ISFL Season 28 Game Breakdowns - Austin Copperheads – Defensive Tackle - Owen Isaac
Week 3 is upon us and this week we welcome the New Orleans Secondline. Austin Copperheads are coming off of back to back away wins against Baltimore and Arizona, and look to make it 3 from 3 and match last seasons win total. Last season we lost twice to New Orleans concedining 30+ points in both games, but we did give a better showing in a tight preseason loss to them. Secondline come into this game 0-2 having lost 2 home games against the San Jose Sabercats and the Honolulu Hahalua. Can the Copperheads continue their good start to the season.
Pre match interview with Defensive Tackle Owen Isaac
Interviewer: So last week was another dramatic win away from home, how are the team feeling, and how good is it to get back home?
Owen Isaac: The team are feeling fantastic the buzz at training and around the dressing room is why you play football, these dramatic wins can be great for momentum, |Arizona were one of the favourites coming into the season so to have got that win and away from home is a great achievement. Everybody knows going away from home and winning is a tough assignment and is required if you want to have a push for the playoffs, so to start with 2 away wins is fantastic, and now we get to come home to our fans, hopefully they can feel better and more optimistic than last year. We are going to need them this year if we can kick on as its just the beginning so far.
Interviewer: Thanks for answering the questions today
Week 3 – New Orleans Secondline
To start we will receive the kickoff. Bowie collects and returns the kickoff for 40 yards, exactly how you want to start the game. After a Penalty and a short gain we have a 2nd and 12. Daytona looks for Vequain, but no it is intercepted on the first drive. We hold them to a 3rd and long but Slothlisberger finds a big pass play for a TD. Not the start we wanted here. Next play we get held up inches short of a 1st down and are forced to punt. Thanks to a couple of penalties, we manage to hold firm and force a punt from them. We punt straight back, not before Daytona can get Sacked for the 3rd straight game, the protection really needs to up its game. Secondline build a long 10+ minute drive but we manage to hold them to a FG. During the 2nd quarter we manage to get our first points on the board thanks to some good passing plays from Daytona, we get into field goal range and strike for the 3 points. Yeboah manages a crucial sack on Slothlisberger on the New Orleans drive which helps us hold them out of the redzone, but the kick another 3 points, before we see out the half. A struggle of a 1st half at home here. We haven’t really got going and they have just controlled the clock and the score board. 13-3 at HT.
We come out second half and MAN it is good to be at home, the crowd really does pull us back out in the second half the noise is fantastic. W owe it to them to make sure we show up this 2nd half. They start the half. A great sack from the rookie Fitinyomouf right on the scrimmage line helps us force them into a punt. Great start. Jim the Vampire starts the drive really nicely finding a couple of pockets for a 1st down before Daytona lets rip and drives us down the field finding 4 different receivers, before completing a TD pass to Howlett. Exactly the start we needed. That noise from the crowd is so infectious we know we are going to win this now. We force a punt back to us, before Daytona finds a great 65 yard pass to Videl-San, brought down at the New Orleans 12. Sadly get held short but we kick the field goal to tie the game up at 13 a piece going into the final quarter.
New Orleans start the drive in the 4th quarter and look to be making yardage, but thanks to a great tackle for loss from Dax Kennedy, which is followed up the next play by a Tomage McGullager sack we force them to punt right back to us. Daytona has some real clutch passing in this drive again finding 4 different receivers before completing a great touchdown pas to Vequain to give us the 7 point lead. Off a good kickoff return they start near the halfway line, but another Sack this time from Dex Kennedy where he forces the ball loose and recovers, we are now in great position. A really nice 4th quarter from Dax. Some really good dirty yardage from Jim the Vampire, before guess who pops up with a TD, yep Zoe Watts just cant stay of the board even on a quieter week. This gives us the 2 score cushion we needed and we nicely see out the game.
Post match interviews
Interviewer: Well that is now 3 from 3 for the Copperheads. Owen how did it feel playing in front of this crowd with the 2 away wins on your record already?
Owen Isaac: Fantastic, I mean look we had 2 really tough road games where we managed to come out on top and now its great to be able to come home to Austin and get another win in front of these great fans. The noise they generate, when we came out for that second half, man they give you the lift you need when you’re not playing well. One of the match balls most certainly belongs to them.
Interviewer: Im going to call in Jackie Daytona, hello again, a really good start to the season for you, your 2nd player of the match award in 3 games. Despite the rough start to todays outing with the interception on the 2nd play, but didn’t really look back from there with a really nice clean performance out there, how are you finding the offense this season as compared to last season? What are the big differences that have allowed you to flourish this season?
Jackie Daytona: I am loving the offense this season. I think it took a while to win the locker room when I came in last season after Cole had been here so long. He was a rough and ready Yankee Doodle and I am more of a sophisticated English gent. But now the offense is much my own, we are of one mind and have 1 focus and that is showing through our performance on the field
Interviewer: Now the defensive player of the match Dex Kennedy, a really good day for you today You ended up with 6 tackles, 1 for loss, a sack, 3 pass deflections and then managed a great forced fumble and recovery in the 4th quarter. That is a great all-round performance there. How are you feeling after that win and what are the thoughts on the defensive unit you have put together?
Dex Kennedy: Going 3-0 through our first 3 is an awesome feeling. It took us quite a while to win 3 games last season. So this game was proof we are a much better team. And this defence has also only gotten better. I think we are all starting to play cohesively and no one player is playing for themselves.
Interviewer: After the home win today and taking your side to 3-0, you must be delighted particularly after a strong home performance. You came in without too much fanfare after disappointing last year, do you now think teams will look twice when they see you in the schedule?
Coach: Oh I'm absolutely delighted! I think beating the reigning conference champs to open the season 3-0 put the league on notice. We've definitely announced that we're the real deal this year. The locker room has a whole new atmosphere, the team is excited that their hard work is starting to pay off. The fans are much more excited too, you can hear how much louder our stadium was during our first home game.
Interviewer: Well that’s Game week 3 down now, Austin Copperheads make it 3 from 3 after a good home win. Next up they are back on the road to face the 1-2 Orange County Otters. Same time next week.
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Week 3 is upon us and this week we welcome the New Orleans Secondline. Austin Copperheads are coming off of back to back away wins against Baltimore and Arizona, and look to make it 3 from 3 and match last seasons win total. Last season we lost twice to New Orleans concedining 30+ points in both games, but we did give a better showing in a tight preseason loss to them. Secondline come into this game 0-2 having lost 2 home games against the San Jose Sabercats and the Honolulu Hahalua. Can the Copperheads continue their good start to the season.
Pre match interview with Defensive Tackle Owen Isaac
Interviewer: So last week was another dramatic win away from home, how are the team feeling, and how good is it to get back home?
Owen Isaac: The team are feeling fantastic the buzz at training and around the dressing room is why you play football, these dramatic wins can be great for momentum, |Arizona were one of the favourites coming into the season so to have got that win and away from home is a great achievement. Everybody knows going away from home and winning is a tough assignment and is required if you want to have a push for the playoffs, so to start with 2 away wins is fantastic, and now we get to come home to our fans, hopefully they can feel better and more optimistic than last year. We are going to need them this year if we can kick on as its just the beginning so far.
Interviewer: Thanks for answering the questions today
Week 3 – New Orleans Secondline
To start we will receive the kickoff. Bowie collects and returns the kickoff for 40 yards, exactly how you want to start the game. After a Penalty and a short gain we have a 2nd and 12. Daytona looks for Vequain, but no it is intercepted on the first drive. We hold them to a 3rd and long but Slothlisberger finds a big pass play for a TD. Not the start we wanted here. Next play we get held up inches short of a 1st down and are forced to punt. Thanks to a couple of penalties, we manage to hold firm and force a punt from them. We punt straight back, not before Daytona can get Sacked for the 3rd straight game, the protection really needs to up its game. Secondline build a long 10+ minute drive but we manage to hold them to a FG. During the 2nd quarter we manage to get our first points on the board thanks to some good passing plays from Daytona, we get into field goal range and strike for the 3 points. Yeboah manages a crucial sack on Slothlisberger on the New Orleans drive which helps us hold them out of the redzone, but the kick another 3 points, before we see out the half. A struggle of a 1st half at home here. We haven’t really got going and they have just controlled the clock and the score board. 13-3 at HT.
We come out second half and MAN it is good to be at home, the crowd really does pull us back out in the second half the noise is fantastic. W owe it to them to make sure we show up this 2nd half. They start the half. A great sack from the rookie Fitinyomouf right on the scrimmage line helps us force them into a punt. Great start. Jim the Vampire starts the drive really nicely finding a couple of pockets for a 1st down before Daytona lets rip and drives us down the field finding 4 different receivers, before completing a TD pass to Howlett. Exactly the start we needed. That noise from the crowd is so infectious we know we are going to win this now. We force a punt back to us, before Daytona finds a great 65 yard pass to Videl-San, brought down at the New Orleans 12. Sadly get held short but we kick the field goal to tie the game up at 13 a piece going into the final quarter.
New Orleans start the drive in the 4th quarter and look to be making yardage, but thanks to a great tackle for loss from Dax Kennedy, which is followed up the next play by a Tomage McGullager sack we force them to punt right back to us. Daytona has some real clutch passing in this drive again finding 4 different receivers before completing a great touchdown pas to Vequain to give us the 7 point lead. Off a good kickoff return they start near the halfway line, but another Sack this time from Dex Kennedy where he forces the ball loose and recovers, we are now in great position. A really nice 4th quarter from Dax. Some really good dirty yardage from Jim the Vampire, before guess who pops up with a TD, yep Zoe Watts just cant stay of the board even on a quieter week. This gives us the 2 score cushion we needed and we nicely see out the game.
Post match interviews
Interviewer: Well that is now 3 from 3 for the Copperheads. Owen how did it feel playing in front of this crowd with the 2 away wins on your record already?
Owen Isaac: Fantastic, I mean look we had 2 really tough road games where we managed to come out on top and now its great to be able to come home to Austin and get another win in front of these great fans. The noise they generate, when we came out for that second half, man they give you the lift you need when you’re not playing well. One of the match balls most certainly belongs to them.
Interviewer: Im going to call in Jackie Daytona, hello again, a really good start to the season for you, your 2nd player of the match award in 3 games. Despite the rough start to todays outing with the interception on the 2nd play, but didn’t really look back from there with a really nice clean performance out there, how are you finding the offense this season as compared to last season? What are the big differences that have allowed you to flourish this season?
Jackie Daytona: I am loving the offense this season. I think it took a while to win the locker room when I came in last season after Cole had been here so long. He was a rough and ready Yankee Doodle and I am more of a sophisticated English gent. But now the offense is much my own, we are of one mind and have 1 focus and that is showing through our performance on the field
Interviewer: Now the defensive player of the match Dex Kennedy, a really good day for you today You ended up with 6 tackles, 1 for loss, a sack, 3 pass deflections and then managed a great forced fumble and recovery in the 4th quarter. That is a great all-round performance there. How are you feeling after that win and what are the thoughts on the defensive unit you have put together?
Dex Kennedy: Going 3-0 through our first 3 is an awesome feeling. It took us quite a while to win 3 games last season. So this game was proof we are a much better team. And this defence has also only gotten better. I think we are all starting to play cohesively and no one player is playing for themselves.
Interviewer: After the home win today and taking your side to 3-0, you must be delighted particularly after a strong home performance. You came in without too much fanfare after disappointing last year, do you now think teams will look twice when they see you in the schedule?
Coach: Oh I'm absolutely delighted! I think beating the reigning conference champs to open the season 3-0 put the league on notice. We've definitely announced that we're the real deal this year. The locker room has a whole new atmosphere, the team is excited that their hard work is starting to pay off. The fans are much more excited too, you can hear how much louder our stadium was during our first home game.
Interviewer: Well that’s Game week 3 down now, Austin Copperheads make it 3 from 3 after a good home win. Next up they are back on the road to face the 1-2 Orange County Otters. Same time next week.
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