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*Austin Copperheads Weekly Gameball Write Up #3 - RDBSouthPaw - 04-21-2021
Coming to the halfway point in the season, the Copperheads faced some touch matchups in Week 8, 9, and 10. How many ended in victory? Were there any heartbreaking losses or did the team keep up the strong showing that they have had since the beginning of the season? Below, we have all the information you need, plus a little extra! Congratulations to all of the Game Ball Award winners and I look forward to continuing to watch this team as the season is coming closer to the end!
Week 8 Game Ball Awards After the good win in San Jose it’s back on home to Austin for a tough game against the defending Ultimus champions Sarasota Sailfish. Sarasota comes into this game on a three game winning streak and not allowing a team to score more than fourteen points in that stretch. With that win against San Jose, Austin are also on a three game winning streak and will be hoping to keep it going as they enter this tough stretch of games which includes a trip to Berlin and Arizona at home.
The game starts with a Austin drive that is a quick three and out, the ensuing punt goes to the Sarasota nineteen yard line. Two plays later, Mike Boss Jr drops back and checks it down to James Angler but Dax Kennedy wrestles the ball from him and returns it nineteen yards for a touchdown! The second week in a row with an Austin player returning an interception for a touchdown on the opposing team’s opening drive. Bloomfield kicks the extra point and the score is at 7-0 to Austin with two minutes gone in the first quarter. On the next Sarasota drive they marched down the field in six minutes and Sigismund Sternenstaub punched in a touchdown on a four yard run. The score is tied at 7-7 with just over seven minutes left in the 1st quarter. Austin’s drive goes a quick three and out after a good thirty seven yard return by Zoe Watts gets the ball up to the Austin thirty nine yard line. Sarasota’s next drive gets to the fourth yard line of Austin but ends with no points. Austin starts on their own twenty five yard line and the drive ends in a thirty one yard touchdown pass from Jackie Daytona to Videl-San to make the score 14-7 to Austin with a minute and a half left in the 1st quarter.
Sarasota’s drive lasts a few minutes into the 2nd quarter and ends with a twenty six yard field goal by Jacob Small to shorten the Austin lead to 14-10. Austin started their next drive at the thirty yard line and put together another excellent drive which ended in another Jackie Daytona to Videl-San touchdown, this time for four yards to make it a 21-10 game. Although it did not stay that score for long as Raphtalia Chan returned the kickoff ninety seven yards for a touchdown and the lead was back to just four points. The next Austin drive gets to their own forty six yard line before Jackie Daytona unfortunately throws an interception to Teddy Utterstruzen and Sarasota has the ball back in a good position. They can’t fully capitalize on the good position as they end up with a thirty two yard field goal to cut Austin’s lead to just one point with under two minutes left in the 2nd. Salad man returns the ball fourth nine yards to set Austin up really well. After a few plays, Zoe Watts is able to rush her way through the defense for a thirty four yard touchdown and the Austin lead goes out to eight points. Sarasota got the ball back with just over a minute left and they’re able to get down the field so Jacob Small can kick another field goal with eleven seconds left in the quarter. After a crazy 2nd quarter the score is 28-23 with Austin in the lead.
Sarasota received the ball to start the 2nd half and they have another good drive which gets stopped within the Austin twenty yard line and Jacob Small kicks their 4th field goal of the game. Now the score is at 28-26. Austin had a quick three and out. The punt by Leo Bloomfield is a good one as it pins Sarasota inside their own ten yard line. On their second play, Mike Boss Jr is taken down by Dax Kennedy for a safety to get the score to 30-26 halfway through the 3rd quarter. Unfortunately Austin aren’t able to make anything happen with the good field position as they have another three and out. On their next drive, Sarasota is able to go seventy five yards and Sigismund Sternenstaub is able to get a second touchdown on the day, this time putting it in from one yard at the end of the 3rd. Sarasota takes their first lead of the game and the score is at 33-30.
On to the 4th quarter and Austin are able to tie things up on their next drive as Leo Bloomfield kicks a FG from forty six yards.
Sarasota gets all the way inside the five yard line of Austin but aren’t able to get the ball in the end zone so they have to settle for a field goal to put themselves back in the lead with the score at 36-33. Austin gets the ball back with just over two minutes left but a heartbreaking interception by Jackie Daytona hands the ball back to Sarasota. Sarasota went three and out to hand the ball back to Austin, who had to use all three of their timeouts on that drive, with just over a minute and a half to go. Unfortunately another turnover, this time a fumble by Doug Howlett which gets returned to the ten yard line, gives Sarasota great position to get a insurance score which they do as Giovanni Bianchi runs in a six yard touchdown to give Sarasota a ten point lead with just over 30 seconds left of the game to go. Austin worked it up the field a little but unfortunately time runs out and Sarasota takes the game 43-33.
A tough loss for Austin but they were able to hold their own against the defending ultimus champions and show why they’re one of the best teams in the league.
Offensive Breakdown
Our offense continued to step up against the Sarasota Sailfish putting 33 points on the board which would have been enough to win any other game we played this season with the exception of week 1 against the Baltimore Hawks. Despite putting up 33 points, Daytona actually had a slightly under average week this week. Jackie Daytona @Mooty99 went 20 for 31 for 182 yards against the Sailfish for a completion percentage of 64.5%, threw 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. All this was good for a 74.9 passer rating. Daytona's completion percentage for the season is 66.4% so this game was relatively on brand for Jackie Daytona if not a little under average. Our offensive yardage mostly came through the air with 182 passing yards to 105 rushing yards. Videl-San @ValorX77 was the biggest earner of passing yards with 4 catches on 7 targets and 66 yards. His longest play was 31 yards and averaged 16.4 yards a catch while also pulling in 2 touchdowns. Those were the only receiving touchdowns on the day.
However, Daytona's favorite target was Doug Howlett @Rufio_NZwith 9 targets and 6 receptions for 41 yards averaging 6.8 yards per catch. Longest reception for Howlett was 12 yards. Friedrich Vequain @Sutj was perfect on receptions catching all 3 of the 3 total targets Daytona sent to Vequain. He totaled up 22 yards averaging 7 yards a catch with his longest being half of his total 22 yards with 11 yards. Ben Alexander-Arnold had more targets than Vequain but less receptions catching 2 of his 4 targets from Daytona. He went 9 total yards on the 2 catches, one for 5 and the other for 4 putting him at an average of 4.5 yards per catch. Eddie Jeeta @QuirkyTurtle, much like Vequain, caught half of his targets. He was targeted twice but made only 1 reception. His reception was 6 yards and since he only had one reception, 6 is his longest and average yards per catch. Our total yards leader for the game was Zoe Watts who totaled 126 yards of total offense. 39 of those yards were through the air catching 4 of her 7 targets. The longest being 13 yards and averaging 9.8 yards per catch. The other 87 of those total yards came on the ground on 15 attempts for an average of 5.8 yards per carry. A 34 yard rush was her longest which was only cut short by the end zone as that 34 yard run gave us our only rushing touchdown on the day.
Jim The Vampire @Kyle got 2 carries and took them to a total of 21 yards with his longest rush being 16 yards. That leaves his other carry at 5 yards averaging him 10.5 yards per carry in the game. Jackie Daytona also had a rush in the game for -2 yards. None of the above listed names however received the game ball on the offensive side. The winner of the offensive game ball is Connor Quigley @WhatAmUs, our offensive lineman who put up a crazy 8 pancakes on the day without a single sack allowed. So congratulations to Connor Quigley, our offensive game ball winner.
Defensive Breakdown
Don't let the scoreboard fool you, this defense came out and BALLED against one of the top offensive units in the ISFL. We had five players record 7 or more tackles, 3 total team sacks, and 9 total pass defenses! Everyone on the defense contributed in an important way and played a huge role in keeping the game close. As usual though, there are some really standout players, so let's get to talking about them! First up is LB Brach Thomaslacher @RDBSouthPaw, who not only had a whole 8 tackles, but a sack as well! There's not a single player on the field who wasn't being wrapped up by Thomaslacher as he made his presence well known to the offense! Next up, CB Maverick Bowie @Tonzy, who once again provided one heck of a performance with 8 tackles and 2 pass defenses! Denying big plays all day, Bowie once again kept opposing WRs in check without breaking a sweat! But now we come to our star of the day who might have honestly had the defensive performance of the year. We've highlighted him a few times, and we're highlighting him once again as our game ball winner, as LB Dex Kennedy @Dagumpa went out and recorded 7 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 pass defenses, an interception, a safety, AND a touchdown! Kennedy was EVERYWHERE in this game, recording pretty much any and every stat. It's incredibly rare to see a player put up a stat line like this, especially in such a high volume. And with this performance, Kennedy leads the league in defensive touchdowns at a whole 3 touchdowns! With the consistent performance that Kennedy has been showing, it's very likely he'll wind up being one of the frontrunners for DPOTY and crushing the stat line with even more impressive performances as the season goes on!
Week 9 Game Ball Awards As the Austin Copperheads boarded their plane with the intention of traveling to Berlin, there was a staleness in the air and a general aura of uneasiness and crushing doubt. Their last match ended up being a soul-sucking loss to the Sailfish, taking the air from underneath their wings and sowing the seeds of discontent among the weary players. Had their luck run out? Was this the beginning of the downfall of a team that has looked oh-so unbeatable up till this point in the season? These thoughts would have to wait, however, as they set their sights towards tackling the beast that was the Berlin Fire Salamanders. Berlin was on an absolute roll, having just trounced a very formidable San Jose team on their own turf. They looked, for all intents and purposes, unstoppable. So, when the Copperheads flew into enemy territory, the outlook seemed bleak.
But the Copperheads never step down from a challenge.
The game begins, and Berlin takes the ball. After they make a strong showing of moving the ball down-field, back to back sacks from Thomaslacher and Claxton stall their momentum at mid field, and force a punt. Austin gets the rock, and their subsequent drive is a wash, mainly due to a false start penalty by the bumping oaf Quigley. Berlin regains possession, and finishes out the quarter with a disheartening touchdown drive. It’s 7-0 after the first, and Berlin is looking in top form. Austin gets the ball, and over the course of four minutes, methodically moves the chains closer and closer to the Berlin red zone. However, on a third and six pass attempt by Daytona, an interception occurs, and the fans back home recoil in fear. Austin is no stranger to adversity though, and MacAndrew steps up to the plate on defense and picks off the Berlin quarterback to halt their drive. Not much else happens to close out the first half, save a long field goal from Berlin. The Austin defense came prepared.
On the first drive of the third quarter, Austin takes possession, and makes quick work of marching down the field. The drive is capped off by a one yard touchdown run by Jim The Vampire. There’s life in the heart of Texas! Shortly after, on Berlin’s attempt to answer, Kaepercolin was picked off again, this time by Thomaslacher, and the interception was run back for an astonishing 62 yards! This sets up Austin perfectly for a two yard touchdown run by Zoe Watts. Austin takes the lead in the third, fourteen unanswered points, to make it 14-10. The third quarter ends after a pair of drives ending in booming punts from each offense.
Fourth Quarter. Zero Hour. Austin has the ball, and Daytona is sacked and fumbles. The Berlin crowd goes absolutely wild. It’s a touchdown, and the heat is on in Germany. Austin needs an answer. This answer comes in the form of a long drive, punctuated by a nineteen yard field goal from Bloomfield. Tie ball game. 17-17. Four minutes left, and now the defense needs to step up. They take the field, and force a three-and-out, giving Austin the ball back, and time on the clock for some magic to happen. The offense meticulously drives the ball up the field, and after a few time-outs are called, there’s twenty-three seconds on the clock. Austin has one chance here. They rush the kicking team onto the field, and in the scorching heat of battle, Bloomfield nails a twenty yard field goal to put Austin up twenty to seventeen, with twenty seconds left. It’s a dagger. Berlin gets possession, but with the lack of time and the vigor from the Austin defense, it’s a lost cause. Copperheads win, on the road, against the toughest opponent they’ve faced yet. Ladies and Gentlemen, you LOVE to see it.
Offensive Breakdown
With a huge game against the Berlin Fire Salamanders, the offense needed to have a big game. The 20 points we scored may have tied our season low in points for, but those 20 points got the job done for a huge win. This game was a game of 2 halves. Though there was not 1 half that was overly bad, there was one half that was all around better than the other. The first half saw only 4 drives for the Austin Copperheads. The first drive saw 3 rushes from Zoe Watts for a total of 10 yards, a single rush from Jim the Vampire for 2 yards, Jackie Daytona going 3 for 4 through the air with a 9 yard pass to Ben Alexander-Arnold, a incomplete pass to Jim the Vampire, a 17 yard pass to Eddie Jeeta @QuirkyTurtle, and a 4 yard pass to Friedrich Vequain @Sutj, and ended with a 46 yard punt from Leo Bloomfield @BloomeyGB to the Berlin 14 yard line with no return. This drive saw 2 first downs, one on the 9 yard pass to Ben Alexander-Arnold @Ben and the other on the 17 yard pass to Eddie Jeeta two plays later. There was also a false start penalty on Connor Quigley @WhatAmUs and no sacks allowed. That was all the Austin Copperhead's offense saw in the first quarter. They ended the quarter down 7-0 to the Berlin Fire Salamanders.
The Austin Copperheads started the second quarter with the ball. This drive saw 2 yards on 2 rushes from Zoe Watts, 2 yards on one rush by Jim the Vampire, and Jackie Daytona go 4 for 5 through the air with a 8 yard pass to Doug Howlett @Rufio_NZ, a 5 yard pass to Eddie Jeeta, a 6 yard pass to Friedrich Verquain @Sutj, a 28 yard pass to Zoe Watts, and ended with an interception on a pass intended for Doug Howlett on Berlin's 13 yard line with no return on the interception. This drive saw 3 first downs. One on the 8 yard pass to Doug Howlett, one on the 6 yard pass to Friedrich Verquain, and one on the 28 yard pass to Zoe Watts. There were no penalties on the drive and no sacks allowed. The third drive in the game for the Austin Copperheads and the second of the second quarter saw some discipline issues come into play to hold the Copperheads back big. Jackie Daytona went 2 for 3 on the drive with an incomplete pass to Eddie Jeeta, a 5 yard pass to Doug Howlett, and a 12 yard pass to Doug Howlett. This 12 yard pass to Doug Howlett ended with an unnecessary roughing call on Eddie Jeeta that cost them 15 yards and cost them the 1st down they were looking for to make the next play 4th and 6. This drive ended with another punt from Leo Bloomfield. A beautiful 34 yard punt to the Berlin 9 yard line that was returned for 12 yards to the Berlin 21 yard line. There was 1 penalty, the 15 yard penalty on Eddie Jeeta for unnecessary roughness and no sacks allowed on this drive.
The last drive of the first half, the third of the quarter and the fourth of the game for the Austin Copperheads was nothing pretty. A quick 3 and out on 3 incomplete passes from Jackie Daytona @Mooty99, 2 back to back incomplete passes to Zoe Watts and a incomplete pass to Friedrich Verquain led to another Leo Bloomfield punt. This time a 31 yard punt to the Berlin 44 yard line that was returned 12 yards to the Austin 44 yard line. There were no penalties and no sacks allowed on this drive. The first half ended with Jackie Daytona going 9 for 15 for a 60% completion percentage, Zoe Watts having 12 yards on 5 rushes for just over 2 yards per rush, Jim the Vampire having 4 yards on 2 rushes for 2 yards a rush, Ben Alexander-Arnold with 1 catch on 1 target for 9 yards, Jim the Vampire with no catches on his only target for obviously 0 yards, 2 catches on 3 targets for Eddie Jeeta for 22 yards averaging 11 yards per catch and also having 15 yards in penalties, 2 catches on 3 attempts for Friedrich Verquain for a total of 10 yards averaging him 5 yards per catch, 3 catches on 4 targets for Doug Howlett for 25 yards averaging just over 8 yards per catch, 1 catch on 3 attempts for Zoe Watts for 28 yards bringing Zoe Watts' total yardage for the first half to 40 yards and leading the team.
Leo Bloomfield saw the field 3 times all for punts and punted a total of 111 yards in the first half with 2 of 3 punts landing inside the 20, 1 of those landing inside the 10. At half the score was 10-0 in favor of the Berlin Fire Salamanders over the Austin Copperheads. The Austin Copperheads started the second half with the ball. The opening drive of the second half for the Austin Copperheads saw 2 rushes from Zoe Watts for 10 yards total, 2 rushes from Jim the Vampire for 9 total yards including a 1 yard Touchdown rush, a successful extra point kick from Leo Bloomfield, and Jackie Daytona going 5 for 8 through the air with a incomplete pass to Doug Howlett, a 3 yard pass to Eddie Jeeta, a 15 yard pass to Eddie Jeeta, another incomplete pass too Doug Howlett, a 15 yard pass to Zoe Watts, a 10 yard pass to Doug Howlett, an incomplete pass to Zoe Watts, and a 6 yard pass to Eddie Jeeta. This drive saw 4 first downs on a 15 yard pass to Eddie Jeeta, a 15 yard pass to Zoe Watts, a 7 yard rush by Zoe Watts, and a 10 yard catch by Doug Howlett which also had a Berlin Fire Salamanders facemask penalty added on top of that, then ended with a 1 yard Jim the Vampire rushing touchdown. No sacks allowed on that drive and only a facemask penalty against the Berlin Fire Salamanders as far as penalties go on that drive. Leo Bloomfield's successful extra point brought the score to a much closer 10-7 still favoring the Berlin Fire Salamanders over the Austin Copperheads.
The second drive of the second half for the Austin Copperheads was short but oh so sweet. The only play of the drive was a 2 yard rushing Touchdown by Zoe Watts that was set up thanks to a big play by our defense. Leo Bloomfield had the successful extra point to bring the score to now Austin Copperheads favoring 14-10 over the Berlin Fire Salamanders. Nothing more to wrap up about that drive, no sacks or penalties. Simple yet effective. The third drive of the second half for the Austin Copperheads also came in the 3rd quarter and was almost just as short as the last drive, but not nearly as sweet. The first play was ruled a 0 yard rush by quarterback Jackie Daytona who fumbled the ball but was able to recover it himself. The second play of the drive was an incomplete pass to Doug Howlett, the third play of the drive was an incomplete pass to Friedrich Vequain. A massive 57 yard punt by Leo Bloomfield to the Berlin 18 yard line returned 3 yards to the Berlin 21 yard line ended the drive and finished the Austin Copperhead's offense in the third quarter. No penalties or sacks on this drive. The third quarter ended 14-10 with the Austin Copperheads still up over the Berlin Fire Salamanders.
The first drive of the fourth quarter and the fourth drive of the second half for the Austin Copperheads was another short drive and ended with a touchdown like the Zoe Watts touchdown short drive, but not by the good guys this time. This time we had a 9 yard Zoe Watts rush, then a play that was nullified by a Jim the Vampire taunting penalty that brought us back to the Austin 11 yard line for a 2nd and 11. Jackie Daytona was dropped on the very next play, fumbled the ball, was recovered by Berlin on the 1 yard line who then fell into the end zone for a defensive touchdown. This puts the Berlin Fire Salamanders back up on top of the Austin Copperheads 17-14. No penalties and only 1 sack on the drive. The second drive of the 4th quarter and the 5th drive of the second half saw a much more focused and determined Jackie Daytona. Jackie Daytona completed the next 6 passes he attempted in a row making him 7 for 9 on this drive. There was an 8 yard pass to Friedrich Verquain, a 5 yard pass to Eddie Jeeta, a 6 yard pass to Doug Howlett, a 10 yard pass to Doug Howlett, a 19 yard pass to Doug Howlett, a 9 yard pass to Videl-San, an incomplete pass to Friedrich Verquain, an incomplete pass to Doug Howlett, and a 5 yard pass to Zoe Watts.
Also on this drive, Zoe Watts @Kyamprac had 2 rushes for a total of 7 yards, Ben Alexander-Arnold had a single rush for 1 yard, and Jim the Vampire had a single rush for a short gain. The offense however could not find the end zone on this drive so they left it up to Leo Bloomfield to tie the game with a 19 yard field goal. This tied the game up between the Austin Copperheads and the Berlin Fire Salamanders at 17 a piece. No sacks and no penalties for this drive. The final drive for Austin in the game started still tied at 17 points for both the Austin Copperheads and the Berlin Fire Salamanders. This was a must score drive as they would likely not get the ball back again in regulation. Almost everyone got in on the action to try to take the lead. Zoe Watts had 3 rushes for 5 total yards, Jim the Vampire had 2 rushes for 12 total yards, Ben Alexander-Arnold had a single rush for 2 yards, Jackie Daytona went 4 for 6 with a 6 yard pass to Jim the Vampire, a 12 yard gain on a pass interference call, a 5 yard pass to Friedrich Vequain, a spike to stop the clock, a 12 yard pass to Zoe Watts, a 14 yard pass to Friedrich Vequain, and an incomplete pass to Eddie Jeeta. No sacks on this drive and only the pass interference on the Berlin Fire Salamanders for penalties on this drive. To end the drive, Leo Bloomfield put a 20 yard field goal through the uprights to give the Austin Copperheads the lead over the Berlin Fire Salamanders.
This lead would hold and give the Austin Copperheads the win over the Berlin Fire Salamanders. For the second half, Zoe Watts had 33 total rushing yards on 9 rushes for an average of over 3 yards a rush which is over a yard better than the first half. Jim the Vampire @Kyle had 21 rushing yards on 5 rushes for over 4 yards per rush which is over 2 more yards per rush than the first half. Ben Alexander-Arnold had 3 rushing yards on two rushes with no rushing yards in the first half. Jackie Daytona went 16 for 25 on completions for a 64% completion rate. After the back to back fumbles, Daytona was over 73% on his completion rate. Doug Howlett had 4 catches on 8 targets or a total of 45 yards giving him over 11 yards per catch. Eddie Jeeta had 4 receptions on 5 targets for 29 yards giving him over 7 yards per catch. Zoe Watts had 3 receptions on 4 targets for 32 yards giving her almost 11 yard per catch. Friedrich Vequain had 3 receptions on 5 targets for 27 yards giving him 9 yard per catch. Videl-San had 1 catch on his only target for 9 yards. Jim the Vampire had 1 catch on his only target for 6 yards.
Leo Bloomfield in the second half had 8 total points with 2 field goals and 2 extra points as well as a massive 57 yard punt that landed in the 20. For the whole game Jackie Daytona had 25 completions on 40 attempts for a completion percentage of 62.5%. Jackie Daytona also had 242 total yards through the air for an average of 6 yards per play. Jackie Daytona had no touchdown passes and had 1 interception and was sacked once. His passer rating was 69 (nice).Rushing the ball, Zoe Watts had 45 rushing yards on 14 attempts averaging 3.2 yards per rush with a longest rush of 9 yards and a touchdown, Jim the Vampire had 25 rushing yards on 7 attempts for an average of 3.6 yards per rush with a longest rush of 10 yards and a touchdown, Ben Alexander-Arnold had 3 rushing yards on 2 attempts for an average of 1.5 yards per rush with a longest rush of 2 yards.
Jackie Daytona was also credited with a rush for no yards. 7 different players had a catch for the Austin Copperheads against the Berlin Fire Salamanders. These players include Doug Howlett who had 7 receptions on 12 targets for 70 yards for an average of 10 yards per reception with a longest reception of 19 yards, Eddie Jeeta who had 6 receptions on 8 targets for 51 yards for an average of 8.5 yards per reception with a longest reception of 17 yards, Friedrich Vequain who had 5 receptions on 9 targets for 37 yards for an average of 7.4 yards per reception with a longest reception of 14 yards, Zoe Watts who had 4 receptions on 7 targets for 60 yards for an average of 15 yards per reception with a longest reception of 28 yards, Jim the Vampire who had 1 reception on 2 targets for 6 yards for an average of 6 yards per reception with a longest reception of 6 yards, Videl-San who had 1 reception on 1 target for 9 yards with an average of 9 yard per reception with a longest reception of 9 yards, and Ben Alexander-Arnold who had 1 reception on 1 target for 9 yards with an average of 9 yards per reception with a longest reception of 9 yards. This gives Zoe Watts a total of 105 offensive yards from scrimmage, Jim the Vampire a total of 31 offensive yards from scrimmage, and Ben Alexander-Arnold 12 offensive yards from scrimmage.
Penalty wise, there were three penalties on offense. Jim the Vampire had a single penalty, a taunting penalty, for 11 yards, Connor Quigley had 1 penalty, a false start, for 5 yards, and Eddie Jeeta had 1 penalty, an unnecessary roughness penalty for 15 yards. On the offensive line, Connor Quigley had 5 pancakes, Slurms McKenzie @SlurmsMckenzie had 5 pancakes, Carlito Kortesi had 4 pancakes, Curb Mooty had 3 pancakes, Ben Alexander-Arnold had 3 pancakes, Eddie Jeeta had 1 pancake, jackie Daytona had 1 pancake, Friedrich Vequain had 1 pancake, Zoe Watts had 1 pancake, Doug Howlett had 1 pancake, Videl-San @ValorX77 had 1 pancake, and Felix Archstone @GlimsTC had 1 pancake.
On the kicking aspect of the game, Leo Bloomfield @BloomeyGB was a perfect 2 for 2 on extra points and a perfect 2 for 2 on field goals with a 19 yard field goal and a 20 yard field goal, the 19 yarder to tie the game and the 20 yarder to win it. On the punting side, Leo Bloomfield had 4 punts for a total of 168 yards averaging 42 yards per punt with his longest being 57 yards. 3 of his 4 punts landed inside the 20 and not for a lack of distance either with his 57 yard punt landing at the Berlin Fire Salamanders' 18 yard line. This outstanding punting performance with his clutch game tying and game winning field goals is the reason that Leo Bloomfield is the recipient of our offensive game ball for his performance in the Austin Copperheads huge win over the Berlin Fire Salamanders.
Defensive Breakdown
After giving up 43 at home the week prior, the Copperheads defense knew they would have to play extra hard to make up for their previous shortcomings. First drive of the game went extremely well for the Defense. Brach Thomaslacher @RDBSouthPaw and Slinky Claxton @Shiznit19 scored back-to-back sacks to force a punt. Offense was forced to give the ball back late in the 1st. After some tough penalties, Berlin drove it down the field to put Austin 0-7 in the hole. An interception early in the 2nd set up the defense, once again. But Hamish MacAndrew @IthicaHawk responded not too long after with an interception of his own, giving Austin possession back. The Copperheads defense was able to hold Berlin to a field goal late in the 2nd quarter as they headed into halftime down 10-0.
Offense came out hot and put Austin’s first points on the board with a touchdown to make it 10-7 Berlin. The Berlin offense pushed the Copperheads up to their own 41. But their momentum was stopped cold with a Brach Thomaslacher that was so close to being returned for six. Instead, offense had to punch it in at Berlin’s 2 to take the lead 14-10. Berlin attempted another big drive that brought them to Austin’s 33. But Dex Kennedy @Dagumpa was able to save things from getting worse, sacking Berlin’s QB on 2nd down which led to a punt after an incomplete pass.
Early in the 4th, the Berlin D were able to scoop and score to give them back the lead 17-14. Copperheads offense got the ball back and were able to tie it at 17 a piece with a field goal. It was time for the defense to make a major stop. After a stuffed run on 1st down by Owen Isaac @oji3001, Tyler Montain @Amidships prevented a 1st down on 2nd with a well-time tackle and forced a 4th down with an excellent pass breakup on 3rd. Berlin punted and Austin drove the ball 76 yards to take the lead with a field goal, 20-17. Berlin was given the ball back with 23 seconds to go. But some excellent pass defense by the Copperheads forced a turnover on downs and gave Austin their 7th W of the season.
After giving up 43 at home the previous week, the Copperheads defense were able to refocus themselves to only allow 17 (really 10) points from one of the top teams in the league. This week’s game ball for defense goes to Brach Thomaslacher @RDBSouthPaw! 10 tackles total with one sack and an interception that was this close to being a pick-six gives Thomaslacher his first game ball of the season! It’s clear that Thomaslacher isn’t worried about potentially stealing the Linebacker Of The Year award from his best friend, Dex Kennedy.
Week 10 Game Ball Awards Fresh off their big win in the bustling city of Berlin, the Austin Copperheads were looking to make a sizable splash in spectacular Honolulu after a short week of preparation. Short week or not, the Copperheads were not to be deterred, as their decisive victory over the fickle Fire Salamanders reignited the flames of their passion and resolve. There were decidedly up for the challenge, the challenge of “squishing the fish” as it were. The Hahalua had faced Austin previously in the season, losing to the slippery snakes to the tune of 27-9. The fish were seeking revenge, and were in prime position to do so. It would take all of Austin’s mental ingenuity and physical acumen to best the sea creatures on their home turf, way out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. As the Copperheads team plane coasted into Honolulu, players were greeted with sights of beautiful blue waters and a cool ocean breeze, invigorating their spirits and easing their worried minds. Even as they took the field on game day, the snakes felt not the usual tension in the air, but a sense of calm and collectedness. Now, they just had to do their jobs.
Defense was the highlight in the first few minutes of the opening quarter, with a Hahalua drive being stalled by a Montain sack on third and sixteen, and a somewhat promising Austin drive ended on a Kackpoo sack. Nearly identical outcomes, both defenses came to play hard. This sack trading would go on for a couple more drives, until one Honolulu drive with 4 minutes left in the quarter, Fujiwara was sacked by McGullager, and it’s a fumble! McGullager recovers the fumble, and gives Austin the ball with fantastic field position. After a few rushes to reach the red zone, Daytona winds up on second and goal, and delivers a laser to Howlett in the end zone. It’s 7-0 late in the first, and things are looking good.
Honolulu starts the second quarter with a thirty yard field goal. Not ideal, but at least it’s another solid defensive stand from the Copperheads. The ensuing Austin drive ends in a punt, however, it’s an absolute boomer. 66 yards, pinning the Hahalua deep in their own endzone. A coffin, if you will. They rush, and Isaac manages to penetrate the line and smother the back in the backfield. Safety. An apt word, as the two points provide Austin with a decent safety net. Honolulu is forced to free-kick, and after a Vampire rush and a clutch Videl-san catch, Zoe Watts takes the ball out of the backfield and hammers it 45 yards for a banger of a touchdown. 16-3, things are looking good. The second quarter continues with traded punts, more defensive slugging. After a 36 yard field goal by Bloomfield, Honolulu manages to get a drive going and scores a touchdown right before the half.
The third quarter begins with not a bang, but a slight whimper, as Austin ends a slightly promising drive with just a field goal. Save a 30 yard field goal from Honolulu, defense continues to reign supreme in the second half. That is, until in the very last seconds of the third quarter, Fujiwara attempts a short pass on a second and long, and the ball is picked off by Bowie! Now set up with lovely field position, the offense takes the field. Daytona gets surgical, and in the end delivers a bullet to the always-reliable Videl-San in the back of the end zone. The rest of this quarter lies on the defense to keep the Hahalua from mounting a comeback, and that they did. Honolulu does not score at all in the fourth quarter, and after a 40 yard field goal from Bloomfield to seal the deal, Austin walks out of Honolulu with another hard-fought road victory. This was, hopefully, a sign of more to come as the season progresses.
Offensive Breakdown
The offense was on fire on the road this week, storming into Honolulu and dumping a whole 32 points on them! Winning this game was an absolute must for the team, so it's no surprise that the offense delivered as it usually does to meet the demand. First up, let's talk about our offensive captain, QB Jackie Daytona @Mooty99, who despite his best efforts to give some up for charity, was DENIED by his SELFISH (but reliable) offensive line multiple times. Other than that, it was a pretty good day for our commanding man, completing 17 passes of 31 for 140 yards and TWO touchdowns! Once again, it was a performance that got the job done when we needed it most with very few mistakes against a team who more than definitely could have battered us all day. Speaking of which, big props to our Offensive Line and Offensive Line helpers in the big game, as we had three different people who had six pancakes or more, with our stonewall Connor Quigley @WhatAmUs punishing defenders with 9 pancakes on the day! Also need to give credit to our swiss knife of a TE, Friedrich Vequain @Sutj, who not only hauled in 4 catches for 23 yards, but also racked up 6 pancakes of his own, in what was a great showing of his versatility and what he brings to Austin! Switching over to our running game, it was another brilliant display of power and speed on the ground! Jim the Vampire @Kyle took in 11 carries for 41 yards, gaining a bunch of tough yardage whenever we called on him. Though not a power back, Jim has been bulldozing his way through the defense in tight situations all season long with some of the most finessing runs imaginable! Even in dot form, it's truly a sight to behold.
But, with that said, we move on to our MVP of the day, the other half of the RB duo barreling us Copperheads towards ultimate supremacy: ZOE WATTS @Kyamprac! With 24 carries, she sped her way to 119 yards and a touchdown, with one of those runs going for a whole 45 yards! Safe to say that Watts was a big part of our gameplan, and to no one's surprise, she absolutely DELIVERED! It was yet another signature Austin Copperheads performance by the entire offense, and with the playoffs inching closer and closer, it's these kinds of performances that are going to give us the opportunity to make our run to the top a reality!
Defensive Breakdown
After a very tight, highly contested win against one of the ISFL's top teams, the Berlin Fire Salamanders, Austin had a very convincing win against Honolulu this week with a point differential of 19 points. For the second straight week, the Austin defense has held the opponent to under 20 points, marking the fifth time that the Austin defense has managed to keep the opponents offense locked up, allowing our offense to get to work. To start the game off, we managed to lead with two straight three and outs, thanks to a third down sack in the opening by Tyler Montain @Amidships, and another third down sack by Slinky Claxton in the next drive, their seventh this season. Then on the next drive, instead of settling for just another third down sack, Tomage McGullager forced a fumble and recovered it himself, forcing the first turnover of the night. This fumble recovery set up a six yard touchdown pass to Doug Howlett @Rufio_NZ, the first score of the night.
The second quarter started off with giving up a field goal, but this was quickly made up for by Owen Isaac, making a huge stop at their goal line forcing a safety. This safety got us the ball back and set up our second touchdown of the night with a stunning run by Zoe Watts. Owen Isaac's safety was then followed by another huge third down stop by Lesean Crooks @The_Kidd at 3rd and 2, not allowing the receiver to even gain a single yard, forcing the third three and out of the night. Lesean Crooks' huge play was then followed by two straight pass breakups in the next drive, setting up a 3rd and 10 and yet another three and out. Unfortunately, after a huge 34 yard return by Honolulu, and then a huge 30 yard reception, the drive quickly resulted in the first Honolulu touchdown of the night in just one minute. In the second half, the defense came out with a roaring determination to make up for the touchdown they had just given up and came up clutch with yet another third down sack by Brach Thomaslacher on 3rd and 9, forcing a fumble which was recovered by Honolulu.
The next drive was a long one, and the Honolulu offense managed to get all the way to the 8 yard line, but two pass breakups by Hamish MacAndrew and, again, Lesesan Crooks, forced them to settle for three. The next drive the defense gave up one first down, and they weren't happy with that. Dex Kennedy @Dagumpa came in with a first down sack for a loss of 11 yards, forcing the Honolulu quarterback to go for a little more than they should have, allowing Maverick Bowie to step in and make a huge interception at their 46 yard line and run it back for 18 yards for his third interception this season. Their next drive was yet another three and out thanks to yet another pass breakup by Lesean Crooks and a great tackle by Tomage McGullager resulting in just a two yard gain. Then the next drive followed suit, continuing the defensive rhythm that we had kept all night with yet another three and out thanks to big tackles by Hamish MacAndrew and Brach Thomaslacher.
The next drive didn't start off too well, opening with a 57 yard reception getting them all the way into our red zone in just one play. However, the defense wasn't having any of it, and a forced fumble by Troen Egghands @Troen was recovered by Tyler Montain, refusing to let them even kick the field goal. Overall, the defense played a huge role in our win against Honolulu, forcing a total of 7 three and outs, five total sacks, three forced fumbles, and three turnovers on the night. The defensive game ball for this week goes to Tomage McGullager @Philliesphan96, after a remarkable lockdown performance, as well as coming up with the biggest plays of the night with his first quarter sack and fumble recovery.
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@RDBSouthPaw - Opening statement
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