May 2011 - Inside American Football 1

MATCH REPORTS
Staffordshire Stallions -v- Warwick Wolves
13th March 2011
Stallions 12 - 0 Wolves
The Staffordshire Stallions (3-4)
looked to close out a successful
second-half of their BUAFL season
with another win to add to the
impressive victories against Coventry,
Worcester and Aberystwyth as
Warwick Wolves (3-4) made the short
trip to Stoke.
It was a day of mixed emotions and
both sides had a number of players
making their final appearances for
their team – for the Stallions they bid
farewell to Alasdair Jarvis, Gareth
Evans, Jonathan Gibson, Lee Lewis,
Max Bonaker, Ryan Stewart and Tom
Donlan. Putting that to one side, the
team had one final game to play and a
chance for them to redeem themselves
after a disappointing start to the
season.
After their strong start against
Aberystwyth on offence, the Stallions
received the ball to begin the game and
began with offence able to move the
ball through the air behind the arm of
Stewart and the running of Tyler King
but ultimately it was costly penalties
which impeded them from putting any
points on the board in the opening half
of the game.
They did find their way into the end
zone though when King burst through
the Warwick defence to score another
touchdown on the season but that
was chalked off with a hold called on
fullback Travis Bilham. They failed to
capitalise on the resulting field position
and couldn’t punch it in for a score and
forced the Wolves to begin their next
drive deep in their own territory.
On the other side of the ball it was
business as usual for the Stallions
defence. Quick to pressurise the
opposing quarterback resulting in
a number of incomplete passes that
could, and should have, resulted in
a number of interceptions for the
defence –though mid-air collisions
between several Stallions going up for
the pick didn’t help matters!
Warwick weren’t able to add any
points on the board in the opening
half. Their running game, for the most
40 Inside American Football - May 2011
part, was contained by the Stallions
defence – only allowing a handful of
first downs the entire half. The passing
game faltered as well and rookie
corner back Steven Higgins was able
to pick off a stray pass and keep in
bounds to register his first interception
as a Stallion.
The defence weren’t helped by
mistakes on special teams. On two
occasions in the game, the ball fell
short of where returner Richard Bayes
was waiting which resulted in two
other Stallions going for the glory of a
punt return. Instead they both fumbled
the returns, giving the ball back to
the Warwick offence and keeping the
defence on the field.
For the neutrals and people watching
on the side lines, the first half wasn’t
overly exciting and finished with the
scores deadlocked at 0-0. But a halftime
team talk on the side lines seemed
to spark the Stallions into life once
again as they began the second half of
the game looking to get on the board.
But it was another case of penalties
costing the offence valuable yards.
They were capable of putting drives
together, that much was evident, but
the various offences cost them as did
the amount of missed opportunities
that their receivers failed to take –
including a catch-that-wasn’t from
Joey Dankwa which looked a mirror
image of a similar opportunity that
they failed to take advantage of against
Aberystwyth.
Warwick had started to look more like
a team that has a 4-3 record and started
to get some joy against the Stallions,
though the home side weren’t helping
their cause when collisions in their
secondary between their own players
meant easy interceptions went down as
incomplete passes.
Warwick had driven the defence back
effectively but they were unable to
capitalise on a fourth down attempt
to punch it in for the go-ahead score.
Given the ball back with quite a
distance to go, there came a rare
mistake from the arm of Stewart when
his pass was picked off by a Warwick
line backer. He was dragged down by
a number of Stallion linemen before
he could return it for a touchdown but
there was yet more drama to come.
The ball was deep in Stallions territory,
if Warwick didn’t get it into the
endzone from this position then the
chances are they wouldn’t get it there
at all. However, the Stallions defence
were incredible with their effort to
stuff the efforts of their opposition –
even with an offside called against
the defence, they still couldn’t break
through and a vital stop from Taffat
Jama on fourth down ended the Wolves
drive with still no points on the board.
In fact it wasn’t until deep into the
fourth quarter when we finally got
some points on the board through the
home side. It looked as though they
had put their penalty receiving ways
behind them though as they were able
to drive from their own half through
the running of King and the passing
ability of Stewart and it was the two
who combined to open the scoring.
Stewart kept hold of the ball under
a lot of pressure from Warwick’s
defensive line before completing a
short pass to King who, behind the
blocking of Phil Slater, Max Bonaker
and Lee Lewis cut through the left
side of the Warwick defence to give
the second year running back an easy
run into the end zone for another score
this season even if it did come with
a penalty for excessive celebration,
pushing their next kick off back 15
more yards as a result. Steven Higgins’
attempt at the extra point went wide
right as the Stallions opened a 6-0 lead
over their opposition.
Warwick had time to work with and
needed a score to level things as well
as being able to take time off of the
clock if they were to put this game to
bed on what could have been their last
drive of the season. For that though
they would have to have been able to
safely collect the ball from the kickoff.
After the special teams’ mishaps of the
early point of the game, the Stallions
needed a play from them to make up