Week 5 Summary:
London couldn’t have asked for a better start to the game when King took the opening kick to the end zone. Unfortunately, that didn’t last long and it was all downhill from there. The Royals had a much better 3rd down conversion rate (45% to 21%) and 30 fewer penalty yards. However, 5 turnovers, including two interception returned for touchdowns see the Royals get gobsmacked 40-24 in a lost to Tijuana. The three rookie pass catchers each had themselves some decent games. Tre’Darius J’Vathon was the best of the bunch snagging 5 balls for 51 yards. Frank Michell was next on the list with 39 yards on 3 snags. Gunner Thorbjornsson also had 3 receptions, but only managed to take them for 27 yards.
Week 5 Drive Recap:
London Royals give Portland Pythons 2nd straight win, 20-13. In what seemed to be another promising start to the game, the Royals scored TDs on their first two drives. Unfortunately, the offense went ice cold after that and didn’t muster a single point despite their best efforts. J’Vathon and Michell both caught the ball 5 times, with J’Vathon taking his for 60 yards and Michell picking up 39. Thorbjornsson had another quite game with only 1 grab and 16 yards. The Royals fall to last in the league with a 1-5 record.
Week 6 Drive Recap:
London stops the bleeding and comes up with a much needed win over Myrtle Beach, 27-10. The rookies had themselves a game! The three combined for 12 catches and 151 yards. J’Vathon led the crew with 5 catches, taking them for 48 yards. Thorbjornsson led the team in yards, with a career high of 78 on just 4 catches. Michell rounds them out with 3 catches for 25 yards. The tables turned on this one as London was finally on the right side of some timely takeaways. This put another notch in the win column and sees them just 2 games back of 1st and 1 game out of a playoff spot.
Week 7 Drive Recap:
After starting the year 0-3 in the division, all on the road, the Royals have a big double header on Tuesday. They face the Kansas City Coyotes first, followed by the Minnesota Grey Ducks. If they can protect home field advantage and win both games, they will be sitting at 4-5 going into week 10. Depending on how other results fall, they could be within a game of 1st place despite starting the season 2-5. Week 10 will see them play the red hot Norfolk Seawolves who previously beat the Royals at their house, 29-24. It’s the penultimate stretch of the season. This time next week, we’ll know if the Royals are in the hunt or dead in the woods.
Season Stats Thru Week 7:
London couldn’t have asked for a better start to the game when King took the opening kick to the end zone. Unfortunately, that didn’t last long and it was all downhill from there. The Royals had a much better 3rd down conversion rate (45% to 21%) and 30 fewer penalty yards. However, 5 turnovers, including two interception returned for touchdowns see the Royals get gobsmacked 40-24 in a lost to Tijuana. The three rookie pass catchers each had themselves some decent games. Tre’Darius J’Vathon was the best of the bunch snagging 5 balls for 51 yards. Frank Michell was next on the list with 39 yards on 3 snags. Gunner Thorbjornsson also had 3 receptions, but only managed to take them for 27 yards.
Week 5 Drive Recap:
- 1st Drive, 1Q 15:00 – 91-yard kickoff return by Danny King for a touchdown. Royals lead 7-0.
- 2nd Drive, 1Q 14:13 – Royals defense forces a three and out, putting them in good position to extend the early lead. Unfortunately, Colby Jack throws an interception on a pass intended for Michell. 3 plays later and the Luchadores tie it up, 7-7.
- 3rd Drive, 1Q 12:18 – Two early passes to Cash Jr and Thorbjornsson see the Royals overcome their 2nd and long. However, three straight incompletions to J’Vathon, Thorbjornsson and King see the drive end in a punt.
- 4th Drive, 1Q 4:23 – Royals go three and out after a 6-yard completion to Cash Jr and two runs of no gain. Now down 14-7, London punts.
- 5th Drive, 1Q 0:53 – A nice run by King puts the ball near midfield for the Royals. J’Vathon and Cash Jr both drops passes on 2nd and 3rd down ending the drive in another punt.
- 6th Drive, 2Q 10:30 – Cortez enters the game for the first time and promptly completes an 11 yarder to Michell. Two short runs by Batista and a pass intended for Thorbjornsson is broken up. Royals can’t get anything going and punt. Still down 14-7.
- 7th Drive, 2Q 2:02 – Looking to end the half on a positive note, the Royals come out passing. Cash Jr picks up a quick 17 putting the ball at the TIJ 46. A drop by J’Vathon is followed by an interception on a pass intended for Thorbjornsson. It gets taken all the way back for a touchdown and London is now down 24-7. Disastrous series for a team already short on confidence.
- 8th Drive, 2Q 0:40 – The half ends on this drive after two short completions. One to J’Vathon for 8 yards and one to Cash Jr for 9.
- 9th Drive, 3Q 13:36 – Two 5 yard funs pick up an early first down and the offense is moving. A completion to J’Vathon for 19 yards, two more runs, and another completion to J’Vathon for 7 yards ahs the ball on the Tijuana 9. A sack on 3rd down sees the drive putter out and London settles for a FG, now down 24-10.
- 10th Drive, 3Q 8:52 – The defense forces another three and out, but just like the last three and out they forced, the drive ends in an interception returned for a touchdown. This time the pass was intended for Michell. Royals down 31-10.
- 11th Drive, 3Q 8:05 – Two runs, with an incompletion to Thorbjornsson in between them sees the Royals pick up a first down. Another two runs followed by completions to King for 7 yards and Cash for 6 yards Have the Ball in TIJ territory. Two more runs keep the ball moving, but Jack throws his 4th interception of the game on a pass meant for Thorbjornsson. Tijuana tacks on a FG this time, extending their lead to 34-10.
- 12th Drive, 3Q 2:07 – Thorbjornsson can’t haul in the ball on 1st down, but attempts to make up for it by grabbing the ball out of the air on 2nd down for 8 yards. The Royals cannot convert on 3rd and short and are forced to punt.
- 13th Drive, 4Q 13:30 – The Royals put together a really nice drive mixing in 7 runs and 5 passes. Michell hauls in 2 for 28 yards, while King, Thorbjornsson, and J’Vathon all have 1 grab for 5, 6, and 8 yards respectively. London scores to cut the lead to 37-17.
- 14th Drive, 4Q 6:10 – The RNG gods are not kind to London as they turn the ball over for the 5th time. This time a fumble on first down by King.
- 15th Drive, 4Q 5:26 – With the game done and dusted, the Royals look to put some positive tape together for the next game. 8 straight rushes see London slam the ball into the endzone on a long run by King. Game ends after the onside kick, 40-24.
London Royals give Portland Pythons 2nd straight win, 20-13. In what seemed to be another promising start to the game, the Royals scored TDs on their first two drives. Unfortunately, the offense went ice cold after that and didn’t muster a single point despite their best efforts. J’Vathon and Michell both caught the ball 5 times, with J’Vathon taking his for 60 yards and Michell picking up 39. Thorbjornsson had another quite game with only 1 grab and 16 yards. The Royals fall to last in the league with a 1-5 record.
Week 6 Drive Recap:
- 1st Drive, 1Q 15:00 – Two straight runs start the drive off right with an early first down. The Pythons help out with a 15-yard tripping penalty. A catch by Cash Jr, and run by King, and a 10-yarder to J’Vathon put the ball at midfield. Michell pitches in with his own 5-yard reception and Jack takes it upon himself to pick up another first down, this time with his legs. Jack then get’s sacked and Cash Jr drops a ball putting the Royals in a 3rd and long. J’Vathon comes up huge with a 14-yard catch to keep the drive going. Two runs by Batista get the ball into the endzone and London has an early lead, 7-0. 4:44
- 2nd Drive, 1Q 7:55 – Four short rushes, two Python penalties, and a 10-yard completion to Cash Jr have the Royals threatening again in POR territory. Four more runs, with a J’Vathon catch for 13-yards has the ball inside the 5. Cortez enters the game on 1st and goal and promptly throws his first career touchdown to Cash Jr. Congratulations Charlemagne! The offense is clicking on all cylinders after a dominating first quarter. The Royals are up 13-0 after having 10-minutes of possession on their first two drive.
- 3rd Drive, 2Q 14:21 – London benefits from another penalty on the Pythons placing the ball near midfield on 1st down. King picks up 8 on the ground but an incompletion to Thorbjornsson and a drop by Michell end the drive in a punt. London up 13-7.
- 4th Drive, 2Q 11:28 – In an eerily similar drive to the last one, Batista runs for 8 yards. This time it’s an incompletion to Michell, followed by an incompletion to Thorbjornsson. London goes three and out and punts from midfield again.
- 5th Drive, 2Q 9:16 – The Royals get back to the ground game running on three out of the 1st four plays, with a Michell catch for 10 being the only pass play. A penalty on the offensive line puts London behind the ball and two incompletions to Thorbjornsson and Cash Jr see their third straight drive end on the midway line with a punt.
- 6th Drive, 2Q 5:15 – London goes three and out on an incompletion to Cash Jr, a Michell 7-yard snag, and a run for no gain. The Royals were able to the ball into the POR territory this time, but it still ends in a punt.
- 7th Drive, 2Q 3:16 – With not much time left in the half, London starts to move the ball with two catches by Cash Jr for 22-yards. Odd play calling sees the Royals run the ball four straight times forcing London to burn all three timeouts. They attempt a 56-yard FG, but it’s no good. London enters the half leading 13-7.
- 8th Drive, 3Q 9:38 – London cannot get out of its way on their first drive of the 2nd half. A run for no gain is followed by two drops from Batista and J’Vathon. London punts, now only up by 3.
- 9th Drive, 3Q 7:36 – The Royals start this drive off well with three straight runs and a long completion to Thorbjornsson for 16-yards. Continuing their offensive trend, the Royals drive stalls at midfield with another punt.
- 10th Drive, 3Q 0:20 – Now down 17-13, London looks to answer. Unfortunately, an early penalty kills the drive as Cash Jr comes up 5-yards short on 3rd and long. Royals punt.
- 11th Drive, 4Q 12:22 – Another three and out for the Royals offense. Two short runs and a sack and London gives the ball back to Portland.
- 12th Drive, 4Q 6:01 – After another time consuming drive by Portland, London now needs a TD to tie. Greedy Sly sets the team up in good field position with a 37-yard return. Two short runs and a long catch by Michell has the ball on the POR 44. A 10-yard penalty on 2nd down has the Royals in 3rd and long, but Michell comes up big with another catch, this time for 7-yards setting up the team with a 4th and manageable. However, needing 5-yards, the Royals elect to run the ball and gain nothing. Turnover on downs gives the ball back to Portland.
- 13th Drive, 4Q 2:12 – London is able to force a three and out from Portland and give themselves one more change to tie. Unfortunately, the Royals are not able to pick up any chunk plays, and 2 odd run plays put the clock at triple zeros. J’Vathon is able to pad his stats with two catches for 23-yards and Cash Jr has himself 1 for 7. For the last time of the game, the Royals drive ends at midfield. Game over. Royals lose 20-13.
London stops the bleeding and comes up with a much needed win over Myrtle Beach, 27-10. The rookies had themselves a game! The three combined for 12 catches and 151 yards. J’Vathon led the crew with 5 catches, taking them for 48 yards. Thorbjornsson led the team in yards, with a career high of 78 on just 4 catches. Michell rounds them out with 3 catches for 25 yards. The tables turned on this one as London was finally on the right side of some timely takeaways. This put another notch in the win column and sees them just 2 games back of 1st and 1 game out of a playoff spot.
Week 7 Drive Recap:
- 1st Drive, 1Q 14:41 – London is able to force a turnover on the first play of the game setting them up from their own 25. Unfortunately, as has been the case far too often this year, the 2nd play for London ends in an interception by Colby Jack.
- 2nd Drive, 1Q 11:16 – This drive starts off nice with a 12-yard completion to Cash on 3rd down to keep the drive alive. After two decent runs, the pass to Cash falls incomplete. Royals punt.
- 3rd Drive, 1Q 7:51 – King gets the drive going with a big 9 yarder, but an incompletion to J’Vathon and a run for no gain force a three and out for the Royals.
- 4th Drive, 1Q 5:58 – Michell picks up his game long 19 yards on a 2nd down completion. A negative run by Jack and a drop by Michell put the Royals in 3rd and long. J’Vathon picks up 7 on 3rd down. With the ball at the MB 38, it’s too close to punt and too far to kick a FG, so London goes for it. Thorbjornsson is able to haul it in and take it 15 yards and inside the red zone. An 8 yard run puts the ball on the 1, but two stuffs later, the drive stalls and London is forced to settle for a FG. Royals take the lead 3-0.
- 5th Drive, 2Q 14:09 – After picking up a 1st down on the 1st play, Batista goes for 4, but Jack loses 7. On 3rd and long, the ball falls incomplete at Thorbjornsson’s feet.
- 6th Drive, 2Q 10:08 – A rush for no gain and an incompletion to J’Vathon sees another 3rd and long. This time, the pass intended for King is intercepted by the Buccaneers.
- 7th Drive, 2Q 7:14 – Now down 7-3, London looks to answer. Two rushes and a penalty on Myrtle Beach put the ball and the midway line. Two short runs put the Royals in 3rd and long again and for the 2nd time in 3 drives, the ball falls incomplete to Thorbjornsson.
- 8th Drive, 2Q 0:18 – Down 10-3, Sly has a great return putting the ball on the MB 20 with 3 seconds left. PhastBawl continues his tough season and misses a 37-yarder that would’ve cut the lead before half.
- 9th Drive, 3Q 15:00 – A pass to Michell for 4 and another one to J’Vathon for 10 has the ball moving. However, a short run by Jack, and incompletion to Cash, and a sack on 3rd down see the drive end in a punt.
- 10th Drive, 3Q 11:37 – King’s 6 yard run on 1st is negated by a 6 yard sack on 2nd. This results in 3rd and long and the 4-yard catch by Cash is not enough. 2nd straight punt to start the half.
- 11th Drive, 3Q 8:04 – Thorbjornsson rips off a huge 33 yarder on 1st down putting the ball in their offensive half. A negative run and an 11-yard sack put the Royals in a 3rd and forever. The ball falls incomplete to Cash and London punts yet again.
- 12th Drive, 3Q 4:51 – After forcing a three and out of their own, the Royals start the drive off right with two runs for 14 yards. An incompletion to Cash is followed by J’Vathon’s game long 16-yard snag. Another decent run proceeds Thorbjornsson’s 20-yard rip from Cortez. Jack is able to find J’Vathon again for 15 yards, setting up the 2-yard TD run by King. Royals tie it up 10-10.
- 13th Drive, 3Q 0:20 – van Perkins intercepts Joestar on 2nd down and takes it back to the MB 6. On the very next play, Batista slams it home for a TD. Big momentum swing as London takes a 7 point lead with two TDs in 62 seconds.
- 14th Drive, 4Q 14:22 – The Royals D continues to lock it down and forces another three and out. London tries to run out some clock but a sack on 2nd down puts the offense behind the sticks and they’re forced to punt.
- 15th Drive, 4Q 11:36 – After a short punt and a 15-yard penalty, the Royals have the ball on MB 30. A pass to Cash on 2nd down picks up the first and a 14-yarder by Batista puts the ball inside the 5. Batista keeps the momentum going and puts it into the end zone to seal it, 24-10.
- 16th Drive, 4Q, 7:39 – An incompletion to Michell is followed by a penalty and a 7-yard run by King. Cortez runs for nothing, Michell catches for 2, and Batista catches for 6, leaving the Royals short of the 1st by 2-yards.
- 17th Drive, 4Q 3:28 – London defense forces a turnover on downs deep in the MB territory. Cash Jr drops a ball on 1st, but Thorbjornsson picks up the slack and gets a 10-yard. From the 9, Batista gains 1, the J’Vathon misses the ball on 2nd and picks up a penalty on 3rd. Drive ends in a FG, Royals lead 27-10. The game ends with the ball in the Buccaneers possession.
After starting the year 0-3 in the division, all on the road, the Royals have a big double header on Tuesday. They face the Kansas City Coyotes first, followed by the Minnesota Grey Ducks. If they can protect home field advantage and win both games, they will be sitting at 4-5 going into week 10. Depending on how other results fall, they could be within a game of 1st place despite starting the season 2-5. Week 10 will see them play the red hot Norfolk Seawolves who previously beat the Royals at their house, 29-24. It’s the penultimate stretch of the season. This time next week, we’ll know if the Royals are in the hunt or dead in the woods.
Season Stats Thru Week 7: