Spring 2000
OPENING DAY NEWS, SPRING 2000
MARCH 4, 2000
The anticipation was over Saturday after 9 teams arrived for opening day of the Carson City Flag Football League's Spring 2000 season. Mixed with the old were 3 new teams and a lot of new faces. The day started with a Fall '99 Championship Game rematch. Rip-N-Tear faced off against The Bucs to kick things off. The rematch sent The Bucs home, this time happier, as they edged the two-time defending champions out of victory with a 21-20 score. Bucs new quarterback, Will Franklin who led the league in rushing last season with a record breaking 851 yards, settled into his new role at quarterback comfortably and completed 66.6% of his passes for 174 yards. New Buc, Ed Zinda, made his debut a stand out when he caught the game winning touchdown. Franklin also did what we all know him best for when he rushed for a total of 93 yards and a TD. The Bucs defense was led by Emil Lovec who had 5 tackles, 1 sack and one deflection. Also on defense, Ed Zinda again made his presence noticed with 4 tackles and 2 sacks. Rip-N-Tear highlights included Paul Harting and, last years championship game MVP, Gary Noah both grabbing 4 tackles. Offensively for Rip-N-Tear, we saw quarterback Rudy Estrada meet up with Chad Morrison 4 times for 65 yards and a TD. Noah caught the other Rip-N-Tear touchdown pass. Estrada finished the game completing 11 passes for 145 yards and 2 TDs. He also rushed for 43 yards and 1 TD.
In Game 2, two new teams took the field. The Cougars Vs. The Wranglers attracted the most spectators with people coming to see what the two teams had to offer. The Cougars were the victors and sent the Wranglers away pointless with a 23-0 shut out. Cougars running back, Jeff Cloutier, dazzled the field with 89 rushing yards and 2 TDs. Cougars Quarterback, David Harris, also stood out as he completed 6 of 11 passes for 113 yards and a TD and rushed for 69 yards. Harris found, former Invader and all-star elect, tight-end, Nigel Cockayne 2 times for 86 yards and a TD. Cockayne and Jeff Boone led the Cougar defense with 5 tackles each. Boone also had 2 sacks and Cockayne caught an interception. Offensively for the Wranglers, quarterback Chuck Tonzi completed almost half of his passes for 117 yards. Terry Metcalf and Mark Hain received those passes with Metcalf accumulating 46 and Hain 76 yards. Tonzi rushed for 74 yards but the team was unable to find the endzone. David Ganshaw led the Wranglers defense with 5 tackles.
The Panthers were the only returning team scheduled to play a new team meeting the Aztecs in game 3. The Panthers sent The newly formed Aztecs home with a 47-14, brooding loss. The Panthers, in top form, ended the day with numerous league leaders. Quarterback, Lee Robertson found all of his receivers willing, with Nate Nelson receiving for 80 yards and 2 TDs, Andy Robertson getting 40 yards, and Scott Valentine catching for 34 yards. Robertson also found his running back, Mikel Williams, who received for 45 yards and a TD and rushed for 72 yards and 2 touchdowns. Rick MacQuarrie and Ron Birdsal each caught a touchdown pass. Robertson captured the Offensive Player of the Week title, finishing the game 11 of 16 for 294 yards and 5 touchdowns. Joe Eckman and Ron Birdsal tortured the Aztecs' offense; Eckman got 4 tackles and 3 sacks and Birdsal 6 tackles and 2 sacks. Neal Braunel recovered 2 fumbles, deflected a ball, grabbed a flag and was determined to make Aztecs' quarterback, Jonathan Villarreal, sweat all day. Villarreal, who scored a touchdown on the game's opening drive, finished the game with 74 yards. The Panthers dominated the rest of the game despite the threat that Aztecs' running back, George Garton, put forth. Garton rushed for 91 yards and a TD.
The Confederates, who were scheduled to play week one's double header, were dominated by Mean Streak in game four. Mean Streak showed up determined to show that last seasons record was a fluke. The team led by, quarterback, Sage Tims scored on almost every offensive drive. Tims, despite the absence of Fall's #1 receiver and all-star Rainbo Tims, moved the ball down the field freely with the help of tight end Nick McDaniel and receivers Jeff Remington and James Meyers. McDaniel received for 150 yards and 2 TDs. Remington received for 66 yards and a touchdown and Meyers caught 2 touchdowns for 48 yards. Tims completed 9 of 16 passes for 223 yards and 4 touchdowns. Defensively, Jose Iza and Brian Spyker put major pressure on The Confederate's two-time, league-leading, quarterback Shawn Hudson and made it literally impossible for him to get anything started. Iza sacked Hudson 6 times and grabbed two tackles and Spyker sacked the quarterback twice. Mean Streak opened up their season with a 32-0 shut out against the Confederates.
The Confederates got a second chance for victory in game 5 as they met the Invaders for the opening day closing game. The Confederates, going in with one loss, faced the team that swept them last season in each of their two meetings. The Invaders, who lost many players from last season, showed up looking solid with new faces to revamp their roster. The game was head to head for the entire duration but the Feds were able to go home with a 14-7 win to help them heal the wounds from their earlier loss. Confederate quarterback, Shawn Hudson, ended the game completing 11 of 20 passes for 201 yards and 2 touchdowns. Hudson found new Confederate receiver, Robert Ryan, three times giving Ryan a personal-record, 100-yard game. Ryan also scored a touchdown. Receiving the other Feds touchdown, was Chuck Heironimus who caught for 48 yards in the game. Heironimus also received the Defensive Player of the Week honor for his 8 tackles, 1 deflection and an interception. Invaders quarterback, Jake Wysong, was busy both in the air and on the ground. Wysong completed 7 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown to, new receiver, Paul Kirk. Wysong rushed for 79 yards along with running back Adam Presley who rushed for 39.
NEXT WEEK'S KEY MATCH UPS
Week twos key match ups include Rip-N-Tear Vs. Mean Streak and The Confederates against the Panthers. In game two at 10:30 a.m., Rip-N-Tear will face Mean Streak, in what should be an exciting battle. The defending champs, Rip-N-Tear, will have to ensue the powerful defensive force that Mean Streak holds. Mean Streak's defense, on the other hand, will have their hands full with Rip-N-Tear's championship offense. Both teams, possessing many weapons offensively and defensively, should make for an exciting football game. In game three, at 12:00 p.m., The Confederates will meet The Panthers. With the Panthers launching an all out assault this season ,The Feds will have their hands full. The two teams who met twice last season and split the series with each winning once will have the opportunity to break that tie.
A NOTE FROM TRACEY
This note is just a reminder that though we try very hard to update the website quickly, please keep in mind it will probably be late Sunday night or Monday before it is complete. We spend all day at the field on Saturday so sometimes when we get home it's hard to go straight to work on the paperwork. We appreciate your patience and promise to get it done as quickly as we possibly can.
The league needs your help with the current referee situation. We have had several complaints about the new referees and would like to find a solution that makes everyone happy. We worked hard for months prior to the season to find new referees that would uphold the standards that The CCFFL has adapted. Unfortanatly, the only chance we have to evaluate the referee's performance is during our games. So far, many players are very unhappy with the performance of the referees and the league is not pleased either. Therefore, we can only offer the solutions we have available to us and will act accordingly with the majority vote. When you have finished reading this weeks league news, please take the time to click on the link below to an email page. Please choose from the following options and simply indicate on the email whether you would choose option 1, 2 or 3 then press send. It is that simple and your help will be appreciated. Feel free to offer any suggestions or comments you may have in regard to this situation after indicating your choice for a solution.
Option 1 - Keep the existing referees and work with them to better their performance using volunteer player refs from each team. In this situation a player ref would act as a fourth ref in each game.
Option 2 - Use only player referees. This option was tried during the final weeks of last season. The verdict was sketchy as some players liked it and some did not. In this situation each team must have one or two players available to ref at least one game each week. These players would be paid for their services. Further, a referee pool would be established from these players and prior to the following weeks game each captain would select 2 from the pool to ref their upcoming game. Hence, each team would have approved at least two of the four refs for their game.
Option 3 - Hire all new refs. This situation would take the league some time. Please feel free to vote for this option if it is what you would prefer, however, please keep in mind we can't do this overnight and again we can only screen them by watching them. What they say on the phone isn't always what they deliver on the field.
Thank you to the players who submitted comments with your vote. Below are some of our player's thoughts.
There is no "ref situation"! These refs are fine. The only teams that are complaining are the ones that are loosing. We can work with them and they will get better. All refs miss or make bad calls. These refs are trying and the bad calls go both ways. I don't believe any options in the league news will help. It would only make things worse. Last years player refs should go as a lesson learned and we should not try that again. Mike Mooney, captain...Bucs
I vote for option #1. All players will tend to be unhappy with referees regardless of who it is that does the job. If the current referees have some sort of previous experience (as in before this CCFFL season) then they should be allowed a fair amount of time to become comfortable with the way that this league works. They are doing an adequate job, and although I too admit that I am sometimes unsatisfied by their performance, I have faith that they will adjust accordingly. Just speak to them and maybe give them a refresher course in the rules. Mike McDowell, Invaders
OPTION ONE WOULD ONLY BE FAIR. THEN IF THAT DOESN'T WORK OUT THEN OUR ONLY OTHER OPTION WOULD BE 2 AND AT THE END OF THE SEASON START FROM SCRATCH. JASON MAFFEI, R - N - T
the refs have to go!!!!! Option 3!!! Jonathan Villarreal, speaking on behalf of the entire Aztecs team.
Option 2 or 3 seem to be the most logical. The refs we had last season were bad but the ones we have now make last seasons refs look like professionals. I am not one of the players in the league that weighs in at 200+ pounds and the contact is getting to be too much. The referees seem to be missing an awful lot of obvious calls. For $35.00 a game it doesn't seem like we are getting our moneys worth. Option 3 would be my first choice but if that isn't possible the players reffing last season was not any worse then what we are getting now and it was free! Anonymous...
Game Summaries for Week 2
3/11/00
Week twos action started with the Carson Cougars looking to open their season 2 and 0, however, they faced the Invaders who were hungry for a first win. The Invaders prevailed but only after a strong defensive struggle by the Cougars. The game was head to head for the entire duration with both teams looking almost identical statistically. Invaders quarterback, Jake Wysong, made the difference completing three touchdowns and edging out Cougar's quarterback, David Harris, who completed one touchdown in the air and one on the ground. Wysong connected with league-new-comer Paul Kirk twice for scores and with Bryan Hughes once while Harris completed his only touchdown pass to former Invader Nigel Cockayne. Cockayne had a big day against his former team's defense receiving for 109 yards but the Invader's defense, lead by Mike McDowell's 6 tackles, kept the Cougars out of the endzone. Adam Presley, of the Invaders, added a strong running threat carrying the ball 8 times for 79 yards. The Invaders walked away with a 20-13 first victory.
Following the first game was game one of Mean Streak's double header. Mean Streak faced off with defending champions Rip-N-Tear, who after an unusual opening day loss were hoping to capture their first win of the new season. Mean Streak, who was victorious in week one, suffered a blow when quarterback Sage Tims was injured early on. But backup quarterback Dan Martin was an exceptional stand in completing 7 of 14 passes for 117 yards and 2 touchdowns. Martin was aided by Nick McDaniel who rushed for 128 yards and 2 touchdowns. Mean Streak's 24 points between Martin and McDaniel were enough to bring Rip-N-Tear to an 0-2 record for the first time in CCFFL history. Rip-N-Tear quarterback ,Rudy Estrada, and receiver, Paul Harting, worked relentlessly throughout the game to keep the score in their favor. Estrada completed one touchdown pass to Harting and rushed one in as well. Harting claimed another touchdown when he rushed back a kickoff. But those were Rip-N-Tear's only 3 scores in the game and it was not enough as Mean Streak's final touchdown came in the last seconds of the game to give them an exciting 24-20 win.
Giving Mean Streak a break before game two of their double header were The Confederates and The Panthers. The Panthers came out quickly and precisely, stunning The Confederates with three early touchdowns by, offensive player of the week, Mikel Williams. Williams was instrumental all day rushing for 161 yards and 4 touchdowns. With a 25-0 Panther's half time lead, things were looking gloomy for the Confederates but the Feds looked more determined in the second half as they came out and made two quick scores of their own. Fed's Quarterback, Shawn Hudson, found receivers Chuck Heironimus and Robert Ryan often, giving Heironimus a 107 yard game and Ryan 65. Hudson rushed for 99 yards and the Fed's first score and then found Ryan for their second. Receiver, Ron Bell caught the final Fed's touchdown pass but it was too little too late as Panthers quarterback Lee Robertson had put two more TDs on the board. Robertson completed 7 of 12 passes for 134 yards and rushed for 86 yards. Touchdown recipients, Nate Nelson and Joe Eckman capped off the Panther's 39-23 win.
When Mean Streak returned to the field to face the Wranglers, they were chalk full of energy and determination, knowing a win would put them at the top with three victories and zero losses. Not sure of what the new Wranglers had to offer, Mean Streak went all out and gave them a taste of experience. Early in the game, Mean Streak, playing with captains, quarterback, Sage Tims and receiver, Rainbo Tims injured on the sidelines, started backup QB Dan Martin who had fared well in their first game. Martin prevailed again but this time more brutally completing 8 of 15 passes for 230 yards and 5 touchdowns. Josh Jacobs was the recipient of 95 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns along with a rushing TD. Mean Streak's defense with Corey Jo Locicero and Nick McDaniel was hard on The Wrangler offense. Locicero set a league record with 11 tackles in a game and an interception and McDaniel would capture defensive player of the week with 5 tackles and 2 INTS both run back for touchdowns. The Wranglers, who picked up running back George Garton this week hoping to add a running threat to their game plan, were more successful in the air. Garton was held to only 3 yards, down from his impressive 91 yard opening game with the Aztecs. Quarterback, Chuck Tonzi threw for 166 yards but it was the 4 INTS and 0 TDS thrown by Tonzi that allowed Mean Streak to walk away with a 63-0 shut out and an undefeated record.
Concluding week two's action was The Bucs Vs. The Aztecs. The Aztecs came to the field accompanied by two new players brought on board this week to replace former running back George Garton who left the Aztecs to play for the Wranglers. Despite the turmoil caused by Garton's departure, quarterback and captain, Jonathan Villarreal moved his team down the field successfully in the first half and scored the games first touchdown. Villarreal met up regularly with, new addition, Larry Harper. Harper and Villarreal scored The Aztec's two touchdowns. The Bucs, with Will Franklin at quarterback, answered both The Aztec's scores and converted extra points giving them an 18-13 lead at the half. Franklin played the beginning half of the game being forced to keep the ball on the ground, completing only 1 of 7 passes. Fortunately, the one completion came with a touchdown on a pass to, tight end, Mike Miles. Miles would finish the game with 76 yards and 2 touchdowns. Franklin would fair better in the second half and end the game with 5 completions for 117 yards and 3 TDS. He also rushed 6 times for 135 yards and a TD and had a fifth TD credited to him from an interception return. Buc's cornerback ,Emil Lovec, after allowing Harper 2 TDS earlier in the game, like Franklin, produced better results in the second half with 8 tackles and 2 deflections, holding The Aztecs to their thirteen points and giving the Bucs their second straight victory. The final score was 31-13. Villarreal has been very vocal in his discontent with the new league referees. He stated that he felt game was lost to the refs not the Bucs.
Next Weeks Key Match Ups
Mean Streak will take on the Cougars at noon attempting to maintain their winning "streak". The Wranglers will meet Rip-N-Tear at 1:30, both teams looking for a first victory. There is no doubt that Rip-N-Tear will give the Wranglers a run for their money in a quest to overcome their unusual slump.
Update on The Refs
Thank you to all players who took the time to vote last week on the referee situation. We received 29 votes online as well as 9 phone calls. Of the 38 votes, the final tally was as follows: 17 votes for option 1 which was to keep the refs and use players to assist them, 7 votes for option 2 which was to use player refs only and 11 votes for option 3 which was to hire all new refs. We also had 3 votes that stated we should change nothing. At this point the league is continuing its efforts to work with the 5 referees we have. Further, we have put together a committee of field monitors that consist of players from around the league. Each game will have at least one but hopefully 2 field monitors monitoring the game from the sidelines. When we have 2 monitors in attendance, there will be one on each sideline during the game. If only one monitor is assigned, he will switch sidelines at the half. The field monitor's job is to act much the same as an "instant replay camera" He will not be able to call penalties, however, he will be able to bring concerns to the referees on the field. For instance, if a field monitor sees encroachment, he can bring that to the referees' attention or if he sees a player being held by another player again and again he can ask the referee to watch for it. A field monitor can call for an ejection or penalty on personal fouls, cheap shots or excessive taunting from players in the game and on the sidelines. The field monitor is there to keep the game clean and safe and to assist the referees when there is a dispute.
Captains please read!!!
Rosters will be considered closed after your team takes the field this coming Saturday, March 25, 2000. Please make sure any additions or changes you may have are registered and paid for prior to your game. NO EXCEPTIONS!!!
Also, captains need to review their
rosters on the website for accuracy. The league needs to update player
positions ASAP for allstar reasons. If you are a captain please take the
time to do so and email any changes to us. If we do not receive e-mailed
changes, we will be contacting you shortly for verification. Positions
must be submitted prior to week 5, after which they cannot be changed.
Game Summaries for Week 3
Week three may not have been filled with excitement but many teams edged closer to their goals. Mean Streak continued their "winning streak" along with The Panthers and The Bucs. Defending champions, Rip-N-Tear got their first win and the newly formed Wranglers saw their first 6 points on the board.
Heading off the days action were The Invaders who spent their double header struggling to score against two of the leagues best. First came The Bucs, adamant in holding onto their undefeated record. Bucs quarterback, Will Franklin stole the show by stamping his name on 6 of the 7 Bucs' touchdowns. Franklin started the day with a kickoff returned for a touchdown. He went on to score on an INT and completed 3 passes into the endzone and caught one himself from Jason Jones. Other touchdown pass recipients were Emil Lovec, Ed Zinda and Joe Buckner. Buckner received for 93 total yards in the game. Captain, Mike Mooney, stepping out of his usual center position, ran in the other of the Bucs' seven touchdowns. Desperately trying to stop The Bucs' powerful offense was Invader, Mike McDowell who grabbed 9 tackles and a deflection. But McDowell's efforts were for not; the Invaders' offense was not able to accomplish much as Bucs, Emil Lovec and Will Franklin caught two each of four INTS. The Bucs went home with a 48-0 shut out over The Invaders.
The Invaders' second game gave the team a similar challenge as they took on the, also undefeated, Panthers. The results weren't much different for the struggling team as they were shut out again in this match up 45-0. Invaders defensive stand out, Mike McDowell repeated his performance in the first game with 8 more tackles, 2 deflections and, this time, an Interception. But again, McDowell's efforts were wasted. Panthers' quarterback, Lee Robertson connected with Falls, all-star MVP, Nate Nelson 5 times for 119 yards and a TD. Robertson also found tight end Scott Valentine 4 times for only 8 yards but Valentine made those eight yards count with 2 touchdowns. Running back, Mikel Williams found the endzone twice, once on a reception and once on the ground. Williams finished the day with 106 more rushing yards. Robertson finished his game completing 11 of 21 passes for 151 yards and 4 TDS. Defensive player of the week went to Andy Robertson who harassed The Invaders' quarterback, Jake Wysong with 4 interceptions. Throughout the two beatings, The Invaders showed us the true meaning of sportsmanship by holding their heads high and finishing with as much heart as they started with.
Trying to stop the third undefeated team, Mean Streak, was The Cougars. The Cougars had their work cut out for them as they faced the currently #1 ranked team in the league. Mean Streak quarterback, Sage Tims was back after being sidelined last week because of an injury. Tims repeated his week one statistical success completing 7 of 12 passes for 273 yards and 3 touchdowns. Most of Tims' passes fell into the hands of, leading receivers, Josh Jacobs and Nick McDaniel. Jacobs and McDaniel were unstoppable. McDaniel received 3 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown as well as a rushing TD and Jacobs caught offensive player of the week with his 3 touchdown catches for an amazing 180 yards. Despite the efforts of, Cougar, Nigel Cockayne who grabbed 4 flags and deflected 2 balls, Mean Streak moved the ball freely against The Cougar defense. Cougar quarterback, David Harris tried repeatedly to make something happen for his team both in the air and on the ground. Harris rushed for 70 yards and completed 7 passes for 104 yards including a touchdown pass to Nigel Cockayne. But Jacobs and McDaniel stood out again for Mean Streak, this time defensively, with McDaniel returning 2 interceptions for touchdowns and Jacobs returning one INT for a touchdown, leaving The Cougars with a 57-6 loss.
Game four brought out two of the three teams who had yet to go home with a win this season. Unlike the newly-formed Wranglers, Rip-N-Tear were strangers to the agony of defeat, finishing the last two CCFFL seasons with 8-1 records and taking home the championship trophy both times. The likelihood of a third loss was slim, however, the Wranglers, anxious to taste the thrill of victory, came out strong, giving Rip-N-Tear a first-half scare. Wranglers, QB, Chuck Tonzi scored, not only the games first touchdown but his teams as well on a run after an impressive rushing drive by George Garton who finished the day with 64 total yards. Tonzi also threw the teams first touchdown pass of the season to receiver Jason Finley. Rip-N-Tear's Paul Harting answered Tonzi's TDs with one of his own as he returned an ensuing kick off. Harting also intercepted Tonzi twice once for a touchdown. At the half, things were still within reach for the Wranglers who were only down by 2 touchdowns. But Rip-N-Tear came out firing and dominated the second half. Rip-N-Tear, quarterback, Rudy Estrada completed an awesome 70% of his passes along with 4 TDs, two to Chad Morrison. Morrison finished with 89 yards. Jason Plaut ran the ball successfully for Rip-N-Tear, finishing with 53 yards. The final score was 47-13, giving Rip-N-Tear their first win of the Spring season.
Finalizing week 3 was the Confederates vs. the Aztecs, who were still looking for their first win. The game was a head-to-head bout as the score went back and forth. The Confederates put the first points on the board with a 66-yard, TD pass by, quarterback, Shawn Hudson to receiver,Ron Bell. Aztecs' quarterback, Jonathon Villarreal answered with a 44-yard, touchdown pass to Claude Walker. Ending the first half, Hudson connected with Robert Ryan for another score, giving the Feds a 14-6 half-time lead. The Aztecs' came out in the second half with a quick score by Ladonte Harper, who ran back the kick off. After a failed conversion attempt, the Aztecs were still down by a point. The Feds scored again when Hudson met Chuck Heironimus for a 71-yard touchdown. With one minute left in the game, the Aztecs regained possession with only a two point deficit to overcome. Starting the drive, running back, Tracy Willis, who had been successful all day with 81 yards, was held to only two, forcing Villarreal to go in the air. The game ended with a Confederate deflection by Hudson as time ran out for the Aztecs.
Next Weeks Key Match Ups
At 9 o'clock, the undefeated, Panthers will face Rip-N-Tear. The Panthers will be anxious to try out their revamped offense against the only returning team they were unable to beat last season.
Week 4's Game Summaries
And then there were two... Week four eliminated one team from the undefeated list. Before the games began, The Panthers, The Bucs and Mean Streak all remained unbeaten. The Panthers had to endure the challenge of two games as it was their double-header day. But in the end they would prevail. The Bucs held on to their status after a close match against the now 2-3 Feds and Mean Streak dropped out of first place and into third with their first loss to the formerly, winless Aztecs.
The Panthers started the day with Rip-N-Tear. As indicated by the overtime finish, the score remained close throughout the game. Both teams scored three touchdowns in regulation time and converted for two points. The game was not without its share of controversy. Rip-N-Tear, who needed the win desperately to bring their record up to .500, had two touchdowns brought back due to inadvertent whistles. The team did score in the end on one of the controversial calls. The Panthers won the overtime battle using a hurry up offense and catching the men in black off guard with a quick pass to Andy Robertson in the endzone. Rip-N-Tear was unable to answer and left the field with a disappointing 26-20 overtime defeat. Panthers' quarterback, Lee Robertson completed 15 of 27 passes for 120 yards and 3 touchdowns. Panthers' receiver, Nate Nelson received for 58 yards and 2 touchdowns. And yes, true Panther fans, once again, got to see The Big Dawg, Neal Braunel half naked which is becoming a regular part of the true "Panther Party" experience. Rip-N-Tear quarterback, Rudy Estrada completed 9 of 20 passes for 171 yards and 2 TDS.
Game two brought another undefeated team, The Bucs, to the field to face The Confederates. The Feds had to face the 4-0 team with a short roster of 8. The team was without starting receiver, Ron Bell and guard, Tim Ellis. But even without the missing stars, The Feds fared well against the powerful Bucs team. Confederate's quarterback, Shawn Hudson put the first 6 points on the board. After a well executed drive down the field, Hudson caught receiver, Robert Ryan in the endzone. The Bucs answered immediately with a touchdown of their own when quarterback, Will Franklin met receiver, Steve Dailey with a 48 yard touchdown bomb. The two opening-drive scores set the stage for a match that went back and forth all day. The Bucs scored a two point conversion following their second touchdown in the game that ended up being the deciding factor in their victory. Hudson, despite a broken jaw suffered early in the second half, finished the game with impressive numbers going 15 of 22 for 277 yards and 4 touchdowns. Hudson's efforts were matched by Bucs quarterback, Franklin, who completed 10 of 18 passes for 250 yards and 4 touchdowns. Bucs' receiver, Emil Lovec had a big game with 4 catches for 115 yards and a touchdown. With two minutes left in the game, The Bucs were holding a 27-25, two-point lead. After a penalty-plagued possession that literally ate up the time, The Feds had one final opportunity to put the game back in their favor. Receiving the ball with only seconds left, Hudson put the ball up and into the hands of tight end Virgil Berry. Berry got to the 16 yard line and attempted to run the ball out of bounds but was kept on the playing field which allowed time to expire.
The Panthers returned to the field in game three to face The Cougars. The 1 and 2 Cougars were anxious to see a victory after 2 consecutive losses but, despite several impressive drives, the team was only able to find the endzone once on a run from Nigel Cockayne. The Panthers' defense was too much for the rookie team; 10 of the 12 existing Panthers grabbed numerous tackles and sacks including 4 deflections by Andy Robertson, a fumble recovery by Neal Braunel and 2 INTS by Nate Nelson. Nelson also ran back a kick off for The Panthers' first score. The Panthers' offense found the endzone three more times. Quarterback, Lee Robertson completed 8 of 12 passes for 126 yards and 2 touchdowns. Tight end, Scott Valentine and receiver, Andy Robertson both caught touchdowns and Panther running back, Mikel Williams, who leads the league, rushed for a touchdown and a total of 107 yards. The Panthers dealt The Cougars their third loss and finished the game with a 29-7 final score.
The winless Aztecs faced the only remaining undefeated team, Mean Streak, in game four. Aztecs' quarterback, Jonathan Villarreal, had a great game against, what was the first place team, completing almost 70% of his passes for 277 yards and 2 touchdowns. Villarreal mixed his passes up between receivers, Jason Craperi who received for 91 yards and a touchdown and Larry Harper who caught 7 passes for 186 yards and one touchdown. Harper also rushed for a 15 yard touchdown and earned himself offensive player of the week. Harper was equally successful on defense gathering 4 tackles and an interception. Mean Streak quarterback, Sage Tims was unable to get anything started for his offense completing only 5 passes for 81 yards and 1 touchdown to tight end Jeff Remington. Mean Streak's League-leading receiver, Nick McDaniel was absent for the game. In a rare moment, Villarreal, who is normally calm (ha ha), lost his temper and became quite vocal when another player insulted him. Villarreal's outburst lead to his ejection from the game. But Mean Streak's winning streak came to an end and the Aztecs' losing streak ended too as they beat Mean Streak 26-14.
The Invaders and The Wranglers met for the days final game. The Wranglers, because of The Aztecs' win, were the last remaining team not to have seen victory. The Invaders were prepared to make sure that was still the case when the game was over. Invaders' quarterback, Jake Wysong completed 7 of 11 passes for 147 yards and three touchdowns. Wysong found receiver, Bobby Leitko 3 times for 103 yards and 2 touchdowns. Adam Presley caught the other touchdown reception. Presley also rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown. The Wranglers had several long offensive drives end in heartbreak. Wranglers' quarterback, Chuch Tonzi was picked off three times after successfully moving the ball down the field between receivers. Terry Metcalf, Mark Hain and James Riggs. Tonzi was successful running the ball with 82 total yards and he scored his teams only touchdown in the game. Tonzi's interceptions fell into the hands of Jake Wysong with one and Nick Larson was credited with two of them. Invaders' cornerback and league-leading, tackler Mike McDowell earned defensive player of the week with a league record tie of 11 tackles. The Invaders saw their second win this season and capped off the days action with a 27-7 score.
NEXT WEEK'S KEY MATCH UPS
At 9a.m. the Aztecs coming back to the field after their first win will kick off week 5 against Rip-N-Tear. Both teams having identical 1-3 records should be eager for a win. We expect this one to be a great game. At 1p.m. the formerly undefeated Mean Streak will face off with the still unbeaten Bucs. It will be interesting to see if Mean Streak can end The Bucs "winning streak" or if The Bucs will hang on to their status.
Week 5 Game Summaries
Setting this week into motion was the first game of The Aztecs' double header. Meeting the Aztecs first was Rip-N-Tear. Both teams were hoping for a second victory having identical records of 1 and 3. Aztecs' quarterback, Jonathan Villarreal was excited after ending Mean Streak's undefeated run in last weeks upset. Taking the field with his revamped team on in impressive first drive, the quarterback moved the ball down field and put his team on the board quickly. Rip-N-Tear was unable to answer the Aztecs' score on their ensuing drive, giving the Aztecs more of a boost and setting up another score. Villarreal used his number one and current, league-leading receiver, Larry Harper along with current, league-leading tight end, Claude Walker time and again successfully. Harper received for 89 yards and Walker caught for 88, both scoring one touchdown each. With the attention on the two receivers, Villarreal was able two run two scores in himself. Before the half, Rip-N-Tear running back, Jason Plaut scored the team's first 6 points. The Aztecs were feeling quite comfortable at halftime supporting a 7 point lead but they forgot who they were playing. The league's defending champ's, Rip-N-Tear came out of the half determined not to be beat by the rookie team. Rip-N-Tear quarterback, Rudy Estrada along with receivers, Paul Harting and Austin Matthews quickly scored 2 touchdowns. Matthews scored first on a 47 yard bomb from Estrada. Harting received for 61 yards in the game and scored the third touchdown. Estrada ran in their fourth. With under two minutes left in the game, after a Rip-N-Tear failed drive, The Aztecs were ahead by a mere 1 point. Rip-N-Tear defensive end, Jeremy Litka had the games defining moment when he recovered a Villarreal Fumble and took it into the endzone giving Rip a 33-27 victory.
After a heart-breaking, last-minute loss in game one, The Aztecs had a chance for victory again when they faced The Invaders in game 2. The Invaders, who were 2 and 3 going into the game, were hoping to bring their record to 500. While The Aztecs did not want to go home with a double defeat. The Aztecs' defense forced Invader quarterback, Jake Wysong to keep the ball on the ground all day. Wysong rushed for 100 yards and a 2 TDS. Aztecs' quarterback Jonathan Villarreal was successful in the air, completing his third, consecutive, over-200-yard game. Villarreal threw for an awesome 229 yards and 4 touchdowns. Despite the incredible efforts of league-leading tackler Mike McDowell, receiver, Larry Harper and tight-end, Claude Walker were able to show off their skills again. This time, Harper caught for 123 yards, while Walker saw 95. McDowell, however, grabbed 9 tackles and stole the CCFFL season tackle record from Nate Nelson. The Aztecs' four scores were enough to capture the win. Invaders' quarterback, Wysong, ran in the team's third score after a fumble recovery. The final score was 25-18.
The still undefeated Panthers annihilated the winless Wranglers in game 3. In a game that was all Panthers the Wranglers defensively were only able to grab four flags as opposed to The Panthers 23 total tackles, 1 sack, 4 deflections, 2 fumble recoveries and most affective, 4 INTS, three of which were returned for touchdowns. Scoring off of those INTS were Panthers' Lee Robertson, Scott Valentine and Mac MacQuarrie. Special Team's, kick-returner, Nate Nelson put 12 more points on the Panthers' scoreboard, returning twice into the endzone. The Panthers' offense was equally successful, needing only 11 offensive plays to score four more touchdowns. Quarterback Lee Robertson completed an outstanding 100% of his passes going 9 of 9 for 133 yards and four touchdowns. Touchdown recipients were Andy Robertson, Ron Birdsall and two for Mikel Williams. Williams rushed for 17 yards on one attempt and Robertson rushed for 3 yards on one attempt. The game ended in a 59-0 shut-out for the Panthers.
Wass'up with Mean Streak? In game four the team that started the season 4-0 was defeated for the second consecutive week. This time the defeat came at the hands of the undefeated Bucs. Mean Streak's defense played the Bucs hard, holding The Bucs' offense to only 62 yards in the air and 40 yards on the ground. But it was The Bucs' defense that ultimately won the game. Safety for The Bucs, Will Franklin earned defensive player of the week with 3 INTS all for touchdowns and a combined 278 yards. Jason Jones also caught an INT in the game. Jones ran for a score on The Bucs only offensive touchdown. Mean Streak put three touchdowns on the board during the game with a run by quarterback Sage Tims, a reception by tight-end Jeff Remington and a kick return by Josh Jacobs. But it was not enough to top The Bucs' four. With little time left in the game, after a late score by Mean Streak, the team attempted an onside kick in hopes to get the ball back for a final attempt at victory. The kick was recovered by The Bucs and Mean Streak was sent home with a 26-21 loss.
Finalizing week five were The Confederates and The Cougars. Both teams were playing with rosters of only eight. The Confederates were victorious in the end, finishing the game with a 27-21 score. Feds' quarterback, Shawn Hudson and receiver, Chuck Heironimus, were in sync all day. Hudson completed 11 of 17 passes for 277 yards and 4 touchdowns. Heironimus caught for 191 yards and two touchdowns. Receiving the other two Feds' touchdowns was receiver, Robert Ryan. Cougars' quarterback, David Harris completed 10 of 16 passes for 120 yards and 3 touchdowns. Cougar receiver, Nigel Cockayne had a huge day rushing and receiving. Cockayne rushed for 111 yards and received for 76 yards and a touchdown. Steve Donner caught the other two Cougar scores. The Confederates, holding a 21-7 lead with only four minutes left in the game, were caught off guard after a 69 yard Nigel Cockayne run that set up an 11 yard Cockayne touchdown reception. The touchdown put The Cougars right back in the game with only a 7 point deficit to overcome. But on the following drive the Feds answered The Cougars' score with one of their own giving them back their 14 point lead. The Cougars quickly capitalized again with a TD, and brought the score back within reach. But it was too late as there was only 40 seconds remaining when they had to give the ball back to the Feds, enabling them to simply kneel down and wait for time to expire.
Next Week's Key Match Up
Week six kicks off at 9:00 a.m. with the undefeated Panthers and Mean Streak. This should be a great match up as two of the leagues finest teams will be meeting for the first time this season. The Panthers, no doubt, will try and hold onto their undefeated record, but Mean Streak will try equally as hard to break the Panther's winning streak and re-start their own.
Week 6 Game Summaries
Can the Panthers be beat? With an offensive line consisting of Joe Eckman, Neal Braunel and Robert Myrick, to date, the answer remains NO. It was Mean Streak who took on the challenge in week 6. Mean Streak's offense was held to only 60 total yards as the Panthers' defense shut down everything they tried. Just as they have done in the past, the powerful Panthers' line gave way to QB, Lee Robertson's 77% passing for 175 yards and 5 TDs and 51 yards for running back, Mikel Williams. In true form, TE, Scott Valentine accounted for two Panther touchdowns while Andy Robertson, Nate Nelson and Jasen Hensley each brought in 6 points. Notably, for Mean Streak's defense were 7 tackles by Nick McDaniel and 4 tackles, 1 sack and a deflection by Dan Martin. In what we thought would be an exciting match up, spectators were left with another Panther blowout. Mean Streak fans were sent home with a 31-0 shut out.
Blowouts seemed to be the theme of the day. In game two, Rip-N-Tear brought their record to 500 as they demolished the Invaders. With, starting QB, Rudy Estrada absent, last years, championship quarterback, Paul Harting comfortably settled into his former role, completing 7 of 11 passes for 206 yards and 4 TDs. Harting also rushed for 84 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Invaders' defense, despite having league-leading tackler, Mike McDowell in their backfield, was unable to stop Rip-N-Tear. Rip's offense scored 6 on each of their offensive drives. Running back, Jason Plaut accounted for both a rushing and a receiving touchdown. Chad Morrison, Gary Noah and Austin Matthews scored the other 3 Rip TDs. The only Invader touchdown that Rip-N-Tear allowed was a 19-yard pass from QB, Jake Wysong to McDowell. The final score was 53-6.
It was the Bucs who continued the trend in Game 3 as they battled the Cougars. Unlike the first two games, it looked like the Cougars were going to hold their own. At halftime, the Cougars were only down by 2 points, 14-12. The Cougars' two scores were on a QB, Steve Donovan pass to Jeff Cloutier and a run by Nigel Cockayne. The Bucs showed that the first half was a fluke as the second half solely belonged to them. QB, Will Franklin completed 8 passes on the day for 166 yards and 4 TDs and rushed for 67 yards and another touchdown. Franklin met all of his receivers, Archie Ervin, Joe Buckner, Steve Dailey, Emil Lovec and TE, Mike Miles. Ervin, Daily and Lovec split up the touchdown receptions. Bucs' running back, Jason Jones also got in on the action with a 5-yard touchdown run. The Bucs' defense was led by Lovec who grabbed 4 tackles, a deflection and an INT. Game 3 ended with a score of 41-12 and allowed the Bucs to remain undefeated.
The Aztecs faced the Cougars in game 4 and decided to, not only uphold the days blowout theme, but set some new standards of their own. Aztecs' quarterback, Jonathan Villarreal and tight end, Claude Walker found their ways into CCFFL record books. Villarreal completed 13 of 18 passes for an amazing, league-passing-record of 423 yards. He also, briefly, stole the existing touchdown record of 5 in a game when he completed 6. Walker claimed the league, receiving-yards-in-a-game record with an astonishing 300 yards and he tied the touchdowns-in-a-game record for a receiver with 4. Above and beyond the record grabbing, league-leading Aztecs' receiver, Larry Harper received for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Villarreal, not known for his speed, was able to step up his pace for another touchdown thrown to him by his guard, Marcus Fuller. The offensive player of the week award went to Villarreal, however, it was a tough decision as Walker's performance was equally in need of recognition along with the outstanding efforts of the offensive line, Dave Alexander, Aaron McBride and Fuller. The Cougars, worn out from the first game of their double header, scored no points in the first half but were able to put 2 touchdowns on the board when Jason Garcia took over as QB. Garcia completed 5 of 6 passes for 100 yards and 2 touchdowns. Jason Cloutier received both TDs and a total of 109 yards in the game. Those were the only Cougar highlights in the 47-15 game.
A shut out was a perfect conclusion for the day as the Confederates and the Wranglers capped things off. The Wranglers had some success in moving the ball. QB, Chuck Tonzi completed 8 passes for 138 yards as Charles Finlaw received for 62 yards and Jason Finley for 59. But sacks and INTs were the Wranglers downfall. Confederates, Chuck Heironimus and Rob Horsman intercepted Tonzi 3 times who was also sacked a total of 10 times one each by Thor Pari, Tim Ellis and Jeremy Harrison, twice by Horsman and 5 times by Defensive Player-of-the-Week, Virgil Berry. The Wranglers' defense, despite 9 tackles by David Ganschow, was unable to stop the Feds' offense from scoring every time they had possession. Feds' QB, Shawn Hudson passed for 320 yards and took back the touchdown-by-a-quarterback-in-a-game record with 7. Heironimus, Hudson's #1 target, received for 143 yards and tied his existing record of 4 touchdowns in a game. Thor Pari, Robert Ryan and Virgil Berry received the other 3 Feds' TDs. Even after the 50-0 shut-out win for the Confederates, Wranglers' Captain and QB, Tonzi felt his team was reffed unfairly and requested a post-season rematch.
Next Weeks Key Match Up
Need we say it?
The league's only two undefeated teams will decide who will remain on top! The game takes place at 12:00 noon and is sure to be action packed.
.End of Season Banquet!!! Fastest Man!!!
We are having an end of season banquet on Friday evening, May 26, 2000. We hope that many of you will attend. The Banquet will be held at The Carson Nugget. There will be a buffet dinner, music, dancing and entertainment provided by The CCFFL's own Terry Metcalf a.k.a. "The Midnight Cowboy". Dinner will be served beginning at 6:30 P.M. We will be giving out the plaques and the league magazine at the banquet as well as announcing the all-star team and the two teams scheduled to play the following days championship game. The cost to attend is $15.00 per person (sorry that was the best we could find). Please note that you must purchase tickets to the banquet no later than May 6, 2000. You can get tickets from either Tracey or Jennifer (the stat keepers) at the following games: Week 8, April 29 - Week 9, May 6. If you know you will be attending, please let us know ASAP to help us plan better.
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