Liberty Bell Rings Defeat in Week One
By Phil E. Chezestake
The Philadelphia Liberty were on the road to Orange County for their first regular season game against the Otters. In a disappointing preseason, the Liberty went 0-4 and looked to start the season on a better note. The Otters didn’t fare any better themselves with a comparable record in the preseason. In one of the most lopsided games since the league's inception, the Liberty found themselves on the horrific end of this game losing 55-10 to the Otters in Orange County on Monday night.
What Went Well?
It was tough to find any bright spots in this game considering how it started, but the Liberty did succeed in outrushing the Otters by 6 yards in 14 attempts. Omar Wright was successful in the Liberty’s only touchdown and finished the game with the entire teams rushing yards. Paul DiMirio had a decent game as well with 7 receptions for 60 yards.
Kicker Stephen Harris converted his only field goal attempt and punted well for an average of 40 yards and 240 yards overall. Luke Washington was also consistent in this game, despite the outcome, and filled up the defensive stat sheet with 3 tackles, 1 sack, 1 pass deflection, and 1 interception at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Washington continued to demonstrate his dexterity despite the score, by showcasing his defensive intensity through to the end of the game. He rallied the defense late in the third quarter and ignited the spark under the Liberty. Unfortunately, it was too late to make any significant impact on the outcome of the game.
What Didn’t Go Well?
Speaking of defense, the Philadelphia defense was abysmal from the get go. The defense simply could not stop any of the Otter drives in the first quarter. Overall, the Otters racked up 398 passing yards with 30/44 completion/attempts. Their first two drives on offense were successful and the two interceptions thrown by Clifford Rove gave the Otters a substantial 28-0 lead in the first quarter. The Otters continued their offensive dominance in the second quarter with two more touchdowns and a field goal as the Liberty defense were unable get any stops. The defense appeared to be outpaced and simply could not keep up with the Otters.
The Liberty rookie quarterback struggled immensely in this game as the Otters defense sacked him 5 times. The Otter defense simply had their way with the Liberty offensive line. Throughout the preseason, we saw these problems plague the Liberty offense and it was most prevalent in this regular season game. Rove threw 2 interceptions in the first quarter, with the first one thrown within the first minute of the game. This seemed to set the tone for how the rest of the game would be played out. Overall, Rove threw 20/41 completion/attempts for a pitiful 182 yards. The Otter defense broke up 7 crucial passes against the Liberty and Rove was unable to make any meaningful plays. Rove struggled to complete passes to wide receivers Fox North and Damien Kroetch as well. I’m sure both sides of the ball will be watching this game tape before week 2’s game against the Arizona Outlaw.
Liberty Impact Player of the Game
Luke Washington – LB
This week’s Liberty Impact Player of the Game award goes to Luke Washington for his defensive intensity and relentless pursuit. The S2 linebacker continued to persevere on defense despite overwhelming odds and we will continue to trust the process at Philly Sports News if he continues to play with that ‘never give up’ attitude.
Next Game
Arizona Outlaws @ Home in Taco Bell Stadium
GRADED
By Phil E. Chezestake
The Philadelphia Liberty were on the road to Orange County for their first regular season game against the Otters. In a disappointing preseason, the Liberty went 0-4 and looked to start the season on a better note. The Otters didn’t fare any better themselves with a comparable record in the preseason. In one of the most lopsided games since the league's inception, the Liberty found themselves on the horrific end of this game losing 55-10 to the Otters in Orange County on Monday night.
What Went Well?
It was tough to find any bright spots in this game considering how it started, but the Liberty did succeed in outrushing the Otters by 6 yards in 14 attempts. Omar Wright was successful in the Liberty’s only touchdown and finished the game with the entire teams rushing yards. Paul DiMirio had a decent game as well with 7 receptions for 60 yards.
Kicker Stephen Harris converted his only field goal attempt and punted well for an average of 40 yards and 240 yards overall. Luke Washington was also consistent in this game, despite the outcome, and filled up the defensive stat sheet with 3 tackles, 1 sack, 1 pass deflection, and 1 interception at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Washington continued to demonstrate his dexterity despite the score, by showcasing his defensive intensity through to the end of the game. He rallied the defense late in the third quarter and ignited the spark under the Liberty. Unfortunately, it was too late to make any significant impact on the outcome of the game.
What Didn’t Go Well?
Speaking of defense, the Philadelphia defense was abysmal from the get go. The defense simply could not stop any of the Otter drives in the first quarter. Overall, the Otters racked up 398 passing yards with 30/44 completion/attempts. Their first two drives on offense were successful and the two interceptions thrown by Clifford Rove gave the Otters a substantial 28-0 lead in the first quarter. The Otters continued their offensive dominance in the second quarter with two more touchdowns and a field goal as the Liberty defense were unable get any stops. The defense appeared to be outpaced and simply could not keep up with the Otters.
The Liberty rookie quarterback struggled immensely in this game as the Otters defense sacked him 5 times. The Otter defense simply had their way with the Liberty offensive line. Throughout the preseason, we saw these problems plague the Liberty offense and it was most prevalent in this regular season game. Rove threw 2 interceptions in the first quarter, with the first one thrown within the first minute of the game. This seemed to set the tone for how the rest of the game would be played out. Overall, Rove threw 20/41 completion/attempts for a pitiful 182 yards. The Otter defense broke up 7 crucial passes against the Liberty and Rove was unable to make any meaningful plays. Rove struggled to complete passes to wide receivers Fox North and Damien Kroetch as well. I’m sure both sides of the ball will be watching this game tape before week 2’s game against the Arizona Outlaw.
Liberty Impact Player of the Game
Luke Washington – LB
This week’s Liberty Impact Player of the Game award goes to Luke Washington for his defensive intensity and relentless pursuit. The S2 linebacker continued to persevere on defense despite overwhelming odds and we will continue to trust the process at Philly Sports News if he continues to play with that ‘never give up’ attitude.
Next Game
Arizona Outlaws @ Home in Taco Bell Stadium
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GRADED