There is no single word that can truly describe the joy felt by winning a championship. There are many, many words that can be used to describe the feelings felt when you have been eliminated from one. Some of those are swears. Defeat, however, is not the worst thing that can happen to a club that thinks it has a chance to succeed. In the experience of this reporter, it is defeat that should have been avoided, which hurts many times worse than just a defeat.
In the DSFL playoffs, two teams advanced and two teams were eliminated. However, it could have very easily been the other two, and for those eliminated teams, that fact probably hits so much harder.
The London Royals led 7-13 in the fourth quarter, and seemed to have victory in their grasp. Then the Kansas City Coyotes gained 32 yards in 2 plays, and punched the ball in a few minutes later to get a 1 point lead with just under 7 minutes to play. London drove to midfield...and then the drive stalled, cutting their remaining time in half. It appeared like they were sunk. Then came what looked like the turning point with 3:09 left in the game. On a second and 5, Covington went back to pass, and threw into the grateful arms of a Royals defender. With the ball on the Coyotes 35, 3 minutes to go, and only down by one, it looked like the Coyotes were about to have to drive down the field and score again, something they only managed to do twice.
The ensuing drive went Rush for -2 yards. Spike the ball to stop the clock with 2 minutes and 47 seconds left. Sack for -7 yards. Pass for 8 yards and turnover on downs. The Royals ended up going backwards and not even having a chance to kick a field goal to take the lead. The Coyotes ran out the clock, and won by one point. The Royals, who had led for most of the game, who had the chance to win in the final minutes, concocted a drive that put them out of field goal range and ended their chance to go to the finals.
The Dallas Birddogs had a much different manner of throwing the game away. They were facing the Norfolk Seawolves, the best team in the DSFL all year. And yet, the Birddogs had a commanding lead early. The Seawolves had not passed midfield at all during the first 20 minutes of the game, and the Birddogs had put together two long, impressive drives to give themselves a 10 point lead. Then the cracks started to show, as one of the best running backs in the DSFL practically handed the Seawolves their first points of the game, as Watts fumbled the ball just outside the Red Zone. The Seawolves cut the lead to 3 minutes later. Then, both teams stalled for a while, until a 30 yard pass to the Seawolves' Matthews, where the defender McGullager was unable to bring him down until he picked up 20 YAC, put the Seawolves in field goal range just before the two minute warning. A 10 point lead vanished in 10 minutes, the momentum had completely shifted to the Seawolves.
As the second half opened, the Seawolves drove for a field goal, and the Birddogs had a drive stall on the 38 yard line of Norfolk, just barely outside of field goal range. Then, as the third quarter waned, a blocked punt set up a chip shot field goal for the Seawolves, and the Birddogs appeared to break down. They would not cross midfield until the Seawolves opened up a 9 point lead, and even then, on that drive, they threw an interception and did not score. They would create a touchdown as time expired, but they were eliminated. Their chance at dethroning the team with the best record in the league went to waste and they, as well as the Royals, will have to wait for next year to taste championship glory.
The Royals, who lost a close final to the Tijuana Luchadores last year, will go home disappointed, while the Birddogs can at least hold their head high for having gotten to the playoffs for the first time in their history. The Coyotes are looking to end a decade long drought of hoisting the Ultimini, while the Norfolk Seawolves are heading there for only the second time in their 22 year history. They are looking for their first title, and with the best record in the league and a great tandem of quarterbacks between Ramza and Skywalker, they may be able to take home the trophy which has evaded Norfolk for so long.
(790 words)
In the DSFL playoffs, two teams advanced and two teams were eliminated. However, it could have very easily been the other two, and for those eliminated teams, that fact probably hits so much harder.
The London Royals led 7-13 in the fourth quarter, and seemed to have victory in their grasp. Then the Kansas City Coyotes gained 32 yards in 2 plays, and punched the ball in a few minutes later to get a 1 point lead with just under 7 minutes to play. London drove to midfield...and then the drive stalled, cutting their remaining time in half. It appeared like they were sunk. Then came what looked like the turning point with 3:09 left in the game. On a second and 5, Covington went back to pass, and threw into the grateful arms of a Royals defender. With the ball on the Coyotes 35, 3 minutes to go, and only down by one, it looked like the Coyotes were about to have to drive down the field and score again, something they only managed to do twice.
The ensuing drive went Rush for -2 yards. Spike the ball to stop the clock with 2 minutes and 47 seconds left. Sack for -7 yards. Pass for 8 yards and turnover on downs. The Royals ended up going backwards and not even having a chance to kick a field goal to take the lead. The Coyotes ran out the clock, and won by one point. The Royals, who had led for most of the game, who had the chance to win in the final minutes, concocted a drive that put them out of field goal range and ended their chance to go to the finals.
The Dallas Birddogs had a much different manner of throwing the game away. They were facing the Norfolk Seawolves, the best team in the DSFL all year. And yet, the Birddogs had a commanding lead early. The Seawolves had not passed midfield at all during the first 20 minutes of the game, and the Birddogs had put together two long, impressive drives to give themselves a 10 point lead. Then the cracks started to show, as one of the best running backs in the DSFL practically handed the Seawolves their first points of the game, as Watts fumbled the ball just outside the Red Zone. The Seawolves cut the lead to 3 minutes later. Then, both teams stalled for a while, until a 30 yard pass to the Seawolves' Matthews, where the defender McGullager was unable to bring him down until he picked up 20 YAC, put the Seawolves in field goal range just before the two minute warning. A 10 point lead vanished in 10 minutes, the momentum had completely shifted to the Seawolves.
As the second half opened, the Seawolves drove for a field goal, and the Birddogs had a drive stall on the 38 yard line of Norfolk, just barely outside of field goal range. Then, as the third quarter waned, a blocked punt set up a chip shot field goal for the Seawolves, and the Birddogs appeared to break down. They would not cross midfield until the Seawolves opened up a 9 point lead, and even then, on that drive, they threw an interception and did not score. They would create a touchdown as time expired, but they were eliminated. Their chance at dethroning the team with the best record in the league went to waste and they, as well as the Royals, will have to wait for next year to taste championship glory.
The Royals, who lost a close final to the Tijuana Luchadores last year, will go home disappointed, while the Birddogs can at least hold their head high for having gotten to the playoffs for the first time in their history. The Coyotes are looking to end a decade long drought of hoisting the Ultimini, while the Norfolk Seawolves are heading there for only the second time in their 22 year history. They are looking for their first title, and with the best record in the league and a great tandem of quarterbacks between Ramza and Skywalker, they may be able to take home the trophy which has evaded Norfolk for so long.
(790 words)