Originally posted by GregHicks7
.....you have....way....too much time....
Or he is just a good owner who cares about his team
.....you have....way....too much time....
Or he is just a good owner who cares about his team
Forum > Game Recaps > Tuscon Times
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Tuscon Times
Published: May 5, 2008
NightHawks Trade For Level 9 Receiver
Tuscon: The NightHawks front office announced this morning that a trade had been finalized with the Northern Wolves of the USA AAA #2 Western Conference to obtain level 9 wide receiver Big Bomb in exchange for all star defensive tackle Crushus Pocketus.
“We're thrilled to welcome Bomb to the NightHawks family,” said Team Owner pontiacnutt, “Yet at the same time we're saddened to be losing Crushus. Its the nature of the business though that sometime you have to make moves like this to improve your team. Fortunately defensive tackle was an area of depth for us on this team, at the same time we had was we felt was a legitimate need at receiver. We thought that by making this move it would make us overall a stronger team. We'd have been crazy not to make the move”
Bomb had been used as a #2 receiver on the higher level Triple A team. Sources within the NightHawks organization say that once the trade is finalized by the league, he will become the #1 receiver for the NightHawks. The staff had made no secret in recent games of their desire to improve the Tuscon passing game. While further moves aren't expected they also haven't been ruled out by the team according to the same source.
Pocketus, who has piled up 18 tackles and 6 sacks so far this season with the NightHawks, approved the trade even though he said he regretted leaving the NightHawks and the fans in Tuscon. “They have a great thing going here and I wish them the best. I hate to leave in the middle of what we feel like is a championship run but I felt like it was the right move for my family financially.” Pocketus is expected to sign a new contract with the Wolves that with incentives and signing bonus are rumored to increase his current pay by 50%.
Bomb who was unable for comment also had to agree to the trade. His agent Big Brain did release a statement on the trade, “Big is thrilled at the chance to come to Tuscon and compete for a championship as a number 1 receiver. He hopes to help lead the NightHawks to the BBB Trophy.”
League approval of the trade is considered little more than a formality. It is expected to be completed by midnight tonight with Bomb being available to play in the upcoming game against the Raving Mad Dawgs.
Published: May 5, 2008
NightHawks Trade For Level 9 Receiver
Tuscon: The NightHawks front office announced this morning that a trade had been finalized with the Northern Wolves of the USA AAA #2 Western Conference to obtain level 9 wide receiver Big Bomb in exchange for all star defensive tackle Crushus Pocketus.
“We're thrilled to welcome Bomb to the NightHawks family,” said Team Owner pontiacnutt, “Yet at the same time we're saddened to be losing Crushus. Its the nature of the business though that sometime you have to make moves like this to improve your team. Fortunately defensive tackle was an area of depth for us on this team, at the same time we had was we felt was a legitimate need at receiver. We thought that by making this move it would make us overall a stronger team. We'd have been crazy not to make the move”
Bomb had been used as a #2 receiver on the higher level Triple A team. Sources within the NightHawks organization say that once the trade is finalized by the league, he will become the #1 receiver for the NightHawks. The staff had made no secret in recent games of their desire to improve the Tuscon passing game. While further moves aren't expected they also haven't been ruled out by the team according to the same source.
Pocketus, who has piled up 18 tackles and 6 sacks so far this season with the NightHawks, approved the trade even though he said he regretted leaving the NightHawks and the fans in Tuscon. “They have a great thing going here and I wish them the best. I hate to leave in the middle of what we feel like is a championship run but I felt like it was the right move for my family financially.” Pocketus is expected to sign a new contract with the Wolves that with incentives and signing bonus are rumored to increase his current pay by 50%.
Bomb who was unable for comment also had to agree to the trade. His agent Big Brain did release a statement on the trade, “Big is thrilled at the chance to come to Tuscon and compete for a championship as a number 1 receiver. He hopes to help lead the NightHawks to the BBB Trophy.”
League approval of the trade is considered little more than a formality. It is expected to be completed by midnight tonight with Bomb being available to play in the upcoming game against the Raving Mad Dawgs.
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Tuscon Times
Published: Wednesday, May 8, 2008
Dawgs Players File Grievance With Union
Tuscon: Players from the Raving Mad Dawgs have filed a grievance with the players union charging owner Dogwar with demanding sexual favors to guarantee placement on the team depth chart. Players union team rep Richard Bush said that players have so far refused and it's not clear the implications that this might have on their game with the Tuscon NightHawks.
“We want to see this put to an end by the league,” said Bush, “There is no reason for the players on our team to have to prostitute ourselves for a spot on the depth chart." As to specifics of the requests made by team owner Dogwar all Bush would say was, “I can only speak for myself but he wanted me to dress up as Oprah because he'd always had a fantasy about having Oprah violate him “Mad Dawgie Style”with a strap on, you know sick shit like that.”
“One team source says the defensive line was asked to dress in prison garb along with the owner and then to perfom a “Old Fashion Prison Gang Bang” on the owner.
It appears 4 players have gone inactive from the Mad Dawgs roster in an effort to avoid the rumored sexual harrassment.
So far it appears only 3 players have been listed on the depth chart but efforts to reach Quarterbacks Dog Tom, and Adam Reily, and Weakside Defensive End Sick Pitts have failed. Bush said, “What their listing on the depth chart means, we can only guess at this time.”
Owner Dogwar has also refused comment and so far no one in the front office is taking calls either though curiously they did fax a press release to local news agencies regarding the naming of their stadium to a corporate sponsor. Beginning next season it will be called “Astroglide Stadium”.
Published: Wednesday, May 8, 2008
Dawgs Players File Grievance With Union
Tuscon: Players from the Raving Mad Dawgs have filed a grievance with the players union charging owner Dogwar with demanding sexual favors to guarantee placement on the team depth chart. Players union team rep Richard Bush said that players have so far refused and it's not clear the implications that this might have on their game with the Tuscon NightHawks.
“We want to see this put to an end by the league,” said Bush, “There is no reason for the players on our team to have to prostitute ourselves for a spot on the depth chart." As to specifics of the requests made by team owner Dogwar all Bush would say was, “I can only speak for myself but he wanted me to dress up as Oprah because he'd always had a fantasy about having Oprah violate him “Mad Dawgie Style”with a strap on, you know sick shit like that.”
“One team source says the defensive line was asked to dress in prison garb along with the owner and then to perfom a “Old Fashion Prison Gang Bang” on the owner.
It appears 4 players have gone inactive from the Mad Dawgs roster in an effort to avoid the rumored sexual harrassment.
So far it appears only 3 players have been listed on the depth chart but efforts to reach Quarterbacks Dog Tom, and Adam Reily, and Weakside Defensive End Sick Pitts have failed. Bush said, “What their listing on the depth chart means, we can only guess at this time.”
Owner Dogwar has also refused comment and so far no one in the front office is taking calls either though curiously they did fax a press release to local news agencies regarding the naming of their stadium to a corporate sponsor. Beginning next season it will be called “Astroglide Stadium”.
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Tuscon Times
Published: Wednesday, May 8, 2008
NightHawks Defense Tames Mad Dawgs
Tuscon: Most folks dealing with a mad dog will have him put to sleep. NightHawks management wasn't quite so human choosing instead to sick their defense on him.
It was fairly obvious early on in this game who the big dog was on the field. No the Mad Dogs didn't lay down, not hardly. They battled all the way to the end of the game. What was obvious was that they had no answer for the Tuscon defense.
The Mad Dogs won the toss and chose to defer to the second half. Mark Ingram took the opening kickoff for Tuscon and returned it 35 yards to the NightHawks 46 yard line. Tuscon was unable to do anything on offense though and were forced to punt the ball back to the Dawgs who took over on their own 31 yard line. After picking up an initial 1st down they were stuffed on a first down run and had a pass deflected on 2nd down with ikkyu hosagawa turning in both defensive plays.
The NightHawks returned the favor picking up a first down on a 3 yard rush by Blah Dow and 7 yard hookup between 1-true Farve-fan and Shayde Black. The Mad Dawgs put an end on Tuscon's hopes for a drive though when they forced three straight incompletion's. The NightHawks forced a 3 and out on defense and quickly got the ball back. 2 huge pass plays to new wide out Big Bomb seemed to light a spark under the Tuscon offense. The first came on a second and ten when Farve-fan found Bomb up the right side for an 8 yard gain to set up a makable 3rd and short which Tuscon converted. The second showed NightHawks fans why the front office paid the price they did to get Bomb. On a first and 10 in Mad Dawgs territory Bomb went up over the Mad Dawg defender and made a one hand, over the shoulder catch and was immediately nailed by a Dawg defender. Despite the hard lick Bomb held on to the ball for a gain of 20 yards giving the NightHawks a first and goal at the Mad Dawg eight yard line. After a sack on Farve-fan stopped the drive, the NightHawks called on Cantphil Maleg who was perfect on a 31 yard field goal.
Trailing 3-0 the Mad Dawgs got the ball back wanting to immediately answer the Tuscon score. The NightHawks defense would have nothing of it though allowing the Mad Dawgs to net only 4 yards on the possession. Tuscon got the ball back and appeared as if it had found it's stride. After a 13 yard Blah Dow rush for a first down and another reception for Big Bomb for 8 yards it appeared that the NightHawks were again headed for paydirt, but on a 3rd and 6 Blah Dow was forced to fumble and the Mad Dawgs came up with the recovery on their on 31 yard line. “That was a killer, I just knew that momentum was going to swing their way right there. I guess I need to have more faith in our defense.” said Coach p-nutt with a smile.
Maybe he should, the NightHawks defense didn't give up a yard forcing another Mad Dawgs punt. After Zo Lawerence set Tuscon up at the Mad Dawgs 44 yard line with a 22 yard punt return the offense took over and used the running game to ground out a touchdown drive. Blah Dow capped things off with a 8 yard touchdown scamper giving Tuscon a 10-0 lead.
After both teams went 3 and out the Mad Dogs got the ball back and seemed to find the answer on how to move the ball. Mixing the pass and run to perfection the Mad Dawgs drove from their own 34 yard line to the NightHawks 29 where they faced and 2nd and 10. “We were playing pass all the way,” said NightHawks cornerback ikkyu hosagawa “ I was able to make my drop and read the quarterbacks eyes all the way.” That was all the advantage he needed as hosagawa stepped in front of Dog Tom's pass and intercepted it ending the threat and allowing the NightHawks to run out the half.
The second half opened with more of the same, both teams playing tough defense. It wasn't until Tuscon's 2nd possession that they were able to put together a drive moving from their own 39 to the Mad Dogs 19, mostly on the legs of Mark Ingram, before being forced to settle for another field goal giving them a 13-0 lead.
Both teams then traded multiple punts, unable to sustain drives. The NightHawks took over with 1:54 left in the 3rd quarter. Cody Cheatham went on a streak of 5 straight completions to move the ball in to field goal territory where the NightHawks settled for Cantphil Maleg's 3rd field goal of the night to give Tuscon a 16-0 lead.
At that point with the way the defense was playing 16 points seemed an insurmountable lead. Truth be told though things got a bit hairy in the 4th quarter and might have gotten very interesting if not for the top defense in the conference. The Mad Dogs fumbled the kickoff and Tuscon recovered in Mad Dogs territory and appeared in prime position to put another nail in the Dawgs coffin. The Mad Dawg defense hung tough though forcing a 3 and out and a punt. Again though the Dawgs were unable to mount any offense and were forced to punt the ball back to Tuscon. On second down Lee Wilk seemed to again light a fire under the Tuscon offense when he broke 5 tackles at the line of scrimmage and managed to ramble 15 yards for a first down. Keeping it on the ground and alternating between Wilk, and Blah Dow the NightHawks put the game away for good when Dow scored from 3 yards out. Dow's score was set up by a key 2nd down pass play where Cheatham rolled away from pressure and found Mark Ingram Jr. who had snuck out of the NightHawks backfield and down the left side for a 21 yard gain.
After the Mad Dogs returned the kickoff to their own 41 yard line they went to their 2 minute hurry up offense with qb Dog Tom calling pass plays at the line. Going strictly through the air the Dawgs moved from their 41 to the Tuscon 5 yardline. It appeared for sure that the NightHawks would lose the shutout. “As a defense you pride yourself on being able to prevent the other team from scoring. To lose a shutout like that late in the 4th quarter would have left a bad taste in my mouth” said Tuscon defensive tackle Jason Nagurski.
On 4th and goal from the 5 yard line Nagurski put an end to that catching nil nospmoht on the 2.5 yard line as he tried to score on a swing pass. The NightHawks took over but played things conservatively keeping the ball on the ground. After forcing a Tuscon punt the Mad Dawgs took over in great field position when finnnagin shminnagin shanked a punt that Mikeee Bones was able to return to the NightHawks 19 yard line.
The NightHawks defense again bowed it's back and refused to allow the score forcing incompletion's on 1st and 2nd downs. A 3rd down pass was deflected by Sex Tornado. The Mad Dawgs turned the ball over on downs on 4th down when a short screen pass out of the back field to a Mad Dawgs back was sniffed out by Trey Gomez who dropped the back 8 yards short of the first down.
The Tuscon offense again played things conservatively but were unable to move the chains. They were forced to punt the ball again and again the punt was shanked. The Mad Dawgs were in ideal field position at the Tuscon 31 yard line.
This time Mad Dawgs quarterback thought he'd try new Tuscon cornerback Cro Marty. It turned out to be a bad idea as Marty deflected away 3 straight Mad Dog passing attempts putting the Dawgs in a familiar 4th and 10 position. On 4th down Tuscon Strong Safety Curtis Lemansky stepped up and nearly intercepted the ball as he batted it away from Dawgs Wideout Action Pike. The Mad Dogs did manage to get the ball back but were able to only put together two completions as time ran out.
“It was a great game without a doubt,” said coach p-nutt. “We came into the game knowing what we wanted to do but to their credit they made us change things up a bit,” admitted OC Dolhoz “That's part of the game though, being able to make adjustments on the fly”.
On the defenses refusal to give up the shutout, “Things didn't go our way in the 4th quarter,” said corner Cro Marty “It seemed like they had field position the whole second half. We're there in the huddle though and Nagurski just looked a everybody and told us we weren't giving up any points.”
Of note: New additions to the roster Cro Marty and Big Bomb had very successful games. Marty finished with 6 tackles and 4 pass deflections. Big Bomb ended the night leading the passing attack with 5 catches for 50 yards.
***Stats of the Game***
We could go with...........
Cody Cheatham going 15/19 passing for 120 yards.
Or we could go with......
Gonnalay youonyoura$$ with his 8 pancake blocks
Or maybe.......
The 18 punts between the two teams
But I think I'll go with.........
The 11 straight quarters the NightHawks defense has held teams scoreless.
Published: Wednesday, May 8, 2008
NightHawks Defense Tames Mad Dawgs
Tuscon: Most folks dealing with a mad dog will have him put to sleep. NightHawks management wasn't quite so human choosing instead to sick their defense on him.
It was fairly obvious early on in this game who the big dog was on the field. No the Mad Dogs didn't lay down, not hardly. They battled all the way to the end of the game. What was obvious was that they had no answer for the Tuscon defense.
The Mad Dogs won the toss and chose to defer to the second half. Mark Ingram took the opening kickoff for Tuscon and returned it 35 yards to the NightHawks 46 yard line. Tuscon was unable to do anything on offense though and were forced to punt the ball back to the Dawgs who took over on their own 31 yard line. After picking up an initial 1st down they were stuffed on a first down run and had a pass deflected on 2nd down with ikkyu hosagawa turning in both defensive plays.
The NightHawks returned the favor picking up a first down on a 3 yard rush by Blah Dow and 7 yard hookup between 1-true Farve-fan and Shayde Black. The Mad Dawgs put an end on Tuscon's hopes for a drive though when they forced three straight incompletion's. The NightHawks forced a 3 and out on defense and quickly got the ball back. 2 huge pass plays to new wide out Big Bomb seemed to light a spark under the Tuscon offense. The first came on a second and ten when Farve-fan found Bomb up the right side for an 8 yard gain to set up a makable 3rd and short which Tuscon converted. The second showed NightHawks fans why the front office paid the price they did to get Bomb. On a first and 10 in Mad Dawgs territory Bomb went up over the Mad Dawg defender and made a one hand, over the shoulder catch and was immediately nailed by a Dawg defender. Despite the hard lick Bomb held on to the ball for a gain of 20 yards giving the NightHawks a first and goal at the Mad Dawg eight yard line. After a sack on Farve-fan stopped the drive, the NightHawks called on Cantphil Maleg who was perfect on a 31 yard field goal.
Trailing 3-0 the Mad Dawgs got the ball back wanting to immediately answer the Tuscon score. The NightHawks defense would have nothing of it though allowing the Mad Dawgs to net only 4 yards on the possession. Tuscon got the ball back and appeared as if it had found it's stride. After a 13 yard Blah Dow rush for a first down and another reception for Big Bomb for 8 yards it appeared that the NightHawks were again headed for paydirt, but on a 3rd and 6 Blah Dow was forced to fumble and the Mad Dawgs came up with the recovery on their on 31 yard line. “That was a killer, I just knew that momentum was going to swing their way right there. I guess I need to have more faith in our defense.” said Coach p-nutt with a smile.
Maybe he should, the NightHawks defense didn't give up a yard forcing another Mad Dawgs punt. After Zo Lawerence set Tuscon up at the Mad Dawgs 44 yard line with a 22 yard punt return the offense took over and used the running game to ground out a touchdown drive. Blah Dow capped things off with a 8 yard touchdown scamper giving Tuscon a 10-0 lead.
After both teams went 3 and out the Mad Dogs got the ball back and seemed to find the answer on how to move the ball. Mixing the pass and run to perfection the Mad Dawgs drove from their own 34 yard line to the NightHawks 29 where they faced and 2nd and 10. “We were playing pass all the way,” said NightHawks cornerback ikkyu hosagawa “ I was able to make my drop and read the quarterbacks eyes all the way.” That was all the advantage he needed as hosagawa stepped in front of Dog Tom's pass and intercepted it ending the threat and allowing the NightHawks to run out the half.
The second half opened with more of the same, both teams playing tough defense. It wasn't until Tuscon's 2nd possession that they were able to put together a drive moving from their own 39 to the Mad Dogs 19, mostly on the legs of Mark Ingram, before being forced to settle for another field goal giving them a 13-0 lead.
Both teams then traded multiple punts, unable to sustain drives. The NightHawks took over with 1:54 left in the 3rd quarter. Cody Cheatham went on a streak of 5 straight completions to move the ball in to field goal territory where the NightHawks settled for Cantphil Maleg's 3rd field goal of the night to give Tuscon a 16-0 lead.
At that point with the way the defense was playing 16 points seemed an insurmountable lead. Truth be told though things got a bit hairy in the 4th quarter and might have gotten very interesting if not for the top defense in the conference. The Mad Dogs fumbled the kickoff and Tuscon recovered in Mad Dogs territory and appeared in prime position to put another nail in the Dawgs coffin. The Mad Dawg defense hung tough though forcing a 3 and out and a punt. Again though the Dawgs were unable to mount any offense and were forced to punt the ball back to Tuscon. On second down Lee Wilk seemed to again light a fire under the Tuscon offense when he broke 5 tackles at the line of scrimmage and managed to ramble 15 yards for a first down. Keeping it on the ground and alternating between Wilk, and Blah Dow the NightHawks put the game away for good when Dow scored from 3 yards out. Dow's score was set up by a key 2nd down pass play where Cheatham rolled away from pressure and found Mark Ingram Jr. who had snuck out of the NightHawks backfield and down the left side for a 21 yard gain.
After the Mad Dogs returned the kickoff to their own 41 yard line they went to their 2 minute hurry up offense with qb Dog Tom calling pass plays at the line. Going strictly through the air the Dawgs moved from their 41 to the Tuscon 5 yardline. It appeared for sure that the NightHawks would lose the shutout. “As a defense you pride yourself on being able to prevent the other team from scoring. To lose a shutout like that late in the 4th quarter would have left a bad taste in my mouth” said Tuscon defensive tackle Jason Nagurski.
On 4th and goal from the 5 yard line Nagurski put an end to that catching nil nospmoht on the 2.5 yard line as he tried to score on a swing pass. The NightHawks took over but played things conservatively keeping the ball on the ground. After forcing a Tuscon punt the Mad Dawgs took over in great field position when finnnagin shminnagin shanked a punt that Mikeee Bones was able to return to the NightHawks 19 yard line.
The NightHawks defense again bowed it's back and refused to allow the score forcing incompletion's on 1st and 2nd downs. A 3rd down pass was deflected by Sex Tornado. The Mad Dawgs turned the ball over on downs on 4th down when a short screen pass out of the back field to a Mad Dawgs back was sniffed out by Trey Gomez who dropped the back 8 yards short of the first down.
The Tuscon offense again played things conservatively but were unable to move the chains. They were forced to punt the ball again and again the punt was shanked. The Mad Dawgs were in ideal field position at the Tuscon 31 yard line.
This time Mad Dawgs quarterback thought he'd try new Tuscon cornerback Cro Marty. It turned out to be a bad idea as Marty deflected away 3 straight Mad Dog passing attempts putting the Dawgs in a familiar 4th and 10 position. On 4th down Tuscon Strong Safety Curtis Lemansky stepped up and nearly intercepted the ball as he batted it away from Dawgs Wideout Action Pike. The Mad Dogs did manage to get the ball back but were able to only put together two completions as time ran out.
“It was a great game without a doubt,” said coach p-nutt. “We came into the game knowing what we wanted to do but to their credit they made us change things up a bit,” admitted OC Dolhoz “That's part of the game though, being able to make adjustments on the fly”.
On the defenses refusal to give up the shutout, “Things didn't go our way in the 4th quarter,” said corner Cro Marty “It seemed like they had field position the whole second half. We're there in the huddle though and Nagurski just looked a everybody and told us we weren't giving up any points.”
Of note: New additions to the roster Cro Marty and Big Bomb had very successful games. Marty finished with 6 tackles and 4 pass deflections. Big Bomb ended the night leading the passing attack with 5 catches for 50 yards.
***Stats of the Game***
We could go with...........
Cody Cheatham going 15/19 passing for 120 yards.
Or we could go with......
Gonnalay youonyoura$$ with his 8 pancake blocks
Or maybe.......
The 18 punts between the two teams
But I think I'll go with.........
The 11 straight quarters the NightHawks defense has held teams scoreless.
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NightHawks Not Feeling Very Patriotic
Tuscon: On Saturday night when the Tuscon NightHawks take the field against the Omaha, with the Patriots adorned in their red, white, and blue there won't be any salutes or salutations. Instead they'll be looking to cause maximum damage. They'll be looking to leave those patriotic colors stained with grass, dirt, and probably blood as they hopefully grind out their 7th win.
The NightHawks should be a prohibitive favorite going into the game. Does that worry Coach p-nutt ? "No, not really anyway, I mean we'll discuss the fact that we can't afford to have a letdown. We're coming off a highly emotional game against a conference rival and facing a team that's a bit down so I think it would be a natural inclination for the players to relax a little. It's our job as coaches to make sure that doesn't happen and we will do our job."
The passing game seems to have found it's stride in the last 2 games in both production and percentage of completions. The addition of Big Bomb has given the offense a new facet that it hasn't had before, a go too guy. When they need to move the chains or come up with a big play, he's the guy. No longer do they have to depend only on tight ends Eric Roy or JJ Blue to come up with a big play and that forces defenses to have to scheme them differently.
With the focus on the passing game the last few weeks it seems that the rushing games production has dropped off. In reality though with the running games early success and the struggles of the passing games defenses have started to crowd the line in an attempt to stop the running game, believing that the NightHawks passing game wasn't a threat to beat them. That is no longer the case so teams will be forced to account for the passing game.
The Patriots, coming off a 7 point loss to the Anchorage Maulers, have shown themselves competent on offense. Their passing game is the spark that makes their offense go. They have the 5th highest productive passing game in the conference. The other side of that coin though is their rushing game which is the 14th rated. They've struggled to move the ball on the ground for most of the year averaging just 64.7 yards a game.
Their defense has been quiet offensive, no pun intended. They've surrendered 1471.5 yards passing on the season for an average of 210.2 yards a game. Their rush defense hasn't been much better giving up 1003 yards on the season at a 143.3 yards a game clip. Having surrendered 19 touchdowns and 7 field goals they seem a big target for an emerging Tuscon offense. "They've had some problems this year on defense and we hope they continue for at least one more game," said NightHawks tailback Blah Dow. "I haven't really been able to get on track the last few games so I'm itching to get out on the field and find some running room."
On defense Coach p-nutt know what his unit has to do, "We just need to keep doing the same things we've been doing. Our fundamentals have been sound all year. We worked on them hard in camp and it's payed off. As long as we continue to do those things we'll be fine." Defensive Tackle Wilson Smashmouth agreed but added, "We play up tempo on defense." Asked what that meant he replied, "We never let up on the pressure. We're always coming forward and trying to force you to do something you wouldn't normally do. A lot of defenses sit back on their heals, you know, read and react. That's not us, we make them (the offense) react."
***Key matchups***
NightHawks Wideout Big Bomb vs. Patriots corner Antti Skippari
Skippari is the Pat's best cover corner and it's reasonable to expect they will match him up with Bomb. If Bomb is able to get off on his routes cleanly it could be a long night for the Patriots defense.
NightHawks defensive line vs. the Patriots offensive line
If the Tuscon front 4 is able to get penetration and pressure on Patriots quarterback Liaz Brady while still being able to stuff the run it free's up the linebackers to help out in pass coverage. If that happens the Patriots might not be able to score much less win.
NightHawks running game vs. Omaha's front 7
The NightHawks backs and offensive line take pride in their ability to rush the ball. Rushing numbers have been down the past few games and they take that personal. If Dow, Ingram and Wilk can find room to run and can consistently move the chains in conjunction with the passing game it will keep the Patriots offense on the bench and wear out a thin Omaha defense. Game, Set and Match.
Tuscon: On Saturday night when the Tuscon NightHawks take the field against the Omaha, with the Patriots adorned in their red, white, and blue there won't be any salutes or salutations. Instead they'll be looking to cause maximum damage. They'll be looking to leave those patriotic colors stained with grass, dirt, and probably blood as they hopefully grind out their 7th win.
The NightHawks should be a prohibitive favorite going into the game. Does that worry Coach p-nutt ? "No, not really anyway, I mean we'll discuss the fact that we can't afford to have a letdown. We're coming off a highly emotional game against a conference rival and facing a team that's a bit down so I think it would be a natural inclination for the players to relax a little. It's our job as coaches to make sure that doesn't happen and we will do our job."
The passing game seems to have found it's stride in the last 2 games in both production and percentage of completions. The addition of Big Bomb has given the offense a new facet that it hasn't had before, a go too guy. When they need to move the chains or come up with a big play, he's the guy. No longer do they have to depend only on tight ends Eric Roy or JJ Blue to come up with a big play and that forces defenses to have to scheme them differently.
With the focus on the passing game the last few weeks it seems that the rushing games production has dropped off. In reality though with the running games early success and the struggles of the passing games defenses have started to crowd the line in an attempt to stop the running game, believing that the NightHawks passing game wasn't a threat to beat them. That is no longer the case so teams will be forced to account for the passing game.
The Patriots, coming off a 7 point loss to the Anchorage Maulers, have shown themselves competent on offense. Their passing game is the spark that makes their offense go. They have the 5th highest productive passing game in the conference. The other side of that coin though is their rushing game which is the 14th rated. They've struggled to move the ball on the ground for most of the year averaging just 64.7 yards a game.
Their defense has been quiet offensive, no pun intended. They've surrendered 1471.5 yards passing on the season for an average of 210.2 yards a game. Their rush defense hasn't been much better giving up 1003 yards on the season at a 143.3 yards a game clip. Having surrendered 19 touchdowns and 7 field goals they seem a big target for an emerging Tuscon offense. "They've had some problems this year on defense and we hope they continue for at least one more game," said NightHawks tailback Blah Dow. "I haven't really been able to get on track the last few games so I'm itching to get out on the field and find some running room."
On defense Coach p-nutt know what his unit has to do, "We just need to keep doing the same things we've been doing. Our fundamentals have been sound all year. We worked on them hard in camp and it's payed off. As long as we continue to do those things we'll be fine." Defensive Tackle Wilson Smashmouth agreed but added, "We play up tempo on defense." Asked what that meant he replied, "We never let up on the pressure. We're always coming forward and trying to force you to do something you wouldn't normally do. A lot of defenses sit back on their heals, you know, read and react. That's not us, we make them (the offense) react."
***Key matchups***
NightHawks Wideout Big Bomb vs. Patriots corner Antti Skippari
Skippari is the Pat's best cover corner and it's reasonable to expect they will match him up with Bomb. If Bomb is able to get off on his routes cleanly it could be a long night for the Patriots defense.
NightHawks defensive line vs. the Patriots offensive line
If the Tuscon front 4 is able to get penetration and pressure on Patriots quarterback Liaz Brady while still being able to stuff the run it free's up the linebackers to help out in pass coverage. If that happens the Patriots might not be able to score much less win.
NightHawks running game vs. Omaha's front 7
The NightHawks backs and offensive line take pride in their ability to rush the ball. Rushing numbers have been down the past few games and they take that personal. If Dow, Ingram and Wilk can find room to run and can consistently move the chains in conjunction with the passing game it will keep the Patriots offense on the bench and wear out a thin Omaha defense. Game, Set and Match.
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Tuscon Times
Published: Friday, May 9, 2008
http://www.blogmyway.org/?w=TusconTimesTuscon Times NightHawk Blog
NightHawks Offer Elite Tackle
Tuscon: Rumors abound that the Tuscon NightHawks have made a substantial offer to free agent All-pro Tackle Perfect Tommy. It is rumored to be a 1 to 2 year contract for around 70 thousand dollars a year.
Tommy who's contract only recently ran out was a contract holdout. He is considered versatile enough to play either left or right tackle. NightHawks head Coach p-nutt made the point though, "He can play whichever one he prefers. He would be great at either so I would prefer he play at the one he'd be happiest at, that way he'd probably be more productive.
Current linebacker and recent addition Old Age was excited at the prospect, " They told me they weren't done trying to upgrade the team and they weren't kidding. Now we just have to hope he accepts the contract and wants to play for a winner."
A Tuscon Times reader poll had a 98 percent approval rating regarding the attempt to sign Tommy. The other choice was wait and develop current tackles on staff and it's believed those votes came from family members of current tackles on staff.
We'll have to wait and see if Tommy makes the NightHawks and their fans dream come true.
Last edited May 10, 2008 18:23:38
Published: Friday, May 9, 2008
http://www.blogmyway.org/?w=TusconTimesTuscon Times NightHawk Blog
NightHawks Offer Elite Tackle
Tuscon: Rumors abound that the Tuscon NightHawks have made a substantial offer to free agent All-pro Tackle Perfect Tommy. It is rumored to be a 1 to 2 year contract for around 70 thousand dollars a year.
Tommy who's contract only recently ran out was a contract holdout. He is considered versatile enough to play either left or right tackle. NightHawks head Coach p-nutt made the point though, "He can play whichever one he prefers. He would be great at either so I would prefer he play at the one he'd be happiest at, that way he'd probably be more productive.
Current linebacker and recent addition Old Age was excited at the prospect, " They told me they weren't done trying to upgrade the team and they weren't kidding. Now we just have to hope he accepts the contract and wants to play for a winner."
A Tuscon Times reader poll had a 98 percent approval rating regarding the attempt to sign Tommy. The other choice was wait and develop current tackles on staff and it's believed those votes came from family members of current tackles on staff.
We'll have to wait and see if Tommy makes the NightHawks and their fans dream come true.
Last edited May 10, 2008 18:23:38
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NightHawks Handle Diversity and Lumberjacks
Tuscon: After a tough week of practice and two days of team turmoil the NightHawks came out and in very workman like fashion took care of a strong Austin team that was primed to pull the upset.
The turmoil came from newly acquired guard Larry "Hall of Fame" Little who at first expressed gratitude and relief at being brought to the NightHawks. Tuscon for it's part was interested enough in obtaining his services that it gave up fan favorite Beau Williams along with two other players to do so. On Thursday, Little came to the team and asked to be traded though he could give no logical reasons why. Team President p-nutt has always prided himself on being a very easy going owner who cares about his players and wants to make them happy. "I first tried to talk him out of it but it became apparent that he had his mind set on it" After making inquiries around the league the front office found that though there was interest, the deals being offered weren't favorable to the NightHawks needs. "I wasn't giving him away, I wanted to work things out for him but I'm accountable not to just him but his teammates as well. I felt I had to get an equitable return or it wasn't going to happen." League sources indicate that the first offers were for cash only and didn't meet "reasonable expectations" for a player of Little's quality.
When it appeared that no deal was imminent Little again met with p-nutt in what some front office personel describe as "a very terse, loud, and tense conversation." Little apparently demanded a trade during the meeting and demanded that it be to a certain team. When p-nutt balked Little apparently lost his temper. "I won't comment on the meeting except to say that I'm glad it appears we were able to work something out," said p-nutt. Exact details of the deal are not known neither is the party to which Little has been traded. It is believed to have been an all cash deal. "We got our price," is all p-nutt would concede.
Despite the Soap Opera surrounding the team they came out focused and determined on the offensive side of the ball. Something that hasn't been seen in recent weeks. After a nice kickoff return by rookie sensation Mark Ingram Jr. the NightHawks moved the ball right down the field thanks in large part to a 21 yard pass play from Farve-fan to Big Bomb. The drive was capped by Farve-fan hitting JJ Blue for a 7 yard TD play.
The Lumberjacks haven't been shutout all year and despite the NightHawks stout defense it wasn't going to happen tonight either. Using mostly the pass Austin moved into field goal position where kicker Rooster Andrews made it a 4 point game on a 29 yard field goal.
Disaster nearly struck on the NightHawks first play from scrimmage when Blah Dow was popped in the back field causing a fumble. Fortunately for Tuscon Moon Mullins was there to recover the ball. After two straight incomplete passes though the NightHawks were forced to kick the ball away.
The Lumberjacks were again on the move using a short to intermediate passing game to reach field goal range before the NightHawks defense stiffened and forced a field goal attempt which was missed. Tuscon got the ball back but again was unable to do anything with it.
Most of the second quarter was a mixture of stalled drives and punts. With six minutes left in the half the NightHawks got the ball back and moved into field goal position on a mixture of run and pass. They brought in Cantphil Maleg for his longest field goal attempt of the year and he was perfect from 42 yards out with room to spare. "I know I've struggled this year," said Maleg, "but the coaches have continued to show faith in me by sending me back out there every game." Special teams coach jascol24 seemed unfazed, "We knew what he was capable of it was just a matter of him gaining his confidence back, all the tools are there."
On the ensuing kickoff Rip Urheadoff raked the ball loose from the kick returner but the NightHawks were unable to come up with the loose ball. The defensive unit continued it's strong play though and forced the Lumberjacks into a punting situation.
Both teams traded punts before Austin got the ball back only to find itself facing a 3rd an 4. Austin quarterback Charlie Darkness dropped back and attempted to find Bullet Bob Hayes streaking down the right sideline only to have Cro Marty step in front of the pass and pick it off for the NightHawks. Again though Tuscon was unable to do anything with their good fortune going three and out before being forced to punt. Austin took possession with time running out in the first half and drove into Tuscon territory looking to tie the score headed into the locker room.
The NightHawks would have none of it though as Sex Tornado stepped in front of another Charlie Darkness pass intended for Bullet Bob Hayes and picked it off to end the Austin threat.
The second half started much the way the game did with Austin this time taking the opening kickoff and driving into scoring position. Unlike the NightHawks did to open the game though they were unable to put the ball in the endzone and had to settle for another Rooster Andrews field goal attempt, this time good from 39 yards away.
The NightHawks weren't so fortunate on their first drive going three and out. Much the way the second half ended though they came up with a big defensive/special teams play when Trey Gomez forced an Austin fumble on the punt and it was recovered by Burton "Knockout" Scott to set the NightHawks up in scoring position. Cody Cheatham found Eric Roy open over the middle for a 9 yard gain on first down. After L-train picked up the first down Tuscon was able to get the ball down to the 15 yard line before calling on Maleg to again attempt another field goal. Much as before he was perfect with room to spare from 33 yards away to make the score 13 to 6.
Neither team was able to move the ball the next few series till ikkyu hosagawa picked off a Horse McCoy pass and returned it to the Austin 34 yard line. The NightHawks sensing a chance to put a nail in the Lumberjacks coffin drove the ball down to the Austin 4 yard line. Cantphil Maleg made the score 16-6 when he hooked one just inside the uprights from 21 yards away, continuing his perfect night.
The NightHawks forced back to back fumbles on the next Austin possession but were unable to come away with either instead settling for a Lumberjack punt. Tuscon wasn't done with the forced turnovers though when Cro Marty again picked Charlie Darkness and returned it to the Austin 41 where the NightHawks took possession and put the game away when they drove down inside the Lumberjacks 10 yard line on a drive keyed by Blake Cooter's 13 yard run on the first play following the interception. Maleg closed out the scoring with a 24 yard field goal completing his perfect 4/4 night.
"We challenged the offense to come out against a strong opponent and put us in a position to win the game and they stepped up and did that" said p-nutt afterwards. Asked about the improvement in special teams play he responded "Wow, what a difference a week makes. I sat down with the special teams staff after last weeks game and they went over what they thought needed to be done. I let them know in no uncertain terms that special teams play had to improve dramatically or there would be changes." Co-Special teams coach Rip N. Urheadoff confirmed the conversation " We were told to keep our bags packed just in case," he said jokingly "We really didn't make drastic changes personel wise from the week before instead choosing to move some players around on the kick off team. Jascol24 spent the week focusing soley on work with the kickers and you could see the result on the field."
" It's a big weight off my shoulders to come out here and have a game like this," said Maleg. "Now it's just a matter of keeping up with what's working".
The 4 interceptions by the Tuscon secondary was a big key in tonights victory. Cro Marty who had 2 of the units picks said it wasn't a surprise. "The coaches felt like they would try to throw the ball to beat us so we spent extra time in the film room. We saw some stuff we thought we could take advantage of and we were right." Safety Curt Lemansky praised the play of the linebackers "They helped with stopping the run and really shut down the short passing game forcing Austin to try to go on top. That was the trap we'd set for them with the 4 interceptions being the result."
*** Stat of the Game***
We could easily go with........
8 forced turnovers with the defense coming up with 5 of them.
or we could go with.......
the 9 yard increase per punt over last week from punter finnagin shminagan
or we could use.........
1 missed tackle by the Tuscon defense.
But I'll have to go with ............
Cantphil Maleg's 4/4 field goal performance along with an extra point accounting for 13 of the NightHawks 19 points.
Next on the schedule is just the 3rd team this year with a winning record that Tuscon has faced. Tuscon will head into Dallas to face a Strikers team coming off a convincing win of 30-6 over the Jekyll and Hyde Anchorage Maulers. The Strikers are fighting for positioning within the playoff bracket and relish the thought of a victory over the NightHawks.
Tuscon: After a tough week of practice and two days of team turmoil the NightHawks came out and in very workman like fashion took care of a strong Austin team that was primed to pull the upset.
The turmoil came from newly acquired guard Larry "Hall of Fame" Little who at first expressed gratitude and relief at being brought to the NightHawks. Tuscon for it's part was interested enough in obtaining his services that it gave up fan favorite Beau Williams along with two other players to do so. On Thursday, Little came to the team and asked to be traded though he could give no logical reasons why. Team President p-nutt has always prided himself on being a very easy going owner who cares about his players and wants to make them happy. "I first tried to talk him out of it but it became apparent that he had his mind set on it" After making inquiries around the league the front office found that though there was interest, the deals being offered weren't favorable to the NightHawks needs. "I wasn't giving him away, I wanted to work things out for him but I'm accountable not to just him but his teammates as well. I felt I had to get an equitable return or it wasn't going to happen." League sources indicate that the first offers were for cash only and didn't meet "reasonable expectations" for a player of Little's quality.
When it appeared that no deal was imminent Little again met with p-nutt in what some front office personel describe as "a very terse, loud, and tense conversation." Little apparently demanded a trade during the meeting and demanded that it be to a certain team. When p-nutt balked Little apparently lost his temper. "I won't comment on the meeting except to say that I'm glad it appears we were able to work something out," said p-nutt. Exact details of the deal are not known neither is the party to which Little has been traded. It is believed to have been an all cash deal. "We got our price," is all p-nutt would concede.
Despite the Soap Opera surrounding the team they came out focused and determined on the offensive side of the ball. Something that hasn't been seen in recent weeks. After a nice kickoff return by rookie sensation Mark Ingram Jr. the NightHawks moved the ball right down the field thanks in large part to a 21 yard pass play from Farve-fan to Big Bomb. The drive was capped by Farve-fan hitting JJ Blue for a 7 yard TD play.
The Lumberjacks haven't been shutout all year and despite the NightHawks stout defense it wasn't going to happen tonight either. Using mostly the pass Austin moved into field goal position where kicker Rooster Andrews made it a 4 point game on a 29 yard field goal.
Disaster nearly struck on the NightHawks first play from scrimmage when Blah Dow was popped in the back field causing a fumble. Fortunately for Tuscon Moon Mullins was there to recover the ball. After two straight incomplete passes though the NightHawks were forced to kick the ball away.
The Lumberjacks were again on the move using a short to intermediate passing game to reach field goal range before the NightHawks defense stiffened and forced a field goal attempt which was missed. Tuscon got the ball back but again was unable to do anything with it.
Most of the second quarter was a mixture of stalled drives and punts. With six minutes left in the half the NightHawks got the ball back and moved into field goal position on a mixture of run and pass. They brought in Cantphil Maleg for his longest field goal attempt of the year and he was perfect from 42 yards out with room to spare. "I know I've struggled this year," said Maleg, "but the coaches have continued to show faith in me by sending me back out there every game." Special teams coach jascol24 seemed unfazed, "We knew what he was capable of it was just a matter of him gaining his confidence back, all the tools are there."
On the ensuing kickoff Rip Urheadoff raked the ball loose from the kick returner but the NightHawks were unable to come up with the loose ball. The defensive unit continued it's strong play though and forced the Lumberjacks into a punting situation.
Both teams traded punts before Austin got the ball back only to find itself facing a 3rd an 4. Austin quarterback Charlie Darkness dropped back and attempted to find Bullet Bob Hayes streaking down the right sideline only to have Cro Marty step in front of the pass and pick it off for the NightHawks. Again though Tuscon was unable to do anything with their good fortune going three and out before being forced to punt. Austin took possession with time running out in the first half and drove into Tuscon territory looking to tie the score headed into the locker room.
The NightHawks would have none of it though as Sex Tornado stepped in front of another Charlie Darkness pass intended for Bullet Bob Hayes and picked it off to end the Austin threat.
The second half started much the way the game did with Austin this time taking the opening kickoff and driving into scoring position. Unlike the NightHawks did to open the game though they were unable to put the ball in the endzone and had to settle for another Rooster Andrews field goal attempt, this time good from 39 yards away.
The NightHawks weren't so fortunate on their first drive going three and out. Much the way the second half ended though they came up with a big defensive/special teams play when Trey Gomez forced an Austin fumble on the punt and it was recovered by Burton "Knockout" Scott to set the NightHawks up in scoring position. Cody Cheatham found Eric Roy open over the middle for a 9 yard gain on first down. After L-train picked up the first down Tuscon was able to get the ball down to the 15 yard line before calling on Maleg to again attempt another field goal. Much as before he was perfect with room to spare from 33 yards away to make the score 13 to 6.
Neither team was able to move the ball the next few series till ikkyu hosagawa picked off a Horse McCoy pass and returned it to the Austin 34 yard line. The NightHawks sensing a chance to put a nail in the Lumberjacks coffin drove the ball down to the Austin 4 yard line. Cantphil Maleg made the score 16-6 when he hooked one just inside the uprights from 21 yards away, continuing his perfect night.
The NightHawks forced back to back fumbles on the next Austin possession but were unable to come away with either instead settling for a Lumberjack punt. Tuscon wasn't done with the forced turnovers though when Cro Marty again picked Charlie Darkness and returned it to the Austin 41 where the NightHawks took possession and put the game away when they drove down inside the Lumberjacks 10 yard line on a drive keyed by Blake Cooter's 13 yard run on the first play following the interception. Maleg closed out the scoring with a 24 yard field goal completing his perfect 4/4 night.
"We challenged the offense to come out against a strong opponent and put us in a position to win the game and they stepped up and did that" said p-nutt afterwards. Asked about the improvement in special teams play he responded "Wow, what a difference a week makes. I sat down with the special teams staff after last weeks game and they went over what they thought needed to be done. I let them know in no uncertain terms that special teams play had to improve dramatically or there would be changes." Co-Special teams coach Rip N. Urheadoff confirmed the conversation " We were told to keep our bags packed just in case," he said jokingly "We really didn't make drastic changes personel wise from the week before instead choosing to move some players around on the kick off team. Jascol24 spent the week focusing soley on work with the kickers and you could see the result on the field."
" It's a big weight off my shoulders to come out here and have a game like this," said Maleg. "Now it's just a matter of keeping up with what's working".
The 4 interceptions by the Tuscon secondary was a big key in tonights victory. Cro Marty who had 2 of the units picks said it wasn't a surprise. "The coaches felt like they would try to throw the ball to beat us so we spent extra time in the film room. We saw some stuff we thought we could take advantage of and we were right." Safety Curt Lemansky praised the play of the linebackers "They helped with stopping the run and really shut down the short passing game forcing Austin to try to go on top. That was the trap we'd set for them with the 4 interceptions being the result."
*** Stat of the Game***
We could easily go with........
8 forced turnovers with the defense coming up with 5 of them.
or we could go with.......
the 9 yard increase per punt over last week from punter finnagin shminagan
or we could use.........
1 missed tackle by the Tuscon defense.
But I'll have to go with ............
Cantphil Maleg's 4/4 field goal performance along with an extra point accounting for 13 of the NightHawks 19 points.
Next on the schedule is just the 3rd team this year with a winning record that Tuscon has faced. Tuscon will head into Dallas to face a Strikers team coming off a convincing win of 30-6 over the Jekyll and Hyde Anchorage Maulers. The Strikers are fighting for positioning within the playoff bracket and relish the thought of a victory over the NightHawks.
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NightHawks Fly South to Face High Powered Passing Attack
Posted on 2008-May-13 at 8:28 PM - 0 Comments - Post Comment - Link
Tuscon: Averaging close to 250 yards per game through the air the Dallas Strikers passing game has been the likely focus of Tuscon coaches this week. Without a doubt it will be the focus of the NightHawks defense tomorrow night when the NightHawks fly into Dallas to take on the strikers.
"Yeah we've focused a bit on pass defense this week. Mostly just keying on some of their tendencies and formations. Really not that much more than we normally would though." said NightHawks cornerback Cro Marty. As good as the NightHawks pass defense has been, tops in the league at 129.8 yards per game, allot may depend on how much pressure they can get on Strikers qb The Duce. The Dallas offensive line which has only allowed 2 sacks and 10 hurries this season will face a Tuscon defense that has accumulated a league leading 20 sacks and 51 hurries so something has to give. "We've got to get some pressure on their qb because otherwise we leave our db's in an impossible situation," said Tuscon Head Coach p-nutt. NightHawks defensive tackle Jason Nagurski doesn't seem to think it's a question of if " There's no question in my mind we'll get pressure on him. We have on every other team we've faced this season so I don't see why they would be any different." Does that mean sacks, hurries? "It means pressure, look if a qb is spending more time after the ball is snapped looking to see what's coming at him rather than reading the field, he's gonna make mistakes, and there will be pressure."
The offense went thru it's routine this week without quite as much drama surrounding it. Questions about personel and production have hung over their heads for a couple of weeks now. "It's nice to come out here and have our only worry be getting ready to play a football game," said Tuscon center Gonnalay Youonyera$$. Asked how many points he thinks it will take to win agasint the Strikers Tuscon OC Dolhoz quipped "1 more than they score" to a smattering of laughter and rolled eyes from the press corp, "Seriously I think it will take 20 or more although we'll shoot for a good bit more than that."
NightHawks QB 1-true Farve-fan hands off to tailback Blah Dow against the Mad Dawgs
NightHawks QB 1-true Farve-fan hands off to tailback Blah Dow against the Raving Mad Dawgs
It may take more than that, Dallas's losses so far this year have come against the Legends and Elves the two unbeaten teams ahead of the NightHawks, and the Portland Pimps another team with a winning record. While much of the focus has been on the Dallas offense this season the defense has quietly put together a strong season themselves. Their pass defense this year is 4th in the league allowing only 157.7 yards per game. Their rush defense has put together a solid effort allowing 130.5 yards per game. Allowing only 7 td's on the ground and 7 through the air to go with 12 field goals it's obvious that their focus as a defense is bend, but don't break.
*** Game Break Down***
Passing offense: This one is a no brainer, despite dramatic improvements shown in the NightHawks passing game and a stingy NightHawks defense you have to give the edge to the Strikers.
Winner: Dallas
Rushing offense: Though they've "struggled" a bit in recent games the Tuscon rushing game has still averaged over 180 yards a game. Dallas uses their running game as a compliment to their passing game averaging only about 26 rushes per game. Again, a clear cut winner.
Winner: Tuscon
Passing Defense: Both pass defenses have had great years but you have to go with the stats.
Winner: Tuscon
Rush Defense: The Strikers defense has had a solid year but no one else has been close to the NightHawks unit
Winner: Tuscon
Special teams: Despite the fantastic turnaround by the Tuscon special teams unit the Dallas unit has been much more consistent all year long. They have a great kicker and a return game that will challenge the NightHawks all game long.
Winner: Dallas
For you math fans that's a 3-2 advantage for the NightHawks. This one won't be decided till late in the game. If this game were in Tuscon it might not be as close but I think with the game being on the road this one get's decided by 3 point or less.
NightHawks 24 Strikers 21
Posted on 2008-May-13 at 8:28 PM - 0 Comments - Post Comment - Link
Tuscon: Averaging close to 250 yards per game through the air the Dallas Strikers passing game has been the likely focus of Tuscon coaches this week. Without a doubt it will be the focus of the NightHawks defense tomorrow night when the NightHawks fly into Dallas to take on the strikers.
"Yeah we've focused a bit on pass defense this week. Mostly just keying on some of their tendencies and formations. Really not that much more than we normally would though." said NightHawks cornerback Cro Marty. As good as the NightHawks pass defense has been, tops in the league at 129.8 yards per game, allot may depend on how much pressure they can get on Strikers qb The Duce. The Dallas offensive line which has only allowed 2 sacks and 10 hurries this season will face a Tuscon defense that has accumulated a league leading 20 sacks and 51 hurries so something has to give. "We've got to get some pressure on their qb because otherwise we leave our db's in an impossible situation," said Tuscon Head Coach p-nutt. NightHawks defensive tackle Jason Nagurski doesn't seem to think it's a question of if " There's no question in my mind we'll get pressure on him. We have on every other team we've faced this season so I don't see why they would be any different." Does that mean sacks, hurries? "It means pressure, look if a qb is spending more time after the ball is snapped looking to see what's coming at him rather than reading the field, he's gonna make mistakes, and there will be pressure."
The offense went thru it's routine this week without quite as much drama surrounding it. Questions about personel and production have hung over their heads for a couple of weeks now. "It's nice to come out here and have our only worry be getting ready to play a football game," said Tuscon center Gonnalay Youonyera$$. Asked how many points he thinks it will take to win agasint the Strikers Tuscon OC Dolhoz quipped "1 more than they score" to a smattering of laughter and rolled eyes from the press corp, "Seriously I think it will take 20 or more although we'll shoot for a good bit more than that."
NightHawks QB 1-true Farve-fan hands off to tailback Blah Dow against the Mad Dawgs
NightHawks QB 1-true Farve-fan hands off to tailback Blah Dow against the Raving Mad Dawgs
It may take more than that, Dallas's losses so far this year have come against the Legends and Elves the two unbeaten teams ahead of the NightHawks, and the Portland Pimps another team with a winning record. While much of the focus has been on the Dallas offense this season the defense has quietly put together a strong season themselves. Their pass defense this year is 4th in the league allowing only 157.7 yards per game. Their rush defense has put together a solid effort allowing 130.5 yards per game. Allowing only 7 td's on the ground and 7 through the air to go with 12 field goals it's obvious that their focus as a defense is bend, but don't break.
*** Game Break Down***
Passing offense: This one is a no brainer, despite dramatic improvements shown in the NightHawks passing game and a stingy NightHawks defense you have to give the edge to the Strikers.
Winner: Dallas
Rushing offense: Though they've "struggled" a bit in recent games the Tuscon rushing game has still averaged over 180 yards a game. Dallas uses their running game as a compliment to their passing game averaging only about 26 rushes per game. Again, a clear cut winner.
Winner: Tuscon
Passing Defense: Both pass defenses have had great years but you have to go with the stats.
Winner: Tuscon
Rush Defense: The Strikers defense has had a solid year but no one else has been close to the NightHawks unit
Winner: Tuscon
Special teams: Despite the fantastic turnaround by the Tuscon special teams unit the Dallas unit has been much more consistent all year long. They have a great kicker and a return game that will challenge the NightHawks all game long.
Winner: Dallas
For you math fans that's a 3-2 advantage for the NightHawks. This one won't be decided till late in the game. If this game were in Tuscon it might not be as close but I think with the game being on the road this one get's decided by 3 point or less.
NightHawks 24 Strikers 21
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Air Tuscon out guns the Strikers
Posted on 2008-May-14 at 11:39 PM - 0 Comments - Post Comment - Link
Dallas: You'd never have known who the top rated passing team in the league was from watching the Tuscon NightHawks take on the Dallas Strikers at cozy Tampax Stadium. It was Dallas that came into the game leading the league in passing but it was the NightHawks who cruised to victory through the air.
Leading the league and averaging close to 250 yards a game the Dallas Strikers were expected to do what they did best against the NightHawks, throw the ball. Throw the ball they did, they just did not get the results they expected. After putting it in the air 50 times and amassing only 194 yards while being blanketed and harassed all night long the Strikers offense has to be sitting in the hot tub tonight wondering what went wrong.
Tuscon Defensive Coordinator and head coach p-nutt was all smiles after the game, "We could not have performed much better than what we did. It was a complete effort on everyone's part. Without a doubt our best game of the year." There is no doubt about the totality of the effort the NightHawks put together on the field tonight. The Tuscon passing game that came into the game feeling better about it's recent efforts went out of it with 225 yards passing and 3 touchdowns thru the air. 1-true Farve-fan led them to an early field goal with a mix of running and passing on the opening drive. Cantphil MaLeg began another perfect night with his first of a 3 for 3 night to which he even added a special teams tackle. The NightHawks made it 10 - 0 in the 2nd quarter when they drove the length of the field with Farve-fan hitting several crucial passes. The drive was capped off by a Big Bomb touchdown catch of 8 yards. "We knew the game wasn't over," said the NightHawks newest receiver Kazuma Kuroki, "We knew we'd need at least a couple more scores before we could take them out of their gameplan."
They didn't get those scores in the first half. The Strikers answered the 10 points with a touchdown of their own, the first given up by the NightHawks defense in over 3 games. "At the half the coaches told us to stick to the gameplan," said Tuscon DE Bhust Urass, " There was no reason to make any changes. The touchdown we gave up was a blown assignment."
In Boxing some of the best fighters are counter punchers and tonight that's what the NightHawks were. After the Strikers opened up the second half with a field goal to tie the game Tuscon countered back with a one, two of their own. Cody Cheatham led the Tuscon offense out on to the field and landed the first punch, a 58 yard scoring strike to JJ Blue to give the NightHawks the lead. "The play worked to perfection," said Cheatham, "when I stepped up the line and looked at the defense I knew we had them."
Not to be outdone Cheatham's fellow QB Farve-fan delivered the next punch leading the NightHawks to their next scoring drive. "We knew if we could put another TD on the board we'd be putting alot of pressure on them," said Farve-fan, "We didn't try to force anything we just went with the gameplan." The gameplan must have called for a balanced attack as Tuscon rushed the ball 43 times and passed it 46 for hefty 385 yards in total offense. Farve-fan led them down the field mixing it up between the run and the pass before finding Kazuma Kuroki in the back of the endzone to give Tuscon a 24-10 lead.
The defense stepped in then and put the clamps down on any hopes of the Strikers getting back into the game. Constantly harrassing and hurrying Dallas QB The Duce before finally sacking him twice. The second time The Duce had to be helped from the field and replaced by backup QB Shayne Falco. "We were just doing our thing" said a grinning Defensive Tackle Wilson Smashmouth. Whatever their thing was it involved an awful lot of players " We played alot of guys on defense tonight," said p-nutt, "Ikkye hosagawa had a monster night for us in both tackles and passes defended, Old Age forced a fumble and made a bunch of tackles and even knocked down a pass or two.
The fourth quarter had two more scoring drives, both by the NightHawks. The first one midway thru the 4th capped by a Cantphil Maleg 43 yard field goal, his longest of the year. The second one would end in a similar fashion just minutes later with Maleg drilling one thru from 29 yards out. Special teams Co-Coordinator jascol24 had alot of praise for the turnaround his kicker had managed over the last two games. "He took alot of heat for the start he got off to, and maybe rightfully so, but he kept everything in perspective and kept working hard and it's paid off." MaLeg is 7 for 7 over the last 2 games including 2 from over 40 yards. "He's a resilient guy," said Co- coordinator Rip Urheadoff, "then again we have alot fo those types playing special teams." He went on to mention their 4th forced fumble on special teams in the last 2 games "Some of these guys on the kick off and return squads don't get alot of snaps during the game so they take alot of pride on their performance when they're in there." He's talking about guys like Gridiron Giant who had his first tackle of the season in tonights game.
After 8 straight wins to garner a 9-1 record I'd say the whole group has a little pride in their play on the field.
***Stat of the Game***
It could very well be.......
The 19 yards rushing the defense held the Strikers to.
Or maybe...........
The 2 sacks the NightHawks got on QB The Duce. The first sacks against them this year.
But I think I'll go with.............
The 225 yards passing the NightHawks accumulated. 31 more than the 194 the league leading Strikers could manage.
Posted on 2008-May-14 at 11:39 PM - 0 Comments - Post Comment - Link
Dallas: You'd never have known who the top rated passing team in the league was from watching the Tuscon NightHawks take on the Dallas Strikers at cozy Tampax Stadium. It was Dallas that came into the game leading the league in passing but it was the NightHawks who cruised to victory through the air.
Leading the league and averaging close to 250 yards a game the Dallas Strikers were expected to do what they did best against the NightHawks, throw the ball. Throw the ball they did, they just did not get the results they expected. After putting it in the air 50 times and amassing only 194 yards while being blanketed and harassed all night long the Strikers offense has to be sitting in the hot tub tonight wondering what went wrong.
Tuscon Defensive Coordinator and head coach p-nutt was all smiles after the game, "We could not have performed much better than what we did. It was a complete effort on everyone's part. Without a doubt our best game of the year." There is no doubt about the totality of the effort the NightHawks put together on the field tonight. The Tuscon passing game that came into the game feeling better about it's recent efforts went out of it with 225 yards passing and 3 touchdowns thru the air. 1-true Farve-fan led them to an early field goal with a mix of running and passing on the opening drive. Cantphil MaLeg began another perfect night with his first of a 3 for 3 night to which he even added a special teams tackle. The NightHawks made it 10 - 0 in the 2nd quarter when they drove the length of the field with Farve-fan hitting several crucial passes. The drive was capped off by a Big Bomb touchdown catch of 8 yards. "We knew the game wasn't over," said the NightHawks newest receiver Kazuma Kuroki, "We knew we'd need at least a couple more scores before we could take them out of their gameplan."
They didn't get those scores in the first half. The Strikers answered the 10 points with a touchdown of their own, the first given up by the NightHawks defense in over 3 games. "At the half the coaches told us to stick to the gameplan," said Tuscon DE Bhust Urass, " There was no reason to make any changes. The touchdown we gave up was a blown assignment."
In Boxing some of the best fighters are counter punchers and tonight that's what the NightHawks were. After the Strikers opened up the second half with a field goal to tie the game Tuscon countered back with a one, two of their own. Cody Cheatham led the Tuscon offense out on to the field and landed the first punch, a 58 yard scoring strike to JJ Blue to give the NightHawks the lead. "The play worked to perfection," said Cheatham, "when I stepped up the line and looked at the defense I knew we had them."
Not to be outdone Cheatham's fellow QB Farve-fan delivered the next punch leading the NightHawks to their next scoring drive. "We knew if we could put another TD on the board we'd be putting alot of pressure on them," said Farve-fan, "We didn't try to force anything we just went with the gameplan." The gameplan must have called for a balanced attack as Tuscon rushed the ball 43 times and passed it 46 for hefty 385 yards in total offense. Farve-fan led them down the field mixing it up between the run and the pass before finding Kazuma Kuroki in the back of the endzone to give Tuscon a 24-10 lead.
The defense stepped in then and put the clamps down on any hopes of the Strikers getting back into the game. Constantly harrassing and hurrying Dallas QB The Duce before finally sacking him twice. The second time The Duce had to be helped from the field and replaced by backup QB Shayne Falco. "We were just doing our thing" said a grinning Defensive Tackle Wilson Smashmouth. Whatever their thing was it involved an awful lot of players " We played alot of guys on defense tonight," said p-nutt, "Ikkye hosagawa had a monster night for us in both tackles and passes defended, Old Age forced a fumble and made a bunch of tackles and even knocked down a pass or two.
The fourth quarter had two more scoring drives, both by the NightHawks. The first one midway thru the 4th capped by a Cantphil Maleg 43 yard field goal, his longest of the year. The second one would end in a similar fashion just minutes later with Maleg drilling one thru from 29 yards out. Special teams Co-Coordinator jascol24 had alot of praise for the turnaround his kicker had managed over the last two games. "He took alot of heat for the start he got off to, and maybe rightfully so, but he kept everything in perspective and kept working hard and it's paid off." MaLeg is 7 for 7 over the last 2 games including 2 from over 40 yards. "He's a resilient guy," said Co- coordinator Rip Urheadoff, "then again we have alot fo those types playing special teams." He went on to mention their 4th forced fumble on special teams in the last 2 games "Some of these guys on the kick off and return squads don't get alot of snaps during the game so they take alot of pride on their performance when they're in there." He's talking about guys like Gridiron Giant who had his first tackle of the season in tonights game.
After 8 straight wins to garner a 9-1 record I'd say the whole group has a little pride in their play on the field.
***Stat of the Game***
It could very well be.......
The 19 yards rushing the defense held the Strikers to.
Or maybe...........
The 2 sacks the NightHawks got on QB The Duce. The first sacks against them this year.
But I think I'll go with.............
The 225 yards passing the NightHawks accumulated. 31 more than the 194 the league leading Strikers could manage.
pontiacnutt
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Team history & yes I do love my team & players. I'm here for the long haul & I dont do the writing I just keep a copy here,We have a team reportr that does this. Very glad to have him-PN-
Originally posted by jmeer388
Dude, 14,000 words in just over two weeks? I'd say that's too much free time.
morbo
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Originally posted by jmeer388
Dude, 14,000 words in just over two weeks? I'd say that's too much free time.
I think counting the words is a sign of too much free time
Dude, 14,000 words in just over two weeks? I'd say that's too much free time.
I think counting the words is a sign of too much free time
Last edited May 15, 2008 12:58:58
pontiacnutt
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agreed
Originally posted by morbo
Originally posted by jmeer388
Dude, 14,000 words in just over two weeks? I'd say that's too much free time.
I think counting the words is a sign of too much free time
Luzod
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Originally posted by morbo
Originally posted by jmeer388
Dude, 14,000 words in just over two weeks? I'd say that's too much free time.
I think counting the words is a sign of too much free time
Not really, you can only cpy all the text to Microsoft Word and it counts the number of words =p
Originally posted by jmeer388
Dude, 14,000 words in just over two weeks? I'd say that's too much free time.
I think counting the words is a sign of too much free time
Not really, you can only cpy all the text to Microsoft Word and it counts the number of words =p
Last edited May 15, 2008 14:53:58
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