave their regular personnel in, and line up in a shotgun with Cobourne and Brinks flanking Saint. Saint takes the snap, throws to Harrison...no, it's a pump...shovels it to Brinks...Brinks charges forward behind the great block of Francis and...did he get in? The refs signal TOUCHDOWN! TOUCHDOWN RAPTORS! Brian Wang looks furious on the sideline! I don't think he thinks Brinks made it. Wang calls a timeout in order to prevent the Raptors from kicking the extra point...and the booth calls down a review! Let's look at this play again. Brinks catches the shovel pass, follows the block of Francis, and...wow, that's close. Let's see it from another angle. Here comes Brinks toward the endzone, and...looks like he made it from that angle, I think this play is going to stand. Here comes the ref...and the call stands, the Raptors take the late lead on a very unconventional call for their offense, if you can say one thing for Michael Scott today, it's that he hasn't been afraid to take a chance, he's pulled out just about every page of his playbook today, and now he's gotten the Raptors on top. Here comes Max Koger for the extra point. Ball down, kick up...it's good, the Raptors retake the lead in this back and forth battle.

Raptors lead 21-16 0:38 remaining

Planas is ready for the kickoff, he sends it off...wow, this is WAY off to the left...it bounds out at the 13, and the Pandas will get the ball at their 40 yard line to start this drive. This might come back to haunt the Raptors.

Ray Mutler needs to pull a miracle out here if the Pandas want to win this game, they need 60 yards in 38 seconds. Mutler takes the snap, drops to throw, fires DEEP OVER THE MIDDLE...ALMOST INTERCEPTED BY DARREN OLTMAN! He was trying to hit James Speed on a post route there, but came up with nothing. Chicago does still have all 3 of their timeouts, so they can afford to try things over the middle. Mutler takes the snap on 2nd down, this time quick firing for Speed, who gets the first down and is brought down at the Raptors 46. The Pandas immediately call timeout and regroup. 1st and 10 now, Mutler takes the snap, fires a swing pass to Mastersen, who picks up 5, but can't get out of bounds and Chicago takes another timeout. They have 0:20 left, but still need 41 yards. Mutler takes another snap, quick fires for Writt, he catches it, but can't get out of bounds, making Chicago use their final timeout. The ball is now on the Pandas 38 with 0:15 left. Mutler takes the snap here, drops, looks, sees nothing...Westgarth gives chase, Mutler rolls right...into the waiting arms of Charles Whimper for the sack, and that should do it folks. The Indianapolis Raptors pull out a close win at home. Games like this are why we American Football.

Raptors win 21-16

Stats:

Chicago:

QB Ray Mutler 19-30 185 yards 0 TD 1 INT

RB Aaron Campbell 24 carries 107 yards 0 TD 1 fumble
RB Steve Mastersen 15 carries 50 yards 0 TD 3 catches 25 yards 0 TDs

WR James Speed 9 catches 124 yards 0 TDs 1 fumble
WR Kenny Writt 3 catches 54 yards 0 TDs

TE Peter Johnston 3 catches 25 yards 0 TDs

OT Samson Williams 4 pancakes 1 sack allowed
OG Max Stevenson 0 pancakes 0 sacks allowed
OC Todd Smithsonian 6 pancakes 0 sacks allowed
OG Brian Stone 4 pancakes 0 sacks allowed
OT Jon Ogen 2 pancakes 1 sack allowed

DE Jamaal Umenyiora 4 tackles 2 TFL 0 sacks 3 pressures
NT Caleb Williams 2 tackles

LB Joe Wallace: 7 tackles
LB KK Slider 12 tackles 1 FF

CB Elvis Jackson 2 targets 1 reception allowed 1 FR 1 TD

K Ike Stantios 3/3 FG 1/1 XP 3 In 20 punts 4 kickoff touchbacks

Indianapolis:

QB Devin Saint 26-32 314 yards 3 TDs 0 INTs

RB Ernie Cobourne 17 carries 85 yards 0 TDs 10 catches 145 yards 1 TD
RB Thurman Brinks 17 carries 78 yards 0 TDs 1 catch 6 yards 1 TD

WR Quentin Harrison 2 catches 15 yards 1 TD

TE Jrue Reed 6 catches 70 yards 0 TDs 1 fumble

OT William Quinn 2 pancakes 0 sacks allowed
C Turk Francis 6 pancakes 0 sacks allowed

DE/LB Caleb Westgarth 4 tackles 1 TFL 1 sack 3 pressures
DT Ben Grant 6 tackles 4 TFL 0 sacks 1 pressure
DT Drew Wilhelm 2 tackles 2 pressures
DE Charles Whimper 3 tackles 1 TFL 1 sack 1 pressure

LB Erik Herbert 9 tackles 1 TFL 1 PBU

S Demond Decker 8 tackles 1 TFL 2 FF 1 PBU
S Darren Oltman 3 tackles 1 INT 2 PBU

K Max Koger 0/1 FG 3/3 XP

[BeerBaron]

WEEK 4


10charactersssssssssssssssseffwordssssssss

[BeerBaron]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/ChicagoPandas.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/MemphisShowboats.gif
Week 4 - Chicago Pandas (1-2) at Memphis Showboats (2-1)

Welcome to the week 4 matchup between the Pandas and the Showboats. Memphis has a monstrous defense and is coming off of two very close wins where that defense really had to step it up and carry the team.

Chicago meanwhile is reeling a bit. WR James Speed has been the team's best performer to date, but they've lost a few close games recently and breaking that slide against the tough Memphis defense won't be easy.

First Quarter

Chicago started with the ball after a decent return by James Speed. They went right into their run game, and surprisingly found a bit of success. Their powerful and talented o-line was driving back Memphis' defensive front, even with additional help in the box. After picking up two first downs and driving beyond midfield using only rushes by big power back Aaron Campbell, Chicago mixed things up and sent in speedster Steve Mastersen who.....broke free! Mastersen sped away for an easy touchdown but hold the phones....flags down. RT John Ogen was flagged for a pretty flagrant hold and the run would be negated. After that loss of 10 yards on the penalty, Chicago struggled as Fulgrim Chemos crushed Mastersen for a loss and then Ray Mutler's pass fell incomplete on 3rd and very long. The FG would be too long to attempt here, even for Stantios, so instead he would be asked to punt. He sailed the ball high and deep, having it bounce around the 5 and bounce out of bounds just inches away from pylon. Memphis would start at their own 1 yard line.

Memphis looked for breathing room to start the drive with a handoff to Willich up the middle. He was stood up and forced backwards by DT Caleb Williams and was then brought down in the endzone by Jamaal Umenyiora shooting in! Safety for Chicago!

Chicago leads 2-0

The safety kickoff was brought back to the 35 where Chicago would again go to work on offense. This drive didn't go as well though as Memphis stuffed up the run game with some run blitzes and stunts. Facing 3rd and long, Mutler dropped back and delivered a strike to Kenny Writt down the sideline who...dropped it. Chicago would again punt and again Stantios blasted a good one, forcing the Memphis fair catch at the 9 yard line.

Memphis' offense actually got a few more plays off on this drive, with Will Bennett hitting Willich on a few screens to start off then throwing over the middle for a nice pickup to TE Brock Wainwright. Bennett tried to squeeze a pass in to WR Tom Adams, but CB Elvis Jackson absolutely shut it down and swatted it away. A Willich run found little room to bring up 3rd and long. Bennett dropped back, pump faked short to Willich and then carried the ball himself, diving ahead for the first down but was stopped short by S Yeremiah Carrasco. Memphis would now be the one punting. James Speed had an excellent return to nearly midfield.

Memphis' defense showed why are the leagues #1 rated unit as Normand Jackson broke up a first down pass attempt and then Tyson Kase-Owens flew in to blow up TE Peter Johnston as he attempted to catch the ball forcing a drop. On 3rd and long, Mutler dropped back and threw deep looking for James Speed but instead found double coverage from Nicholas Torrain and Butch Peefington, with Torrain picking off the pass. Speed managed to trip him up preventing a return, but the damage was done.

Taking over at their own 25, the Memphis offense used some short passes and runs to pick up two first downs, but the drive stalled as William Bennett tripped over his own feet dropping back and was 'sacked' by OLB Joe Wallace who tagged him down. Willich dropped a screen pass on 2nd down and then Bennett overthrew Tom Adams who was locked up with Elvis Jackson on 3rd down to bring up another punt. James Speed was forced to fair catch it this time though, meaning Chicago would start the 2nd quarter at their own 31.

Second Quarter

Chicago had some moderate success with the run to start off the drive, then found themselves in a 3rd and long approaching midfield after some less successful runs. Ray Mutler dropped back and fired a bullet between 3 defenders to James Speed a good 20 yards downfield to pick up the first down. Memphis stamped out a few more Chicago runs to bring up 4th down, and Stantios would be called on for a 45 yard FG attempt which he put right down the middle.

Chicago leads 5-0

Stantios forced a touchback on the kickoff, so Memphis would start at their own 20. Chicago brought pressure on first down, but Bennett managed to avoid it by rolling out and then hit Wainwright on a nice pass for 15 yards. A few Willich runs and Bennett short passes later, and Memphis was near midfield. On the next play, Bennett hit Tom Adams on a crossing pattern that allowed him to break inside of Jackson for a 10 yard pickup. Bennett carried the ball himself on the next play for a quick 5 yards, then hit Wainwright for a nice pickup and a first down. Willich was stuffed for no gain on the next play, then Bennett threw incomplete aiming for LaBrandon Alleman on the other side of the field. Facing 3rd and long, Bennett dropped back and was nearly picked off by a leaping KK Slider in coverage. Luigi D'Amore was called on for the FG attempt and would bang it through, barely inside the right upright.

Chicago leads 5-3

James Speed had a great return out to the 38 yard line before he was forced out of bounds. The Chicago offense went back to work but immediately struggled. Two runs went nowhere as Memphis' defense was relentless. Ray Mutler was forced to pass into coverage aiming for Kenny Writt but overthrew him to bring up 4th down and the punt.

Memphis would fair catch it at their own 27 and go to work from there. Willich had little success on a run and then a screen pass, but Bennett hit Wainwright to pick up the first down. Bennett scrambled for 7 yards on the new set of downs but Willich would drop a screen pass and Jackson would break up a pass intended for Tom Adams, nearly making an acrobatic INT in the process. Memphis would now be the team punting the ball.

Speed brought it up to the Chicago 40 where their offense would begin. Neither Campbell nor Mastersen could do much on two straight carried, but Mutler did hit James Speed on a WR screen for a catch-and-run pickup of 15 yards before he was pushed out of bounds. Disaster struck on the next play though for two reasons, as Mutler badly overthrew Writt, with the ball being picked off by Stafon Claxton and returned to midfield. The other reason it was bad was because Writt came up limping again, possibly re-injuring that hamstring that has plagued him for weeks now. He would limp off the field to the bench area where trainers would work on him....more on that later.

With the half drawing to a close, Memphis worked fast to put up some more points. Bennett hit Wainwright and Willich on some short passes and then ran the ball on his own for a 10 yard gain to get into FG range. Bennett threw deep aiming for Tom Adams but Elvis Jackson had great coverage and the ball fell incomplete. Willich was then blown up for a short loss and Bennett's 3rd down pass fell incomplete. On came D'Amore for the FG attempt which....was no good! Wide right. Not good for Memphis.

With little time left in the half, Chicago decided to run the ball a few times with Campbell to kill the clock.

I swear that this isn't a baseball game though the score may make it seem as such.

HALFTIME

Third Quarter

Word from the locker room is that Kenny Writt did indeed re-tweak his hamstring. He is working on the exercise bike trying to limber it up and his return is listed as probable. So good news for Chicago.

The Ike Stantios kickoff was again taken for a touchback by Memphis, so they would start at their own 20. Using some runs and short passes, Memphis managed to pick its way down the field but they stalled once they got to their own 40, meaning a punt was needed. James Speed brought it out to the Chicago 30.

Chicago faired no better on offense, picking up one first down but then stalling. Memphis was selling out to stop the run while their corners played 1v1 with Peefington over the top, daring Mutler to beat them deep which he hadn't been able to do so far. Facing a 3rd and long, Mutler threw incomplete aiming for TE Peter Johnston. Stantios blasted the punt pinning Memphis inside their own 10 yard line.

Coach Bellavia was coaching the heck out of his offense during that last possession, and now it looked like they were taking to his coaching. Backup RB Lionel Washington got a few carries and caught a few screen as a fresh pair of legs, then Bennett hit Wainwright for a decent pickup. Bennett started to run himself and then flipped the ball out to WIllich who had subbed back in option-style for another good pickup. It wasn't quite a hurry up offense, but Memphis was getting to the line faster and was playing with more intensity which kept Chicago on it's toes. A Willich run then a good Bennett scramble kept the drive alive. Bennett then hit Tom Adams on a short screen but he was blown up immediately by Elvis Jackson for a very small gain. Memphis picked up a key first down on a Willich draw play. Chicago sent KK Slider on a blitz but he was picked up by Willich allowing Bennett more time to find 2nd TE Tank Turkelton on a short route to pick up a first down. Washington subbed back in and ripped off two nice runs for another first down as Memphis closed in on the Chicago red zone. Bennett was pressured heavily by Umenyiora on the next play, forcing him to throw off his back foot. The pass was nearly picked off by CB Charles Harris but he dropped it. With a sigh of relief at that one, Bennett went back to work and hit Wainwright who burst ahead inside the 5 yard line! A Willich run carried Memphis to the 1 yard line, then Willich powered ahead again for the TD!

Memphis leads 10-5

After that massive 90 yard, 15 play drive that took nearly 10 minutes off the clock, Chicago would get the ball back to end the third quarter. Speed brought the kickoff out to the 31 where Chicago would start the 4th quarter.

Fourth Quarter

The drive started off poorly for Chicago as Fulgrim Chemos shot through a double team to bring Mastersen down on an attempted sweep play for a big loss. Normand Jackson then stood up Campbell on a run up the gut forcing a 3rd and long. Mutler almost threw his 3rd pick of the game as he tried to squeeze the ball into a hobbled Kenny Writt but instead found the big paw of Tyson Kase-Owens who swatted it down. Chicago was already punting and Stantios blasted it deep to the Memphis 20 where it was returned for only a small gain.

Memphis went back to work on offense trying to replicate some of that success from their last drive. Bennett slipped by KK Slider to pick up 7 yards on a rush then hit Willich out of the backfield on a screen for the first down. Washington got back into the action and carried the ball for 10 yards after breaking a Joe Wallace arm tackle that would have resulted in a loss. Bennett then hit Wainwright down a seam in the center of the field, allowing him to split the safeties for a big play! He was finally run down from behind but not before running all the way to the Chicago 30. The Chicago defense just looked tired now after not getting much rest following the previous drive. Willich would then be stuffed up on two straight runs by Slider and Umenyiora showed some life flushing Bennett from the pocket. He tried to run for the first down himself but was tripped up from behind after picking up only 5. Memphis would instead be attempting a FG. D'Amore, who missed one already today, lined up and put it through.

Memphis leads 13-5

Chicago needed an answer soon and almost got it on the kickoff return, with James Speed breaking through a hole and only being brought down by the last defender before the kicker at the 44. Chicago came out and couldn't muster a thing against Memphis' energized defense. A run by Campbell was crushed as Memphis brought the heat on a run blitz. A screen pass to Mastersen faired no better as he was wrangled by Eric Baby after a small gain. Facing 3rd down, Mutler dropped back and was rushed hard. He side stepped some pressure up the middle from Baby and Chemos but was then blindsided by Orion Johnson who was on a corner blitz! Mutler fumbled and Chemos scooped it up! He ran for a few more yards before he was drug down at the Chicago 37. Memphis could easily seal this game here.

Memphis was now trying to both kill the clock and pad their lead. A few Willich rushes with a pass or two from Bennett kept the drive alive and moving steadily. Nearing the red zone, Bennett play faked to Willich but was forced from the pocket by Caleb Williams. Bennett rolled right, couldn't find an open target and took the ball himself headed for the sideline. Elvis Jackson cut off his path and tripped him up as....BANG! Bit hit from Carrasco knocked the ball loose! Jackson was there to dive on it giving Chicago some hope yet. Bennett was real slow to get up but did walk off the field under his own power, likely just having the wind knocked out of him. The training staff would perform a concussion test on the sideline to be safe.

Meanwhile, the Memphis defense had to go back to work. Mastersen managed a run for a pickup of about 5 yards out to the 25. A Campbell run on the next play however was stopped by Chemos for no gain. Facing 3rd and 5, Chicago needed a first down here badly. Memphis brought the heat...oh a safety blitz! Peefington shot through a gap and forced Mutler to throw off his back foot as he was getting hit! Mutler's pass floated awkwardly...it was hauled in by Speed in the middle of the field with no safety deep! Torrain and Claxton ran with all they had trying to catch him but Speed was gone! 50....40...30....20....10.....5.....TD Chicago! When Peefington came on that blitz, Torrain didn't adjust his coverage and allowed Speed to get behind him, wow. 75 yard TD catch and run for Speed.

Memphis leads 13-11

With just over 2 minutes to go, Chicago was going for the tie here with a two point conversion. Chicago spread everyone out clearly looking to throw it i against Memphis' stout defense. Mutler took the shotgun snap and scanned the field. Normand Jackson shot in with pressure forcing Mutler to go left. He put up a throw....tipped by Chemos! The pass was still going in the intended general direction of Writt in the back corner of the endzone. He went up....hauled it it! But Kase-Owens was there to shove him out! I don't think he got both feet down.....replay shows one.....nope. No catch the officials rule.

Chicago was now going to attempt an onsides kick. Stantios got everyone lined up and booted it into the ground, popping it way up in the air. It was almost perfect...coming down exactly 10 yards away. Several plays for both teams went up and.....I lost track of the ball. Officials peeled the pile up apart and....Chicago ball! What an amazing onsides kick from Stantios, wow.

So Chicago still had some life with just under 2 minutes to play and all of their timeouts. A first down pass by Mutler fell incomplete over the middle, and then a screen to Speed was stopped after only a 5 yard gain. First timeout for Chicago. 3rd and 5 now, Mutler threw over the middle for Johnston but it bounced incomplete. A critical 4th down here for Chicago. Mutler took the snap, looked right...no one open...scanned the field and was forced to scramble by the pressure. Mutler looked downfield, planted his feet and....as tackled from behind by Chemos for the sack! Way for the big man not to give up on the play! Turnover on downs for Chicago.

Memphis ran the ball a few times to force Chicago to use all of their timeouts, then backup QB Xavier Warrington took a few kneel downs to kill the clock.

Memphis wins 13-11

Chicago Stats:

Passing:
Ray Mutler - 18/34 - 207 yards - 1 TD - 2 INT

Rushing:
Aaron Campbell - 17 carries - 60 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
Steve Mastersen - 10 carries - 33 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
Ray Mutler - 1 carry - 0 yards - 0 TD - 1 fumble

Receiving:
James Speed - 5 catches - 95 yards - 1 TD - 0 drops
Kenny Writt - 2 catches - 15 yards - 0 TD - 1 drop
Peter Johnston - 2 catches - 12 yards - 0 TD - 1 drop
Steve Mastersen - 5 catches - 21 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops

Blocking:
Samson Williams - 4 pancakes - 1 sack allowed
Max Stevenson - 3 pancakes
Todd Smithsonian - 5 pancakes
Brian Stone - 3 pancakes - 1 sack allowed
John Ogen - 3 pancakes

Defensive:
Caleb Williams - 6 tackles - 1 TFL
Jamaal Umenyiora - 4 tackles - 1 TFL - 1 safety
Joe Wallace - 6 tackles - 1 TFL
KK Slider - 12 tackles - 1 TFL - 1 PBU
Elvis Jackson - 5 tackles - 2 PBU - 1 FR
Yeremiah Carrasco - 7 tackles - 1 PBU - 1 FF

Kicking:
Ike Stantios - 1/1 FG - 0/0 XP

Return:
James Speed - 35.6 KRA - 10.4 PRA

Memphis Stats:

Passing:
William Bennett - 15/25 - 210 yards - 0 TD - 0 INT

Rushing:
Marcellus Willich - 23 carries - 84 yards - 1 TD - 0 fumbles
Lionel Washington - 10 carries - 45 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
William Bennett - 10 carries - 51 yards - 0 TD - 1 fumble

Receiving:
Tom Adams - 2 catches - 12 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops
Brock Wainwright - 9 catches - 105 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops
Marcellus Willich - 9 catches - 63 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops
Lionel Washington - 3 catches - 20 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops

Blocking:
Thermopylae Jones - 3 pancakes
Jameson Johnson - 2 pancakes
Caesar Moonblood - 4 pancakes

Defensive:
Darius Crocker - 4 tackles - 1 TFL
Fulgrim Chemos - 5 tackles - 2 TFL - 1 sack - 1 FR - 1 PBU
Eric F. Baby - 5 tackles
Normand Jackson - 10 tackles - 2 TFL - 1 PBU
Nicholas Torrain - 3 tackles - 1 PBU - 1 INT
Orion Johnson - 2 tackles - 1 sack - 1 FF
Tyson Kase-Owens - 6 tackles - 1 PBU
Butch Peefington - 4 tackles
Stafon Claxton - 2 tackles - 1 INT - 1 PBU

Kicking:
Luigi D'Amore - 2/3 FG - 1/1 XP

Notable Injuries:
Chicago - WR Kenny Writt, Hamstring - Probable, 95% in week 5
Memphis - QB William Bennett, Slight Concussion - Probable, 95% in week 5

[BeerBaron]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/LasVegasOutlaws.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/SacramentoAttack.gif

Week 4 - Las Vegas Outlaws (1-2) at Sacramento Attack (3-0)

Welcome to this week 4 matchup between the Outlaws and the Attack. Both of these teams are in opposite places coming into this game, with the Attack comfortably cruising to the leagues only undefeated record while the Outlaws have played tough all year, but came up just short in their two losses.

Stay tuned for this battle folks, as this one looks to be a great game.

First Quarter

A great return by Marcus Fenikz set Vegas up in great field position to start off the game. It became pretty clear from the start that Vegas looked to establish the run while Sacramento was looking to stop it. Vegas came out with a heavy dose of Dwayne Wright who picked up quick chunks of yardage each play. Vegas was utilizing their athletic blockers and complicated blocking schemes to confound Sacramento's front, though Darius Bain was keying in on Wright nicely, preventing any real big plays. After a few successful runs, Vegas started off with both Wright and Fenikz in the backfield, then motioned Fenikz out into the slot. QB James Rockefeller play faked to Wright and then rolled out avoiding the Sacramento pass rush. Rockefeller looked deep where....Fenikz was flying down the field uncovered! S Vernon Wurmer was trying his best to catch up after the apparent blown coverage but Fenikz was faster with a few steps on him already. Rockefeller threw up the pass and Fenikz hauled it in for the 55 yard TD pass!

Las Vegas leads 7-0

Sacramento coaches Chuck Sampson and Raheem Morrison were not exactly thrilled with the way their secondary played on that TD, letting them know it as they came off the field. After a short return by Samuel Adams to the 19, Sacramento's offense would go to work already in a hole. On first down, Scott Wright hit TJ Sunstein on a short crossing route for 8 yards. On the next play, Sacramento looked to run with Robert Crucial. Wright turned to hand off just as Chance Arceneoux shot through the line and hit both Wright and Crucial during the exchange causing a fumble! Crucial reached out to try and corral the ball but Charles Marshall was there to pounce on it! Big time turnover and recovery for Vegas who would now start on offense at the Sacramento 25.

The Sacramento fans in attendance today were unusually quiet after this turn of events. Things only got worse as on the next play, Vegas pulled RG Hank Patrick on a sweep play and he put a great block on Darius Bain to spring Wright who ran for a 10 yard pickup. Marcus Fenikz caught a quick screen pass on the next play for 5 more yards as Vegas moved inside the 10 yard line. Sacramento tried to bring some pressure on the next play with a blitz, but Wright picked up the rushing Bunj Torres to buy Rockefeller some time. Rockefeller released the ball, looking for TE Sam Slowinski in the back of the end zone and....he caught it! TD for the big fella!

Las Vegas leads 14-0

The Sacramento fans are now in disbelief. The league's only undefeated team has just been abused in the early goings here. A touchback on the kickoff followed. Wright was a little more careful on a first down handoff to Crucial that netted a few. Wright then hit FB Darnell Webster on a screen out of the backfield for a few more. Wright then found his favored target in Sunstein who leapt up to bring in a jump ball for 10 yards and the first down. Wright was forced to scramble after a play fake on the next play, picking up a few yards himself before going out of bounds. Crucial would get a carry on the next play but it was stuffed up pretty quickly. Facing 3rd and fairly long, Wright dropped back and looked for Tony Taylor but threw behind him incomplete. Sacramento would have to punt.

Marcus Fenikz was given a fairly rare, good chance at a punt return and managed to pick up some decent yards before he was taken down by Bunj Torres who was playing on the special teams unit. Vegas came right out and went back to the run game, with their blockers pulling and driving out in front of Dwayne Wright. Marcus Fenikz took a run off tackle for a nice pickup and then Rockefeller hit Johnson Johnson on a WR screen. Johnson shook Harold Mouton and reeled off 14 yards before he was pushed out by Kyle Carpenter. Another Dwayne Wright run picked up 5 yards and took Vegas to the Sacramento 40, where they would begin the 2nd quarter of play.

Second Quarter

Nothing was going right for Sacramento so far this game and Vegas was driving hard again. Darius Bain managed a good hit on Wright to finally slow him a bit, then Rockefeller's pass intended for Johnson Johnson fell incomplete. On came Jorge De La Rosa for the long FG attempt which he.....knocked through just barely.

Las Vegas leads 17-0

Sacramento's next drive faired little better than their previous. Wright hit on a few short passes and Crucial found some yard on the ground, but after two incompletions, Sacramento faced another 3rd and long situation. Wright dropped back, threw for TE Donald Schoenstein who.....bobbled it.....picked off!! FS Trump was there to steal it away for the pick! He returned it to the Sacramento 30 before going down. This just was not Sacramento's day...

Back to work the Vegas offense went and they were still hitting on all cylinders. Dwayne Wright was running behind some excellently schemed blocking while Marcus Fenikz took a few screens and runs to the outside for additional yardage. Rockefeller play faked to Wright and threw to Johnson who hauled it in inside the 5 yard line...he reached out looking for the TD but would be held up just shy. Vegas assembled near the goal line and Wright plunged in for the TD on the next play.

Las Vegas leads 24-0

This Sacramento crowd was just flabbergasted. They were stunned, along with most of the football world it seemed. Sacramento would start on offense at their own 27 after the kickoff. Scott Wright calmly came back onto the field looking to do....anything....positive on this drive. Hitting Sunstein for a quick 15 yards was a good start, then he also threw a swing pass to Crucial who found some running room for some more yardage. Crucial and Webster each got carries but had to fight for every yard of it. Facing a 3rd and short, Wright dropped back and then carried it himself for a first down, as well as a few extra yards. Wright hit Schoenstein for some more yards, but was then sacked on a blitz by Arceneoux. Facing 3rd and long, Wright delivered a strike to Sunstein who broke free of his defender and managed to stumble ahead for a few extra yards after being tripped up. Crucial broke a screen pass for 10 quick yards but the drive soon stalled as he was stopped for no gain on a rush. Wright was then forced to scramble and threw the ball away. On 3rd and long, he hit Taylor on a short pass but he was tackled well short of the first down marker. Will Beckum would be called on for the long FG try and he would boot it through successfully.

Las Vegas leads 24-3

The 2nd quarter clock was ticking down and Vegas decided to just run the ball to drown it out, taking their big lead into halftime.

HALFTIME

Third Quarter

You just get the feeling that Attack Coach Chuck Sampson gave a stern lecture to his players during halftime. Things started on the wrong foot though, as return man Samuel Adams brought the kick out of the end zone only to be tackled at the 16, meaning Sacramento would have a tough start to this half. Things went no better on the first play as Robert Crucial was stuff up the middle for no gain on first down. Wright tried to hit Sunstein on 2nd down but he was sandwiched in good coverage and the pass fell incomplete. Wright dropped back to throw again on 3rd and long, side stepped some pressure and this time delivered a strike to Sunstein who barely picked up the first down. Sacramento picked their way down the field and eventually crossed midfield on a really long drive, that involved them picking up a few key 3rd downs. Just on the cusp of FG range however, Crucial was stuffed for a loss and Wright was nearly intercepted on a pass that was tipped. Again facing 3rd and long, Wright was forced to scramble and tried to take it himself, only to be brought down a few yards shy. Sacramento would have to attempt another FG, so on came Beckum who knocked it through.

Las Vegas leads 24-6

Oh Sacramento....why did you do it? Beckum kicked off and Fenikz took it a yard deep into the endzone, and out it came. Fenikz started right but found the lanes plugged, so he reversed field....he had some space...shook the final defender and the kicker and off he went! A 102 yard kickoff return TD for Las Vegas!

Las Vegas leads 31-6

Sacramento was now in a nearly insurmountable hole and the kickoff would be taken for a touchback. On came the offense which really needed to get something going today. Robert Crucial couldn't do much with a first down run, or a second down screen, but then, finally, success. Wright rolled to his right on 3rd and fairly long, and threw to Sunstein who broke free of the RJ Slither tackle! FS Trump was there in a footrace with him down the right sideline! Sunstein ran with all he had and finally took it in for the looong TD pass!

Las Vegas leads 31-13

Though that play was big, Vegas still holds a commanding lead and went to work on the ground after the kickoff was squibbed at the 35. Dwayne Wright was still running well behind good blocking and no matter what Sacramento did defensively, Wright always found some space for at least a few yards. This drive drug on as Wright was just pound ahead for most of it, with Fenikz getting a few touches here and there. They approached the Sacramento 20 yard line as the third quarter drew to a close.

Fourth Quarter

Today just hadn't been Sacramento's day, there's really no better explanation for it than that. This wasn't the team we saw dominate the first 3 weeks of the season. Vegas had somehow uncovered a weakness and was just doing everything "Wright" today. Speaking of Dwayne, he took an inside handoff from the 21, shot up the middle and....went untouched to the endzone! Sacramento's D just made a tired play there with little effort...

Las Vegas leads 38-13

Scott Wright and crew seemed determined to still make a game out of this. His passes and scrambles, as well as catches by Crucial and Sunstein, dominated their next drive. Wright was just putting up jump balls to Sunstein who was hauling them in, taking some big hits and risks in the process. Crucial was also getting some action as a receiver out of the backfield, allowing Sacramento to get past midfield against Vegas' obvious prevent defense. Wright dropped back on the next play and looked deep for Sunstein who was in double coverage down the sideline. Wright threw the pass up anyway just trying to make something happen and....it would be picked off at the 3 yard line by Slither who was drug out of bounds by Sunstein.

From there, the Vegas offense went back to work and just fed the Dwayne Wright machine. He was over 150 yards on the day now and counting. At about the Vegas 30, Wright shot through the line and was hit hard by Darius Bain. Wright popped up and the two players started jawing a bit, which led to Bain shoving Wright to the ground. Flags flew and several players from each team got into it until the mess was separated. A 15 yard personal foul was called on Bain, just moving Vegas even further downfield. The two minute warning came and went as Wright kept on chugging with the ball, forcing Sacramento to use all of their timeouts. Wright took a few more carries, got to the 180 yard mark, and then a kneel down with under a minute to go sealed the Las Vegas victory. There were no more undefeated teams in the league now.

Las Vegas wins 38-13

Las Vegas Stats:

Passing:
James Rockefeller - 13/19 - 175 yards - 2 TD - 0 INT

Rushing:
Dwayne Wright - 34 carries - 181 yards - 2 TD - 0 fumbles
Marcus Fenikz - 6 carries - 50 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
James Rockefeller - 2 carries - 2 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles

Receiving:
Johnson Johnson - 4 catches - 51 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops
Sam Slowinski - 2 catches - 10 yards - 1 TD - 0 drops
Marcus Fenikz - 6 catches - 80 yards - 1 TD - 0 drops
Dwayne Wright - 1 catch - 5 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops

Blocking:
Bradley Barrington - 2 pancakes
Frank Ice - 4 pancakes
Hank Patrick - 5 pancakes

Defensive:
Tim Yeley - 5 tackles
Chance Arceneoux - 4 tackles - 1 sack - 1 TFL - 1 FF
Noel Miles - 5 tackles
Ryan Charleston - 4 tackles - 1 TFL
Charles Marshall - 7 tackles - 1 TFL - 1 FR
RJ Slither - 5 tackles - 1 INT - 1 PBU
CEG Flash - 3 tackles

Kicking:
Jorge De La Rosa - 1/1 FG - 5/5 XP

Return:
Marcus Fenikz - 40.1 KRA - 13.5 PRA - 1 RTD

Sacramento Stats:

Passing:
Scott Wright - 18/34 - 225 yards - 1 TD - 2 INT

Rushing:
Robert Crucial - 14 carries - 45 yards - 0 TD - 1 fumble
Darnell Webster - 5 carries - 18 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
Scott Wright - 5 carries - 21 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles

Receiving:
TJ Sunstein - 8 catches - 147 yards - 1 TD - 0 drops
Robert Crucial - 7 catches - 56 yards - 0 TD - 1 drop

Blocking:
Jamwel Rooney - 3 pancakes
Cromwell Thigpen - 5 pancakes - 1 sack allowed
Ray Maiava - 4 pancakes - 1 sack allowed
Steven Nguyen - 4 pancakes

Defensive:
Hal Jordan - 4 tackles - 1 TFL
Leonard Spocklestein - 3 tackles
Bunj Torres - 5 tackles - 1 TFL
Darius Bain - 13 tackles
Harold Mouton - 3 tackles - 1 PBU
Kyle Carpenter - 7 tackles

Kicking:
William Beckum - 2/2 FG - 1/1 XP

[diabsoule]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/IndianapolisRaptors.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/PittsburghExplosion.gif

Indianapolis Raptors (2-1) at Pittsburgh Xplosion (1-2)

Hi, I'm Vince Scully and welcome to another exciting game. This week we have the Indianapolis Raptors, fresh off of a victory against Chicago, traveling to the Steel City to take on the Pittsbugh Xplosion.

The Xplosion have been reeling since their week one victory at Memphis while Indianapolis has a loss sandwiched between two wins. Pittsburgh is hoping to get their offense going while Indianapolis' balanced attack and aggressive defense look to keep Pittsburgh in check. We will have kickoff right after this. Stay tuned!

First Quarter

Winds are gusting hard here in Pittsburgh which should make kicking conditions difficult. It's 62 degrees in what some could call almost perfect football weather. Pittsburgh has won the toss and has elected to defer to the second half. Rex Birch comes onto the field and boots one as hard as he can, unfortunately he is kicked directly into the wind so that the ball is caught at the 20 yard like by Max Cienfuegos and brought out to the 33 where Indy will start with great field position. First down, Devin Saint hits TE Jrue Reed for a gain of 6. 2nd down, the Raptors try rushing the ball but Cobourne runs into the Great Steel Wall of Doestevsky Vissiaranovich and is wrestled down for a loss of one. After another unsuccesful run by Thurman Brinks to the right side that brought Indy within two yards of the first down they are forced to punt on 4th and 2. Guy Planas comes out and shanks it where the ball will come down to the rest at the Pittsburgh 43 yard line.
This time it's Pittsburgh's turn to struggle. Al Wood tosses it out into the flat for Seth Harris but he only gets two yards before he is wrestled down by LB Caleb Westgarth. 2nd down and a Harris run which only get another two yards. 3rd and 6, Al Woods steps back to pass and it is deflected at the last second by Demond Decker. Matt Burns comes on and booms one into the wind which Max Cienfuegos fair catches at the 30 yard line. Looks like this is going to be a game of field control as both teams offenses have struggled so far.
Things started going well for Indianapolis on their first play from the line of scrimmage as Devin Saint hits Ernie Cobourne out of the backfield for a gain of 7. 2nd down, Saint hits Jrue Reed for a gain of 6. Looks like the passing game is heating up for Indianapolis. On first down Saint steps back to pass and is drilled by Chris Shakur who was coming on a well-timed safety blitz for a loss of 5. The Raptors continue with the passing game despite that set back and Saints hits Quention Harrison as he was streaking down the sideline for a gain of 13. A first down Thurman Brinks run will get only 3 yards which will bring Indy to the Pittsburgh 46 yard line. 2nd down and Saint hits backup TE Nelson Cuenca for a gain of 3. On 3rd and 4 Indy lines up in the shotgun but Saint fakes the pass and hands it off to Cobourne who squirts through the line for a gain of 5 and a first down on a well-designed draw play. On first down, Saint continues his surgery against the Pittsburgh secondary by TE Jrue Reed for a gain of 14 but this is where the drive stalls. At the Pittsburgh 24 yard line a first down run by Cobourne goes for about a yard. 2nd down Saint sails it over the head of his intending receiver and a near interception brings up fourth down. Veteran K Max Koger and splits the uprights to put the first points on the board as the first quarter comes to a close.

Indianapolis 3
Pittsburgh 0

Second Quarter

The Pittsburgh offense seemed to show a little life to open the second quarter as they started with the ball on the 25 yard line following a kick return that netted minimal yards. Seth Harris ran for four yards on first down and on second down Al Wood tossed a bullet to Frank Williams for a gain of five. 3rd and one and backup RB Aaron Natale busted through the line for a gain of two. Next play a Al Wood fired a screen pass to Seth Harris who picked up 4 yards. Next play a Seth Harris run to the left gained four yards as well. On third down and as QB Al Wood was searching for a receiver RG Andre Bleu delivered a crushing block which bought enough time for Wood to find an open Seth Harris splitting two defenders down field for a gain of 11. Pittsburgh will stall, though, following a first down run by Harris that went for a yard and two incomplete Wood passes. Matt Burns would boot a decent kick which would have Indianapolis starting at their 18 yard line.
Indy would trot out onto the field and do the unthinkable. Following a first down run by Thurman Brinks to keep the defense honest, QB Devin Saint would fall back to pass, pump fake, and fire a beautifully tight ball down the sideline and place it perfectly as Quentin Harrison would never have to alter his course to catch the ball. He streaks down the sideline all the way to the Xplosion 36 yard line before being pushed out of bands by Chris Shakur. On first down, RB Ernie Cobourne would run into a wall of Pittsburgh defenders for zero gain. 2nd down and another incomplete gain. 3rd down and a pass to TE Jrue Reed would still leave them 2 yards shy of the first down. Once again, Indy would trot out K Max Koger who would split the uprights.

Indianapolis 6
Pittsburgh 0

An Isaac Justice return would give Pittsburgh excellent field position at the 41 yard line. QB Al Wood would come out and start off with a toss to TE Flint Green for a gain of 5. Seth Harris would carry the ball for a gain of 3 and on third down WR Alexander Goodwin would reel in a wobbly Al Wood pass for 7 yards and a first down. RB Aaron Natale would rush ahead for a gain of four as Indianapolis' defense doesn't seem to know who is going to get the ball next. A toss in the flat to FB Caesar Roland and he would barrel ahead for 5 yards and close to another first down. Al Wood would dial up a quick hitch to WR Ty Upton who would bring it in for four yards and a first down. Pittsburgh is seemingly walking down field as time continues to tick off the board. First down and Demond Decker would break up a pass intended for WR Frank Williams. Ben Grant would split the two offensive linemen trying to fend him off and sack Wood on second down for a loss of 4. 3rd and 14, time winding down, Wood drops back to pass, pressure coming from both Ben Grant and Caleb Westgarth, Wood ducks right to avoid beind hit by Grant and fires off balance to Seth Harris who.... hauls it in at the three yard line and immediately spins causing Decker to miss and he trots into the endzone with :31 left.
The extra point unit comes onto the field and hits it through.

Indianapolis 6 Pittsburgh 7

The Raptors seem content to take a knee and kill the clock after the kickoff went out of the endzone for a touchback.

Halftime

Indianapolis 6
Pittsburgh 7

And we are back from the half! Pittsburgh leads by a scant point but Indianapolis' offense has looked good and has driven twice into Xplosion territory before their drives stalled. Let's see what happens in the second half!

Pittsburgh deferred in the first half and will receive the ball. Max Koger launched a deep one that is caught by Isaac Justice five yards deep in the endzone and he opts to take a knee so Pittsburgh will begin with the ball at their 20 yard line. First down and Indy brings tons of pressure. Al Wood has nowhere to go and is buried by Ben Grant for a loss of three. On second down, Wood again steps back to pass and hits his old reliable target Seth Harris who scampers upfield for eight yards. 3rd and 5 and Wood's pass for Frank Williams sails over his head. Matt Burns comes on and punts it and with the wind it turns into a beautiful 51 yard punt. Indy will get the ball on their 24 yard line.
As with their previous drives, Indy is having a hard time moving the ball to a position that they can take advantage of on the field. 1st down Ernie Cobourne goes on an off-tackle run for 6. Next play Devin Saint throws an incomplete pass that Chris Shakur got a hand on but couldn't reel it in for the INT. 3rd down and Quentin Harrison catches the ball for a gain of 8 before he is planted. 1st down Raptors and Saint again with an incomplete pass. DE Mitch Cavanaugh looks like he got a paw on it. A Thurman Brinks run nets a scant 3 yards. 3rd and 7. Saint falls back to pass, scans the field and has to throw it away. The pressure was getting too much and if he held onto it longer there would have been hell to pay. A Guy Planas punt into the wind will give Pittsburgh excellent field position at their 43 yard line.

Dangerous Seth Harris comes onto the field and immediately contributes. Wood stepped back to pass and found Harris on a crossing route for 16 yards. 1st down at the Raptors 40 and a Harris run is snuffed out by Caleb Westgarth. A gain of 2 on the play. 2nd and 8. Wood audibles at the line, drops back, scans left then right, fires right and into the hands of Frank Wiliams who steps out of bounds before Demond Decker had a chance to give him a good pop. Gain of 7. 3rd and 1. Wood steps back and fires a screen pass to Aaron Natale who BREAKS a tackle and is heading upfield. Decker is finally there to make the tackle at the 11 yard line. This is where the Raptors will stiffen. Wood is dropped by Westgarth for a loss of 3. 2nd down and Pittsburgh dials up a screen pass to Harris but it sniffed out perfectly by Demond Decker. POP! Oh, what a hit! Oh, man. Harris is down. This doesn't look. The refs call a time-out as the trainers take the field. This is not good news for the Xplosion. Harris is their most explosive player.
We're back from the commercial break and Harris is being taken the sideline. We will get word from the sideline as soon as possible. 3rd down now and Wood completely misses his receiver. 4th and 10 and the field goal unit comes on. Rex Birch will have to really nail this one as it's at a difficult angle. The snap, the hold, the kick. Oh, he made it just by inches!

Indianapolis 6
Pittsburgh 10

We're back and we have a report on Seth Harris.

Diagnosis: Neck stinger
Length of Injury: Out for the game.
Return Length: 95% next week.

That is not good news for the Pittsburgh offense as they have been struggling against this Indy defense. Indy kicks off and Pittsburgh takes it out to the 25 yard line. 1st down and a 3rd yard gain by Frank Williams. 2nd down and an incomplete pass by Al Wood. 3rd down and 8 yard pick by Aaron Natale and that will bring us to the fourth quarter

Indianapolis 6
Pittsburgh 10

Fourth Quarter

We now enter the fourth and final quarter. After a first down pickup, Pittsburgh's offense would stall. A Natale run would get 4 yards. Frank Williams would drop a pass from Al Wood that would have gone for a first down and on 3rd down Wood throws the pass away. It was that or take a sack from Ben Grant. Matt Burns punts it away and Max Cienfuegos would give the Raptor's offense excellent field position by getting the ball to the Xplosion 49 yard line. Immediately looking to go for the throad, Devin Saint drops by and fires deep for Jrue Reed who catches it at the 13 yard line! An amazing catch by the young H-Back. That's a gain of 36 yards. Next play, Ernie Cobourne is taken down before he can get to the original in of scrimmage. 2nd down and big nose tackle Dostoevsky Vissarionovich gets his mitt on the ball and swats it away. 3rd down and Indianapolis needs to get to the 3 yard line for a first down. Saint hikes the ball, falls back to pass and he Quentin Harrison just standing alone in the end zone for a touchdown! There was definitely a miscommunication in the secondary on that play. Max Koger's extra point is good.

Indianapolis 13
Pittsburgh 10

Pittsburgh would start with the ball at their 30 yard line following the return and again would struggle without Harris on the field. Ben Grant would throw Al Wood to the grown for a loss of 6. Westgarth would drag Aaron Natale to the ground for a scant 3 yard gain. Wood's pass would only go for 8 yards bringing up a 4th and 5 and the punting unit.
Indianapolis' last drive and their anemic offense seemed to take the life out of the Pittsburgh defense as they looked haggard and drained during this drive. Max Cienfuegos would again give the Raptors great field position, this time at the Xplosion 48 yard line. Indy would march down field following a quick strike to Ernie Cobourne for 10 yards, a run by Thurman Brinks for six yards, and a Jrue Reed catch for 5. Anything Indianapolis was doing seemed to be working. A quick pass to Nelson Boster gained another 7 yards. The next play was an Ernie Cobourne run that would bring him into the endzone as no one one Pittsburgh's defense seemed to get a hand on him. Max Koger's extra point was good and it looks like this game could be over.

Indianapolis 20
Pittsburgh 10

Apparently to Indianapolis this game is over as they send in their second string. Even with the Raptors second team on the field Pittsburgh has a hard time marching downfield although they manage. Frank Williams ans Aaron Natale were critical in this drive as they were the recipients of almost every pass during the drive. Pittsburgh managed to march downfield and an Alexander Goodwin pass would make this loss by Pittsburgh look competitive, at least on the scoreboard. Rex Birch's extra point is good.

Indianapolis 20
Pittsburgh 17

With little time remaining, Indianapolis just took three knees and called it a game. What a disappointing way to end the game but this goes to show you, folks, that one star player on offense can make all the different. Until next week!

Final

Indianapolis 20
Pittsburgh 17

Stats

Indianapolis

Devin Saint
17/23 - 201 yards - 1 TD - 0 INT

Ernie Cobourne
10 rushes 56 yards 1 TD
6 catches 38 yards
Thurman Brinks
6 rushes 27 yards
1 catch 5 yards

Quentin Harrison
4 catches 101 yards 1 TD
Jrue Reed
5 catches 70 yards

William Quinn
3 pancakes 1 sack allowed
Turk Francis
4 pancakes 0 sacks allowed

Caleb Westgarth
10 tackles 1 sack 2 hurries
Ben Grant
7 tackles 2 TFL 3 sacks 2 hurries
Drew Wilhelm
6 tackles 3 TFL
Charles Whimper
3 tackles
Erick Herbert
8 tackles
Demond Decker
7 tackles 3 PBU

Max Koger
2/2 FG 2/2 XP

Pittsburgh

Al Wood
18/38 179 yards 1 TD

Seth Harris Jr
14 rushes 89 yards
11 catches 68 yards 1 TD
Aaron Natale
10 rushes 57 yards
6 catches 49 yards

Frank Williams
9 catches 88 yards

Dexter Allen
6 pancakes 1 sack allowed
Andre Bleu
9 pancakes 0 sacks allowed
Paul Tagliani
4 pancakes 2 sacks allowed

Mitch Cavanaugh
7 tackles 1 TFL 1 PBU
Dostoevsky Vissarionovich
10 tackles 2 TFL
Ozzy Fox
6 tackles
Omar Robinson
5 tackles
Antonio Blades
5 tackles 2 PBU
Jack Starks
4 tackles 1 PBU
Chris Shakur
8 tackles 2 PBU

[broth223]

Week 4 New Orleans Nightmare vs Honalulu Wave


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/NewOrleansNightmare.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/HonoluluWave2.gif

Welcome to beautiful Honolulu Hawaii its Sunny and a warm 89 degrees as we get prepared for today's game where the New Orleans Nightmare go on the road to face the Honolulu wave. John Bladasaro here in the booth giving you the play by play today but first, lets take a look at the two teams.

On offense the Nightmare run a wing t with some gadget plays and we all know that coach Brooklyn loves to run the ball behind the best O-Line in the league lead by first overall pick Jabroni James. They should be able to run on a wave D that has not held a team to under 150 yards in any of the first three matches but MLB Scott Carr will be there to try to stop that from happening for the fourth strait week in a row.
On defense, the Nightmare must try to put a damper on this Wave offense lead by QB Mike Vick, whom has great weapons in RB Ray Leonard and WR Eko Mutombo. The Nightmare will have to look towards defensive leaders Roman David Sanchez and DE Domenik Coleman to step up and stop this high flying offense of the wave.

Kickoff should be coming shortly stay tuned this should be an exciting match.

First Quarter

New Orleans elects to receive and with a surprise Scott Carr is lined up on special teams Walt Turnbow is going to kick it off. It is a high end over end kick that reaches the end zone and will be taken out by Tyvon Trinity he takes it to the 15 and OOOHHH LORDY what a hit by Scott Carr and the ball is loose! the ball is loose on the 10 yard line and Carr gets up and takes it himself! Busts through some Nightmare special teamers for the Touchdown! OH MY TOUCHDOWN Honolulu what a play by Scott Carr and what a great start to the game by the wave. Lets take a look at that on instant replay. Look at Carr here he's flying and whack! Hat on the ball! that is how you are suppose to tackle all you high school coaches at home record this because that is how you want your kids to tackle.


________________________________________
Upload got effed so bullet points.

- Trinity pulled a Desean Jackson and spiked the ball before entering the endzone turnover.

-Second touchdown by Honolulu Vick to Mutombo.

- Nightmare runs alot gets touchdown by Killstone

- Vick gets shook up then ends the half.

- Wave charged up the field for the field goal

- more and more running by the Nightmare that ends in another TD.

4th Quarter

Big Foot kicks off to Steptoe Steptoe brings it out to the 33 yard line. If I'm coach Andy Johnson I want to take as much time off of the clock as possible and force the Nightmare to pass the ball at the end of the game. 1st and 10 on the 33 yard line Vick hands off to Ray Leonard going between Witlock and Andrews for a 3 yard gain. 2nd and 7 on the 36 yard line Vick and the offense take their time coming up to the line. Looks like Lyle Wingman got a little jumpy and will get the encroachment penalty. 2nd and 2 on the 41 yard line. Another handoff to Leonard this time off tackle for another 3 yard gain before being taken down hard by Coleman. Looking at another 1st and 10 on the 44 and the Wave are really eating the clock with 4 minutes left to the game. Vick takes the snap play action to Leonard who doesn't fool anyone. Throws the pass to Eko Mutombo at the 50 yard line and this team is all about YAC look at him go plowing ahead to the 40 yard line. First and 10 on the 40 once again the wave is being methodical taking their time Vick takes the snap and throws it out onto a swing pass to Leonard who takes it another 5 yards before being knocked out of bounds by David Roman Sancez. 2nd and 5 on the 35 it is another handoff to Leonard that goes for two yards before getting lit up by Joseph Schweb. 3rd and 1 on the 31. Vick takes the snap play actions to Leonard and ... look at that Vick is taking it himself the old QB bootleg and he dives forward it is going to be close... The refs will have to bring out the chains on this one. OH NO inches off 4th and inches on the 30 yard line. Coach Andy Johnson is going to let the clock roll down to the two minute warning. The fans want the wave to take a shot at it but it looks like Johnson is going ot send the field goal unit in for the 47 yard field goal try. The snap ... is good. the hold ... is good. and the kick ... dings the left upright and is in field goal is good.

Honolulu leads 20-14

Two Minute Warning

Heckleman kicks it off it is deep but ... oh no it takes a very weird bounce and goes out of bounds so the Nightmare will take the ball at the 40. The Nightmare have all three timeouts and just under two minutes left. Williams takes the snap and hands the ball of to Jackson it looks like they are still going with their bread and butter in spite of the time restraints 10 yard gain and the Nightmare call a timeout. 1st and 10 at mid field Williams to Killstone and another 10 yard gain as they cross the 40 what magnificent blocking by the O-line and the offense rushes to the line and spikes the ball. 2nd and 10 on the 40 yard line. Williams hands off to Jackson again for another 10 yard gain. as the Wave are still on the prevent defense and the Nightmare run up to the line. Williams spi... nope fake spike and Williams does the quick out rout to Trinity for another 15 yards. 1st and 10 on the 25 one minute left to the game. There is another Buck sweep by Jackson, and another 10 yards. Jabroni James has been Man handling Drake MacDonals for much of this game. 40 seconds on the clock another run by Jackson stopped in the backfield by Carr. 25 Seconds left as Williams calls a time out. Williams drops back to pass and throws it to trinity who is knocked out of bounds at the one yard line with one second left to go in the game!!! It is win or go home. The Ref comes out with an announcement but I don't see any flags on the play. Number 75 will be lined up as an eligible receiver. By DCFL rules whenever someone with a lineman's number on it is eligible for a pass the team must announce it. What is more shocking is that they are going to send Jabroni James out for a pass! 1st and Goal at the one. Williams falls back to pass. Trinity is blanketed by Turner Owens is all covered up as well Jackson is not getting away from Carr and Drake McDonald is coming in hard off the rush getting through the guard. Williams releases the ball towards Jabroni James in the back corner of the endzone and ... And... AND!! He is hit by Ogbannaya James hits the ground and the ball falls out what a tough pill to swallow for the Nigthmare.

But wait there is a flag on the play. If it is against the defense the game goes on otherwise the Wave wins the refs are talking it over... and the umpire comes out with the call. "Pass Interference on the defense half the distance to the goal first down" the crowd explodes into boos and the umpire is dodging tropical drinks on the field. Lets look at the replay I can understand what these fans are riled about that looks like just a good play by Ogbannaya to me and oh man I don't see what the refs are seeing here. But that was no PI I've ever seen, but, penalties are non reviewable so the Nightmare get another shot. Jabroni James is once again listed as a eligable reciever on this one. Williams takes the snap hands off to Killstone who leaps over the line and is meat by Carr did he make it? The refs are digging through the pile and it is ... A TOUCHDOWN by the Nightmare now all they need is the extra point. Mo Washington is about to hold it for Kris Stevens. The snap was ... good the hold was ... BOBBLED! Mo Washington gets up yelling "FIRE FIRE FIRE" Bubba Franklin sheads off his block Drake McDonald rushing in with a speed and ferocity not seen before Washington relases the ball right before McDonald to pound him into the dirt and it is ...

Caught by Bubba Franklin NIGHTMARE WINS NIGHTMARE WINS!!!! **** I LOVE FOOTBALL!

Nightmare Wins 20-22


Stats to come Later.

Honolulu

Michael Vick - 20/25 - 224 yards - 1 TD - 0 INT
Ray Leonard - 13 rushes - 70 yards - 0 TD - 3 rec - 15 yards
Eko Mutumbo - 10 rec - 100 yards - 1 TD - 1 drop
Eli Wright - 3 rec - 69 yards
Trevor Andrews - 8 pancakes

Drake McDonald - 7 tackles - 2 TFL - 1 Sack
Scott Carr - 13 tackles - 1 PBU - 1FF - 1 FR - 1TD - 1 TFL
Ian Wells - 2 tackles
Will Franks-Turner - 3 tackles - 1 PBU
Quentin Brown - 4 tackles

Walt Turnbow - 2/2 FG - 2/2 XP

New Orleans Stats:

Passing:
Seneca Williams – 5/10 – 55 yards –

Rushing:
Tank Jackson – 30 carries – 250 yards – 1 TD – 0 fumbles
Anger Killstone – 16 carries – 75 yards – 2 TD – 0 fumbles

Receiving:
Tyvon Trinity – 1 catch – 25 yards – 0 TD – 0 drops - 2 Fumbles
Tank Jackson – 3 catches – 15 yards – 0 TD – 0 drops
Anger Killstone – 1 catch – 1 yard – 0 TD – 0 drops

Blocking:
Jabroni James – 12 pancakes – 0 sacks allowed
David McMurray – 10 pancakes – 0 sacks allowed
Charles Zarnes – 5 pancakes – 0 sacks allowed
Tennessee Rutherford – 4 pancakes – 1 sack allowed
Anger Killstone – 6 pancakes – 0 sacks allowed

Defensive:
Domenik Coleman – 7 tackles – 2 TFL
Heath Rawlings – 4 tackles
Roman David Sanchez – 7 tackles – 2 sacks – 1 TFL
AJ Kampman – 3 tackles L
Joseph Schwab – 8 tackles – 1 TFL
Al Harrison – 1 tackles – 0 PBU
Randy Duncan – 2 tackles
Nintendo Bigby – 7 tackles – 1 PBU

Kicking:
Kris Stevens – 0/0 FG – 3/3 XP

Return:
Tyvon Trinity – 27.2 KRA – 8.1 PRA – 2 fumble

[BeerBaron]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/WyomingJackalopes-1.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/OmahaKangaroos.gif

Week 4 - Wyoming Jackalopes (1-2) at Omaha Kangaroos (2-1)

Welcome to this week 4 matchup between the Jackalopes and the Kangaroos. A couple of creatures that can hop really well do battle here.

Wyoming just earned their first win of the season last week after two close games while Omaha is coming off of a high scoring victory against Las Vegas.

Should be an interesting one....we start this one soon!

First Quarter

Craig Fitzgibbon kicked off to Dwayne Comacho who....cut left...found some space! Only the kicker to beat and.....TD Wyoming! Wow, best start possible for Wyoming.

Wyoming leads 7-0

Omaha now had to answer, though they couldn't do it on the kickoff return. Carmichael brought it out to the 32 before going down. Omaha started in the shotgun with a quick pass to Carmichael who picked up 3 but was tripped up before he could get any further. Then, QB Crail Johnson play faked to Carmichael and looked left...Bolt Williams was streaking down the field having beaten Comacho! Crail put up a long, high arcing pass that.....Williams dropped! Bounced right off his hands....ouch. Wyoming brought heat on 4th down and forced Johnson to scramble, throwing a pass on the run that bounced at the feet of Carmichael. They would punt.

Wyoming started on offense at their own 37. The Omaha defense was changing up their looks before the snap in an effort to confuse Plainview and the offense, but Plainview stood pat. They ran the ball behind Ray Tyson with Marshall Taylor to pick up a few yards on first and 2nd down, then on 3rd and short, play faked to Taylor as Plainview rolled right avoiding some pass rushers then dumped the ball short to Logan Stevens who was wrapped up by Adolf Klux quickly, but picked up the first down. Klux blew Taylor up in the backfield on a run blitz on the next play, but Plainview made up for it again stepping between defenders to avoid the pass rush and firing a rocket into WR Phillip Garcia for a first down. Omaha came hard again with a blitz they switched to right before the play but Plainview still made a proper adjustment in order to pick up the blitz. His pass was intended for Logan Stevens but it was batted away by Troy Ryder who broke off his coverage to jump the route. Plainview was being very observant with the changes the defense made, something he had learned in his many years of playing deaf. Omaha was going to have to do better than some simple last second adjustments to beat him. They did rattle him on the next play though as Kedrick Odom shot around RT Marco Boss to hit Plainview as he threw, causing the ball to sail high incomplete. Facing 3rd and long, Plainview scanned the field but found no one open and instead dumped it off to Taylor who could only pick up 5 yards. Wyoming would now have to punt.

Carmichael managed a decent return to the Omaha 35 where they would start on offense. Braith Anasta got a first down carry but didn't do much with it. Johnson then threw to Julio Stone near the right sideline to pick up 15 as he was shoved out hard by Azi Kwame who was all over him on that play. Anasta got another run attempt and picked up a few on first down, then Crail Johnson threw incomplete on 2nd down, overthowing TE Jaleel Starks. On 3rd down, Omaha started out with both Bolt Williams and Carmichael in the backfield. Johnson took the snap, faked a pitch to bolt and then threw right for Carmichael who......got blown the **** up! Dan Baker may not be the fastest safety in the world but he sniffed out that play and delivered the knockout blow to Carmichael who was a little slow getting up. Reminds me of this famous play:

VdQUiZ6ioKw

Carmichael is normally pretty slippery and avoids big hits but that one he never saw coming. It was now 4th down and Omaha would uncharacteristically have to punt again. Comacho would fair catch it at the Wyoming 40. Somewhat of a short punt. That is where Wyoming would have the ball to begin the 2nd quarter.

Second Quarter

Wyoming kicked things off this quarter with a big play. Marshall Taylor ran right behind some good Ray Tyson blocking and then slipped through a Setamaita Sa tackle to break into the open field. Mitchell Pearce had a good angle though and managed to chase Taylor down after a pickup of 30 yards to the Omaha 30. Adolf Klux looked absolutely pissed off on that play and was jawing at an official. He apparently wanted a flag for hands to the face on Tyson who blocked him right out of the play. He may have had a case as replay shows that Tyson got a piece of Klux's facemask but no flags were thrown. Things bogged down for Wyoming after that as no more runs found room and then Plainview threw incomplete looking for Darnell Bird who was well covered by Ryder. Daniel Santiago came on for the FG attempt and knocked it through right down the middle.

Wyoming leads 10-0

Carmichael was apparently ok and was back on the field for the kick return which he brought out to the 37 on a good return. Omaha went back to work on offense, which had been unusually sluggish so far. Johnson hit Starks over the middle for a quick 10 yards, then Carmichael got to run it on a sweep which picked up 8 more yard. On 3rd and 2, Johnson dropped back and fired looking for Stone but threw behind him.....picked off! Wait.....yes! No! I can't tell! Officials were coming in as it looked like Kwame caught it, but Stone reached in and almost appeared to pull it out of his hands. Dan Baker jumping onto them certainly didn't help distinguish it either.....Wyoming ball! Stone had a hand in there but Kwame had it all wrapped up for the interception. Stone and Kwame jawed back and forth a bit before each left the field, with Stone saying something along the lines of "I'll get you b*tch, I'll get you." We'll see Julio....

Wyoming could meanwhile do little on offense. Taylor was stuffed for little gain on two straight runs and then....sack. Plainview was hauled down by Kendrick Odom who was having a pretty good game considering he was trying to make up for the loss of fellow DE Ted Neal a bit. The turnover really didn't hurt Omaha and they would get it back after a punt. The punt was a good one by Dante Dassler and took a hop at the 8 yard line after Carmichael let it go over his head hoping for a touchback. The ball took a Wyoming friendly bounce however and came to rest around the 6 yard line where it was downed. Bad field position for Omaha.

It didn't deter them from going to their potent passing attack though, as they tried to get it flowing. Johnson hit 3 consecutive passes to Stone, then Bolt, then Stone again to pick up about 35 yards total very quickly. Wyoming came with a safety blitz on the next play as Johnson faked a toss to Carmichael but then had no where to go but down in the arms of DE Tarik Lewis for the sack. They got some of that yardage back as Johnson threw to Bolt Williams who....was drug down by his facemask. Comacho knew it as soon as he did it and banged his helmet in frustration. 15 yards would be tacked on to the end of the catch and Omaha was really rolling finally. Two passes to Starks followed which picked up another first down and took Omaha to the Wyoming 25 yard line in time for the 2:00 warning.

Johnson hit Stone on a 10 yard hook for another quick first down as Kwame drug him down. Omaha got to the line quick and Johnson took the snap. He dropped back, looking for Julio all the way. Johnson put up the ball for the back corner of the endzone where Stone and Kwame were 1v1. Their feet tangled together....and the pass fell just inches beyond Stone's outstretched hand as he was falling. He got up looking for a flag but the contact was ruled as being incidental. Stone was not happy as Kwame clapped his hands for the official and the two once again got into a jawing match before behind separated. On 2nd down, Johnson handed off to Carmichael on a draw play. Carmichael ran behind big RT Tim James and....sliipped a tackle from Melvin Callahan into the open field! TD Carmichael!

Wyoming leads 10-7

There wasn't a lot of time left in the half but Wyoming wasn't going down easily, still having all of their timeouts. Omaha squibbed the kickoff so Wyoming would be starting at their own 38. Wyoming's offense came on in a pass heavy set and went to work. Omaha was still switching up defensive looks and bringing pressure but Plainview was simply in a zone. He completed two straight passes to take his team across midfield, then used a itmeout, their first. After an incomplete pass on first down, Plainview completed his next pass down the middle on a big gain for Stevens who got free after Adolf Klux went on a blitz. Plainview was lit up by Klux, but had gotten the ball off for the nice 20 yard gain. They took their 2nd timeout with enough time for a shot at the endzone and maybe one more play. Plainview took the snap, dropped back, and fired for Darnell Bird deep! Troy Ryder was there however and had him well covered and they each tipped the ball up and out of bounds. Wyoming simply ran with Taylor once to center them for the FG attempt and took their final timeout with just seconds remaining. Santiago came on and booted it through to increase their lead going into halftime.

Wyoming leads 13-7

HALFTIME

Third Quarter

Omaha would start with the ball at their own 20 after a touchback on the kickoff. They went right back to work with the passing game as Crail Johnson dropped back and threw a rocket that nearly impaled Jaleel Starks as he hauled it in. Crail Johnson caught a screen and scampered for 15 yards before Dan Baker brought him down...had Baker not tripped him up with an arm tackle, that might have been another Omaha TD by Carmichael. Crail Johnson was forced to scramble by the Wyoming pass rush on the next play, but found running room and picked up 10 easy yards before running out of bounds just across midfield. As Omaha got set on the next play, Johnson called an audible once at the line. Julio Stone and Jaleel Starks split out wide left while Carmichael and Bolt Williams split wide right. Johnson took the shotgun snap and fired it quickly out to Carmichael who....hook-and-ladder style laterals it Bolt! It was...a little poorly timed and Bolt had to slow up and spin around to haul it in, allowing some defenders to close in for the tackle. A good though but it needed a little more work. Instead, Omaha went back to the traditional pass, or tried to. Johnson took the snap but had Tarik Lewis on him quick forcing him to step up in the pocket....right into the waiting arms of Inky Styles who split between Omaha's C and LG for the sack! It was now 3rd and long. Johnson dropped back, found a lot of coverage sliding over to Julio and whipped a pass out to Bolt Williams who......caught it along the sideline right at the first down marker! Wait no....another official who had a better angle on it said that Bolt didn't drag both of his feet, and the replays seem to support that. It would now be 4th and long, forcing Omaha to attempt the long FG. On came Fitzgibbon....the snap was good, hold was good....kick was....no good. He pushed it wide right.

Wyoming still leads 13-7 :p

Taking over in good field position, Wyoming went back to work offensively. Marshall Taylor found no running room on a first down carry but Plainview stood tall against the pass rush to throw a strike to Logan Stevens between two defenders for a first down. Taylor caught a quick swing pass and turned it upfield for a quick gain on the next play, then Plainview decided to test Troy Ryder on the right side and actually threw the pass into Bird for a first down. Taylor took a carry on the new set of downs behind Ray Tyson who bulldozed Christian Haydenson allowing Taylor to pick up 13 yards before he was corralled. On the next play, Plainview play faked to Taylor only to...BAM! Adolf Klux shot through the line and tackled both Plainview and Taylor at the same time for the sack. After that loss, Wyoming struggled to recover and would punt a few plays later.

Carmichael brought the return back to the Omaha 27 where they would begin again on offense. On first down....PICKED OFF! Wtf was Johnson thinking there? He was throwing for Julio Stone on a slant but put it right into the gut of Dan Baker who wasn't expecting the pass at all. Baker held onto it and would return it a few yards before he was tackled by a combo of Starks and Johnson. As they walked off the field, Johnson motioned with his hands as if he was expecting Stone to run a different route and Stone only shook his head.

So taking over at the Omaha 30, Wyoming's offense suddenly got to go back to work. A first down run by Taylor netted maybe a yard, then Plainview threw incomplete trying to hit Philip Garcia in the endzone. That brought up 3rd and long, so Omaha brought the blitz. Klux shot through the line, ran over Marshall Taylor who was feebly attempting to block him, and dove for Plainview who just barley tossed the ball out before being hit. The pass sailed up and hit Logan Stevens in the endzone for an easy TD!

Wyoming leads 20-7

Carmichael brought the kickoff back to the 33 before being taken down. Omaha would start there when we begin the 4th quarter.

Fourth Quarter

The Omaha offense needed to respond after a mistake filled day so far. They got Wyoming back on their heels after their first play, where Johnson fired a laser beam into Bolt Williams who was sandwiched between two defenders. Carmichael took the handoff on a draw play and picked up a few more yards himself before going down. OLB Tyrone Taylor shot in on a blitz to hit Johnson but Johnson had already flicked the pass out to Stone on a WR screen. Stone slipped away from a Kwame tackle to pick up 10 yards before he was shoved out of bounds by Dan Baker. Nearing midfield, Omaha got set and......direct snap to Carmichael in a little bit of Wildcat action. It took the defenders by surprise a little bit and allowed Carmichael to shoot ahead untouched for 10 yards before he was finally stopped. On the next play, Johnson fired left looking for Bolt but threw well behind him as the pass just went out of bounds. Then, Johnson found Starks down the middle of the field of a nice pickup. Tyrone Taylor and FS Melvin Callahan converged on him for the tackle but...ehh...Callahan was slow to get up. He was clutching his upper arm or shoulder as the training staff came on. He would be helped up but would walk off under his own power. More news on him when it comes available.

After the little injury break, Omaha was back to trucking down the field. Carmichael caught a quick slant out of the slot for a quick pickup, then on virtually the same play only reversed, Bolt Williams did the same thing. Now nearing the red zone, Wyoming's defense was looking tired. Johnson tested them by firing up a flare towards Stone in the endzone...Kwame was there but backing FS Virgil Phrankert came in and tipped it away incomplete. Good play from the backup. On the next play, Johnson bought a little time by sliding in the pocket then fired down the middle of the field for Starks who...hauled it in at the 5! Dan Baker wrapped up his legs and Phrankert came shooting in to drive him back but Starks extended his arms towards the goal line.....Touchdown Omaha!

Wyoming leads 20-14

It was now Wyoming's turn on offense after the touchback on the kickoff, and their goal was to play keep away on offense while padding their lead. Any kind of score would make it a two possession game, so Wyoming needed only a FG to put all the pressure on Omaha. They started the drive off with a heavy dose of Marshall Taylor running behind Ray Tyson for 3 straight plays to pick up a first down. Then.....

FIGHT! It looks like Adolf Klux and Ray Tyson! Klux's helmet got shoved off during the play and there was no flag this time either, so Klux was taking matters into his own hands. He had Tyson by the facemask and was punching away at his stomach while several other players from both teams were forcing their ways in as well. Klux was bleeding below his left eye, apparently scratched while getting his helmet knocked off. Finally, both men were restrained and offsetting personal fouls were called. Klux was really pissed and was even swimming through his own teammates who were trying to hold him back as he shouted at Tyson. The head official must have heard something he didn't like come out of Klux's mouth, and the signal to toss him was given.

Omaha coach TJ Kenny-Dowall was absolutely livid on the sideline, but seemed more upset with the officiating and situation than with his now-ejected star linebacker. Klux was being taken back to the locker room by some trainers and security personnel with his eye gushing blood. He was slamming his helmet off of any hard surface he could find with blood pooling all over his jersey. Not a good situation...

Back on the field, Wyoming was still trying to milk the clock, easier now without Omaha's (arguably) best defender on the field in Klux. They drove forward with runs by Taylor, as well as some by bigger RB/FB Murray Bing. Wyoming was doing a good job of sucking the clock dry and it was now under 5 minutes to go as they got to midfield. Finally, Omaha got a few good stops despite being quite tired defensively and Wyoming was forced to throw. Omaha brought some pressure but Plainview stood tall and delivered a strike to Logan Stevens for the first down. A few more runs went by and Omaha used their first timeout to stop the clock nearing the two minute warning. They then came out and managed to stuff a few runs then bat down a Plainview pass to bring up 4th down. On came Santiago for the FG attempt. Omaha brought everything they had including Troy Ryder off the corner, but Santiago got the kick off and it was true.

Wyoming leads 23-14

Omaha was down two scores with two timeouts and just under 2 minutes to play. Wyoming squibbed the kickoff giving Omaha the ball at their own 39. They went with an all out passing package and played hurried. Johnson was able to pick apart the prevent defense of Wyoming and within 1 minute, had moved to the Wyoming 20 yard line. Carmichael started in the backfield but was then split out as a 5th WR. Johnson dropped back and first looked to Stone, but found him mired in coverage. Johnson then threw short over the middle to Carmichael who had a lot of room to run! He dodged Dan Baker and then outran Dwayne Comacho into the endzone for the score! TD Omaha!

Wyoming leads 23-21

It was time now for an onsides kick. Fitzgibbon gave it a good hop but it came down in a swamp of Jackalopes, being recovered by Wyoming. Wyoming went with a few run plays, forcing Omaha to use their last few timeouts. Another run play on 3rd down followed but it was stopped. Wyoming couldn't run out the clock by waiting, so they allowed it to tick down to 4 seconds then called a timeout of their own. Plainview took the snap and dropped waaaay back, 20 yards or so, until the clock said 0:00 and then heaved the ball deep out of bounds. Wyoming would hold on to win and climb back to .500 after starting out 0-2!

Wyoming wins 23-21

Wyoming Stats:

Passing:
Herman Plainview - 16/25 - 190 yards - 1 TD - 0 INT

Rushing:
Marshall Taylor - 22 carries - 96 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
Herman Plainview - 2 carries - 5 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles

Receiving:
Darnell Bird - 2 catches - 19 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops
Phillip Garcia - 3 catches - 33 yards - 0 TD - 1 drop
Logan Stevens - 8 catches - 75 yards - 1 TD - 0 drops
Marshall Taylor - 3 catches - 20 yards - 0 TD - 1 drop

Blocking:
Ray Tyson - 6 pancakes
Terrence Jacobs - 3 pancakes

Defensive:
Tarik Lewis - 4 tackles - 1 sack - 1 TFL
Inky Stiles - 2 tackles - 1 sack
Charlie Mack - 6 tackles
Tyrone Taylor - 9 tackles - 1 TFL
Azi Kwame - 5 tackles - 1 INT - 1 PBU
Dwayne Comacho - 3 tackles - 1 PBU
Dan Baker - 9 tackles - 1 INT

Kicking:
Daniel Santiago - 3/3 FG - 2/2 XP

Return:
Dwayne Comacho - 27.7 KRA - 8.8 PRA - 1 RTD

Omaha Stats:

Passing:
Crail Johnson - 26/39 - 302 yards - 2 TD - 2 INT

Rushing:
Leopold Carmichael - 11 carries - 71 yards - 1 TD - 0 fumbles
Braith Anasta - 6 carries - 25 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
Crail Johnson - 1 carry - 10 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles

Receiving:
Julio Stone - 6 catches - 75 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops
Bolt Williams - 4 catches - 53 yards - 0 TD - 1 drop
Jaleel Starks - 5 catches - 59 yards - 1 TD - 0 drops
Leopold Carmichael - 9 catches - 101 yards - 1 TD - 0 drops

Blocking:
Jericho Bridges - 3 pancakes
Tim James - 5 pancakes - 1 sack allowed

Defensive:
Lopini Paea - 3 tackles
Kendrick Odom - 4 tackles - 1 sack - 1 TFL
Adolf Klux - 12 tackles - 1 sack - 2 TFL - 1 PBU
Xavier Thames - 8 tackles - 1 TFL
Garth Stokes - 7 tackles
Troy Ryder - 4 tackles - 2 PBU

Kicking:
Craig Fitzgibbon - 0/1 FG - 3/3 XP

Return:
Leopold Carmichael - 30.1 KRA - 11.2 PRA

Notable Injuries:
Wyoming - S Melvin Callahan - Seperated Shoulder - OUT 3-5 weeks

[BeerBaron]

WEEK 5


10charactersssssssssssssssseffwordssssssss

[BeerBaron]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/PittsburghExplosion.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/ChicagoPandas.gif

Week 5 - Pittsburgh Xplosion (1-3) at Chicago Pandas (1-3)

Welcome to this weeks matchup between two teams struggling to get going. Each is currently at the bottom of the Eastern Division though win here, one of them will manage to pull a little ahead and hopefully recoup the season. The other....well...they might be in some trouble falling to 1-4.

This one should be interesting nonetheless as these teams fight for the life of their season. Stay tuned, this one is starting up soon!

First Quarter

Ike Stantios blasted the opening kickoff right out the back of the endzone for a touchback, meaning Pittsburgh would start at the 20. Pittsburgh started with a heavy dose of their combo of running backs, Seth Harris and Aaron Natale. They quickly picked up a first down on 3 straight runs but Harris was then brought down for a loss by a blitzing Joe Wallace. Al Wood made up for it on the next play though with a nice pass to Frank Williams who reeled it in with Elvis Jackson all over him for a nice pickup and the first down. Things broke down there though as Natale was tackled for a loss and then Wood threw two straight incompletions, one nearly picked off. Matt Burns was on to punt to James Speed who brought it back to the Chicago 34.

Chicago used their own duo of backs to pick up some yardage to start the drive, then QB Ray Mutler found Kenny Writt down the left hand sideline for a nice pickup across midfield. On the next play, Mutler play faked to Aaron Campbell and threw deep for James Speed! Speed had a step on Antonio Blades but Mutler overthrew them both....could have been a huge play there. On the next play, Mutler looked over the middle for TE Peter Johnston and...picked off! Chris Shakur jumped the route! He had some blockers in front of him and cut through the middle of them! Only Steve Mastersen was in front of him now but Mastersen stood strong and dove at Shakur's legs, tripping him up and ending the return at the Chicago 23. Big play for Pittsburgh though, just the kind of thing they needed.

Back onto the field came the Pittsburgh offense. Wood play faked to Harris on first down only to be....sacked! Jamaal Umenyiora flew around Dexter Allen for the take down. Now on 2nd and very long, Pittsburgh went back to the run with a Seth Harris draw play. He ran right behind Andre Bleu who pancaked KK Slider right out of the play. Harris cut right, dodging Yeremiah Carrasco and was in the open field! Elvis Jackson ran him down from behind but Harris' momentum carried him forward where he reached out the ball for the TD!

Pittsburgh leads 7-0

Chicago needed to get some points on the board now going back on offense. A very interesting battle to watch this game has been between Chicago C Todd Smithsonian and Pittsburgh NT Dostoevsky "Stalin" Vissarionovich. Vissarionovich had the size advantage without question, but Smithsonian was using leverage and good technique to neutralize that. Very interesting as on the next play, Smithsonian got the upper hand and, with some help by RG Brian Stone, blocked Vissarionovich right out of the play allowing Campbell to pick up several yards up the gut. Mutler connected with Kenny Writt on the next play for a 20 yard pickup as Writt outleapt the much smaller Jack Starks for the ball. Mutler then found Johnston after a play fake to pick up 10 though....oooo....Shakur hit Johnston HARD on that one. I'm surprised he managed to get up, much less hang onto the ball. Mutler handed off to Campbell on the next play as.....flea flicker! Campbell flipped it back to Mutler who threw it up deep to Speed! Speed was one on one with Blades and Speed hauled it in! Blades reached out to trip him up but Speed managed to dive ahead at the last second to knock over the pylon! TD Chicago! Way to answer, way to answer...

Game tied 7-7

Stantios blasted another beauty on the kickoff, though it was taken deep in the endzone by Isaac Justice and brought out to the 24. Pittsburgh would start there to begin the 2nd quarter of play.

Second Quarter

Pittsburgh was surely missing FS Kenny Mustain, as he may not have let up that TD. It was backup safety Luke Stryker who blew the coverage allowing Speed to get one on one deep. Regardless, Pittsburgh's offense now needed to answer. They started with some runs by Harris who picked up a few yards. KK Slider then brought down Aaron Natale on 3rd and short for a loss, bring up 4th down and forcing the punt. James Speed got a pretty good return out to the Chicago 40 before he was brought down.

A first down run to the outside by Masterson for Chicago picked up 5, but the next play didn't work out as well. Mutler play faked to Campbell but was forced to his left by a blitzing Christopher Claudius. Omar Robinson was right there and got a hand on Mutler's jersey, nearly sacking him but Mutler managed to pull away....right into the arms of Vissarionovich. The big Eastern European celebrated with a strange looking dance and went back to the huddle. Facing 3rd and long, Mutler threw intended for Writt but the pass sailed high and incomplete. Ike Stantios would be called on to punt and he crushed the ball, forcing the Pittsburgh return man to back up a good 20 yards and call for a fair catch. Pittsburgh would start at their own 13 yard line.

On the first play, Wood faked a toss to Harris and scanned the field. He stepped up in the pocket to avoid Umenyiora on the pass rush and threw short over the middle for Harris who...was lit up! Joe Wallace creamed him and the ball popped straight up! Slider was there to snatch it and ran for the endzone! It was only a short trot away and Slider dove in for the INT return TD!

Chicago leads 14-7

Stantios again destroyed the kickoff, setting up Pittsburgh with a touchback. Pittsburgh went with a few runs and then a short pass to start their drive, picking up 2 quick first downs. On the next play nearing midfield, Harris split out into the slot and Wood dropped back like he was going to throw. Harris came in on the end-around and Wood flipped it back to him! Harris had a lot of room to run around the left side as Dexter Allen got out in front and took out Carrasco! Slider was giving chase but Harris was too fast! Elvis Jackson came flying in from the opposite side of the field but he ran out of field to catch up as Harris took it in for his 2nd TD of the game!

Game tied 14-14

We've got a good game going here as Pittsburgh kicked off to Speed. Speed ran behind some blockers and got a good return out to the 37. Chicago then began on a long drive with a lot of runs and short passes as the 2nd quarter went on. Campbell and Masterson both found some running room as Chicago's interior o-line was handling the Pittsburgh d-line easily. Even Vissarionovich was having trouble making plays against two quality Chicago lineman on the inside. Finally, we hit the 2:00 warning with Chicago at the Pittsburgh 40. After the break, Mutler handed off to Mastersen who...was hit in the backfield by Ozzy Fox and dropped the ball! A scramble ensued to jump on it but Chicago got it back with Max Stevenson leaping on it. Chicago lost some yardage on that play though and would have to throw the ball. Mutler was nearly sacked on another great play by Fox but stayed on his feet and threw incomplete looking for Speed down the field. It was now 3rd and long and Culter looked to Writt over the middle but....he dropped it! He even had Starks beat by a step. Tough play for Chicago. Stantios would be called on to attempt the 60 yard FG now. The snap was good...hold was good...kick...was....good! That thing would have made it from another 5 yards out at least.

Chicago leads 17-14

Following another touchback on the kickoff, Pittsburgh was inclined to just run out the clock with a few handoffs to end the half.

HALFTIME

Third Quarter

James Speed was back deep for Chicago awaiting the kick. He brought it out to the 35 where...fumble! I'm not sure how, but the ball snuck out of his grasp and....Pittsburgh recovered! Speed jumped up exclaiming that he was down but the replay seems to disagree as the ball was freed before his knee was down. Tough break for Chicago and Speed was quite upset with himself.

Pittsburgh meanwhile got the ball on offense in great field position. KK Slider sniffed out a toss play to Harris on first down and blew it up in the backfield, but Pittsburgh picked those yards right back up with a pass completion to TE Flint Green for a nice pickup. Wood toss a laser beam into WR Alex Goodwin for a quick pickup to move inside the Chicago 10. Seth Harris shot inside on a first and goal carry to.....the one. He nearly got into the endzone but was held back by a crew of Chicago players to save the score. Big bruiser Aaron Natale was called on for the next play and plunged in....for the Pittsburgh TD!

Pittsburgh leads 21-17

James Speed held onto the kickoff this time but was wrapped up at the 27 on the return. Chicago went to work from there and the battle between Chicago's interior o-line and Vissarionovich continued. Aaron Campbell bashed forward on a few carries but wasn't having much success. Steve Mastersen caught a swing pass and picked up some nice yardage, but the drive stalled before Chicago could pick up a 2nd first down. Stantios was on to punt and forced the fair catch with a high, booming kick.

Pittsburgh started out with a short pass to Harris who...shook Joe Wallace on the tackle attempt and burst into the open field! S Andru Mitchell took a bad angle and Harris shot past into the open field! It was now a footrace with Elvis Jackson in hot pursuit! They crossed midfield and Jackson finally managed to dive ahead and take out the legs of Harris at the Chicago 35 yard line. Big plays from Harris were just killing Chicago today. Natale took the next carry as Harris got a breather but didn't do much with it. On the next play, Wood dropped back to throw, looked right to Frank Williams but found him well covered and.....sack by Joe Wallace! He shot in and swatted the ball out of Wood's hand! It took a hop laterally on the field and was knocked ahead by some lineman scrambling to get on top of it! Elvis Jackson swooped in and picked it up on a hop and was off! Harris and some others gave chase, but Jackson was the fastest player on the field and showed it there! Chalk that up as a fumble recovery TD for Elvis Jackson!

Chicago leads 24-21

Stantios again killed the ball on the kickoff forcing yet another touchback. Pittsburgh would start with the ball at their own 20 to start the 4th quarter of play.

Fourth Quarter

Pittsburgh started off the drive with a few runs, but nothing major. Wood then dropped back on 3rd down, looked deep for Frank Williams and....incomplete. Batted away by Jackson. Pittsburgh already found themselves in a punting situation. They booted the ball deep to Speed who managed an average return.

Chicago went back to work on offense likely hoping to kill some clock and pad their lead if possible. They featured a heavy dose of Aaron Campbell banging his way up the middle. Chicago's run-blocking heavy o-line drove forward dominating the Pittsburgh front, though the presence of Vissarionovich did slow them up a bit. After taking a few minutes off the clock, Chicago stalled and would have to punt. Stantios was on and....fake! Stantios took off with it to the right side taking Pittsburgh by surprise! He dove ahead as defenders closed in right at the first down marker and.....

....he made it! First down Chicago!

Back to work they went on offense, blasting ahead with Campbell. Chicago continued to bang away with their big back though the yards were coming tough and had to use some short passes on 3rd downs to keep the drive alive. Finally, they could go no further and would have to settle for a FG attempt. With just under 4:00 to go on the 4th quarter clock, Stantios came on and blasted one through.

Chicago leads 27-21

Wood came on and went to work. Chicago tried to pressure him but he always found a dump off target in either Harris or his TE. Umenyiora managed to get ahold of Wood on the next play, but Wood used his size well to stay tall and whipped the ball out to Williams who caught the ball along the sideline for a first down before being shoved out by Jackson. Pittsburgh got across midfield on a draw play by Harris who shot up the middle for a decent pickup before he was taken down. Pittsburgh used their first timeout and would get another play off before the 2:00 warning. Wood dropped back, fired to his TE Flint who caught it and ran with it for a 10 yard pickup before Carrasco could wrangle him down. Following the 2:00 warning, Wood again stood in the face of pressure and threw a strike right to Harris who came out of the slot for a nice gain again just as Wood was blasted by big Caleb Williams. Pittsburgh appeared to be in no big rush as they calmly went to the line and again Wood hit Harris who was having a huge day. This time, he picked up a handful more yards out of the slot to keep Pittsburgh chugging along. Under a minute to play now....

Wood dropped back and threw left....oh! Nearly picked off by Charles Harris who would easily have had a pick 6 there but he let it bounce right off his hands. He knew he messed up real bad too...Pittsburgh would use their final timeouts after two more short passes were brought down in bounds and the clock ticked down to 20 seconds. They needed a touchdown on one of their next two plays. On the first one, Chicago chose to forego the prevent defense and brought the heat. Wood was surrounded and fired a pass to the endzone for Williams! He was all alone with Jackson and had better positioning than did Jackson....the plays went up....and.....

TD Pittsburgh!!

Pittsburgh leads 28-27

14 seconds remained...Chicago had one timeout left to boot after using a few earlier in the half. Pittsburgh squibbed the kickoff to keep it away from Speed and Chicago would fall on it at their own 41. On first down, Mutler dropped back and hit Peter Johnston over the middle for a quick pickup and then ran up to spike the ball. It was now 3rd down after that and, though they had the almight Stantios, Chicago would like at least 10 more yards or so for a decent FG shot. Mutler dropped back and fired right...Speed was there and he had it surrounded by defenders! He was quickly taken down in bounds so Chicago used their final timeout. Stantios could make a 55 yarder, this was good. The snap was good..hold was good.....kick was.....

perfect.

Chicago wins 30-28

Pittsburgh Stats:

Passing:
Al Wood - 20/31 - 285 yards - 1 TD - 1 INT

Rushing:
Seth Harris - 18 carries - 140 yards - 2 TD - 0 fumbles
Aaron Natale - 11 carries - 45 yards - 1 TD - 0 fumbles
Al Wood - 1 carry - 1 yard - 0 TD - 1 fumble

Receiving:
Frank Williams - 4 catches - 55 yards - 1 TD - 0 drops
Seth Harris - 10 catches - 115 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops

Blocking:
Dexter Allen - 3 pancakes - 1 sack allowed
Andre Bleu - 8 pancakes
Paul Tagliani - 4 pancakes - 1 sack allowed

Defensive:
Mitch Cavanaugh - 5 tackles - 1 TFL
Dostoevsky Vissarionovich - 8 tackles - 2 TFL - 1 sack
Ozzy Fox - 5 tackles - 1 sack - 1 FF
Omar Robinson - 5 tackles - 1 TFL
Antonio Blades - 3 tackles
Jack Starks - 2 tackles
Chris Shakur - 6 tackles - 1 INT

Kicking:
Rex Birch - 4/4 XP

Chicago Stats:

Passing:
Ray Mutler - 18/29 - 233 yards - 1 TD - 1 INT

Rushing:
Aaron Campbell - 25 carries - 100 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
Steve Mastersen - 11 carries - 52 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
Ray Mutler - 3 carries - 9 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles

Receiving:
James Speed - 5 catches - 75 yards - 1 TD - 0 drops
Kenny Writt - 4 catches - 43 yards - 0 TD - 1 drop
Peter Johnston - 5 catches - 57 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops
Steve Mastersen - 3 catches - 19 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops
Aaron Campbell - 1 catch - 1 yard - 0 TD - 0 drops

Blocking:
Samson Williams - 5 pancakes - 1 sack allowed
Max Stevenson - 4 pancakes
Todd Smithsonian - 7 pancakes - 1 sack allowed
Brian Stone - 5 pancakes
John Ogen - 4 pancakes

Defensive:
Jamaal Umenyiora - 3 tackles - 1 sack - 1 TFL
Caleb Williams - 5 tackles - 1 TFL
Joe Wallace - 6 tackles - 1 sack - 1 FF - 1 TFL
KK Slider - 10 tackles - 1 TFL - 1 INT - 1 DTD
Elvis Jackson - 4 tackles - 1 PBU - 1 FR - 1 DTD
Yeremiah Carrasco - 5 tackles

Kicking:
Ike Stantios - 3/3 FG - 3/3 XP

Return:
James Speed - 31.5 KRA - 9.8 PRA

[tjsunstein]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/HonoluluWave2.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/OmahaKangaroos.gif

Week 5 - Honolulu Wave (1-3) at Omaha Kangaroos (2-2)

We're here in Omaha with a game that needs no introduction. The Wave come in and visit the Kangaroos on this humid evening. As we all know, the Kangaroos have been the center of attention for off the field comments made by star wide receiver, Julio Stone. After last week's loss and mediocre performance by Stone, Julio had some comments directed towards the front office. Just hours later, the front office fired back with a stern warning. We'll have to wait until this one is underway to see if that becomes a distraction to this dangerous Omaha team.

On the other side of the ball we have a Honolulu team sitting at the bottom of the Western Division, looking to make up ground and carry some momentum back home with them for a two game home stand. Honolulu features a massive game changer on both sides of the ball in Drake McDonald and Eko Mutumbo both standing tall at 6'5. Michael Vick will look to lead this offense to victory after the break.

Back here after the break and it looks as if the Wave have won the toss and elected to recieve. The speedy 27 year old from Cal is back there to recieve Fitsgibbon's big boot. Steptoe takes it out of the end zone to the 26. Michael Vick and his offense take the field.

First Quarter

The Wave starts this game with three consecutive handoffs to Leonard to grab a first and more. Vick comes out of the huddle at the 42 and doesn't seem to like what he sees. After some hand signals and loud audibles the ball is snapped to Vick. He fakes the handoff the Leonard. Being charged at heavily by Xavier Thomas, Vick has to get out the pocket and fires a quick pass intended for Eli Wright but Adolf Klux is there to knock it away. Now third down, the Wave come out in a shotgun look with Leonard lined up next to Vick in the backfield. Vick gets a high snap from Trevor Andrews but gathers it in time to fire a high eight yard strike to the big San Diego State product, Eki Mutumbo. Mutumbo grabs three more yards before being taken down by Troy Ryder. Vick liked what he saw from Mutumbo and targeted him again on the very next play but Ryder read it from the snap and nearly had a pick. Vick looked as if he knew it as soon as he threw it, the Wave escaped potential danger there. After an imcompletion to the big tight end, Eli Wright, the Wave are forced to punt it away.

Heckleman boots it away. Carmichael lets it bounce at the three yard line and watches it carry into the end zone for a touchback.

Crail Johnson and the offensive line carry themselves on to the field with the recievers and Carmichael following behind chatting. Crail Johnson doesn't waste any time getting things going. He hits Carmichael on the flat who picks up three and falls forward for another two with Scott Carr on his back. Johnson fakes the draw to Carmichael on the very next play and hits Julio Stone on the slant. He beats Franks-Turner in a race to the inside and is met by eight year veteran Quinten Brown out of Texas. Brown smacked Stone head on seemingly trying to send a message his way. Stone hops right back up and gets in Brown's face only to draw a penalty flag. These refs seemed quick to the pocket on that one. Are the refs installing a no non-sense syetem after last week's altercation involving the Kangaroos? Sure looks like it. Stone takes the fifteen yard penalty as well as a spot on the sideline. T.J. Kenny-Dowall looks like he's having a go at Stone. Kenny-Dowall is not happy right now and that can be heard from all the way up here.
How long will Kenny-Dowall keep Stone out of the game?

Nonetheless, the game goes on and features a small dose of short passes to tight end Starks and speedy wideout Bolt Williams. Johnson hands the next two off to Carmichael who powers behind right tackle, Tim James to gain a total of 4 on the carries. On the very next play, Julio Stone returns to the field. The crowd gives a mixed ovation for the league's most explosive player. You can hear the scatter of boos but there are also some fans cheering after watching the difference Stone makes to this offense. A long third down, the Kangaroos line up in a trips set to the right of Johnson with Carmichael split wide to the left. Williams and Stone on the same side causes chaos for the Wave defense. Crail Johnson realizes the confusion and gets a quick snap. He looks over to his right where Stone is waiting for the screen. Crail pump fakes his way, gets strong safety Ogbannaya to bite enough to stop his momentum. Johnson watches his speedy #2 fly by Ogbannaya on the wheel route and tosses a deep one his way.

Bolt Williams has no problem jogging into the endzone as the Omaha crowd erupts. The extra point is knocked through without a problem. Omaha leads 7-0, 4:29 remaining in the first.

The Kangaroos sideline is very energetic as Kouparitsas sends one through the endzome to give the Wave possession at the 20. The Wave look like they were taking notes when Omaha was on the field. Honolulu comes out and hits Eli Wright on a short comeback for a gain of six yards. Adolf Klux looks to have his hands full today with the former Rutgers standout. Vick hand it off the Leonard to keep the defense honest as Leonard bounces one off the outside for the first. With just over a minute left in the first, Vick and company comes out looking to run a few more plays before the change of quarters. With Eli lined up at tight end to the right with Mutumbo split out wide, Vick snaps and immediately looks that way pulling the whole defense to that side. He fires it to Mutumbo on the comeback route toward the sideline but Ryder read that the whole way and comes up with the interception and engages in a foot race to the endzone with Ray Leonard who has the angle to potentially bring him down.

Leonard knocks Ryder out inside the ten yard to prevent the pick six.

The Kangaroos give Carmichael the ball to gain two yards and end the first quarter as this Omaha crowd is rocking the stadium.

Second Quarter

Back in action after the commercial break, we have the Kangaroos here inside the ten with 2nd and Goal. Omaha comes out in an I-Formation. Crail Johnson hands it off to Carmichael to the right and the corner is coming! Wait, it's a play action! Franks-Turner nails Crail Johnson as he throws it leaving a wobbling duck up in the air in the end zone. It's a jump ball between Ogbannaya and Stone.

Stone assumes the roll of a cornerback and knocks it to the ground as Ogbannaya had position. Great heads up play.

Third and goal from the six yard line. Another run by Carmichael brings the Omaha offense to the three yard line and a tough decision on fourth down. TJ Kenny-Dowall burns a timeout. Looks as if he's going for it as he chats with his quarterback and the rest of the offense. Crail Johnson and crew are facing a tough 4th and goal as the offense takes the field to try to convert from the right hash. They come out with a goal line package with Stone lined up all the way to the right as the third TE. Stone goes in motion to the inside. Stone passes Johnson as the snap is being exhanged. Johnson fakes to his full back and leaves a floater in the corner of the end zone where Julio Stone will have to make a tough over the should catch and keep both feet in to score.

Julio Stone makes it look easy. He runs up the sideline and hands the ball to coach T.J. Kenny-Dowall. Kenny-Dowall gives Stone a tap on the back of the helmet as the extra point is kicked through. Omaha leads this game, 14-0

The Wave are forced to come out at the twenty once again after another touchback. They look motivated and focused but this Omaha crowd is determined to break their concentration. Vick starts the drive with a couple short passes to his #2 Wr, Ricky Smith out of LSU, who we haven't seen much of today. He gains a total of seventeen on his three grabs from the get go. Vick hands it off to Leonard for a gain of six and seems poised to do it again. Klux lines up cheating toward the inside before the snap. Vick rolls out for a stretch handoff to Leonard as Klux crashes into the backfield. Leonard compromises and picks up the block on Klux instead of taking the handoff making it look like a play action. Vick easily hits Eli Wright in the middle of the field for a gain of twenty two before he's taken down from behind by Scott Carr. On the next play, Vick is sacked for a loss of four by big Lopini Paea. The Wave manage to inch closer to field goal range on the next two plays and get themselves on the board with three.

Honolulu can get themselves into field goal range but that is all. Omaha's lead is cut down to 11. Honolulu is still down 14-3

That field goal seemed to give the Wave some sense of hope as the defense came out swarming. Drake McDonald hit Crail Johnson on two pass attempts and is establishing himself as a constant annoyance to the Omaha quarterback. Third and ten lays as the task at hand for the Kangaroos. Crail Johnson is again pressured by Drake McDonald as well defensive tackle, Evan Howard. The pocket seems to be collapsing on Johnson but he finds Julio Stone on an underneath route. Stone makes some nifty moves and picks up fifteen more after the catch. The Kangaroos seem to be content with the lead as they run it the next three plays; all away from Drake McDonald. That gives them a first down across midfield. Julio Stone seems to be Johnson's favorite target right now and the Wave continue to cheat that way.

Would it matter?

Stone is sent on a fly with the corner and safety providing a blanket on him. Crail Johnson seriously considers putting a ball up there for Stone but settles for the underneath screen. Carmichael finds his way around the big defensive tackles and puts a move on linebacker Ian Wells that will be seen on Sportscenter's top 10 for sure. Leopold manages to pick up sixteen on what seemed to be a sure stop. Johnson likes what he sees on he next play and sends Bolt Williams in motion that turns into a short underneath route. Whilst the whole defense's focus is on him, Johnson hits tight end Jaleel Starks in the middle of the field. Starks takes it outside where Stone's route had come to an end. The linebackers swarm Starks and take him down but not before Stone is blown up away from the ball by safety Ogbannaya. No flag is thrown and Stone is clearly unhappy after being helped up by teammate Jericho Bridges. Stone doesn't look injured but is clearly taming himself from going after someone of the defense. Now in field goal range, Omaha could run out the clock and take the three and go into halftime with a fourteen point lead. Stone seems to be trying to convince TJ Kenny-Dowall to make an attempt to extend the lead by a touchdown. The first play is a run by Carmichael to bring them four yards closer. The second is also a run, wait, a playaction. Stone, who lined up on the left, made his cut on the seven yard out route when the ball arrived.

Stone pulls it in and beats Quinten Brown to add another TD to his total for the day. Omaha leads 21-3

Honolulu recieves the ball and seems content on taking it to halftime down by a wide margin. Leonard came close to erasing six points off of that lead when he bounced it out to the outside and had to be taken down by his shoelace by the last defender. Omaha's crowd gives the team a big ovation as the team heads into the locker room.

Halftime

Third Quarter

Omaha comes out of the locker room with a comfortable lead and a loud ovation from the crowd. Carmichael is set back to recieve the kickoff and get this second half under way. Carmichael watches a big boot go through the endzone and the offense comes out onto the field looking to chew out the clock. Carmichael gets two handoff and manages to break off a total of seven yards. The third consecutive handoff isn't as successful as Drake McDonald was waiting for Leopold with open arms. A loss of two on the play forces this offense to take a three and out and head back to the sideline.

A very wobbly punt lands at the opposite forty eight yard line. Forced to fair catch, the Wave will have pretty good field position.

Vick and company are coming out on to the field to have a better second half than first. Vick get great protection on the first play and fires a bullet into the chest of Eli Wright but he can't hang on to the ball after a bone crushing hit by Adolf Klux. Honolulu continues to come out of the huddle showing pass as they're looking to get back in this game. A heads up play call by the Wave get six yards on the draw. Still early in the third quarter, the Wave have to possess and sense of urgency down by three scores. Now third down and four, the Wave come out in a singleback formation with three split out wide. The recievers go on slant routes but Klux and Carr are sitting in the middle of the field. The ends come crashing in on Vick but he manages to dump it off to the half back in the flats. Leonard brings it in and looks to be shy of the first down. The refs will bring the chains out on this one.

A very generous spot by the officials gives the Wave a fresh set of downs.

Vick continues to drive this team closer with a couple short passes to Eli Wright and Leonard. Second and five on the thirty four now and the Wave come out in an I formation. Vick audibles after scanning the defense and recieves a sloppy snap from the center. He turns his body in a motion to hand it off and Ryder reads it. But it's a play action, leaving Mutumbo in the middle of the field behind the safeties. Vick reads it and tosses one up for Mutumbo who brings it in!

The pass was underthrown enough for the safety to catch up and bring Mutumbo down at the four yard line. A sloppy yet effective play by Honolulu gives them first and goal inside the five.

After being stuffed for no gain on the first run, Leonard gets behin his left tackle and manages to get the ball over the goal line. The extra point is knocked through the uprights.

Honlulu brings themselves within eleven. Omaha leads 21-10

The crowd has been quieted here in Omaha but only momentarily as Carmichael nearly breaks one off after recieving the kickoff. The Kangaroos take the field at the forty two. Honolulu has to be prepared for anything here as Omaha could elect to try and tack on some more points or chew the clock and make them score again on the offensive side of the ball. The offense comes out in their usual west coast style offense seemingly trying to set up a pass. Johnson does not pass it, he hands it off to Carmichael for no gain. The linebackers really swarmed that one but they have to be careful being overly aggressive like that again vs. this offense. On second down, it's another run but the defense isn't nearly as quick to this one which allows Carmichael to grab four before being taken down. Now third and six, Johnson sets up two wide on his right and Leopold split out to his left. Johnson recieves the quick snap, pump fakes to Carmichael on his left and looks in Stone's direction.

Crail sees an open Julio Stone on a comeback route and tosses it his way. The ball is over the head of Stone, putting Omaha in a punting scenario. The booming kick is sky high and forces Steptoe to fair catch it at his own twenty seven.

Fourth Quarter

Michael Vick and company come out on to the field once again into this hostile environment that is Omaha. Vick looks poised to lead this team down for a quick score. The first play is a handoff to Leonard that picks up six. They try it again but the defense is all over it. The clock is not slowing down for this Honlulu offense. On third down, Vick finds no problem hitting Eli Wright on an out route for a gain of eight. Another run brings the offense four yards closer to the endzone. Vick is showing some great leadership out there, you can see the offense looking to him for a big play. Vick instead continues to keep the defense honest, going with a handoff and short pass on the flats. Both to Leonard. Now third and one, Honolulu faces it's biggest possession of the game. Leonard runs it up the gut and it's going to require the chains.

Leonard is short but Vick handles the fourth and inches after falling foward. Effective play call there.

Vick and company are inching their way down field but this drive is taking precious time off the clock. 1st and 10 and Vick lines up in a split back formation. The hike, Vick falls back and fires a dart to WR Eko Mutumbo who catches it for a gain of 7 but he is unable to get out of bounds. More time ticks off the clock but it seems Honolulu HC Andy Johnson is calling for the hurry up. Vick rushes his guys to the line, hikes the ball, and throws over to his TE Eli Wright but the pass goes incomplete. That's bittersweet for Honolulu as it stops the clock but it now brings up a critical 3rd and 3. After the huddle, Vick lines up in the shotgun, two receivers to the right, one to the left, Ray Leonard is in the backfield. The hike, Vick sets his feet, Leonard gives a chip block on hard-charging LB Adlof Klux, Leonard is open in the flat, Vick sees him and fires it! Caught! Leonard sees CB Troy Ryder coming towards and oh no! Unbelievable! Leonard hurdles Troy Ryder! That is one of the most athletic plays I've seen in the young history of the DCFL! Leonard breaks free, sprints 18 yards down field before he steps out of bounds to avoid what was sure to be a bruising hit by SS Setamaita Sa. The Wave are clearly in FG position but they don't want to settle for just a field goal; they want the whole enchilada. The ball is at the 26 yard line of Omaha and the Wave come out in the I formation. Vick hikes the ball and hands off to FB Clark Pounds who lives up to his last name and picks up 4 yards. 2nd and 6 on the 22 and Vick throws a bubble screen to Ray Leonard who scampers ahead for another 4 yard pick up but there are flags on the field. I have no idea what this could. Let's go down to the field and see what the call is.

Holding. #78 Defense. 10 yard penalty. Automatic first down.

What a dumb penalty by WLB Adolf Klux. He was nowhere close to the ball but let his emotions get the best of him. If you look on the replay he clearly held TE Eli Wright at the line scrimmage refusing to let him go even after the whistle blew. The ball will now be spotted at the 8 yard line giving Honolulu a perfect opportunity to get into the endzone. On first down, Vick calls motion to Eli Wright, hikes the ball, fakes the hand off to RB Ray Leonard, and finds Eli Wright at the 2 yard line who muscles his way into the endzone. QB Michael Vick looks to the sideline to see what coach Johnson wants to do and he signals for them to stay on. It looks like Honolulu is going to try and get within a field goal of Omaha.
Vick and friends set up in a split back formation. Vick reads the defense and calls an audible, Ray Leonard is sent in motion. Oh my, the Kangaroos defense is confused and we have a mismatch on the field. Vick hikes the ball, drops back, and he hands it off to RB Carl Steptoe who has a huge whole to run through! 2 point conversion is good! I could have driven a truck through that whole and the Kangaroos defense is absolutely dumb-founded. LB Adolf Klux is steaming right now as he comes off the field.

Omaha 21
Honolulu 18

That was a brilliantly successful drive by the Wave's offense that was helped out tremendously by that holding call on the defense. The one drawback is that it ate up too much clock and if Omaha can just casually hold onto the ball and pick up a couple first downs then this game will be over. K Walt Turnbow boots it deep "Bolt" Williams who takes up to the 33 yard line but he is launched into the air by LB Scott Carr. Williams does a 180 degree turn before dropping to the ground. Oh no, he's not getting up. This is not good news for Omaha. We're going to have to take a time-out as the medical staff comes out onto the field.

And we're back! Let's go down to our sideline reporter Alexis Stephens to see what the diagnosis is on "Bolt" Williams.

Vince, I've talked to the Omaha trainers and they told me that Kendrick Williams suffered a dislocated shoulder. The trainers re-set but Coach Kenny-Dowell told me that Williams will be done for the game just to be on the safe side. He should be fine for next weeks game.

That is good news to hear as I initially thought the injury was more severe. On the field QB Crail Johnson brings Omaha's offense out who only look to run the clock out. On first down a Leopold Carmichael run will net about 3 yards. 2nd down and another run will get 2 yards. 3rd and an important 5. Johnson steps back and hands it off to Carmichael who takes off to the left side and he hands it off to Julio Stone! An end reverse! Julio Stone turns it into fifth gear and blazes up field, jukes LB Herman Waters out of his jock, and is finally pushed out of bounds at the 44 yard line by CB Will Franks-Turner. A huge gamble by the Kangaroos offense that pays off in spades! On first down a Leopold Carmichael run to the right side will get about 5 yards and with that play, it seems like all Omaha has to do is take a couple knees and this game will be over. Sure, enough that is what's done and this game is over!

FINAL

Omaha 21
Honolulu 18

Stats

Omaha Stats

Passing
Crail Johnson 21/35 – 305 Yards – 3 TD’s – 0 INT’s

Rushing

RB Braith Anasta - 8 Carries - 29 Yards - 0 TD - 0 Fumbles
Julio Jones 1 Carry - 21 Yards - 0 TD - 0 Fumbles
Leopold Carmichael - 13 Carries - 65 Yards - 0 TD - 0 Fumbles

Receiving

WR Julio Jones 9 Receptions - 132 Yards - 2 TD’s - 0 Drops
WR Bolt Williams - 5 Receptions - 89 Yards - 1 TD - 0 Drops

WR/RB Leopold Carmichael - 6 Receptions - 62 Yards - 0 TD's - 0 Drops
TE Jaleel Starks - 4 Receptions - 37 Yards - 0 TD - 0 Drops

Blocking

LT Jericho Bridges - 2 Pancakes
RT Tim James - 4 Pancakes

Defense

DT Lopini Paea - 3 Tackles - 1 Sack - 1 TFL
DE Kendrick Odom - 4 Tackles - 1 TFL
OLB Adolf Klux - 11 Tackles - 2 TFL - 1 PBU
MLB Xavier Thames - 7 Tackles
OLB Garth Stokes - 6 Tackles
CB Troy Ryder - 2 Tackles - 1 PBU - 1 INT



Honolulu Stats

Passing

Michael Vick - 16/28 - 213 Yards - 1 TD - 1 INT


Rushing

Ray Leonard - 21 Carries - 106 Yards - 1 TD



Receiving

Ray Leonard - 3 Catches - 11 Yards - 0 TD - 0 Drops
Eko Mutumbo - 7 Catches - 99 Yards - 0 TD - 0 Drops
Ricky Smith - 3 Catches - 17 Yards - 0 TD - 1 Drops
Eli Wright - 6 Catches - 80 Yards - 1 TD - 0 Drops



Blocking

George Hall 3 Pancakes
Trevor Andrews 5 Pancakes 1 Sack Allowed

Defensive

Drake McDonald - 5 Tackles - 3 TFL
Evan Howard - 4 Tackles
Scott Carr - 10 Tackles - 1 TFL - 1 PBU
Ian Wells - 6 Tackles
Will Franks-Turner - 3 Tackles - 1 PBU
Quentin Brown - 2 Tackles

[diabsoule]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/IndianapolisRaptors.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/NewOrleansNightmare.gif

Indianapolis Raptors (3-1) at New Orleans Nightmare (2-2)

Hello once again and welcome to another exciting broadcast of the DCFL. Vince Scully here inside the Louisiana Superdome here in lovely New Orleans, Louisiana. I will be bringing you this weeks matchup of the Indianapolis Raptors versus the New Orleans Nightmare.

This is an important Eastern Division match-up as Indianapolis sits a half game back behind division leading Memphis and is trying to make up some ground while New Orleans is looking to get above .500. With a win the Nightmare would leapfrog the Raptors and would be second in the Eastern Division.

Before kickoff let me bring you my keys to the game:

For Indianapolis they have to do these three things:
1. Limit the New Orleans running game. The Nightmare have one of the best running games in the DCFL and slowing it down won't be an easy task. Indianapolis will have to bring a lot of pressure, stack the line, and hopefully force a lot of 3 and outs to keep their defense fresh.
2. Score quickly. If the Raptors can get get a couple of quick strikes that would force New Orleans to alter their game plan in order to play catch-up.
3. Win the turnover battle. If Indy can get a few turnovers that would help keep their defense fresh and if they can capitalize then that would work in their favor.

New Orleans keys to the game
1. Control the clock. With the type of offense N.O. runs they can potentially control the clock and wear out the Indianapolis defense.
2. Stick to what you do best. Indianapolis will look to stack the line against New Orleans so the Nightmare just need to stick to their game plan and run the ball and only go to the passing game if Indy is shutting down their potent rushing attack.
3. Pressure QB Devin Saint. If the New Orleans defense can get to Raptors quarterback Devin Saint early and often then that should get him rattled enough to commit a few turnovers.

3GqXiOm7d8k

It looks like New Orleans has won the toss and has elected to receive. Max Koger and the Indianapolis kicking unit is running out onto the field as we get ready for kickoff!

First Quarter

Tyvon Trinity is back to receive the kick from Max Koger. The Raptors line up and Koger kicks this one deep! It is way back and Trinity catches it in the endzone and elects to take a knee. So, the New Orleans Nightmare will start with the ball on their own 20 yard line. The Nightmare come to the line in their base Wing T formation. The Raptors seem to be countering that by bringing up Demond Decker and playing him in the box as a fourth linebacker. Looks like today is going to be won and lost in the trenches.
First and ten, Seneca Williams sets up, hikes the ball, and hands off to Anger Killstone who barrels ahead for 3 yards on the right side. 2nd and 7 and another hand off as this time Tank Jackson follows Anger Killstone, who lights up Caleb Westgarth, which frees Jackson to race ahead for 5 yards. 3rd down and QB Williams fakes the hand off to Killstone and finds his TE Bubba Franklin for 4 yards and a first down. 1st and 10 and a sweep to the left side will go nowhere as Demond Decker was too fast for Jabroni James and trips up Tank Jackson at the line of scrimmage. On 2nd and 10, Williams steps back to pass and connects with Tyvon Trinity for a gain of 5. This will bring up 3rd and 5 at the Nightmare 37 yard line. Williams sends Killstone in motion hikes the ball and toss it to Killstone who brushes aside a Lonnie Kulikowski tackle and eventually gains 6 yards and another Nightmare first down. First down and Ben Grant breaks through the line and meets Anger Killstone in the backfield and tackles him for a loss of two. 2nd and 12 and a tradition buck sweep but to the right side which gains 6 yards. 3rd and 6 and a Tank Jackson run will go for 4 yards before he wrestled down by DE Drew Wilhelm. It looks like Indy's D held firm this time as Big Foot will come on to punt. The snap and the ball is up in the air and it looks like it will come to rest at the Indy 36 yard line.

Devin Saint and company come into this game after a couple of very efficient and effective quarters of play in their last couple of games. They come to the line in their base I formation. The ball is hiked, Cobourne stays in to help block, and Saint fires it off to his TE Jrue Reed who will be immediately wrestled down by LB Joseph Schwab for a gain of 6. On 2nd down and 4 New Orleans will bring pressure and a Saint pass is batted away by a blitzing Roman David Sanchez. 3rd and 4 at the 42 and this time Saint will dump it off to Cobourne in the flat but he will be wrestled down about a yard short of the first down after a very heads-up move by DE Domenik Coleman. It looks like it's going to be a 3 and out for Indy as Guy Planas will come in to punt. He drills it and it is downed by Demond Decker at the New Orleans 24 yard line.

This time for New Orleans they come out firing as Seneca Williams drops back to pass and hits Tyvon Trinity for a gain of seven before he steps out of bounds. 2nd down an Anger Killstone run will get him 2 yards before he is stood up by Ben Grant. 3rd and a manageable one and oh! A botched hand-off to Tank Jackson! There's a scrum for the ball. The zebra's come in and start to sift through the rubbish and it's

NEW ORLEANS BALL!

In a very heads up move Seneca Williams had fallen on the ball and the result will be a loss of 3 yards which will bring up 4th and 4. Nightmare P Big Foot will come on and boot an high, end-over-end kick that will go out of bounds at the Raptors 41 yard line.

Indianapolis has enough time to run one play before the end of the first quarter. They line up in a split-back formation, motion Thurman Brinks, and Saint hikes the ball and hands it off to Ernie Cobourne who follows his blockers and pushes ahead for a gain of 7. An unexpected run that nets some rather unexpected results. And with that we head to the second quarter

Indianapolis 0
New Orleans 0

GEsmVSds6fM

Second Quarter

Saint and company come to the line set up in a singleback formation. Saint drops back and hands it off to Thurman Brinks who darts ahead but is wrestled down by Roman David Sanchez after a gain of 2. 3rd and 1 now for the Raptors and they come to the line trips right. Saint motions for Cobourne then hikes the ball and fires a quick dart to WR Quentin Harrison for a perfectly designed WR screen. Harrison uses his blockers and is able to gain 8 yards before being pushed out by SS Nintendo Bigby. 1st down for the Raptors and it looks like they will continue to use the passing game. Saint comes to the line in the shotgun, hikes the ball, and it is ALMOST PICKED OFF! CB Al Harrison got his finger tips on it but was unable to haul it in. 2nd and 10 for Indianapolis and the use a toss sweep to Thurman Brinks who will pick up four yards before being pushed out of bounds by LB AJ Kampman. 3rd and 6 and it looks like the Raptors will try their luck in the air again. Saint is in the shotgun, four split wide, Brinks in the game probably as an extra blocker in case New Orleans brings pressure. Saint hikes the ball and Roman David Sanchez is coming hard and fast on a blitz, Saint plants his feet, Brinks engages RDS as Saint fires one to Nelson Boster but it is nowhere close. It looks like Boster ran the wrong route as he zigged when he should have zagged. This is going to bring on Guy Planas who gets all of this one. The hang time is excellent and Tyvon Trinity catches it and takes a step before Demond Decker punishes him! Trinity was rocked and the ball is loose! The ball is loose! Raptors WR Fernando Streater dives for it but the ball slips out. More players from both sides seem to be diving for the ball. Oh, it's a fight for the ball! Let's see here. The refs are clearing the trash from the pile. It looks like we have a ruling on the field.

INDIANAPOLIS BALL!

A huge break for Indianapolis following an excellent punt by Guy Planas. Indy will take over at the New Orleans 9 yard line following the Trinity fumble. On first down Indy keeps it on the ground and Ernie Cobourne grinds off two yards. New Orleans defense is playing hard this game. 2nd down and Indianapolis tries a sweep to the left side where Ernie Cobourne is met by hard charging LB Joseph Schwab and Indy will gain 2 more on the play. 3rd and 5 from the 5 yard line. Saint and friends come to the line in their base I formation. The snap and Saint fakes the hand off to Thurman Brinks, Saint plants his feet and fires to his TE Jrue Reed who CATCHES IT! But he's stopped short, he's not even close. FS Randy Duncan met him with a huge lick and Reed will be one yard short. 4th and 1 from the 1. Coach Gary Foster does not even hesitate to send on the kicking unit. Veteran Max Koger lines up and bangs it through with ease.

Indianapolis 3
New Orleans 0

On the ensuing kickoff, Koger again boots it deep but this time Tyvon Trinity finds some running room and is able to take it out to the New Orleans 31 yard line before he is taken down. Anger Killstone and the rest of the New Orleans offense comes onto the field. They'll have a decent amount of time to work with on this drive before we wind down to the half. As predicted New Orleans will keep it on the ground and a Tank Jackson run to the left side will get 3 yards. On 2nd down New Orleans again will run behind Jabroni James and Anger Killstone will pick up 4. He's such an aggressive, tenacious runner that Demond Decker was literally riding on top of his back the last 2 yards of that run. 3rd and 4 and QB Seneca Williams will fake the handoff to Killstone but will hand it off to Tank Jackson in a RB counter to the right that will get 5 yards and a 1st down. New Orleans again will use the run this time an Anger Killstone sweep to the right will get 4 yards. 2nd and 6 and New Orleans will try an aerial attack but Williams pass to WR Reggie McFadden will sail up and away and will almost hit Indianapolis assistant coach Michael Scott in the forehead. 3rd and 6 and and New Orleans will put the ball in the hands of their best player and Anger Killstone will barrel through the line in a beautifully designed counter to the right. He sees daylight and hits it hard, a stiff arm to MLB Erik Herbert sends him flying and he is off to the races. S Demond Decker is finally able to dive tackle him and trip him up but not before a gain of 17. New Orleans will be in Indianapolis territory after that run and set up shot on the Raptors 40 yard line. After that run Killstone heads to the sideline for a breather so the Nightmare hand the ball off to Joe "Tank" Jackson who nets 5 yards on a 1st down run. Indianapolis' defense is starting to show signs of wearing down. 2nd down and 5 and big NT Ben Grant bursts through the line and engulfs QB Seneca Williams before he even got his feet set. A huge loss of 5 that will bring up 3rd and 10. New Orleans now shows an unusual formation. Killstone is back in the game and the Nightmare are in the shotgun? Yes, Jackson and Killstone are in the game and Williams is back in the shotgun. He signals Killstone in motion, hikes the ball, sets his feet, scans the field and fires it to WR Tyvon Trinity who MAKES THE FINGERTIP CATCH! He comes down and gains about two yards before FS Darren Oltman decks him but the damage is done and it's a 12 yard gain for New Orleans. New Orleans is now on the 28 yard line of Indianapolis. 1st down and Williams hands it off to Killstone who dives ahead but gets only about 2 yards before he is wrestled down by a swarm of Raptors defenders. 2nd and 8 on the 26 and Williams hands it off to Tank Jackson who runs off the right tackle and is able to pick up 4 before LB Caleb Westgarth tackles him. 3rd and 4 for the Nightmare from the Raptors 22 yard line. Williams falls back to pass and finds his TE Bubba Franklin who picks up 5 and a first down! 1st down from the 17 yard line. The Nightmare come out in their Wing T and run a sweep to the right side but it will only get about 3 yards as CB Eric Maez made an amazing dive at Joe Jackson's legs which brought him down. 2nd and 7 and another sweep to the left will get about a yard before DE Charles Whimper brings down Anger Killstone in a clash of titans. 3rd and 6 and Killstone gets the ball and barrels ahead but only gets 4 yard before NT Ben Grant is finally able to bring him to the ground. 4th and 2 from the 9 yard line and New Orleans will send on their field goal unit. Young Kris Stevens comes onto the field, counts off his position, the ball is hiked, set, laces are out, Stevens runs up and boots it up and it splits the uprights!

Indianapolis 3
New Orleans 3

On the ensuing kickoff Stevens squib kicks it and backup TE Nelson Cuenca runs ahead for a gain of 4 before he is gang tackled. With little time remaining in the half the Raptors may just take a knee and kill the clock. QB Devin Saint comes onto the field, hikes the ball, and he

FAKES THE KNEE!

It has completely caught the New Orleans defense sleeping and he fires a laser to RB Ernie Cobourne who is running down the field and it's caught! It's caught! Cobourne is off to the races and so is Nightmare FS Randy Duncan who is giving chase. Cobourne is at the 50, the 45, the 43 yard line and he trips over his own two feet! Duncan catches up to him before he is able to get back and he downs him at the 41 yard line. What a terrible break for Indianapolis! If Cobourne would not have tripped he would have scored. He had nothing but open field ahead of him. There is just enough time on the clock to run one more play if they can hurry. The New Orleans defense is taking their time while Indy is not. Uh-oh, I see some flags on the field. It looks like New Orleans was on the line while big Nightmare DT Heath Rawlings was still yards in the backfield.

Offsides - #96 defense. 5 yard penalty. First down Indianapolis!

All this does is help out the Raptors but they still aren't in FG range as it would be a 53 yard attempt from right here. Saint comes to the line, their in the shotgun, he hikes the ball, steps back, and it lets it fly to WR Quentin Harrison but Harrison boggles it and drops it before he is decked by SS Nintendo Bigby. That play will signal the end of the first half.

HALFTIME

Indianapolis 3
New Orleans 3

FO73PQlEJDQ

THIRD QUARTER

And we are back from halftime with one hell of a ball game. Both teams have struggled offensively as the opposing defenses have really clamped down. Since New Orleans opted to receive to open the ball game, Indianapolis will receive. Max Cienfuegos is back deep to field his first return of the game. Kris Stevens winds up and boots it deep where Cienfuegos will catch it at the 2 yard line and begin his way up field. He follows his blockers, finds a whole, jukes one defender, stiff arms another, and is finally pushed out of bounds at the 39 yard line. So far this game Indianapolis has started off with great field position now lets see what Devin Saint and the Raptors offense can do with it. 1st and 10 and Saint hands off to Thurman Brinks who bruises his way to the 45 yard line. A gain of 6 yards. 2nd and 4 and Saint steps back to pass. Roman David Sanchez is coming free and rocks Saint! The ball is loose! The hit knocked the ball loose! The scramble for the ball and it looks like there might be a clear winner here. The ref comes in to make a ruling.

NEW ORLEANS BALL!

It looks like Domenik Coleman was in the perfect position to fall on the ball after it had been knocked loose by that jarring hit from RDS. What an incredible opportunity for New Orleans as they will start in Indianapolis territory on the Raptors 43 yard line. Seneca Williams and his two bruising running backs come onto the field along with the rest of the Nightmare offense looking to capitalize on this golden opportunity that their defense just gave them. 1st and 10 and Williams takes the snap, fakes the hand off to Killstone who immediately helps deliver a bruising block to Raptor NT Ben Grant. Williams steps back, pump fakes, and fires down field to Tyvon Trinity. The ball is behind Trinity who has to adjust to catch it and he is pushed out of bounds. I don't know if he had possession or not. This is going to be close. Lets see what the ruling on the field is. The refs are saying it is not a catch! The Nightmare coach is not happy with that and has thrown the red challenge flag onto the field. If this gamble pays off it would help the Nightmare out in spades. We're going to take a time-out here as the refs take a look under the hood.

And we're back and it looks like the refs have made their decision.

After reviewing the play, the New Orleans receiver had possession of the ball before being forced out of bounds. The ruling on the field is overturned. That will be a gain of 19 yards. New Orleans 1st Down!

Ooooooooooooooooh my. What a blow to the Indianapolis defense. I thought for sure that Tyvon Trinity did not get his feet down. This will put the Nightmare at the Raptors 24 yard line. 1st and 10 and New Orleans runs their patented "Buck" sweep to the right side and will pick up 5 yards before Anger Killstone is pushed out of bounds by LB Caleb Westgarth. 2nd and 5 and Demond Decker stacks "Tank" Jackson up at the line for no gain. 3rd and a crucial 5. Williams takes the snap and runs a QB option to the right, he pitches it to Tank Jackson who dives ahead and it looks like he may not have got it. The chain gang will come out and measure. It looks like is half a yard shy. Williams looks over to the sidelines and the New Orleans coach is telling them to go for it. New Orleans lines up in a power I as Indianapolis counters by stacking 8 in the box and placing 5 guys on the line of scrimmage. The ball is hiked, the hand off to Anger Killstone and I think he got it. He picked up a yard on the play and it will be a New Orleans first down. 1st and 10 at the Indianapolis 14 yard line. New Orleans comes out with their base formation, the ball is hiked and DE Drew Wilhelm splits his blockers and catches Anger Killstone in the backfield for a tackle for loss. That will bring up 2nd and 12. New Orleans comes out a singleback formation. The ball is hiked, the play-fake to Tank Johnson and Williams hits Anger Killstone who was lined up at TE for a gain of 6. This is going to bring up a crucial 3rd and 6 from the Indianapolis 8 yard line. Look, we haven't seen this before. New Orleans is coming out in the Wildcat. Anger Killstone is lined up at QB and will take the snap, he has plenty of blockers in his front and he squeezes between them. He delivers a crushing stiff arm to CB Eric Maez and falls down into the end zone. Touchdown! Kris Stevens comes on to tack on the extra point. The ball is snapped, Stevens connects and it... is... BLOCKED! Caleb Westgarth reached up and got a hand on the ball.

Indianapolis 3
New Orleans 9

Kris Stevens lines up to kick the ball off and he boots it up and out of bounds. Max Cienfuegos watched the ball roll out of bounds at the seven yard line. Again, Indianapolis will start with excellent field position. Devin Saint comes out onto the field and looks ready to get back to work. 1st and 10 from the Raptors 40. Saint drops back to pass this time and finds an open Jrue Reed who had split the coverage. Reed catches it and heads down field for a gain of 16 yards. Someone just looks like they had missed an assignment. 1st and 10 from the Nightmare 44 yard line. Indy comes out in a splitback formation. Saint motions Ernie Cobourne and hikes the ball, he steps back to pass and fires a quick strike to Cobourne who picks up 6 yards. 2nd and 4 from the Nightmare 38. Saint steps to the line in an I formation, hikes the ball, and hands it off to Thurman Brinks who bruises his way to the 34 yard line for a gain of 4 and a first down. That run will take us to the fourth and final quarter.

Indianapolis 3
New Orleans 9

Fourth Quarter

Saint and company start the final quarter with a new first down and great field position. The Raptors line up in the shotgun, trips right, Saint takes the snap and tosses it to WR Lance McMeans but he is unable to hold onto it. 2nd down and 10 sees Indy come back into the I formation. Saint takes the snap and hands off to Cobourne who runs a counter and goes for 5 yards before being dragged down by LB AJ Kampman. 3rd and a crucial 5. Saint lines up in the shotgun, motions Cobourne into the slot, hikes the ball and it's a draw! Thurman Brinks takes the handoff, cuts outside the right tackle and heads up the field before he is tackled by CB Al Harrison after a gain of 7 yards. That's a Raptors first down on the Nightmare 22 yard line. First down and the Raptors will line up in the singleback formation. Saint hikes the ball, fakes the hand off to Ernie Cobourne, plants his feet, and then is smacked by Roman David Sanchez who shot in on a well-timed zone blitz. Saint looks a little woozy after that play. That's going to be a loss of 6 yards. Back in the Raptors huddle, QB Devin Saint is on his knees and what's that? Oh, ladies and gentlemen, I hope you just turned away. Devin Saint just vomited in the huddle. That's just not right. That Sanchez hit must have rattled his pre-game meal loose. Saint looks better after that as he jogs to the line and plants his hands firmly under center, hikes the ball, steps back and finds TE Jrue Reed cutting through the middle of the field. Reed runs for a couple extra yards before SS Nintendo Bigby wrestles him to the ground. That is going to be a gain of 10 yards. 3rd and 6 coming up here on the Nightmare 18 yard line. Saint lines up in the shotgun, trips right, Ernie Cobourne in the backfield. The ball is hiked, Saint sets and throws, the defense rushes over to that side of the field, and Saint... WHAT?! He hands the ball off to Ernie Cobourne! Cobourne has the ball, no one is around! No one is going to touch him. Ernie Cobourne is in for the touchdown after Devin Saint fooled the entire defense with the Statue of Liberty! I can't believe it! This reminds me of Boise State against Oklahoma. Who would have known it would have happened in the DCFL! Gary Foster and the entire Raptors sideline is ecstatic. Max Koger comes on and he easily tacks on the extra point.

Indianapolis 10
New Orleans 9

Max Koger kicks off to Tyvon Trinity who is able to return the ball to the New Orleans 26 yard line before being gang tackled. It is now New Orleans turn to see if they can answer. 1st down, Seneca Williams falls back to pass and hits his TE Bubba Franklin for a gain of 8. The Raptors defense was completely not expecting that. 2nd and 2 and New Orleans goes back to the ground and runs a FB dive which picks up 3 yards and a first down. New Orleans keeps it on the ground and again goes to Anger Killstone who runs the left but he is met by a host of Raptors defenders after only a gain of 1. 2nd and 9 at the Nightmare 38 yard line. Seneca Williams takes the snap and fires a quick out to Tyvon Trinity who manages to pick up 5 yards. 3rd and 4 now for the Nightmare. New Orleans comes out in a double TE set, Seneca Williams takes the snap and hands off to Tank Jackson who follows Anger Killstone but he is tripped up by NT Ben Grant. I don't know if he has enough for the first down. Let's see what the refs say. He has it! The nose of the football is just past the first down marker. 1st down at the 42 yard line. Seneca Williams lines up in the shotgun, hikes the ball, gazes over the field and hands it off to Tank Jackson who cuts his way up to the 47 yard line. A gain of 5 yards. 2nd down and an Anger Killstone run goes for two yards before LB Caleb Westgarth muscles him down. 3rd and 3 for the Nightmare from the 49 yard line and New Orleans runs their infamous "Buck" sweep that goes for 6 yards and a first down. They are now at the Indianapolis 45 yard line. New Orleans again runs the Buck sweep but Demond Decker had shot in and hit Tank Jackson in the backfield for a loss of 2. 2nd and 12 and Seneca Williams drops back to pass but he overthrows whoever his intended target is because, frankly, I can't tell you as no one was even close. On 3rd down and Tank Jackson gets the hand off and he PITCHES IT TO TYVON TRINITY! An end-around and Trinity slips by Demond Decker as he dove for him, he outjukes CB Allen Taunton and speeds his way down to the 21 yard line before Darren Oltman is able to push him out of bounds. An amazing play right there dialed up perfectly by the New Orleans coaching staff. 1st down now and an Anger Killstone run up the middle will gain only a yard after forward progress is allowed. 2nd down and a sweep to the left won't go anywhere as DE Charles Whimper is ready and waiting for it and he drives down Tank Jackson with a brutal tackle. No gain. 3rd and 9 and Seneca Williams drops back to pass and completely underthrows Tyvon Trinity. It now comes down to this. Rookie kicker Kris Stevens lines up for the go ahead score. The ball is snapped and the kick is...

Good!

Indianapolis 10
New Orleans 12

Indianapolis won't have much time to work with on this drive. Hopefully they can get a good return out of this one. Kris Stevens squib kicks it and Kurt Rapier fields it and runs ahead for a gain of six before being swarmed by Nightmare defenders. Ball will be placed at the 37 yard line. Devin Saint comes to the line with fire in his eyes determined to get his time within field goal distance. Saint comes to the line in the shotgun, hikes the ball, and plants his feet. He scans his receivers and dumps it off to Thurman Brinks who runs for 4 before going out of bounds. 2nd down, same formation, and Devin Saint fires downfield for Nelson Boster but it is broken up right at the last minute by CB Al Woodson. 3rd and 6 and Saint is in Ace formation. He hikes the ball and New Orleans is bringing pressure. Saint stands firm and calmly finds his TE Jrue Reed who plucks the ball right out of the air and somehow finds his way out of bounds after a gain of 11. Ball is at the 48 yard line of New Orleans. Saint comes to the line, shotgun formation. He sends TE Jrue Reed in motion, drops back to pass and finds an open Ernie Cobourne who runs for 7 yards but is kept out of bounds by SS Nintendo Bigby. Time is winding quickly down. Saint rushes them up to the line in the hurry up offense, hikes the ball and finds Quentin Harrison for a quick hit for four yards. Harrison, being the savvy veteran he is, is able to get out of bounds. Saint and the offense won't have much more time to work with. Ball is on the 37 yard line. Saint in the shotgun again, steps back to pass and it is batted away by Roman David Sanchez! 2nd down and Saint finds Ernie Cobourne who runs for 6 yards and gets out of bounds. They have time for one more play but are in field goal range. Saint steps back to pass but hands it off to Thurman Brinks who runs ahead but only gets about 3 yards. The ball is going to be placed on the 28 yard line. It's going to be about a 43 yard field goal which is in Max Koger's range. The ball is snapped. The kick is up. It's on it's way, it has the distance but is it good...

NO GOOD!

FINAL SCORE
INDIANAPOLIS 10
NEW ORLEANS 12

State

Indianapolis

Devin Saint - 10/19 156 yards 0 TD 0 INT

Ernie Cobourne - 15 rushes 89 yards 1 TD
Thurman Brinks - 10 rushes 78 yards 0 TD

Quentin Harrison - 6 catches 57 yards 0 TD
Jrue Reed - 5 catches 60 yards 0 TD

William Quinn 5 pancakes 1 sack allowed
Turk Francis 2 pancakes

Caleb Westgarth - 11 tackles 2 TFL 2 PBU
Ben Grant - 9 tackles 3 TFL 1 sack
Drew Wilhelm - 8 tackles 1 TFL
Charles Whimper - 6 tackles 1 TFL
Erick Herbert - 6 tackles
Darren Oltman - 5 tackles 1 PBU
Demond Decker - 10 tackles 2 PBU 2 TFL

Max Koger - 1/2 FG 1/1 XP

New Orleans

Seneca Williams - 8/17 97 yards 0 TD 0 INT

Joe "Tank" Jackson - 18 rushes 89 yards 0 TD
Anger Killstone - 21 rushes 101 yards 1 TD

Tyvon Trinity - 4 catches 33 yards/ 1 rush 14 yards/ 1 Fumble 0 TD

Jabroni James - 7 pancakes
David McMurray - 5 pancakes
Charles Zarnes - 3 pancakes

Domenik Coleman - 8 tackles 1 TFL
Heath Rawlings - 4 tackles
Roman David Sanchez - 11 tackles 1 FF 1 PBU 2 sacks
AJ Kampman - 7 tackles
Joseph Schwab - 6 tackles
AJ Kampman - 5 tackles
Al Harrison - 5 tackles 2 PBU
Randy Duncan - 4 tackles 1 PBU
Nintendo Bigby - 6 tackles 1 PBU

[Todd Bertuzzi]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/LasVegasOutlaws.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/MemphisShowboats.gif
Week 5 Memphis Showboats(3-1) at Las Vegas Outlaws(2-2)

Welcome to this weeks matchup between the Memphis Showboats and the Las Vegas Outlaws. This is a crucial matchup for both these teams. The stars will be out in full force today. We will see many matchups inside the game here. The Showboats defense will try and shut down the two headed rushing attack of the Outlaws featuring Dwayne Wright and Marcus Fenikz. Memphis’ defense is loaded with talent including the likes of Normand Jackson and Fulgrim Chemos who each rank second in the league in tackles and sacks respectively. It will also be interesting to see how the Showboats respond to the loss of safety Tyson Kase-Owens who is serving a one game suspension following his involvement in a bar fight this past week. The weather here today should mean we will see teams try and stick to the ground game and avoid an arial attack. Right now we are facing gusts of wind with upwards of 55 miles an hour. This should certainly favor the Outlaws and their great rushing attack. Look to see a low scoring, grind it out affair here today in the heart of Nevada. Memphis has won the coin toss and has elected to kick. Stay tuned because kickoff is only moments away...

First Quarter

Luigi D’Amore is set and ready to kick start this game. The kick sails high in the air and is caught by Jimi Hendrix at the 8 yard line. It looks like the Showboats will try and avoid kicking to Marcus Fenikz today, but that won’t be so easy with the conditions here. Hendrix will make a couple of moves before he is taken down at the 26 yard line by Buck Henderson. The Outlaws offense will come onto the field for the first time today led by Marcus Fenikz and Dwayne Wright. First play, they line up in a two back set. Hand off is to Wright who takes it straight down the middle for a gain of 4. Second and 6 now and they line up in a shotgun formation this time with Marcus Fenikz lined up at wide receiver. Rockefeller sends Fenikz in motion as the ball is snapped and he’ll hand it off to Fenikz on the end around for a gain of 7 before he is knocked out of bounds by Normand Jackson. First and ten now, ball on the 37 yard line. Ball is snapped and Rockefeller has Johnson Johnson wide open in the middle of the field on the play action pass, but he’s hit as he throws by a hard charging Fulgrim Chemos and the pass is incomplete. Second and ten now and they line up in the I. Hand off to Wright who goes left and is stuffed at the line by Eric Baby. Loss of one on the play. Third down and 11 now at the 36. Rockefeller drops back in the pocket and ducks a sure sack by Fulgrim Chemos. He rolls out to the right now and hits Johnson Johnson on the deep slant route. Johnson reels in the pass and avoids a tackle by Cash Cassidy before being taken down by Nicholas Torain at the Memphis 48 yard line for a 16 yard gain. The Showboats sure could’ve used Kase-Owens there. First and ten now and the pitch goes to Fenikz. He scampers right and makes a few jukes, but Normand Jackson is having none of it and throws him down at the 46. Two yard gain on the play. Second down and eight now and Rockefeller drops back to pass and cannot avoid the Showboats blitz as he is sacked by Fulgrim Chemos who beat Barrignton clean off the line. Five yard loss and that will bring up third down and thirteen on the 49. Las Vegas lines up in the shotgun. The ball is snapped and Rockefeller has tight end Sam Slowinski open down the middle for the first down. The ball is thrown and...

he throws it behind his target. Fourth and thirteen. The wind surely altered the flight path of that ball.

Las Vegas will bring out the punting unit. Llull appears to have it go off the side of his foot. Not a very good punt and Memphis will start with good field position at their own 35 yard line after only a 15 yard punt. William Bennett and the Showboats offense come out onto the field for the first drive of the game. They line up in the I. Hand off goes to Willich and he rushes up the middle for a 2 yard gain before he’s taken down by Chance Arcenaux. Second and 8 now, Memphis in shotgun formation. The ball is snapped and Bennett will hand it to Willich again this time on the draw. He’ll pick up another 4 yards. Third and four for Memphis on their own 41. Bennett drops back to pass and Vegas brings the rush. Charles Marshall comes hard around the corner and drills Bennett just as he dumps the ball off to Washington on the screen. Washington gets a block and is tackled close to the first down marker by Reverend J. Slither. It looks real close and the refs will need to bring out the chains on this one...

and it’s just short by about half a yard. Memphis has a tough decision here on wether to punt or go for it.

Memphis has elected to punt and will play it safe here. Disappointing three and out to start the game for the Showboats. Mario Plummer kicks a line drive that goes out of bounds around the 26 yard line. Again Memphis electing to keep the ball away from Marcus Fenikz. First and ten on their own 27 here for the Outlaws. They elect to keep the ball on the ground and hand it off to Dwayne Wright who follows his block to a 7 yard gain. On second and three they line up in the wild cat with Fenikz at QB. A bit of trickery here from coach Spruce Meadows. Fenikz takes the snap and he will run right, slipping through the hands of linebacker Normand Jackson who doesn’t miss many of those, he finds a hole, cuts to the outside and is finally taken down by safety Butch Peefington at the Memphis 44 yard line.

2nd Quarter

On first and ten the Outlaws decide to go to the air as Rockefeller tries to find Slowinski streaking across the middle, but he is met hard by Normand Jackson who knocks Slowinski’s helmet right off. You could hear that hit from the broadcast booth. Slowinski gets right back up though and appears to be ok. On second down Rockefeller gives the ball to Wright on the handoff and he will be stopped in the backfield by a Chemos. Loss of three on the play. Third and thirteen now for Vegas on the Showboats 47 yard line. Rockefeller will drop back looking deep downfield and he hits Johnson Johnson on the post route for a big sixteen yard gain. First and ten for the Outlaws on the 31 now. Handoff goes to Wright and he rushes left for a 3 yard gain before being brought down by Eric Baby. On second down Rockefeller hits Fenikz on the screen pass and he jukes his way to a six yard gain. Jackson with the tackle. On third and one Memphis brings the heat Rockefeller has Johnson Johnson open for a sure score, but he is hit by Fulgrim Chemos just as he throws the ball and the ball is loose. Everyone is fighting for the ball, but it appears that Normand Jackson has emerged form the pile with it. The refs are going to review the play to see if Rockefeller’s arm was moving forward. Here comes the call...

Upon further review the quarterback’s arm was in forward motion when the ball came loose therefore it is an incomplete pass. Fourth down.

Big break for the Outlaw offense. Coach Spruce Meadows has a big decision here on fourth and one. It looks like they’re going to go for it and the offense will stay on the field. Once again the weather playing a factor as Meadows was not comfortable with letting his kicker attempt the medium range field goal. The ball is snapped and Rockefeller will hand it off the fullback Hector Gallaraga who rushes left and gets a huge block from Bradley Barrington who absolutely flattened Fulgrim Chemos. Five yard gain for the fullback and Las Vegas will get a new set of downs on the seventeen yard line. On first down Fenikz gets the ball on the pitch to the left and he takes it outside before being pushed out of bounds. Three yard gain. Second and seven and Vegas lines up in the shotgun. Rockefeller drops back and he’ll dump it to the tight end Slowinski for another four yards. Crucial third and three here for the Outlaws. The ball is snapped and Rockefeller will hand it off to Wright....no wait it’s a play action. He has Eric Clapton open in the end zone, but the ball sails high and over his head. Fourth down and the field goal unit comes out to kick a twenty yarder with 44 mile per hour winds moving from left to right. De La Rosa comes out for the kick and the kick is up....it’s good! Right down the middle for the veteran kicker, but hold on what’s this. It appears that Memphis head coach Dax Bellavia called a time out prior to the snap in an attempt to ice the kicker. De La Rosa will try again. The snap is good, the hold and the kick...

It’s good. Straight through the uprights. 3-0 Las Vegas with 6 minutes to go in the second quarter.

De La Rosa lines up for the kickoff and again we see these kickers having trouble as the ball sails out at the Memphis 33 yard line and into the stands. Let’s see if Memphis will be able to capitalize on this field position as they get it at the 40. On first down Willich ruches it up the gut for 3 yards. Second down and Bennett will drop back, pump fake and hit a wide open Tom Adams down field and we have a foot race here. Torain dives and he’ll trip up Adams at about the 22. First and ten and Washington gets it on the pitch and rushes left before he’s knocked out at the 19 by Normand Jackson. On second down Vegas brings the blitz, but Bennett reads it like a veteran and calmly dumps the ball to his tight end Brock Wainwright for a pickup of 6. Third and one for the Showboats on the thirteen. Play action and Bennett is looking to the endzone.

He throws it up the middle to a seemingly open LaBrandon Alleman, but safety Dr. Manhattan comes out of no where and plucks the ball out of the air. He looks around quickly before deciding to take a knee.

Tough break for the Showboats on what was shaping up to be a great drive. Vegas will take over at their own twenty. On first down Wright will get the handoff and rush up the middle for six. Time out Memphis. Second and four and Wright will get it again this time however he is met at the line by Normand Jackson. Memphis will use their second time out. Third down now and Vegas lines up in the shotgun. Rockefeller takes the snap and he’ll hand it off to Gallaraga on the draw play and he’ll rush to the right for a six yard gain. First down Outlaws and with less than a minute remaining in the half it appears they are content to just run the clock out and take their lead into the half. As Memphis uses their final time out Rockefeller will kneel a couple times and the first half comes to a close.

3-0 Las Vegas

Halftime

Third Quarter

The teams will come back out to start the second half of this very low scoring game and the wind has not ceased here, still howling at a speed of 47 miles per hour. Memphis elected to kick to start the game so they will now receive. De La Rosa is lined up and ready to go. He kicks it deep and Torain will catch it at the fifteen and take it up another fifteen yards before he’s tackled at the thirty yard line. William Bennett and the Memphis offense will come out onto the field, hoping for better luck than in the first half. First and ten on the thirty and the line up in the I. Handoff to Washington and he pitches it back to his quarterback. It’s a fleaflicker! Bennett looks deep for Adams who’s streaking down the sidelines. He has a step on Slither and he hauls it on a a great over the shoulder catch. Slither knocks him out at the Vegas 48. Trickery to start the half which pays off for coach Bellavia. First and ten and Bennett will hand the ball to Willich who pounds it up the middle for 2 before being stood up by Chance Arcenaux. On second down Bennett drops back and he’ll hit Wainwright up the middle for a five yard gain. Third and three now on the 41 and Memphis lines up in the shotgun. The ball is snapped and Bennett looks around, but no one is open so he decides to tuck it in and do it himself. The quarterback scrambles to the left and dives for the first. He’s hit in mid air by Charles Marshall, but he’ll hold on to the ball and pick up the first. First and ten on the 37 and Memphis split back formation here. Vegas will bring the heat and Bennett again calmly dumps it off to Washington who takes it outside for a gain of eleven. On first down Bennett drops back and he’ll look endzone. It’s a jump ball down there and it looks like Flash has it... and no he dropped it. Close call there for the Showboats on the near interception. Second down now on the Vegas 26. Bennett will give it to Willich again who finds a hole a takes it left for four yards. On third down Bennett sends Simmons in motion. The ball is snapped and Chance Arcenaux plows through and Bennett just dumps the ball off to Wainwright with Arcenaux’s hands in his face. The pass is behind the tight end who reaches back and gets his fingertips on it. The ball is up in the air and linebacker Charles Marshall will jump up and catch the tipped pass. Interception Vegas and the Showboats offense just can’t catch a break. Marshall has space and he might take this all the way.

He has room outside, but the man who threw the pick William Bennett dives and he’s just able to trip up the linebacker who had space ahead of him. Coach Dax Bellavia is fuming on the sidelines.

The Outlaws offense will come out onto the field. They get the ball back at their own 36. First down and they line up in the I. Wright on the handoff, goes right for a gain of three before being dragged down by Eric Baby. On second down they keep it on the ground again as Fenikz gets it this time on the pitch to the left and he’ll dart his way past a few tackles for eight yards and the first down. First and ten on the 47 now and Rockefeller drops back on play action and he has Johnson Johnson open, but Stafon Claxton ,who’s filling in for Kase-Owens steps in and knocks it down. On second down Wright will get it and he gets a block from Barrington on his way to a six yard gain. Third and four and Rockefeller drops back to pass. Chemos is coming hard around the corner and Rockefeller ducks the would be tackler before rolling left and finding his tight end Sam Slowinski for the five yard gain and the first down. First and ten on their opponents 43 and Las Vegas lines up in the shotgun. The ball is snapped and Rockefeller will hand it off to Dwayne Wright on the draw, but he is promptly taken down in the backfield by Darius Crocker. Three yard loss on the play. Second down now and Vegas elects to keep the ball on the ground as Wright will get it again taking it left for two yards. Normand Jackson on the tackle. Third down and eleven and Rockefeller drops back in the pocket and he hits Jimi Hendrix on the curl for twelve yards and the first down. On first and ten Vegas again gives it to Wright, but this time Mmephis was ready for the run as they stacked the box and Wright goes no where. The refs blow it down as Wright loses forward progress. Loss of four on that play. That sets up second and fourteen on the Memphis 36 yard line for the Outlaws and Vegas is lining up in the wild cat formation . Marcus Fenikz takes the snap and follows Bradley “The Bulldozer” Barrington ,who gives him two huge blocks on both Fulgrim Chemos and Normand Jackson left for a big gain Fenikz makes a move on Claxton before breaking down the sidelines before being pushed out by Butch Peefington at the three yard line. Fenikz really is one of the league’s most explosive players and you have to think had TKO been in there in place of Claxton he would have made that tackle. On first and goal Wright will go left for no gain as he is stood up be Chemos. He would be stopped again on second down bringing up a crucial third and goal on the two yard line. Can the Memphis defense hold the Outlaws to a field goal here?

The ball is snapped and Wright refuses to be silenced as he brakes through a tackle by Eric Baby and goes in for the score on third and goal. Nice block by the fullback Gallaraga on that play and we finally have our first touchdown of the game 10-0 Vegas...and what’s this? It appears Dwayne Wright has pulled out a Blackberry from his sock and he is sending some sort of text message. We have just received word he was tweeting that he had scored a touchdown. This gutsy move could result in a fine for Wright. De La Rosa will tack on the extra point as Wright gets an earful from Spruce Meadows.

Memphis has a lot of work to do here and they’ll get to start chipping away at the lead now as De La Rosa is set to kick it off. The kick is high and deep and Bright will field it at the twelve. He brings it past the twenty before being taken down at the 28. Bennett and the Showboats offense will come back out hoping for a better outcome than their last possession. First down and Bennett hits the tight end Wainwright for a quick 12 yard gain before he is knocked out at the 40. On the next play Bennett reads the Outlaw blitz and he just dumps it off to Washington for an eight yard gain and they’ll let the clock run out and bring this game to the 4th quarter.

4th Quarter

Second and two for the Showboats here to start what should be a very exciting fourth quarter. Bennett will drop back to pass and he has Alleman open on his right, but the pass sails behind Alleman. That incomplete pass brings up third and two for Memphis on their own 48. The ball is snapped and Bennett fakes the handoff to Willich and he’ll do it himself picking up the first down and then some on the quarterback option. Memphis gets a new set of downs and they are now into enemy territory. On first down Bennett has no one open and again he opts to dump it off to his tight end and Wainwright picks up another seven yards. That brings up second and three for the Showboats. They line up in shotgun formation. Bennett drops back to pass and he hits Tom Adams down the sidelines for another big gain. It appears as if Memphis has finally got some rhythm going on offense here. A nineteen yard gain on the play which brings up first and ten on the Vegas 20. On first down Bennett will again find his security blanket Brock Wainwright for five yards. Second down now and the Showboats line up in the I. Bennett pitches it to Washington who gets a block and takes it outside and he has the corner. Washington crosses the ten and gets a giant block from who absolutely lit up . Washington dives and he’s in. Touchdown Memphis!

but wait, there’s a flag down on the field and this may be coming back. Holding number 71 offense. Five yard penalty, repeat second down. Oh and J’Quan Johnson takes a big penalty there that may cost his team.

That penalty will bring up second and fifteen on the Outlaws 25 yard line. On second down Bennett drops back and he hits Chadrick Simmons across the middle for seven yards. That pass will bring up a big third and eight for the Showboats. Bennett sends LaBrandon Alleman in motion and the ball is snapped. Bennett has plenty of time on the pocket and he sees Tom Adams open on the left. Bennett steps and throws, but the ball gets caught in the wind and Adams can only manage to get his fingertips on it. Memphis will half to settle for the field goal here. D’Amore comes on to kick the field goal. The snap is good, the hold and the kick...

is good! Memphis finally gets on the board 10-3 Outlaws early in the fourth.

D’Amore set to kickoff. The kick sails high and the wind carries it right into the arms of Marcus Fenikz. Oh no this is bad. The Showboats have been avoiding kicking to Fenikz all game, but it was only a matter of time in these conditions. Fenikz darts his way past the thirty makes a few moves and fumbles! He lost the ball and it looks like Orion Johnson has recovered it. What an uncharacteristic play by Fenikz and a great break for the Showboats. This may be what they needed. Memphis will start with great field position as they get the ball at the Outlaws 42. First and ten now and Bennett will drop back to pass and he sees Wainwright open down the middle and he’ll hit the tight end for twelve yards and a new set of downs. First down and Washington gets it on the pitch. He’ll juke a defender before being tackled at the 26. Second and six and Bennett drops back in the pocket. He has Adams on the slant, but Adams drops the ball. That brings up a big third and six for the Showboats. They line up in the shotgun. The ball is snapped and Vegas brings the pressure. Bennett has Wainwright open for the first down, but Chance Arcenaux gets him form behind and he’ll drag him down for the sack. Fourth and eleven on the Outlaws 31. It looks like coach Bellavia is going to go for it. Again they’ll line up in the shotgun. Four receiver set. Bennett drops back and surveys his options and again he’ll find tight end Brock Wainwright across the middle. Wainwright is fighting for those extra yards, dragging defenders with him towards the first down. He’s finally brought down near the marker and this will be close. The refs spot the ball and they’ll bring out the measurement...

and it’s short by only half a foot. Turnover on downs and another tough break for Bennett and the Showboats.

So the Outlaws offense will take over at their own 21 yard line. With only eight minutes to go in this game it looks like they’re going to stick to the running game and try to eat away at the clock. On first down Rockefeller hands off to Wright who goes up the middle for three yards. Second and seven and the fullback Gallaraga gets it this time. He goes left for two yards before he is popped by Normand Jackson. That brings up third and five. Rockefelller drops back to pass and Memphis brings the blitz. Rockefeller reads it nicely and he’ll just dump it right to Fenikz who jukes around Robert Plant before being taken down by Flash after a gain of seven and the first down. Big conversion for the Outlaws and they’ll keep draining that clock. Just over six minutes remaining now and Memphis needs a big stop from their defense here. First and ten and Wright gets the ball again and he is met hard in the backfield by Fulgrim Chemos. Loss of two on the play. Second down and Wright gets it again. He’ll take it outside and he has a block. Wright gets around the corner and picks up the first down before Peefington pushes him out at the 48 yard line. Big seventeen yard gain by Wright on the play. First down again and Wright will again get the ball. The big back takes it up the gut for four yards and Memphis will burn their first timeout. On second down Fenikz gets the ball on the pitch and he’ll go no where as he is met by Eric Baby for no gain. He was lucky to get back to the line of scrimmage on that one. Memphis calls their second timeout and that stops the clock with about four and a half minutes to go. Third down and six and Vegas tries the play action.

Rockefeller looking down field and he’ll dump it to Slowinski who makes the catch before he is met hard as he turns up field by Normand Jackson and that pops the ball loose. Incomplete pass on the play and the Showboats offense will get another shot here.

Llull will punt the ball and he gets good contact. The wind carries the ball out of bounds at around the fifteen yard line. The Showboats offense will come back on to the field for what will likely be a final shot at tying this game up or even winning it. They have a ways to go and limited time in which to do so. First down and they line up in shotgun formation. Bennett drops back and he’ll hit Alleman who makes the catch and promptly gets out of bounds. Eight yard gan on the out. A shade under four minutes remaining. Second down and Bennett will drop back in the pocket. He sees nothing down field and so he’ll dump it to Wainwright who picks up seven and a new set of downs. First and ten on the thirty and they’ll pass again. Bennett heaves one deep down the sidelines for Adams, but Slither just gets a hand in there to break it up. Second down and Vegas brings the rush. Bennett feels the pressure and he takes off up field and he’ll pick up the first before sliding at the 43. First down and three minutes to go. Bennett will throw and Alleman will have it hit his hands and he drops it. Second down now and Bennett will hit Simmonds on the right for the completion. Eight yard gain and that brings them into enemy territory. On third and one Willich gets it and he’ll pick up the first down on the three yard rush. Memphis working quickly and they’ll go with the no huddle here. Vegas will bring the blitz and Bennett just lobs it up for Washington who will take it outside before going out at the Outlaws 46. Three yard gain. That brings us to the two minute warning. On second and seven Bennett hits Wainwright coming across the middle for six. Third and one and Memphis continues to go with the no huddle. They line up in the I and the ball is snapped. Vegas brings the heat and Arcenaux will break through seemingly untouched and wrap his hands around Bennett before he can even set his feet. Four yard loss on the sack and Memphis will call their final timeout. They have no option, but to go for it here on fourth down with five yards to go. The Showboats line up in the shotgun. Just over a minute and a half to go. Ball on the Las Vegas 44. The ball is snapped and Bennett has good protection. He’ll take his time here. Bennett pump fakes and he throws it left.

The ball is knocked down by linebacker Charles Marshall who Bennett must not have seen.

That means a turnover on downs here and that will all but seal the Showboats fate as Vegas will just run out the final 86 seconds here. On first down Wright take it down the middle for two. Rockefeller will kneel on second and third as the clock runs out and this game is over.

Final score : Las Vegas-10 Memphis-3
Stats will be up tomorrow

Memphis Stats:

Passing:
William Bennett - 14/21 - 199 yards - 0 TD - 2 INT

Rushing:
Marcellus Willich - 22 carries - 68 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
Lionel Washington - 12 carries - 27 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
William Bennett - 3 carries - 22 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumble

Receiving:
Tom Adams - 3 catches - 96 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops
Brock Wainwright - 9 catches - 70 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops
Lionel Washington - 4 catches - 31 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops

Blocking:
Thermopylae Jones - 3 pancakes
Jameson Johnson - 2 pancakes
Caesar Moonblood - 2 pancakes

Defensive:
Darius Crocker - 4 tackles - 1 TFL
Fulgrim Chemos - 4 tackles - 3 TFL - 1 sack
Eric F. Baby - 4 tackles
Normand Jackson - 9 tackles - 2 TFL - 1 PBU
Nicholas Torrain - 2 tackles - 2 PBU
Orion Johnson - 1 tackles - 1 PBU
Butch Peefington - 3 tackles
Stafon Claxton - 2 tackles- 1 PBU

Kicking:
Luigi D'Amore - 1/1 FG

Las Vegas Stats:

Passing:
James Rockefeller - 6/12 - 59 yards - 0 TD - 0 INT

Rushing:
Dwayne Wright - 34 carries - 93 yards - 1 TD - 0 fumbles
Marcus Fenikz - 9 carries - 62 yards - 0 TD - 1 fumbles
James Rockefeller - 0 carries - 0 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles

Receiving:
Johnson Johnson - 4 catches - 32 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops
Sam Slowinski - 3 catches - 19 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops
Marcus Fenikz - 6 catches - 33 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops

Blocking:
Bradley Barrington - 4 pancakes
Frank Ice - 2 pancakes
Hank Patrick - 3 pancakes

Defensive:
Tim Yeley - 3 tackles
Chance Arceneoux - 4 tackles - 2 sack - 3 TFL- 1 PBU
Noel Miles - 4 tackles
Ryan Charleston - 2 tackles - 1 TFL
Charles Marshall - 6 tackles - 1 TFL - 1 INT- 1 PBU
RJ Slither - 2 tackles - 1 PBU
Dr. Manhattan- 1 tackle- 1 INT

Kicking:
Jorge De La Rosa - 1/1 FG - 1/1 XP

Notable Injuries:
None

[broth223]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/WyomingJackalopes-1.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/SacramentoAttack.gif

Welcome to the game of the week brought to you by Decent Beer Co. why would you drink anything else (not available in Canada) and Minesweeper the movie by Touchstone pictures in theaters everywhere August 20th. Today's matchup will determine the team to be on top of the standings in the western division as the Jackalopes of Wyoming face off against the Sacramento Attack. The Attack are 3 and 1 coming off a loss to the Las Vegas Outlaws ruining the last undefeated season in the league. While Wyoming has come off two victories against the Wave and the Omaha Kangaroos. QB Scott Wright is going to have his hands full this week when he goes against the best secondary in the league with CBs Azi Kwame and Dwayne Comacho. So I'd expect a large dose of RB Robert Crucial. But there is one other thing that Head Coach Chuck Sampson has to take in mind Veteran center Ray Miavia is not going to be suiting up for this game and back up Randal Crash will be filling in at center. We will see how they do against the Wyoming Blitz attack. On the other side of the ball Wyoming will have some real trouble running against that stringent and meddlesome run defense of the Attack. But it looks like we are ready so lets go to center field for the coin flip.

It looks like the Attack has chosen to receive and we will be back for the kickoff after this commercial break.


LHY8NKj3RKs


Welcome back, and we are ready to kick off. Daniel Santiago with the kick it goes deep to the 5 yard line where it is picked up by Samuel Adams who takes it to the the 15 yardline almost no blocking by the Sacramento special teams on that return. First and 10 on the 15 yard line. Wright fumbles the snap but quickly covers it up for only a two yard loss. People think that the exchange between the QB and C is automatic but I'll tell you that the center and QB have to spend a lot of time in practice to prevent that kind of thing from happening. 2nd and 12 on the 13 yard line the snap comes off clean this time and it looks like they are sending Tyrone Taylor in for the blitz and Wright tosses down to his Check down man Robert Crucial in the flat and gains seven yards on the play before being taken down by Comacho. 3nd and 5 on the 20 Yard line. Wright takes the snap no blitz. Wright scans the field and throws it towards TJ Sustein but it is batted away by Azi Kwame in a very good show of athleticism out jumping the taller Sustein. 4th down and 5 on the 20 yard line and it looks as though the punt squad is out on to the field and the Jackalopes should have great field positon on offense. Crosby gets the punt off and it lands out of bounds on the Jackalope 45 yard line. Herman Plainview and the Jackalope offense will get their first crack at the offense. First and 10 on the 45 yard line. Plainview hands off to Taylor and they look to run behind big LT Ray Tyson early but OLB Brian Stumpf is blocking that running land so he cuts back and is met in the backfield by ILB Darius Bane for a 3 yard loss. 2nd and 13 on the 42. Plainview takes the snap and drops back to pass trows a 5 yard out to Darnell Bird who gets 7 on the play before being taken down by Mouton. 3rd and 6 hand off to Taylor who this time beats the linebacker to the corner and is running in the open field he is out running Bane and eventually gets tackled by Mouton on the 30 yard line. First down Jackalopes. Plainview takes the snap scans the field and CRACK! He is sacked by a blitzing Darrius Bane for a 7 yard loss. The great thing about the 3-4 is you never know where that fourth man is coming from, which gives a crucial advantage to the Defense. 2nd and 17 and Plainview hands it off to Taylor the LBers are closing the run lanes well.
Wait what do we have here Taylor is looking for the half back option and throws a 7 yard pass to Logan Stevens who is all alone because all the linebackers have jumped on the run. Stevens is just running through the samler secondary and goes in for the touchdown. TOUCHDOWN Jackalopes.

Wyoming Leads 7-0

The Kick is off and Samual Adams is hopeing for a better return here. He gets a few blocks and makes his way to the 33 yard line. First and 10 on the 33 Scott wright drops back to pass and he Rockets one to Sustein who is instantly tackled by Kwame for a five yard gain. Second and five Wright back again to pass Kwame slips but is quick to be back on his feet, but, not fast enough to break up the pass to Sustein for another five yard gain to end the quarter.

END OF FIRST QUARTER

2nd Quarter

First and 10 on the 43 yare line. Wright takes the snap Comacho is coming in on the blitz Wright gets rid of it quick to Robert Crucial who now only has to beat the Safty to have a clear path to the endzone and

Crucal gets tackled on the Jackalope 30 yard line

First and 10 on the 30 yard line it is a handoff to Crucial who runs behind Thigpen and gets a 7 yard gain. 2nd and 3 on the 23 yard line. Wright takes the snap there is no blitz it seems that the Jackalopes have realized the Attack game plan. The rush has started to come through so Wright pulls the ball down and runs for 15 yards before running out of bounds. 1st and 10 on the 7 Wright drops back to pass ... sees an open Sustein in the endzone releases the ball and ..,

INTERCEPTION Kwame came out of nowhere to make the pick. Kwame starts running with it. Sustein catches up and ... FUMBLE!!!! FUMBLE!!! Sustein causes a fumble and the ball is on the ground Wright picks it up and runs it in for the touchdown

Score is tied 7-7


The Kick is good and now we are ready for the kickoff. Comacho fields it with no problem and starts up the field finds a few blocks and makes his way to the 50 yard line what a return by Dwayne Camacho. 1st and 10 on the 50 The Defense has been closing down lanes against Taylor all night. Plainview takes the snap play action the Taylor. Plainview hits Logan Stevens for a 6 yard gain. 2nd and 4 to go Plainview again throws it up for Garcia but DT Leonard Spocklestein knocks it down at the line. 3rd and 4 Plainview yelling some audibles he must like something he sees in the coverage. Plainview takes the snap Sees Bird shake his man throws a bomb in the back of the endzone and...

TOUCHDOWN BIRD!!! what a catch but it looks like Bird is down on the field. Not only is Bird down but there are yellow hanckeies on the field in the area of the offensive line it looks like this one is coming back. Before we get to the penelty Bird is still not getting up he is on the ground grabbing his left shoulder as the training staff comes out onto the field. Lets see what happened Bird is going fast to the back of the endzone and is hit by Kyle Carpenter he trips on a hole in the turf and goes flying into the wall where it looks like he crunched his left shoulder. Bird is now up and is walking to the locker room under his own power. Now we can get to the officials.

Facemask Left Tackle offense 15 yard penelty repeat 3rd down.


Facemask Left Tackle offense 15 yard penelty repeat 3rd down. [/spoiler]

3rd and 19 That penelty really hurt the Jackalopes and the boo birds are raining down the stands. Plainview is trying to quiet the Jackalope fans but to no avail Plainview takes the snap seaches the field with noone open Bunj Torres gets through the line again and takes Plainview down for another sack which knocks them out of field goal range. The Jackalopes punt and The Attack is happy with the tie going into halftime.

HALF TIME enjoy the half time show.

tbANo3LD1-A

3rd Quarter

The third quarter is on the way. Beckum's kick sails long and is fielded by Comacho who takes it to the 40 yard line and good positioning for the Jackalopes. 1st and 10 o nthe 40 Handoff to Taylor but the linebackers and defensive linemen of the Attack have filled all the gaps and eventually get Taylor down with a one yard gain. 2nd and 9 on the 41 Another handoff to taylor and another stuff being hit behind the line for Torres. Two yard loss. 3rd and 11 on the 39 Plainview takes the snap The WRs are blanketed he throws the ball short to Logan Stevens coming well short for the first down. on 4th down the punter comes to the field and gets the punt off clean it is a high end over end kick and Diller has to take the fair catch on the 25 yard line. 1st and 10 on the 25. Wright takes the snap hamds off to fullback Darnell Webster and picks up a 4 yard gain before getting tackled by Charlie Mack. 2nd and 6 play action there is a blitz by Tyson, Sunstein is taking the short in rout and gets the ball where Tyson vacates. and picks up 10 yards before being taken down by Comacho after a 10 yard gain. 1st and 10 on the 39. Wright takes the snap hads off to Crucial runs it between the guard and center and gets a good block on the saftey and breaks it Crual who gets a big 35 yard gain before getting taken down by Kwame. 1st and 10 on around the 35 Wright takes the pass play action RBs on a flare rout and the Jackalopes refrain from the blits sending only 4 TJ Sunstein has a little room on Kwame and Wright releases ... Almost picked off by Kwame but it falls to the ground good defense by Azi Kwame and the battle between Sunstein and Kwame has been rageing all night. 2nd and 10 Crucial on the run and is stuffed by Terrance Jacobs. 3rd and 9 on the 35. Wright takes the snap Scans the field Inky Stiles forces Wright to scramble Wright looks towards Sunstein in the flat but has to throw the ball out of bounds 4th and 9 on the 34. It looks like a long 51 yard field goal so coach sampson sends out the punt team. It looks like chip Diller the sprinter is going in motion towards the punter what is going on here??? There is the snap OH WOW it is a reverse but it doesn't loo ... no no punter Horace Crosby still has the ball! Crosby STILL HAS THE BALL and the punter has nothing but clear field ahead of him and he runs the ball in for the TOUCHDOWN WOOW WOOOOOWW TOUCHDOWN ATTACK

Attack lead 14-7

End of the 3rd Quarter


4th Quarter

The attack kick off and Comacho has taken it with another great return to hte 35. The Jackalopes have been very hesitant to pass the ball in the second half but the strategy has been to fill all the running lanes and force the runner to the inside with the pair of great OLBs of the Attack and Taylor has not been able to run at all for most of the game. The Jackalopes start with two running plays that still go nowhere and the Jackalopes are forced into a third and longs situation. 3rd and 8 on the 37 yard line Plainview takes the snap and scans the field both wide recievers are blanketed bt the corners not having Bird the top WR has really stifled the Jackalope offense Bane is getting some pressure on the Plainview and he has to release the ball towards Logan Stevens ,,, incomplete a pretty bad throw having to get rid of the ball off his back foot and it is too low for Stevens to pull in. So 4th and 8 and another 3 and out for this Jackalope offense Ray Tyson is livid on the side lines at the interior offensive line. The Jackalope punt goes nowhere and the Attack are back on offense. The Attack starts the drive with two run plays that get 8 yards and a quick slant to TJ Sunstein who has really started to win the battle with CB Azi Kwame. Although on the other side Scott Wright hasn't even thrown at Tony Taylor because Dwayne Comacho has not given him any opportunities to catch the ball. With the new set of downs the Attack has entered into the four minute drill giving the Jackalopes a big dose of Crucial, Webster, and even on occasion Samuel Adams. 1st and 10 on the 20 yard line, Play action to Crucial the entire team bites on the fakes leaving you guessed it TJ Sunstein wide open fifteen yards deep and Scott Wright hits him with the easy throw. Touchdown Attack

Sacramento leads 21-7

The Jackalopes still have a chance at this ball game but they need a quick score and a little luck as we are looking at 2:45 left to the game. The Attack squib the kick trying to guarantee no return for a TD by Comacho which works but the Jackalopes has the ball at the 35. Comacho isn't even leaving the field it looks like they are going to give him a go at wide reciever Comacho doesn't have the best hands but I guess they are desperate after losing Bird. Plainview drops back to pass and hits Stevens in the middle for 7 yards. Plainview in the no huddle throws a medium level dart to Comacho on the outside for another 10 but is taken down. Plainview agian in the no huddle hits Stevens again to the outside who quickly gets out of bounds. The Jackalopes take this opportunity to catch their breath and the Attack D is starting to look tired. Plainveiw gets under center with 2:15 seconds left and is on the 45 yard line. Takes the snap and hits Philip Garcia for another 10 yard gain. More and more passes with the no huddle and the Jackalopes make it to the 20 yard line and hit the 2 Minute warning. 1st and 10 on the 20 Plainview takes the snap looks for the quick throw to Comacho and it falls incomplete for the first incomplete pass of the drive. 2nd and 10 Plainview hits Stevens for a 17 yard gain and the Attack call timeout as the Jackalopes were ready to hit the no huddle again. 1st and goal on the 3 Plainview throws the ball toward Stevens but is batted down by Darrius Bane. 2nd Down a run play to the left is snuffed out by Bunj Torres TIMEOUT Jackalopes. We are in four down territory now. Plainview takes the snap he sees Stevens in the middle of the field as Spocklestein moves through the line and ...

Interception by LEONARD SPOCKLESTEIN watch out everyone BIG MAN WITH FOOTBALL! he is getting great blocks by the entire linebacking corps I think he is going to go all the way! he's rumblin' and stumblin' and the offense doesn't even seem interested in chasing down the defensive lineman anymore as he goes all the way to the endzone. TOUCHDOWN ATTACK as Spcklestein shows off his three inch vertical diving into the endzone.

Attack leads 28-7


The Jackalopes try to rally another push but it is turned over on downs and the Attack run out the rest of the clock.

Attack WINS 28-7

Stats to gome later

Sacramento States:

Passing:
Scott Wright - 20/25 - 235 - 1 TD - 0 INT

Rushing:
Robert Crucial - 20 carries - 100 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
Darnell Webster - 2 carries - 18 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
Scott Wright - 2 carries - 22 yards - 1 TD - 0 fumbles

Receiving:
TJ Sunstein - 15 catches - 150 yards - 1 TD - 0 drops
Tony Taylor - 0 catch - 0 yards - 0 TD - 0 drops

Blocking:
Jamwel Rooney - 3 pancakes - 0 sack allowed
Cromwell Thigpen - 4 pancakes - 0 sacks allowed
Ray Maiava - DNP Injury
Steven Nguyen - 5 pancakes - 1 sack allowed

Defensive:
Hal Jordan - 3 tackles
Leonard Spocklestein - 7 tackles - 1 TFL 1 INT 1 TD
Bunj Torres - 7 tackles - 2 TFL - 1 sack
Darius Bain - 7 tackles - 1 TFL - 2 sacks
Brian Stumpf - 7 tackles
Harold Mouton - 4 tackles - 2 PBD - 1 DTD
Kyle Carpenter - 5 tackles - 2PBD

Kicking:
William Beckum - 0/0 FG - 4/4 XP

Wyoming Jackalopes

Herman Plainview - 15/30 - 175 yards - 1 TD - 1 INT
Marshall Taylor 1/1 - 35 1 TD

Rushing:
Marshall Taylor - 25 carries - 50 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles
Herman Plainview - 2 carries - -3 yards - 0 TD - 0 fumbles

Receiving:
Darnell Bird - 5 catches - 55 yards - 1 TD - 0 drops
Phillip Garcia - 3 catches - 35 yards - 0 TD - 1 drops
Logan Stevens - 12 catches - 95 yards - 1 TD - 0 drops
Marshall Taylor - 6 catches - 33 yards - 0 TD - 1 drop

Blocking:
Ray Tyson - 3 pancakes - 1 sacks allowed
Terrence Jacobs - 0 pancakes - 2 sacks allowed



Defensive:
Tarik Lewis - 3 tackles
Inky Stiles - 2 tackles
Charlie Mack - 6 tackles
Tyrone Taylor - 9 tackles - 1 TFL
Azi Kwame - 5 tackles - 1 INT - 3 PBU
Dwayne Comacho - 2 tackles
Dan Baker - 9 tackles

Kicking:
Daniel Santiago - 0/0 FG - 2/2 XP

Return:
Dwayne Comacho - 30.7 KRA - 0 PRA -

INJURIES:

Darnell Bird - Pinched Nerve Mandatory out 1 week. 75% in two weeks and 90% in three weeks.

[BeerBaron]

WEEK 6


doesanyoneevencheckforthewhitetext?

[BeerBaron]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/IndianapolisRaptors.gif http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/OmahaKangaroos.gif

Week 6 – Indianapolis Raptors (3-2) at Omaha Kangaroos (3-2)

(I’m trying out a new “abbreviated” week in highlight style, so please try not to *****. Pretend other stuff is going on if it really bothers you for the game to be short.)

Still in the first quarter, game tied 3-3. Indy using a power rushing attack look while Omaha was using short passes. Adolf Klux shoots in on a run blitz to force the fumble! Omaha dives on it for the recovery.

It doesn’t take them long to make something of it. After a great Bolt Williams catch and run takes them across midfield, Johnson finds Julio Stone deep down the right sideline. Decker had him lined up for a big hit but comes up with nothing but air as Stone slips away into the endzone for the TD.

Now 13-3 nearing halftime, Ben Grant shoots up the middle and wraps up Johnson, causing him to throw up a poor pass which is…picked off by Darren Oltman. He returns it deep into Omaha territory.

Two plays later, pay dirt. Devin Saint slides to avoid an Omaha blitz and splits two defenders to find Jrue Reed for the TD. 13-10 now.

16-10 Omaha leads after halftime, and they are looking for more. Johnson hits Carmichael in the flat, he shakes one defender and is off to the races! No one would catch him as he scampers 55 yards for the TD! Omaha leads 23-10.

Indy is trying hard to come back now, all but abandoning their heavy rushing look. They get inside the redzone and Saint hits Cobourne short. He shoots ahead and is brought down at the 1 yard line. Thurman Brinks would take it right up the gut on the next play for the TD. They trail 23-17 now.

Both teams clash hard for some time, and Indy managed to tack on a FG. 23-20. Caleb Westgarth picks up an impressive sack, and then almost gets another on the next play hitting Johnson as he throws…picked off by MLB Erik Herbert! Herbert is brought down quickly though.

Indy driving hard…Saint hits Cobourne on a screen out of the slot! He breaks one tackle and is in for the TD! But hold the phone…flags down. RT Tyrone Burkhard called for the hold on Adolf Klux, it would come back. Very next play, Saint is sacked on an all out blitz by Kendrick Odom. Indy would tie it with a FG. 23-23 now.

Omaha would not be outdone. Johnson drives hard down the field avoiding Indy’s pass rush as best he can. He throws up a flare deep for Julio Stone who is triple covered! He and the defenders go up….and Stone brings it down in an incredibly athletic play! TD Omaha! They lead 30-23.

In the waning moments now, Indy is driving hard. Devin Saint has been avoiding Troy Ryder like the plague all day but has no choice but to throw that way here…and he’ll wish he had that one back. Ryder all over it for the pick 6.

Omaha would go on to win with a final score of 37-23.

Indy Stats:

Passing:
Devin Saint – 14/30 – 145 yards – 1 TD – 1 INT

Rushing:
Ernie Cobourne – 16 carries – 61 yards – 0 TD – 0 fumbles
Thurman Brinks – 14 carries – 45 yards – 1 TD – 0 fumbles
Jrue Reed – 2 carries – 10 yards – 0 TD – 0 fumbles
Devin Saint – 0 carries – 0 yards – 0 TD – 1 fumble

Receiving:
Quentin Harrison – 1 catch – 14 yards – 0 TD – 0 drops
Jrue Reed – 5 catches – 40 yards – 1 TD – 0 drops
Ernie Cobourne – 4 catches – 29 yards – 0 TD – 0 drops
Thurman Brinks – 1 catch – 4 yards – 0 TD – 1 drop

Blocking:
William Quinn – 3 pancakes – 1 sack allowed
Turk Francis – 3 pancakes

Defensive:
Caleb Westgarth – 4 tackles – 1 sack – 1 TFL
Drew Wilhelm – 4 tackles
Ben Grant – 7 tackles – 1 sack – 1 TFL
Charles Whimper – 3 tackles
Erik Herbert – 7 tackles – 1 INT
Darren Oltman – 4 tackles – 1 INT
Demond Decker – 7 tackles – 1 PBU

Kicking:
Max Kroger – 3/3 FG – 2/2 XP

Omaha Stats:

Passing:
Crail Johnson – 30/49 – 333 yards – 3 TD – 2 INT

Rushing:
Leopold Carmichael – 13 carries – 50 yards – 0 TD – 0 fumbles
Braith Anasta – 5 carries – 14 yards – 0 TD – 0 fumbles
Crail Johnson – 2 carries – 4 yards – 0 TD – 0 fumbles

Receiving:
Julio Stone – 6 catches – 109 yards – 2 TD – 0 drops
Bolt Williams – 5 catches – 67 yards – 0 TD – 1 drop
Jaleel Starks – 6 catches – 54 yards – 0 TD – 0 drops
Leopold Carmichael – 10 catches – 87 yards – 1 TD – 0 drops
Braith Anasta – 1 catch – 5 yards – 0 TD – 0 drops

Blocking:
Jericho Bridges – 2 pancakes
Tim James – 5 pancakes – 1 sack allowed

Defensive:
Lopini Paea – 4 tackles – 1 TFL
Kendrick Odom – 3 tackles – 1 sack – 1 TFL
Adolf Klux – 11 tackles – 1 sack – 1 TFL – 1 FF
Xavier Thames – 8 tackles
Garth Stokes – 5 tackles – 1 FR
Troy Ryder – 1 tackle – 1 INT – 1 DTD

Kicking:
Craig Fitzgibbon – 3/3 FG – 4/4 XP

[BeerBaron]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/ChicagoPandas.gif http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/SacramentoAttack.gif

Week 6 – Chicago Pandas (2-3) at Sacramento Attack (4-1)

We start off early in the first quarter, Sacramento driving with score 0-0. Sacramento has been using some fancy runs to move the ball with a TE helping out on Umenyiora seemingly every play when…Big Caleb Williams shoots up the middle and overpowers backup C Randall Crash to hit Scott Wright…fumble! Chicago recovers! The red challenge flag is out however as Coach Sampson believes Wright’s arm was moving forward. Replay shows that he had an empty hand however, turnover would stand.

A few series later, Chicago leads 3-0 and are driving once again. Big Aaron Campbell is chugging behind his powerful run blocking o-line when…play action. Mutler rolls right and hits James Speed in a seam to the right side. He shakes Carpenter and is off! No one would catch him as he puts Chicago up 10-0.

13-3 Chicago leads after halftime and they are driving again. Mutler looks short left for Steve Mastersen…interception! Bunj Torres patrolling the flat was all over it and he could…go…all…the…way…. TD Sacramento!

Now tied 13-13, Sacramento is the one driving. Umenyiora manages to split the LT and TE for a free shot at Wright who….dodges it, rolls left, and throws up for Robert Crucial who’s made it down field. He catches it and is drug down inside the 20 on a great play. Next play, Sunstein, Taylor and Crucial are all split out right. The traffic of that bunch set up manages to separate Sunstein from Elvis Jackson for the first time all game and Wright puts it up….TD Sunstein! Sacramento takes the 20-13 lead!

A few series later, score now 20-16 with Chicago driving. Very scary moment occurs as Mutler hits Writt over the left hash marks. He gets absolutely crushed by Kyle Carpenter and loses the ball, as well as his helmet. Sacramento recovers but Writt is down. He would be on the field for several minutes, but it was a good sign to see him moving his legs. He would be taken off the field on a stretcher as a precaution and gave the thumbs up on his way off. The hit was legal, but brutal nonetheless. Writt had a mild concussion and a neck stinger, and would miss the next 2-4 weeks recovering.

Back to the game, Sacramento trying to grind the clock now. They find themselves at 4th and short at the Chicago 40 and they go for it. Darnell Webster trucks ahead with the carry…stood up at the line by Williams! The pile envelops him short of the first down!

Chicago couldn’t do much with it though and would come away from the drive with a FG, still down 20-19.

Sacramento takes it under the 2:00 mark but stalls near midfield once again on 3rd and long. They decide to throw for it. Wright looks for Sunstein who jumps up right at the first down marker but Elvis Jackson is there and displays some incredible athleticism getting up just as high as the 6’5 Sunstein! Elvis reaches one hand up and rips the ball out of Sunsteins hands to nearly pick it off, but it does end the drive.

Chicago had to hurry now, the Sacramento punt pinned them deep. Who does Chicago look to when they need something clutch? (In his best Chris Berman voice) James Speed! Mutler hits him on the WR screen short to the right and he spins away from Mouton. He reverses field, picks up a great block from his QB who got a little ways upfield to trip up some defenders. Speed finds a seam and takes off now down the left hand sideline and is finally pushed out of bounds by the last possible defender Wurmer near midfield.

Two plays later, Chicago is at the Sacramento 35 when Sacramento sends a blitz! Torres blindsides Mutler and he loses the ball! Hal Jordan nearly gets on top of it but only knocks it backwards a few more yards where Smithsonian is able to dive onto it.

Chicago couldn’t pick up anymore yards so on would come the hero of so many Chicago games this season, Ike Stantios for a 57 yards attempt with just seconds to go. After Sampson used a timeout to try and ice him, Stantios lined up.

Snap was perfect.

Hold was good.

Kick…was….

PERFECT! Chicago wins 22-20!

Chicago stats:

Passing:
Ray Mutler – 16/31 – 205 yards – 1 TD – 1 INT

Rushing:
Aaron Campbell – 20 carries – 75 yards – 0 TD – 0 fumbles
Steve Mastersen – 10 carries – 39 yards – 0 TD – 0 fumbles
Ray Mutler – 3 carries – 7 yards – 0 TD – 1 fumble

Receiving:
James Speed – 5 catches – 97 yards – 1 TD – 0 drops
Kenny Writt – 3 catches – 35 yards – 0 TD – 1 drop
Peter Johnston – 4 catches – 41 yards – 0 TD – 0 drops

Blocking:
Samson Williams – 4 pancakes – 1 sack allowed
Max Stevenson – 4 pancakes
Todd Smithsonian – 6 pancakes
Brian Stone – 4 pancakes
John Ogen – 3 pancakes – 1 sack allowed

Defensive:
Caleb Williams – 5 tackles – 1 sack – 1 FF
Jamaal Umenyiora – 3 tackles – 2 TFL
Joe Wallace – 5 tackles
KK Slider – 9 tackles – 1 PBU
Elvis Jackson – 4 tackles – 2 PBU

Kicking:
Ike Stantios – 5/5 FG – 1/1 XP

Sacramento stats:

Passing:
Scott Wright – 18/31 – 194 yards – 1 TD – 0 INT

Rushing:
Robert Crucial – 18 carries – 70 yards – 0 TD – 0 fumbles
Darnell Webster – 9 carries – 33 yards – 0 TD – 0 fumbles
Scott Wright – 5 carries – 28 yards – 0 TD – 1 fumble

Receiving:
TJ Sunstein – 4 catches – 60 yards – 1 TD – 0 drops
Robert Crucial – 5 catches – 45 yards – 0 TD – 0 drops
Darnell Webster – 3 catches – 12 yards – 0 TD – 1 drop

Blocking:
Jamwel Rooney – 3 pancakes – 2 sacks allowed
Crowmwell Thigpen – 5 pancakes
Steven Nguyen – 3 pancakes

Defensive:
Hal Jordan – 3 tackles – 1 TFL
Leonard Spocklestein – 3 tackles
Bunj Torres – 7 tackles – 2 sacks – 1 INT – 1 FF – 1 DTD
Darius Bain – 6 tackles – 1 TFL – PBU
Brian Stumpf – 4 tackles
Harold Mouton – 5 tackles – 1 PBU
Kyle Carpenter – 7 tackles – 1 PBU

Kicking:
Will Beckum – 2/2 FG – 2/2 XP


Notable Injury:
Chicago:
WR Kenny Writt - Concussion/Neck Stinger - OUT 2-4 weeks

[BeerBaron]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/PittsburghExplosion.gif http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/HonoluluWave2.gif

Week 6 – Pittsburgh Xplosion (1-4) at Honolulu Wave (1-4)

These two teams are at the bottom of their respective conferences and both need this win to have any hope of salvaging their season.

Early in the first quarter, still scoreless, and there goes Honolulu. Vick hits Eli Wright over the middle, he bowls over Kenny Mustain and is off chugging. Chris Shakur is hot on his tail but there just isn’t enough field to track him down, TD Honolulu.

Now 7-3, Honolulu still leads, Vick throws high for Mutumbo who hauls it in on a nice grab. A few plays later, Vick shifts to avoid Ozzy Fox and throws a strike to, who else, Eli Wright for his 2nd TD of the ball game. Honolulu leads 14-3.

Doesn’t take Pittsburgh long to respond. They run right in the face of Honolulu’s struggling defense, and then, Seth Harris breaks free. Slips through a Quentin Brown tackle and takes it 35 yards for the score. 14-10 Honolulu.

Now 14-13 with Honolulu driving late in the first half. Vick hits Ricky Smith down the left sideline, he slips out of the grasp of Jack Starks and takes off! Shakur runs him down and gives him a shove out of bounds inside the 10 yard line. Couple of ticks later, paydirt. Vick throws up high for Mutumbo who outjumps Antonio Blades for the TD! 21-13 lead for Honolulu.

2nd half now, still 21-13, and Al Wood throws….oh no! Will Franks-Turner is on the other team! Turner picks it off and takes it down the sideline! He cuts back in and….fumbles! Stripped form behind by Seth Harris who would not give up on the play! Recovered by Pittsburgh!

A few plays later, Harris gets rewarded. Wood play fakes to Natale and throws right to Harris who is running a wheel route! Harris hauls it in and is all alone down the right sideline! No one catches him, TD Pittsburgh! 21-20.

Both teams tack on a FG making it 24-23 with Honolulu driving in the 4th quarter. They find themselves in a 4th and inches just outside of FG range and go for it. The handoff is to Ray Leonard up the gut and….he is stuffed up by Vissarionovich! Turnover on downs.

Pittsburgh is driving now, inside the Honolulu 20. Wood drops back, throws right…pick…!!! No…Quentin Brown had it go right in and out of his hands. He would regret that… Few plays later, from inside the 5, Aaron Natale powers ahead and punches it in to take the 27-21 lead.

Honolulu is driving desperately now in the final moments of the 4th quarter. Finals seconds now, and they set up for a Hail Mary. Vick rolls right to buy some time and tosses it up…

…big crowd of players but it would be Antonio Blades who reels it in for the last second pick in the endzone. Pittsburgh wins 27-21.

Pittsburgh stats:

Passing:
Al Wood – 17/32 – 165 yards – 1 TD – 1 INT

Rushing:
Seth Harris Jr – 23 carries – 111 yards – 1 TD – 0 fumbles
Aaron Natale – 10 carries – 41 yards – 1 TD – 0 fumbles

Receiving:
Frank Williams – 3 catches – 28 yards – 0 TD – 0 drops
Seth Harris Jr – 7 catches – 68 yards – 1 TD – 0 drops
Aaron Natale – 4 catches – 20 yards – 0 TD – 0 drops

Blocking:
Dexter Allen – 2 pancakes
Andre Bleu – 5 pancakes
Paul Tagliani – 3 pancakes

Defensive:
Mitch Cavenaugh – 3 tackles – 1 TFL
Dostevsky Vissarionovich – 7 tackles – 1 TFL
Ozzy Fox – 5 tackles
Omar Robinson – 4 tackles – 1 TFL
Antonio Blades – 3 tackles – 1 INT – 1 PBU
Jack Starks – 2 tackles
Kenny Mustain – 5 tackles
Chris Shakur – 6 tackles – 1 PBU

Kicking:
Rex Birch – 2/2 FG – 3/3 XP

Honolulu stats:

Passing:
Michael Vick – 25/45 – 287 yards – 3 TD – 1 INT

Rushing:
Ray Leonard – 13 carries – 39 yards – 0 TD – 0 fumbles
Michael Vick – 2 carries – 2 yards – 0 TD – 0 fumbles

Receiving:
Eko Mutumbo – 6 catches – 71 yards – 1 TD – 0 drops
Ricky Smith – 5 catches – 65 yards – 0 TD – 1 drop
Eli Wright – 9 catches – 87 yards – 2 TD – 0 drops
Ray Leonard – 2 catches – 10 yards – 0 TD – 0 drops

Blocking:
George Hall – 2 pancakes
Trevor Andrews – 4 pancakes

Defensive:
Evan Howard – 5 tackles – 1 TFL
Drake McDonald 4 tackles – 1 TFL
Scott Carr – 14 tackles
Ian Wells – 6 tackles
Will Franks-Turner – 2 tackles – 1 INT – 1 PBU
Quentin Brown – 5 tackles – 2 PBU

Kicking:
Walt Turnbow – 0/1 FG – 3/3 XP

[BeerBaron]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/NewOrleansNightmare.gif http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/BeerBaron/LasVegasOutlaws.gif

Week 6 – New Orleans Nightmare (3-2) at Las Vegas Outlaws (3-2)

Meeting in Las Vegas are the leagues top two rushing attacks which leads one to expect a lot of tough yards gained on the ground in this one.

We pick things up in the mid first quarter, Vegas leads 3-0. Nearing midfield is New Orleans when…Tank Jackson breaks free. He ran behind the trio of James-McMurray-Killstone and found a wide open path. A 55 yard run for the horse of a running back. 7-3 New Orleans.

Almost halftime now, both teams really grinding hard but not getting anywhere very fast, and then Vegas decides to break out the Wildcat. Fenikz takes the snap, fakes a sweep to WR Jimi Hendrix filling in for the suspended Johnson Johnson and then takes it himself for a 25 yard pickup. A few plays later, again out of the wildcat, Fenikz takes it to the outside and options to Dwayne Wright who turns the corner and punches it in from 15 yards out. 10-7 Las Vegas lead at the half.

Early 3rd quarter, Vegas driving, and New Orleans dials up a blitz. Domenik Coleman puts Bradley Barrington flat on the turf and gets his arms up to tip the Rockefeller pass! Roman David Sanchez gets under it and picks if off before being tackled by Sam Slowinski. New Orleans gets the pick.

A few series later in the early part of the 4th quarter, Vegas is back on offense after a missed Kris Stevens FG. Rockefeller throws right to backup WR Eric Clapton and….bam! Nintendo Bigby comes flying in with a killshot but jacks up his own player! Al Harrison is knocked out cold by Bigby as Clapton is brought down by another defender. Harrison was out cold and would be taken off the field on a stretcher with concussion and fractured jaw…yowch. A 5-7 week recovery on that one, yikes. Bigby is real upset with himself for that one but Coach Brooklyn tells him to shake it off and head back in.

A few plays later, Rockefeller play fakes to Wright and is then absolutely wrecked from behind by Sanchez who has established himself as the leagues top pass rusher. Rockefeller is slow to get up and is really favoring his non-throwing shoulder. He would be taken back to the locker room and backup Vike Mick would be sent in. Very first play, some patented Las Vegas trickeration. Fenikz takes the shotgun snap and throws out the left side where Mick had lined up as a WR. With CB Chuck Woods bearing down on him, Mick slings up a pass for Slowiniski who brings it in for the TD! 17-7 Vegas leads.

With the 4th quarter clock ticking down, New Orleans is scrambling. Vegas is mixing things up with some exotic blitzes and Seneca Williams just can’t move the ball. Here on 3rd and 10, Williams drops back only to be brought down quickly by DE Ryan Charleston. They had no choice but to go for it on 4th down and…Williams fumbles the shotgun snap! He picks it back up but Vegas is crashing in on him. He dodges Chance Arceneoux but is then eaten up by Charles Marshall for the 4th down sack.

Vegas would run out the clock from there and go on to win 17-7.

New Orleans stats:

Passing:
Seneca Williams – 6/15 – 40 yards – 0 TD – 0 INT

Rushing:
Tank Jackson – 35 carries – 147 yards – 1 TD – 0 fumbles
Anger Killstone – 10 carries – 45 yards – 0 TD – 0 fumbles
Seneca Williams – 9 carries – 37 yards – 0 TD – 1 fumble

Receiving:
Tyvon Trinity – 0 catches – 0 yards – 0 TD – 0 drops
Tank Jackson – 3 catches – 10 yards – 0 TD – 0 drops
Anger Killstone – 1 catch – 15 yards – 0 TD – 0 drops

Blocking:
Jabroni James – 8 pancakes
David McMurray – 7 pancakes – 1 sack allowed
Charles Zarnes – 3 pancakes
Tennessee Rutherford