Warrior General Games

Tucson Spanks Misguided Children


Published: May 1, 2009
Tucson Times
Written by: Rip Urheadoff


Relentlessly using a power running game that thus far this season had been kept under wraps the Nighthawks pounded USMC over and over for four quarters on their way to a 52-9 victory at USMC's Tampax Stadium.

It wasn't just the Nighthawks running game that was firing on all cylinders either. The defense had a monster game allowing just 245 total yards while holding the Misguided Children to minus yards rushing. The defense also accumulated 5 sacks and 9 more hurries with their pass rush while also forcing and recovering a fumble and picking off another pass. DC Moses was again pleased with the play of his unit. "We went with some new schemes tonight that were not game tested going in so we were of course a bit apprehensive as to how they'd perform. As it turned out the schemes worked fine but perhaps the most pleasant surprise was in how well the players executed them".

Tucson rushed for 19 yards on their opening drive adding in 44 yards through the air on connections of 13, 13, 11, and 7 yards. Fullback Amos Moses broke two tackles in capping off the drive with a 3 yard touchdown run that gave the Nighthawks a 7-0 lead. Tucson's defense quickly forced a 3 and out but lost a chance to add to their lead when Gunner was picked off attempting to hit See You In Your Endzone up the right side. Tucson's defense was again called on to step up and make the stop. USMC attempted to move the ball through the air but was thwarted by corner Larry Monroll holding them to 1 yard on 2 completions. On 3rd down Quickly Sacked came up with a sack to end any threat of USMC scoring.

After taking in USMC's punt the Nighthawks again unleashed their running game. Amos Moses opened things up with a 8 yard run behind the right side of his line. Blah Dow followed Moses up with a 5 yard run of his own giving the Nighthawks a first down. Watson not to be undone went off tackle to the right for 6 yards and was followed by Blah Dow rolling up another 8 yards. Watson then added runs of 10, and 6 yards to set up Moses's 1 yard touchdown plunge giving Tucson it's 14-0 lead.

After USMC managed a drive that netted a field goal, cutting the deficit to 11. Tucson's offense answered right back though going 64 yards on just 4 plays with the drive culminating with Gunner finding Glueh Trapd down the left side where he out raced the defense for a 47 yard touchdown. "Gunner set them up with a pump fake" said Trapd, "I think everyone in their secondary bit on it". " All I had to do was catch the ball and not trip over my own feet" he said with a grin. The extra point gave the Nighthawks a 21-3 lead.

USMC again used their passing game to move into Nighthawks secondary but were forced to settle for a field goal making the score 21-6. Tucson answered right back with a drive that rode the back of the passing game. Gunner had completions of 16, 11, 13, 2, and 8 yards before the drive stalled at the USMC 3 yard line. Tucson kicker DeadNutz On was called on to attempt a chip shot 20 yard field goal which he easily hit giving Tucson a 24-6 lead. USMC answered right back again moving the ball solely through the air and reaching Tucson's 15 yard line with time running out in the first half. The resulting field goal from 32 yards away left the half time score Tucson 24 USMC 9.

USMC had two chances to open the 2nd half on offense and failed in both instances. After going 3 and out on the 2nd half kick off they kicked the ball away to Tucson who gave the ball right back to them on a Blah Dow fumble. Again though Tucson's defense was too stingy to allow USMC to benefit from the turnover forcing another USMC punt.

Kenny Watson opened up Tucson's next drive with a 3 yard run off the right side. Blah Dow followed him up with a 6 yard ramble to the left. Again using the old boxing 1, 2 Watson rushed to the right for 8 yards followed by Dow going left for 7. Watson added gains of 9, and 7 yards while Dow rumbled for 46 yards to set up his own 5 yard sweep for a touchdown to make the score 31-9 where it appeared the blowout may be on.

After the Nighthawks defense forced yet another three and out their offense took over moving the ball 61 yards with a mix of run and pass. Rushes of 9. 1. 3. 4. 8, and 4 yards along with pass completions of 13, 6, 8, and 9 yards to put the Nighthawks in scoring position where Blah Dow took a pitch from Stonewall Gunner and rambled 1 yard for the touchdown. The score put anothe nail in USMC's coffin and gave the Nighthawks a 38-9 lead.

Less than 3 minutes later Tucson added more points to their lead when pounded his way into the endzone from 2 yards away to make the score 45-9. The drive was set up when Tucson return man extroidinaire took a USMC punt and nearly broke it all the way going 58 yards setting the Nighthawks offense up at the USMC 17 yard line. Runs of 6, 6, and 4 set Dow up for his touchdown run. "At that point we felt like we could run at will" said P-nutt adding, "You really have to give our offensive line allot of credit. They owned the line of scrimmage this entire game".

Less than a minute later the Nighthawks had the ball back again courtesy of the Tucson defense. D.W. Macbeth provided the turnover this time stepping in front of a USMC pass and returning it 11 yards to set his offense up at their own 41 yard line. The offense took little time taking advantage of the charity. Kenny Watson rambled 7 yards to open things up followed by Gunner hitting Domin8ter Braden over the middle for an 18 yard gain. Fullback Amos Moses then gained 11 yards right into the teeth of the USMC defense. Gunner then capped things off finding his big tight end Hans McGregron for 18 yards setting Tucson up with a first and goal at the USMC 5 yard line where Kenny Watson capped the drive off with a 5 yard touchdown run producing the final score of 52-9.


In his post game press conference P-nutt was of course upbeat. When asked about the suprising ease of the victory he answered smiling, "I wish they could all be like this. This is the second game in a row I felt we played a complete "team" game. Everybody contributed. There weren't allot of mistakes. I thought our line played it's best game of the year. It will be intersting to see how high those guys grade out once we get a chance to review the game film." The defense was smothering for most the game with everyone contributing in one way or another. Even reserve linebacker Perry Hauge who didn't make a single tackle in limited play was quick to point out "We could have left our offense at home and I bet eventually our defense would have scored enough points to win this game. We were just that damn dominating" DC Moses shook his head grinning while doing so and said, "You'll have to pardon Perry as he sometimes lacks confidence". Moses then added "Seriously though once we get more experienced in this scheme and get all the bugs worked out we should be very tought to score on."


***Stat Of The Game***

We Could Go With......................

19.....................the number of passes deflected by the Tucons secondary

Some folks would want to use....................................

39 and 3...............................38 being the number of pancakes by the Tucson offensive line. 3 being the number of times USMC could return the favor

But I think I'll go with......................

47, 5.8, 271..................................Tucson ran the ball 47 times for an average of 5.8 yards per carry for a total of 271 on the ground.


***Next Up***
The Anchorage Maulers
A long time foe of the Nighthawks the Maulers will come into the Nighthawks Aeryie with a 1-2 record after suffering a close loss to the Colf 45's and a tough loss to a talented High Rollers team. They'll likely come in looking to run the ball though they're also a capable passing team. Defensively they've struggled a little against both the pass and run, all things they'll need to correct if they hope to upset the Nighthawks.

Nighthawks Defense Emasculates Maulers

Tucson Times
Published: 05/03/2009
Written By: Rip U. Rheadoff


The Anchorage Maulers flew into Tucson Saturday hoping to enjoy the balmy spring weather and a victory over the Nighthawks. The weather didn't let them down but the reception they got from the Tucson defense was downright frigid. The Maulers passing game gave up 5 interceptions, 4 of which were returned for touchdowns by a very aggressive Tucson secondary that was bolstered time and time again by it's defensive line and linebacker corps. If they weren't wrecking havoc at the Line of Scrimmage against the Maulers run game, they were forcing Anchorage's quarterback to scramble through his progressions before either forcing him to throw the ball away or eat it. The latter they made happen 13 times with 8 hurries added in too.

DC Moses was succinct in his assessment on the performance of his defense. "They dominated from the opening kick. It will be near impossible to pick a defensive MVP for this game with so many guys stepping up and playing huge roles."

You would have thought it was Anchorage getting off to the hot start when they picked up a fumble by Nighthawks backup fullback Donald Roy Hutson that set the Maulers up at Tucson's 45 yard line. Looking to take advantage right off bat the Maulers went up top with Long Bomb attempting to find Chris Lirano dragging up the right side only to have Xavier Rialto step in front of his pass and find clear sailing into the endzone giving the Hawks a 7-0 lead.

The Maulers got the ball back and set off downfield using their passing game a a catalyst. After reaching midfeild Long Bomb looking to hit the big play found Speedy Darke down the right side only to have the ball picked by Jimmy Williams who returned it 61 yards for the Nighthawks second defensive touchdown of the game for a 14-0 lead.

Mixing the run and the pass Anchorage was finally able to put together a scoring drive consisiting of 16 plays and helped along by 2 encroachment penalties by the Tucson defense. Their drive finally stalled and Anchorage was forced to settle for a field goal, which was good from 36 yards away to make the score 14-3

After stopping a faltering Tucson offense and getting the ball back Anchorage again put together a long drive. After moving the ball from their own 20 to Tucson's 16 yard line where they faced a 3rd and five when Longbomb decided to go down field to Daniella Hantuchova. On the play Tucson Linebacker Cary Brown flushed Longbomb and chased him to the sideline where he tried to go downfield only to have Jimmy Williams again jump in front of the intended pass, picking it off and following his blockers downfield for Tucsons 3rd Pick 6 of the game and a 21-7 lead.

The Maulers made the score 21-10 a few minutes later when Longbomb was finally able to hit wideout Daniella Hantuchova for the score. Williams appeared in position to either make a play on the ball, either knocking it down or intercepting it but was unable to do either. Trailing by 11 Anchorage had yet to give up. On the ensuing kickoff Throw "Da Ball" My-Way was blindsided and dropped the ball only to have the Maulers recover setting themselves up at the Nighthawks 16 yard line. Once again though the Tucson defense bowed it's back and held them out of the endzone forcing them to settle for a 39 yard field goal leaving the score Tucson 21 Anchorage 13.

The Nighthawks offense finally got it's chance to shine and it couldn't have come at a better time. Stonewall Gunner opened things up with a 12 yard reception to Glueh Trapd. Gunner followed that up by finding David Palmer out of the backfield for a pickup of 11 yards. With the passing game clicking Gunner didn't let up. On the next play Gunner found Neon Bodeaux down the right side and hit him for a 23 yard gain that set Tucson up just outside the Anchorage 10 yard line. Gunner then hit completions of 7 and 3 yards before fullback Amos Moses powered over the goal line from 2 yards out to make the score 28-13. Tucson was able to add two more field goals to their total in the 3rd quarter to take 34-13 lead.

The Nighthawks were ready to add more to their total after gaining field position near mid field. It took just 4 plays for them to find pay dirt with David Palmer scoring from a half yard out to give the Nighthawks a 24 point lead. The Nighthawks defense wasn't done yet though. With Quickly Sacked hanging from his back leg the Mauler Qb used poor judgement in putting up a pass down the left side where Jimmy Williams continued his dominating night picking the hanging pass off near the Maulers sideline and tight roped his way back to midfield before winding his way through to the endzone. His 3rd pick 6 of the night and the 4th of the night for the Nighthawks defense.

In his post game press conference Coach P-nutt seemed pleased with the victory but obvously concerned with the play of his offense. "We're struggling, no body is going to deny that" P-nutt admitted, "I don't think it's scheme I think it's probably execution. We just have to do a better job of getting in the correct position on the field. Quarterback Stonewall Gunner agreed that the offense had a ways to go. "We're not far off it almost seems our timing is off a bit. Fortunately our defense has been there to bail us out a couple of times.

Again Coach Moses seemed pleased with the overall effort of his defense. "I suppose if I look at the film long enough I could find something to complain about" he said grinning. "Actually I look forward to watching it. If everyone grades out as high as I think they will it will allow us to add in some more intricate stunts and coverages".


***Stat Of The Day***

We could go with....................................

0.2.........................................The number of yards rushing Anchorage had. Teams can't win if they can't run.

Some people would choose....................................

10, 6, 25, 3, 1, and 1...............................10 tackles, 6 sacks, for 25 yards loss, 3 hurries, 1 tackle for loss, 1 fumble recovery . All by Quickly Sacked

I'm going to go with...............................

40%, 8, 13, -66.5, 5...........................40% completion percentage, 8 hurries, 13 Sacks, -66.5 yards loss from sacks, 5 interceptions Now that is great defense.


***NEXT UP***
Tallahassee Thunder

The Thunder are a team made up of strong builds and owners. Currently 2-2 on the season the Thunder's offense has been solid more so running the ball than throwing it. There real issues seem to be on the defensive side of things. Hopefully there problems will continue through the Nighthawks game

Nighthawks Defensive Forecast Dooms Thunder


Tucson Times
Published: May 05, 2009
Written By: Rip Urheadoff


Heading into Monday night to face a Thunder team loaded with new talent Tucson Head Coach P-nutt told reporters during pregame warmups that he'd been up all night the previous night, unable to sleep from worrying over how his team would perform against a loaded "new look" Thunder team.

He shouldn't have.

Using a defense that smothered and abused a talented Tallahassee offensive squad, with just enough offense added in to top things off, the Tucson Nighthawks soundly beat the Tallahassee Thunder 34-10 before a packed home crowd. Tucson linebacker Cary Brown who garnered two of the Nighthawks 8 sacks on the night to go with 5 tackles and a hurry joked that maybe his coach should have more faith for now on, "We knew going in they wouldn't be able to run the ball on us, no way, so if we pressure their quarterback enough to get him rattled we thought we could win this one going away."

It was the Tucson offense that got things started moving the ball 63 yards on 11 plays with Stonewall Gunner capping things off with a 7 yard touchdown pass to Neon Bodeaux. On the drive carries of 7, 1, and 4 yards by Kenny Watson, 5 yards by Amos Moses, and 4 yards by David Palmer helped pave the way to set up the score. It was the passing game though that hit the big plays with Gunner connecting on hookups of 16, 9, and 11 yards to go along with the touchdown pass. "Nothing boosts a team more than coming out and putting 7 on the board right away" said Gunner, " I just wish we'd have been able to keep our momentum going the rest of the game."

Tucson's defense hasn't been shy about scoring this season and it only took them 3 plays to enter the score books in this one. Ikkyu hosagawa jumped the Thunders pass route and never broke stride on his way to the endzone and a 14-0 lead for the Nighthawks. "We'd watched allot of film on their passing game this week. We knew they liked to run that route on 3rd and long so I was waiting on it."

The score remained that way for the rest of the 1st quarter. The Nighthawks defense again stepped up and made a play this time setting up the offense with great field position via a D W Macbeth interception. Tucson's offense opened up the drive at the Thunder's 35 yard line. It took just four plays for Tucson to find the endzone on a Blah Dow eleven yard touchdown run. On the drive Gunner hit Domin8er Braden for 15 yards giving Tucson a first down at the Thunder's 15 yard line. He then drew Tallahassee offsides for the second time in the drive giving Tucson a 1st and 5 at the 11 yard line and setting up Dow's run. "We struggled running the ball tonight but that run was huge" said Nighthawks fullback Amos Moses, "he did a great job of reading the block on the corner and Brad Mercer just flattened his guy on the outside."


Tucson stretched it's lead to 24-0 with nine minutes left in the second quarter on a 54 yard field goal by DeadNutz on. The drive was set up by a Throw Da Ball My Way 16 yard punt return giving Tucson the ball at the Thunder's 44 yard line. Gunner drew the Thunder offsides for the third time in the game. A short pass completion to Tucson wideout See you in Your Endzone moved the ball down to the Tallahassee 37 yard line setting up DeadNutz On's attempt.

For the first time all night the Thunder got their offense going with their passing game leading the way. Using completions of 10, 24, 9, 14 and 3 yards to reach the Tucson ten yard line, Tallahassee narrowly avoided disaster when AJ Besaw forced a fumble. Luckily for the Thunder their fullback was there to fall on the ball giving them a second chance. They cashed in on the next play when James Robertson rumbled in from 6 yards out to leave the score Tucson 24 Tallahassee 7.

The Nighthawks stretched their lead back out to twenty points when DeadNutz On was good on a 40 yard field goal. Tucson exclusively used it's passing game on the drive with Gunner going three of five for thirty six yards to reach the Thunder's 23 yard line where the drive stalled. The first half ended with the Nighthawks up 27-7.

The only score of the 3rd quarter came on a 50 yard field goal by the Thunder after a 35 yard punt return set them up at the Nighthawks 40 yard line. Tallahassee gained 6 yards on a 1st down rush leaving them with a 2nd and short 4 yards. On the next play though Derrick Thomas stuffed a Thunder rush attempt for a 1 yard loss. Facing a 3rd and 5 Tallahassee elected to go to the air but Tucson's secondary forced them to go underneath where Throw Da Ball My Way stopped them 2 yards short of the first down.

The Nighthawks closed out the games scoring on their first possession of the fourth quarter. Tucson moved the ball 76 yards in 9 plays mixing the run and pass to perfection. Gunner was perfect on the drive hitting all 4 passes attempted for 51 yards. Four different backs handled rushing duties on the drive with Kenny Watson capping things off with a 1 yard touchdown run to make the score 34-10. "It was a perfect drive" said P-nutt, "everyone executed whether it was on the line or in the backfield. When we can operate like that with more consistently we'll be a championship caliber team."

Tallahassee never mounted a serious threat the remainder of the game failing to reach midfield. "We played a great game" said DC Moses, "I think we had 12 hurries and 7 or 8 sacks and I lost count of the number of passes our secondary batted down. That was a very talented offense we just shut down." Coach Nutt agreed, "Defensively again, we dominated. Offensively I thought we looked improved. We've still got room to grow but we're headed in the right direction." Asked about his quarterbacks play he was adamant "Gunner didn't have great numbers but when it mattered he stepped up and made plays and he's done that for us game after game."

***Stat Of The Game***

We could go with..................

0................the number of net rushing yards the Nighthawks defense gave up.

Some would say.........................

8....................the number of sacks Tucson's front 7 came up with totaling 55 yards in losses.

But I think I'll go with.................................

23....................the number of passes Tucson's secondary batted down leading to the Thunder's Qb tandems tepid 34.5 percent completion percentage.

***Next Up***

Tucson takes on the Anchorage Wolves. The Wolves have struggled so far this season despite having some of the best talent in the league. At 2-3 they've faced a tough early schedule and are still considered a likely playoff team. The Nighthawks will have to contend with stopping the 2nd best rushing team in the Western conference. Tucson's offense will face a Wolves defense that has been solid this season allowing slightly more than 15 points a game.

Anchorage Turns The Tables On Tucson


Tucson Times
Published: Wednesday, May 6th, 2009
Written By: Rip Urheadoff


Through the first five games of the season the Nighthawks had pushed around teams with their defense and special teams with their offense finishing things off. On Wednesday night it was the Wolves who used two pick sixes and a kickoff return for a TD to put the Nighthawks behind 21 points they'd never recover from. "We definitely got a taste of our own medicine" lamented Nighthawks DC Mr. Moses "We let them come out in the first half and put 17 points on the board offensively and that bothered me. After that we made some changes and pretty much shut them down. Unfortunately we were unable to come up with any big plays of our own to counter what they did."

Nighthawks head coach P-nutt made no bones regarding his unhappiness at the loss and was quick to point blame, "This one definitely goes on the offensive coaching staff. They saw some things they thought would work and I let them convince me to try them. I still think this is a game we should win and hopefully we'll get the chance to do that come playoff time".

Anchorage got the ball first going 3 and out before punting the ball away to the Nighthawks who at first appeared as though they might have something going. After picking up an initial first down and reaching into Wolves territory the Nighthawks faced a 3rd and 10 at the Anchorage 36 yard line. "You just need positive yardage that maybe you can break for first down yardage in this situation. The last thing you want to do is take a loss that takes you out of field goal range." Sure enough Gunner was sacked on the play resulting in a nearly 7 yard loss and forcing Tucson into a punting situation.

The Wolves took little time in benefiting from their good fortune. On their first play from scrimmage Anchorage's tailback took a pitch around the left end and rambled 58 yards down to the Nighthawks 32 yard line. "Allot of our guys got trapped inside and never were able to give pursuit" said Moses. Anchorage hit paydirt on the next play. The Wolves dropped back to throw allowing their receivers to clear out any underneath coverage before hitting their tailback in the slot who managed to break free of corner Mike Lorenzo and reach the right corner of the endzone to give the Wolves a 7-0 lead.

Tucson took the kickoff but was again unable to get anything going as they were forced to punt three plays later. The Wolves put together a 12 play drive covering 61 yards that was capped off with a 8 yard touchdown pass to give them a 14-0 lead.

The Nighthawks knew at that point that they were slowly digging themselves a hole they might not be able to get out of. With that pressure on them they took the ensuing kickoff and using a mixture of run and pass drove from their own 43 yard line to the Wolves 8 yard using a mix of run and pass. Facing a 3rd and 7 from the 8 they were unable to convert when Dow was swarmed under for a loss on a swing pass. DeadNutz On made it an 11 point game with a 29 yard field goal.

Anchorage wasted no time answering with a field goal drive of their own going 36 yards in 8 plays with the key play on the drive being a conversion on 3rd and 10 from their own 38 when Tucson gave up a 13 yard completion to put the ball near midfield. A 14 yard completion on the next play placed them in field goal range where Tucson's defense finally managed to hold forcing the field goal attempt putting the Wolves back up top by 14.

Tucson answered right back on their longest drive of the night to that point moving 55 yards in 16 plays. On the drive the Nighthawks converted 3 times on 3rd down reaching the Wolves 6 yard line before suffering a 2 yard loss on a 3rd and 2 forcing them again to call on DeadNutz On who was good from 26 yards away to make the score 17-6 in favor of Anchorage.

"We made some mistakes in the first half" noted P-nutt adding, "We gave up a couple of big plays on their first drive which is something we rarely do. Offensively we moved the ball alright but trading touchdowns for field goals will lose you allot of ball games. We felt good going into the second half that we could turn things around, particularly since we had the ball first."

The Nighthawks good feeling didn't last long into the second half. After Blah Dow set them up with good field position with a 26 yard kick return they took possession at their own 40 yard line. On their first play from scrimmage though Gunner attempted to go deep to Domin8ter Braden up the right side but failed to see the Strong Safety who undercut the route, picking off the pass, and returning it 51 yards for the touchdown and a 24-6 lead.

Blah Dow again set the offense up with great field position returning the ensuing kickoff 54 yards setting the Nighthawks up at the Wolves 32 yard line. Tucson was unable to take advantage of the great return however when tightend Pooh Duggins came up a yard short on 3rd and 6 leaving the coaching staff with a tough decision. "It was still early in the 2nd half. We felt it was imperative we get points out of the drive so we opted to attempt the field goal. In hindsight I'd probably go for the first down" said P-nutt. The kick was good from 41 yards away to make the score 24-9 Anchorage.

Tucson's defense stepped up and forced a 3 and out giving the ball right back to the offense which was again set up with great field position after a 28 yard punt return gave them the ball at the Wolves 42 yard line. Gunner then hit completions of 4, 13, and 13 yards to give Tucson a first down at the Anchorage 22 yard line. Disaster struck for Tucson on the next play though when Gunner was again picked off, this time around the 5 yard line, as he attempted to find his tightend on a short post corner. "I lead him too much and the linebacker made a great play and unfortunately from there had clear sailing" said Gunner. The extra point made the score 31-9, effectively killing any chance of a Tucson comeback.

Neither team was able to move the ball consistently for the remainder of the 3rd quarter. Tucson opened the 4th quarter by finally finding it's way into the endzone on a 38 yard touchdown pass from Gunner to Neon Bodeaux. DeadNutz On missed the extra point leaving the score 31-15. After forcing a 3 and out by the Wolves, Tucson again moved the ball into Anchorage territory thanks to Throw Da Ball Myway's 27 yard punt return. Unable to move the ball they quickly found themselves facing a 4th and 10 from the Wolves 33 yard line. To the surprise of many Coach Nutt opted to attempt the 53 yard field goal which DeadNutz On was good on making the score 31-18. "I know the fans wanted to see us go for it. It was a 3 score game irregardless. The field goal puts us in position to win the game if we can put it in the endzone twice and keep them from scoring. As it turned out, it didn't matter anyway."

No it didn't, because on the ensuing kickoff Tucson's special teams failed to lay a hand on Anchorage's return man who rambled 85 yards to crush any hopes the Nighthawks had of a comeback.

Other than a Tucson field goal neither team mounted a serious threat the remainder of the game giving Anchorage a 38-21 victory.

Nighthawks DC Mr. Moses said he was pleased with the play of his defense for the most part. "We gave up the 2 early scores and a field goal. Once we made some adjustments we pretty much shut them down offensiively. I thought defensively we played well enough to win the ball game. The turnovers and the kick return just killed us." Pontiac agreed, "The tables got turned on us in this one. They did to us exactly what we'd been doing to everyone else. You can't take anything away from them, they played a great game." Asked how he planned to get his team to recover from the loss he seemed to waive the question off. "It's just another week of practice. We'll break down the game film from this one. Then we'll put it behind us and start getting ready for the Mayhem."

***Stat Of The Game***

Some folks would go with.....................
4.4...........................the yards per attempt Tucson's passing game was held to by Anchorage's defense.

Others would choose......................
11......................The number of times the Wolves stopped Tucson's offense for a loss.

But I have to choose.........................
3........................................ the number of non-offensive scores given up by Tucson resulting in 21 points. 2 pick 6's and a kick off return were the difference in the game.

***Next Up For Tucson***

The Nighthawks face a Mayhem team that like Anchorage has struggled so far this season despite having above average talent. They've faced an extremely tough early schedule which may have played a part in their rough start. This is a team many expected to be in serious playoff contention so this game is crucial to them and one that Tucson can't afford to take lightly. They've struggled throwing the ball this year while giving up nearly 400 yards a game through the air. They've also struggled stopping the run so this is a game where the Nighthawks offense can look to get better from their last two somewhat anemic outings.

Nighthawks Click On Both Sides Of The Ball Against San Diego





Tucson Times

Published: Sunday, May 11, 2009

Written By: Rip Urheadoff





Headed into Sunday nights game there were many in the Tucson franchise, both the front office and the locker room, that had their doubts as to whether they were on a high enough level of play to beat the Marauders. Tucson's loss to the Anchorage Wolves left allot of people involved with the team, not counting fans, with their doubts. Maybe the Nighthawks 36-0 win and complete domination of the Marauders will allay some of those fears.


Tucson's defense gave up less than 180 yards total while returning 2 interceptions for touchdowns giving them 11 "Pick Sixes" on the season. They completely shut down San Diego's passing game down allowing them only 68 passing yards and a 32.4 percent completion percentage. "Our secondary was on lock down tonight" said DC Mr. Moses, "Our front 7 got good pressure on their Qb with 10 hurries and 2 sacks. How could you be displeased with production like that."


Once again the Nighthawks struggled with their running game and were forced to depend on their ball control passing game to move the ball and control the clock. "It's not flashy but it's been productive enough to help us put points on the board" said head coach P-nutt adding, "there's no doubt though we have to work on getting more production out of our running game. If we don't we won't achieve the goals we've set for ourselves this season." Center RC Slocum agreed "We've done a poor job of opening holes so far this season. We're just not getting enough push and until we do the running game isn't going anywhere."


After Tucson's defense forced a punt on San Diego's first possession, keyed by a Mike Lorenzo sack, the Nighthawks took over and put together a drive that ended in a DeadNutz On's field goal giving them what would turn out to be the only points they'd need to win the game.


Tucson's defense again got the ball back quickly for the offense, this time forcing a 3 and out by San Diego's offense. On the strength of 3 Stonewall Gunner completions the Nighthawks quickly moved into scoring position again before stalling and being forced to settle for a second field goal and a 6-0 lead.


San Diego was again unable to move the ball on the Nighthawks defense. Gunner and the Nighthawks offense again took over and were able to reach Marauders territory before being forced to attempt a 57 yard field goal attempt which sailed just wide right for a rare miss by DeadNutz On.


The Marauders offense finally managed to get a little movement on offense, reaching midfield, before they were forced into another punt. Tucson return man Throw Da Ball My Way, on pace for an all-pro season, broke several tackles and weaved his way in and out of traffic for a 45 yard return setting the Nighthawks offense up just inside San Diego territory. Gunner this time left nothing to chance hitting on passes of 10, 8, and 12 yards before capping things off by hitting Domin8ter Braden for a 13 yard touchdown pass in the left corner of the endzone.


Up 13-0 the Nighthawks looked for a chance to send the Marauders to the locker room at half time reeling. The offense got the chance to do just that after the defense and special teams once again got them the ball back just across midfield at San Diego's 49 yard line. Gunner went 6 of 7 on the drive capping things off by once again hitting Domin8ter Braden for the touchdown, this time on a 3 yard slant play for a 20-0 lead.


San Diego finally crossed midfield with less than 2 minutes left in the first half but were forced to punt the ball away finishing with an anemic 59 yards of total offense in the first 2 quarters.


Neither team could move the ball in the third quarter with any consistency with the first 10 minutes going by with no scoring. That changed quickly when San Diego tried to throw a quick out to the left which cornerback Jimmy Williams stepped in front of and returned 42 yards for the touchdown and a 27-0 Tucson lead.


San Diego finally appeared to have a drive going on their next possession moving the ball from their own 20 to the Nighthawks 45 in 13 plays. Facing a 3rd and 6 from there the Marauders attempted to pick up the first down through the air only to have the pass batted down by Ikkyu Hossagawa.


Both teams took turns trading punts for the next 5 minutes of the fourth quarter before Tucson's offense finally found a little rythym moving the ball from their own 20 to San Diego's 28 yard line where they faced a 3rd and 3. Quarterback Stonewall Gunner was sacked for a 6 yard loss though forcing DeadNutz On into the game to attempt a 51 yard field goal. His kick was good giving the Nighthawks a 30-0 lead. "We gave up a couple of 3rd down sacks that forced us into settling for field goal. That's something else our line has to work on."


DW Macbeth put an exclamation point on the Nighthawks victory just moments later picking off another Marauder's pass attempt and highstepping it into the endzone providing the final margin of victory. "Our secondary was just unbelievable tonight. They were a wet blanket to any chance San Diego's passing game had of catching fire" said Moses


In his post game press conference P-nutt was quick to point out the play of his defensive line, "They did a great job of getting pressure on the passer tonight as well as slowing up their running attack." Asked about his offense he was more guarded in his response, "We did a decent job of throwing the ball tonight. Our receivers did a good job of getting open and catching the ball. Gunner had a solid night particularly in the first half. We did not run the ball very well. We know the talent is there, both on the line and in the backfield. We have to figure out quickle whether it's scheme or execution that's the problem and then figure out exactly what we need to do to correct it." Asked if that meant possible personnel changes he would only say that anything was possible.



***Stat Of The Game***



Some would go with...................

1.8....................the number of yards per completion Tucson's defense gave up.



Others would choose..........................

3.........................the number of "pancake" blocks by Tucson's offensive line. One reason why Tucson rushed for only 39 yards in 22 attempts.



But I think I'll go with........................

23.....................the number of passes batted down by Tucson's secondary leading to San Diego's 32 percent completion percentage.



*** Next up for Tucson***

The Nighthawks will face a Fresno team that came into the year considered a favorite to make post season play but has limped it's way to mid season with a 3-5 start. The Jaguars have moved the ball fairly well, particularly with their passing game, but have failed to put the ball in the endzone with the frequency needed to win against stronger competition. Their defense has been solid though it has struggled a bit against the pass at times this season. This is close to a must win game for the Jaguars. With it's running game struggling look for the Nighthawks to come out throwing the ball in an attempt to continue Fresno's struggles.

Nighthawks Bag Jaguars For Big Midseason Win





Tucson Times

Published: May 12, 2009

Written by: Rip Urheadoff



Determined to come into this game running the ball no one was as flustered as Tucson head man Pontiacnutt when his opening drive of the game consisted of 3 pass attempts and a punt. "What can you do" muttered P-nutt, "We had the run called but the defense they lined up in called for us to audible out to a pass play" "That happened quite a lot in the first half. At halftime we changed allot of those audibles so they went to another running play which seemed to make a positive difference in the second half." Audible's aside Tucson's offense was productive enough and it's defense was every bit as dominating as previous games allowing the Nighthawks to come away with a 42 - 6 whipping of the Fresno Jaguars.


Taking the opening kickoff the Nighthawks offense was unable to do anything as Tucson Qb Stonewall Gunner missed on passes to Brad Mercer, See You In Your Endzone, and Neon Bodeaux. After Tucson's punt set the Jaguars up at their own 25 yard line. Fresno gained a yard and a half on a first down rush but two incompletions later it was time for them to punt the ball back to the Nighhawks. Taking over at their own 25 the Nighthawks again failed to be able to move the ball netting a total of 1 yard on the possession. "At that point we were like "What the Hell" said Tucson center RC Slocum, "We'd worked hard all week in practice only to have it all go out the window because they threw a different look defense at us than what we were expecting." Tucson punter Tom "Big Boot" Sawyer nailed a 55 bomb that Fresno managed to return 23 yards setting them up at their own 43 yard line.


On 1st down Fresno connected on a 16 yard pass play giving them another first down, this one at the Nighthawks 42 yard line. Again on first down they chose to go to the air coming away with a 8 yard completion down to Tucsons 34 yard line. They quickly followed that with two quick runs for short yardage that netted yet another first down. Operating from Tucsons 31 yard line Jaguars went 3 and out failing to hit 3 straight pass competions. They were able to connect on a 48 yard field goal to take a brief 3-0 lead.


Both teams traded punts their next possession. Fresno set up to punt it away to the Nighthawks from their own 7 yard line. Tucson had the punt block on with Fresno's kicker just getting the kick off against heavy pressure. Throw Da Ball My Way fielded the punt near midfield and returned it 24 yards to the Jaguars 25 yard line. After an incompletion on 1st down left the Nighthawks facing a 2nd and 10 they again went to the air, this time connecting on the pass to See You In Your Endzone for a gain of 8 yards leaving them with a 3rd and 2. Kenny Watson picked up the first down on a 4 yard rush leaving the Nighthawks set up at Fresno's 14 yard line. After a false start backed them up 5 yards Tucson wasted no time taking their shot at the endzone. Gunner was hurried on the pass play but still managed to find Glueh Trapd on an 18 yard touchdown pass to give the Nighthawks a 7-3 lead.


The first quarter ended with that score but things quickly changed going into the second quarter. After a 53 yard punt Throw Da Ball My Way, the Nighthawks All-Pro return man, brought the kick back 28 yards to set Tucson up at their own 43 yard line. Kenny Watson picked up 4 yards on a first down carry leaving Tucson with a 2nd and 6. On Second down Stonewall Gunner found Brad Mercer up the left side for a 12 yard gain down to the Jaguars 41 yard line. Gunner's next pass attempt was knocked away leaving them in a 2nd and 10. A 6 yard completion to Glueh Trapd left the Nighthawks with a 3rd and 4. Gunner made short work of that hitting Brad Mercer for a gain of 12 yards down to the Fresno 25 yard line. 2 short rushing attempts sandwiched around another incompletion left Tucson looking at a 4th and 6. DeadNutz On was then called in to attempt a 38 yard field goal that he snuck just inside the left upright giving the Nighthawks a 10-3 lead.


Just minutes later Tucson was back in position to kick another field goal thanks to completions of 14, 5, and 3 yards left them facing a 4th and 2 from Fresno's 24 yard line. This time DeadNutz On was dead perfect on his 41 yard field goal attempt to give the Nighthawks a 13-3 lead. Another field goal, this one from just 20 yards away to give the Nighthawks a 16-3 lead, was set up by pass completions of 16, 8, 12, and 3 yards left Tucson with a 4 and goal at Fresno's 3 yard line.


Neither team was able to move the ball for the remainder of the 2nd quarter until Tucson took possession with just over 1:25 left before the half. On 2nd and 10 Gunner hit his big TE Pooh Duggins for 14 yards and a first down. After a Tucson time out and Gunner incompletion left them facing a 2nd and 10 at their own 48 yard line with just under a minute left in the half. Under a heavy pass rush Gunner managed to hit Brad Mercer for a 20 yard gain. Mercer immediately hopped up from the pile asking for Tucson's 2nd timeout. With just 49 seconds left on the clock and operating from the Fresno 33 yard line Gunner again found Brad Mercer this time for a 14 yard gain before calling yet another Tucson timeout. Their final one of the first half. An incompletion and short completion later tied with a rush by Kenny Watson to set the ball up in between the uprights left Tucson just enough time on the clock for DeadNutz On to get off his 4th fieldgoal attempt of the half, which was good from 29 yards away giving Tucson a 19-3 lead headed to the locker room.


Fresno got the ball to start the second half but were unable to keep a drive going and were forced to punt. The Nighthawks took over at their own 31 and opened with what they wanted to do to start the 1st half, running the ball. On 1st down Kenny Watson was good for a 6 yard run right off tackle leaving a 2nd and 4. Blah Dow again went right breaking two tackles behind the line of scrimmage before grinding his was for 3.5 yards leaving the Nighthawks with a 3rd and short. Watson picked up the first down yardage breaking 2 tackles on a 6 yard gain. Watson then picked up 7 more yards on 1st down leaving a 2nd and 3. Stonewall Gunner hit See you In Your Endzone to the left on a quick slant to pick up the 3 yards and the first down. After a 2 yard gain on first down and and incomplete pass, Stonewall Gunner hit Brad Mercer up the left side for an 8 yard gain. The officials called timeout for a measurement and determined the Nighthawks had come up inches short. Rather than risk coming up with no points P-nutt decided to call in his place kicker yet again. Once again DeadNutz On was good from 51 yards away giving the Hawks a 22-3 lead.


The Nighthawks cashed into the endzone on their next possession giving them a 29-3 lead. On the drive they used a nice mix of pass and run to move the ball 63 yards on 11 plays with Kenny Watson capping things in on a 1 yard touchdown run. "We moved the ball well on the drive and I was pleased to be the one to punch it in" said Watson, "We're looking better as an offense the last few games. If we can just find a little more consistency with our running game I think we'll be tough to beat."


After DW Macbeth picked off a Fresno pass on their next possession, he returned it 22 yards setting the offense up in golden field position at the Fresno 9 yard line. Unfortunately though the offense was unable to move the ball in their Red Zone offense forcing another field goal attempt from 26 yards away. The kick was good extending the Nighthawks lead out to 32-3.


Fresno wasn't ready to lay down and play dead yet though putting together a field goal drive of their own that left the score 32-6. On the drive the Jaguars used almost exclusively the passing game with the exception of 2 rush plays. One of those rush plays came on the drives first play and was good for 12 yards. They were then good on pass connections of 16, 8, 8, and 17 yards to set up the field goal attempt from 38 yards away.


8 minutes later and still struggling to find a way back into the game Fresno had gone almost exclusively through the air in an attempt to score. It was on one of these pass plays that Rip Urheadoff playing over the top coverage, undercut the pass route and out jumped the receiver for the interception. He was then able to return the ball for yet another Tucson defensive score giving the Nighthawks a comfortable 39-6 lead.


It was on Fresno's next possession that DW Macbeth again stepped in front of a Jaguars pass giving the Nighthawks offense the ball back. The offense took advantage putting together a long drive that ended with a DeadNutz On 38 yard field goal, his 7th of the night, and a 42-6 lead for the Nighthawks which ended up being the final deficit in the game.


In his post game press conference P-nutt seemed pleased with the effort of his team, "We played a very good game tonight. To hold a team of Fresno's quality to just 6 points is an outstanding achievement. Our offense looked much better tonight particualarly considering the adjustments we had to make. Of course we had to settle for way to many field goals. It's nice to have a guy like DeadNutz On on the roster to make those kicks though. Long and short of it though is we have to score more touchdowns and that means getting better at running the ball once we get inside the red zone."


***Stat Of The Game***


Some folks would go with..........................

25.5.........................The passing percentage Fresno's Qb's managed to accumulate against the Nighthawks secondary.


Others would have to go with............................

7......................... the number of field goals on the night by the Nighthawks leading scorer DeadNutz On


But I have to go with....................

34......................... the number of pass deflections by what I happen to think is the best secondary in the league.


***Up Next For Tucson***

The Compton Colt 45's come in to face the Nighthawks sporting a 6-3 record and looking to find a way into hosting a post season game. Compton has a strong passing game but have struggled with their run game at times. Their defense has struggled at times this year against both the run and pass. It's a big game for both teams as they both continue to jostle for positioning in the top 4 spots so crucial for post season play.

Cool story, bro.

Nighthawks Defense Outguns Colt .45's


Tucson Times
Published: Friday, May 15, 2009
Written By: Rip U. Rheadoff


In what could have passed as an old NFC Central, "black and blue division", slobber knocker the Tucson Nighthawks outgunned the Compton Colt .45's 34-16. Those present at Compton's Shlitz Malt Liqour Stadium would tell you the game was much closer than the score indicated though, and they'd be right.

In a very physical matchup between two playoff bound teams the Nighthawks won out with their formula of a very stout defense and a ball control offense. Even with that formula it wasn't until their special teams ace Throw Da Ball Myway broke a 68 yard punt return for a touchdown that they gained their first lead of the game. "What can you say" said Head Coach P-nutt referring to his return man, "the guy has been worth his weight in gold this season. That return changed the entire momentum of the game. You could feel it on the sidelines and it really seemed to let the air out of their crowd."

The only points of the first quarter came on each teams opening drive. After Tucson won the toss and chose to defer till the second half Compton took the opening kickoff and ground out a 11 play drive that culminated with a 49 yard field goal giving them a 3-0 lead. "We gave up a couple of big plays on 3rd down" said DC Moses, "Both times on 3rd and long we gave up 13 yard gains." Key on keeping Compton out of the endzone on the drive was Quckly Sacked stuffing the Colt .45's tailback for a 3.5 yard loss on 1st down from Tucson's 28 yard line. From there the Nighthawks were able to force two incompletions and the field goal try.

Tucson's offense was able to hit the field an answer right back. Kenny Watson opened things up with an 8 yard gain with Amos Moses gaining 4 yards on 3rd and 2 to pick up the first down. Stonewall Gunner then hit See You In Your Endzone for a 16 yard gain to set Tucson up in Compton territory at their 31 yard line. After Gunner used a hard count to entice Compton off sides and Watson picked up 3 yards behind his big center RC Slocum, Blah Dow picked up the first down on a gain of 4 off the left side. The drive stalled at Compton's 15 yard line when the offense failed to convert on a 3rd and 6 forcing the field goal attempt by DeadNutz On that was good from 32 yards away leaving the score 3-3.

The Colt .45's retook the lead on their first drive of the second quarter on a 31 yard field goal making the score 6-3. Again the secondary gave up several big plays on 3rd down to help keep Compton's drive alive. "They were huge let downs" said Moses, "Everytime they hit one of those big 3rd down plays it deflated our sidelines." The first big Compton conversion came on a 3rd and 12 from the Colt .45's own 11 yard line when Tucson gave up a 25 yard completion for the first down. "They caught us blitzing the free safety on a weak side blitz." said Moses "Our corner (Xaiver Rialto) had tight coverage. Their quarterback just made a great throw." The second came on a 3rd and 12 when Compton again hit a big pass play this time picking up 19 yards. "Again, their guy made a great throw to their slot man." Moses grudgingly allowed adding, "He dropped it in just over his receivers outside shoulder so there wasn't much of anything our corner could have done."

The Colt .45's stretched their lead out to 10 points on their next possession hitting 2 big pass plays in doing so. Their offense was set up in great field position after a 20 yard punt return allowed them to open the drive at Tucson's 44 yard line. Compton's first big pass play came on a 3rd and 12 from the Nighthawks 45 yard line on a 21 yard completion down to Tucson's 24 yard line. The next came on a 3rd and 10 and went for 24 yards and the go ahead touchdown. "We were just horrid on 3rd down, particularly in the 1st half." said Moses adding " In the second half we did a much better job of getting pressure on the quarterback. We didn't make any changes to scheme, they guys just did a better job of executing.

The Colt .45's added another field goal just before the half to take a 16-3 lead. Key again on the drive was a 19 yard completion on 3rd and 11 that moved Compton down to Tucson's 42 yard line. A 13 yard completion followed and set the Colt .45's in position for the 41 yard field goal.

The second half had an inauspicious start when a Blah Dow fumble was recovered by Compton giving them possession at the Tucson 26 yard line. After an incompletion left the Colt .45's facing a 2nd and 10 they decided to go up top only to have DW Macbeth drop their quarterback for a 7 yard loss. On 3rd and long the Nighthawks defense finally came up with a big play when Rip Urheadoff knocked the ball loose from Compton's receiver forcing them to attempt the field goal from 51 yards away. DC Moses was relieved to see his defense finally step up and make some big plays. "The play on 3rd down was great but what really made me smile on that drive was the sack. It took them from easy to tough field goal range which ended up paying off big for us."

Tucson's offense finally showed signs of life with around 10 minutes left in the 3rd quarter coming up with a couple of big plays on 3rd and long themselves. Facing a 3rd and 9 from their own 45 yard line Gunner found Brad Mercer down the left side for a first down and 25 yard gain. Three plays later and facing a 3rd and 10 Gunner once again found Mercer, this time for a 17 yard gain down to the Compton 12 yard line. On 1st and 10 from the 12 yard line Kenny Watson gained 5 yards setting up a second and 5. Blah Dow followed with a 3 yard gain to leave Tucson with a 3rd and 2 from Compton's four and a half yard line. OC P-nutt opted to go with his big fullback with Amos Moses gaining 4 yards down to the Colt .45's six inch line. On 1st and goal Blah Dow followed Andre Smith and All Natural to the right side for the touchdown. The extra point left Tucson trailing by 6 at 16-10.

The Nighthawks added a field goal on their next possession to get within 3. Tucson's run game came up big on the drive with Watson, Dow and David Palmer all contributing. Back to back gains of 7 yards followed by runs of 3, 1, 2, and 9 yards left the Nighthawks facing a 4th and 6 from Compton's 22 yard line. DeadNutz On's field goal was good from 39 yards away. P-nutt said the attitude on the sideline had really picked up from the first half but he knew they still a long way left to go in the game. "We were just telling everyone to stay focused. We just kept drilling at them to take it one play at a time and do their jobs. I remember one of the coaches yelling over and over at them, asking them who was going to step up and make a play."

The answer came shortly into the 4th quarter when Throw "Da Ball" My Way fielded a Compton punt and ran first to his left almost reaching the Tucson sideline before cutting back towards the middle of the field for a 68 yard touchdown run. "Electrifying" grinned Moses adding, "the whole sideline just erupted when he got past their last defender" The touchdown gave the Nighthawks their first lead of the game.

The Nighthawks defense again came up big on Compton's next possession. The Colt .45's had crossed over into Tucson territory when Quickly Sacked blasted through the right side and dropped Compton's quarterback for a 5 yard loss. An incompletion on 3rd down put the Colt .45's in a 4th and 15 situation at their own 49 yard line. Rolling the dice Compton opted to go for the first down only to have their tightend leveled, knocking the ball loose and forcing them to turn the ball over on downs. "It was a big play" said P-nutt, "he leveled their tightend"

The Nighthawks wasted little time in taking avantage of the great field position. Fullback Amos Moses picked up 2 yards on first down leaving Tucson with a 2nd and 8. Staying with Tucson's propensity for big plays in the second half the Nighthawks struck it big on the next play when quarterback Stonewall Gunner found big play receiver Brad Mercer down the field for a 47 yard touchdown pass giving the Nighthawks a 27-16 lead.

Over Compton's next two possessions the Nighthawks defense came up big totalling 5 sacks against the Colt .45's offensive front with the last two setting up Tucson in prime scoring position. Sacks by DW Macbeth and Quickly sacked left Compton facing a 3rd and 22 at their own 8 yard line. A 3rd down incompletion again forced Compton to go for it on 4th down only to have the pass knocked down by Nighthawks cornerback Cro Marty giving Tucson possession of the ball at Compton's 8 yard line. It took 3 plays for them to cash in on the charitable field position with tailback Kenny Watson scoring from 3 yards out to give the Nighthawks the final margin of victory at 34-17.

Nighthawks head coach P-nutt seemed somewhat emotionally drained in his post game press conference noting that he was pleased with how well his team played in the second half. "It wasn't that we played poorly in the first half. They came out with a strong game plan and just executed better than we did." Asked what he thought the difference was in the second half he was quick to respond, "Our defense stepped up and made plays that they weren't making in the first half. The pressure we got on the quarterback in the 3rd quarter really seemed to rattle their offense. Quickly Sacked had what, 4 of his 5 sacks in the second half. Of course you can't leave out the punt return. More than any one single play it seemed to re-energize the team."

***Stat Of The Game***

Some would go with................
-0.4...........................the negative number of yards per rush given up by Tucson's defense

Then again some might choose...................
11/16......................... the number of sacks (11) and hurries (16) by the Nighthawks defense.

But I think I'll go with........................
Quickly Sacked ...................... Ok, I'll admit he's not a stat but the stats he's produced, 14 tackles, 5 sacks for 21 yards, 1 hurry, 3 tackles for loss, and 1 forced fumble, cannot be ignored.


***Up Next For The Nighthawks***
The Las Vegas High Rollers head into Tucson bringing with them a 7-3 record and one of the leagues best offenses averaging over 460 yards a game in total offense including the leagues top passing game. Their defense is solid though they have given up 19 touchdowns. They'll be the toughest offense the Nighthawks have faced thus far this season offering a huge challenge for Tucson's defense.

Originally posted by lolMurp
Cool story, bro.

Thanks

Nighthawks Win War With High Rollers

Tucson Times
Published: Saturday, May 16, 2009
Written By: Rip U. Rheadoff

After trailing by 10 points early in the second quarter in an important game as far as league standing for play off positioning are concerned the Tucson Nighthawks calmly battled their way back for the second game in a row to take the win against a quality playoff bound opponent. When the final desert breezes had wafted their way through the stadium's highest peaks and on down to field level where the score board could be read, showing Tucson 33 Las Vegas 26.

After Tucson won the toss and deferred to the second half the High Rollers took the ball but were unble to do anything with it. They were forced to punt to Nighthawks return man supreme Throw "DaBall" Myway where on a cut back he had a monster hit layed on him forcing him to fumble. The High Rollers recovered the fumble which allowed them to retain possession of the ball. Again though they were unable to move the chains and were forced once again to punt the ball away. Las Vegas's short punt and a 10 yard punt return set the Nighthawks up at near midfield. Staying on the ground to open things up Tucson picked up their first first down of the game on a 3 yard rush by Amos Moses and a 10 yard connection from Stonewall Gunner to big play receiver Brad Mercer. After a Kenny Watson fumble that was recovered my Amos Moses for a loss of one, the Nighthawks were unable to recover. The next two pass attempts were batted away leaving the Nighthawks facing a 4th and 11 from Las Vegas's 40 yard line. Taking a chance on the breezy evening Tucson Head Coach Pontiacnutt called on his placekicker DeadNutz On to attempt a 57 yard field goal. Everything went well, the snap, the placement, the Kick got off with good distance but at the last second the kick tailed wide left.

"I found myself second guessing the decision to go for the field goal almost immediately. The miss left them in great field position which put added pressure on our defense." said P-nutt when asked about the decision. Using their league best passing game to attack the Knighthawks defense they drove from their own 40 yard line down to the Nighthawks 10 yard line where they again went to the air with Rip Urheadoff tipping the ball away at the last second only to have the High Rollers receiver come down with the pass in the back of the endzone to give the High Rollers a 7-0 lead. "It hurts to think you've managed to knock the ball away only to have them come away with the points anyway" said Rip Urheadoff adding "It's easy to let something like that get you down but we've done a pretty good job of not doing that this season."

His offense showed that they'd also learned to set those things aside as they answered with a nice drive using a nice mix of run and pass starting from their own 20 a 6 yard reception followed by a 6 yard carry from Kenny Watson to give them a first down. After a short gain by fullback Amos Moses and a 2nd down incompletion the Nighthawks found themselves in a 3rd and 8.5. Stonewall Gunner who'd struggled earlier in the game put all that behind him on the 3rd down play and found his long time pass mate Shayde Black for a 31 yard gain down to the High Rollers 36 yard line. After a short gain from Watson and another incompletion left them in a 3rd and long situation it appeared as though they might have to settle for another field goal attempt a offsides call on Las Vegas left the Nighthawks with a makeable 3rd and 3. With the shorter yardage P-nutt opted to run the ball rather than put it in the air. Blah Dow responded by heading right for 25 yards breaking several tackle to give the Nighthawks a frst down at the High Rollers 5 yard line. Kenny Watson tied things up on the next play going of his right side for the 5 yard touchdown run leaving the score 7-7.

Using their passing game it again took Las Vegas little time to go back down the field though Tucson's defense stiffened and forced a field goal attempt from 28 yards away that was good giving the High Rollers a 10-7. "They were doing somethings different, things that quiet honestly we weren't looking for. They were getting some favorable matchups in the passing game and at that point the ball seemed to be bouncing their way." said DC Moses.

After Tucson was unable to maintain a drive and was forced to punt the ball away to the High Rollers lightning struck on their first play from scrimmage on a 97 yard touchdown pass down the right side. On the play Las Vegas's quarterback took a quick 3 step drop and found his man 10 yards down field and hit him in stride. Cro Marty had tight coverage but seemed to get his feet tangled up with the receiver as the ball arrived which prevented him from either making a play on the ball or the ball carrier. Only linebacker Perry Hauge had a chance to make the tackle and it became apparent very quickly that he didn't have the speed to make the play.

Trailing 17-7 the Nighthawks again refused to lay down. After a 30 yard kick return set the Nighthawks up at their own 40 yard line the Nighthawks began a drive again showing they weren't going to lay down against anyone. On first down Gunner again used the hard count to draw the High Rollers off sides leaving the Nighthawks with a 1st and 5. "It wasn't the prettiest drive" said Gunner, "Sometimes you have to be able to do that. Fight thru the penalties, the turnovers, poor execution, if you can do that and score when things aren't going right then you have a pretty good chance of winning." Gunner had completions of 11, 11, and 5 yards and appeared to have the Nighthawks in position to score but two consecutive plays by Tucson resluted in fumbles that the Nighthawks recovered. P-nutt finally called on DeadNutz On who was good from 49 yards away to make the score 17-10 Las Vegas.

The Nighthawks were able to add another field goal on their next possession. After their defense had forced a turnover on downs the offense was able to set up on their own 43 yard line. Gunner completed a pass to Glueh Trapd for 8 yards on 1st down then followed it up with a toss sweep to Blah Dow who managed 9 yards for the first down. Gunner then hit big play receiver Brad Mercer for a 8 yard gain. Kenny Watson followed that with a 3 yard run giving the Nighthawks a 1st and 10 at Las Vegas's 31 yard line. Gunner followed that immediately with a 10 yard completion to Mercer down to the 18 yard line. 3 plays later the Nighhawks came up short on 3rd down and were forced once again to settle for another DeadNutz On field goal making the score 17-13.

The High Rollers made the score 20- 13 with just a minute left in the 1st half. Taking the ball at their own 26 yard line they immediatly went to the air finding their receiver down the right side for a gain of 29 yards. Later in the drive they again went down the left side finding their receiver for 14 yards. After two short gains on the ground the High Rollers opted for the field goal chance which was good from 46 yards away.

The Nighthawks took the ball to open the second half and moved down the field to the High Rollers 29 yard line where they were forced to settle for another field goal, this one from 47 yards away to close the score to 20-16 in favor of the High Rollers. Key on the drive were completions from Gunner to Trapd for 13 yards and an 18 yard completion to Neon Bodeaux.

Las Vegas refused to give up their lead though moving the ball 47 yards to the Nighthawks 35 yard line before stalling and being forced to settle for a field goal from 51 yards away which was good to make the score 23-16. "Their passing offense was extremely tough to stop" said Moses "They use a good mixture and their receivers do a very good job of running their routes. We were pleased with forcing them to settle for field goals."

The Nighthawks offense wasn't ready to give in either. Mixing the run and pass Tucson moved down field. Key on the drive were incompletions from Gunner to Pooh Duggins for 23 yards and 15 yards. "We hadn't had much luck with our tightends the last few games so I was pleased to see him make a few catches today" said P-nutt. The Nighthawks stalled on the 8 yard line and were forced yet again to settle for the field goal attempt which was good from 25 yards away making the score 23-19.

The High Rollers again stretched their lead back out to 7 moving 50 yards in 11 plays before once again having to settle for a field goal, this time from 48 yards away. "We weren't sure we'd ever catch them" said Nighthawks receiver Brad Mercer "we weren't going to quit trying though."

Neither team could score in their next possession with the Nighthawks drive ending on an interception and the High Rollers ending on a punt. Throw "DaBall" MyWay fielded the punt and returned it to the Las Vegas 18 yard line. From there Gunner hit Neon Bodeaux up the right side for 12 yards. From there Watson gained 5 yards off tackle setting up a 1st and goal for Tucson at the LasVegas 3 yard line. Blah Dow made short work or the remaining distance scoring on the next play to tie the game up at 26 apiece.

With both teams struggling to get into field position with time running out in the 4th quarter. Disaster almost struck the Nighthawks 1:56 left in the 4th quarter when punt return ace Throw "DaBall" MyWay was hit fielding a punt, fumbling the ball away where it looked for a moment as if it would surely be recovered by the High Rollers before backup tightend Hans McGregron came up out of the pile with the ball allowing the Nighthawks to retain possession.

Fate wasn't as fortunate to Las Vegas when less than a minute later on a pass play Perry Hauge knocked the ball loose from the receiver where linebacker Cary Brown scooped it out of the air and returned it 27 yards inside Las Vegas's 5 yard line. Watson gained a yard moving the ball down to the 4 yard line where Blah Dow once again proved to have a nose for the endzone carrying it in on the very next play to give the Nighthawks a 33-26 lead. The High Rollers had one last attempt at a drive but saw their hopes dashed when Anthony Hazelett sacked their quarterback on a 4th and 10 causing a turnover on downs

"Wow what a game" said an obviously emotionally drained P-nutt afterwards in his post game press conference, "We never quit fighting and you have to hand it to them, they never did either." Asked what he thought the key play in the game was he answered. "Well there were allot of big plays in the game but if there was one major turning point it was when Hauge knocked that ball loose and Hauge came up with it and returned it to the 5. There was so little time left on the clock when it happened that all we had to do was score to win the ball game."

***Stat Of The Game***

Some would choose.......................
8 ........................ the number of field goals by the two teams kickers under tense situations with the only miss being from 57 yards away

Still others might go with................
198 ............................. the number of yards receiving by Las Vegas receiver Phil King against a tough Tucson secondary.

But I think I'll go with........................
3.............................. the number of rushing TD's by the Nighthawks. An unheard of occourence this season.

Criminal Element Sent Up The River

Published: Monday, May 18, 2009
Tucson Times
By: Rip Urheadoff

This wasn't the way it was suppose to go down. This was a matchup between the leagues top two teams record wise. The Las Vegas Criminal Element came in at 11-0 vs. a Tucson Nighthawks team at 10-1. One had the top offense, the other had the top defense. This was suppose to be one of those games that went down to the end, a nail biter, a classic..............

What it turned out to be was a blowout of epic proportions with the Nighthawks trouncing Las Vegas 74-0 using an opportunistic defense, big play special teams, and a timely offense. Tucson took advantage of numerous questionable coaching decisions on the part of a Las Vegas coaching staff that seemed to panic once getting down early in the game.

An early drive by Tucson ended prematurely when Blah Dow was hit and forced to fumble. Las Vegas recovered the fumble and mounted a long drive starting at their own 10 yard line and moving down inside the Nighthawks 25 yard line where they appeared ready to score. On a 4th and 1 from Tucson's 23 the Criminal Element opted to go for the first down instead of settling for a field goal. It turned out to be a mistake as Quickly Sacked stuffed the Vegas running back for a two and a half yard loss forcing them to turn the ball over on downs. Neither team was able to move the ball for the next several possessions. The first quarter ended with Tucson driving the ball after their defense had stopped Vegas at their own 10 yard line. After a 42 yard punt and 16 yard Tucson return gave the Nighthawks possession at the Criminal Element's 36 yard line, the offense used a nice mix of run and pass to move down inside the 10 yard line where Stonewall Gunner hit Brad Mercer for the opening score of the game on a 5 yard out. The extra point gave the Nighthawks a 7-0 lead.

Las Vegas missed another golden scoring opportunity a few minute later when they once again drove down inside Tucson territory only to turn the ball over on downs. Facing a 3rd and inches from the Nighthawks 35 yard line Vegas's back was stuffed for no gain by strong safety Rip Urheadoff. Instead of attempting the lengthy field goal LVCE went for the first down only to have Nighthawks defensive tackle Fridge McFrozen force a fumble on the tackle that was recovered by linebacker Cary Brown.

With 3:42 left in the 2nd quarter Vegas opted to punt the ball to Nighthawks return man Throw "DaBall" Myway who returned the kick 37 yards to the Criminal Element 37 yard line. Two Gunner completions, one to Glueh Trapd, and one to Blah Dow, set the Tucson offense up inside the 15 yard line where Gunner hit Domin8ter Braden for a 13 yard touchdown pass and a 14-0 Nighthawks lead.

With 1:09 left in the first half the Criminal Element were again force to punt to the Nighthawks return ace. Throw "DaBall" Myway made them pay returning the ball 49 yards to the Vegas 33 yard line. The offense was unable to move the ball, failing on 3 pass attempts, and opted to call on place kicker DeadNutz On who was good from 49.5 yards away making the score 17-0 at half time.

Tucson Head Coach P-nutt was thrilled with the way the first half went but wanted to make sure the team stayed focused for the second half, "It was really a tight game in the first half. We'd gotten some breaks in field position that had helped us out on offense. We told the guys in the locker room at the half that if we could come out and jump on them to start the second half that we might be able to put them away."

Las Vegas got the ball to start the 3rd quarter but was unable to move the ball. Their punter got off a 41 yard kick that Throw "DaBall" Myway fielded at his own 40 yard line. The Tucson return ace broke two tackles and weaved his way through Vegas's return coverage for a 60 yard touchdown return giving P-nutt the big play he asked for and giving the Nighthawks a 24-0 lead.

If the punt return didn't deflate the Vegas sideline what happened on their next possession surely did. On a 1st and 10 from midfield Nighthawks corner D.W. Macbeth stepped in front of a Tommy Guns pass and raced 60 yards for the pick six. "They'd run that route on me earlier in the game out of the same formation. The throw was a little behind the receiver making it an easy pick."

Vegas's coaching staff sensing the potential blowout seemed to adapt an "all or nothing" attitude at that point. After incompletions on 1st and 2nd down and facing a 3rd and 10 from their own 26 Guns again attempted to pass but Quickly Sacked dropped him for a loss of 7 yards setting up a 4th and 17. The Criminal Element elected to go for the first down, attempting to pass only to have corner Mike Lorenzo bat the ball down forcing another turnover on downs. The Nighthawks offense was only able to net 4 yards on a Kenny Watson rush bringing on DeadNutz On to attempt a field goal that was good from 33 yards away.

Tucson added another short field goal just minutes later to take a 37-0 lead. "For some reason we just couldn't get the offense going in the second half" said Nighthawks quarterback Stonewall Gunner. The defense had no such problems getting into the endzone and did so again minutes later when corner Jimmy Williams picked off a Guns pass and returned it 60 yards for the score and a 44-0 lead. "With our big lead and the pressure our line was getting we could really sit back and read the quarterback" said Williams.

Three more DeadNutz On field goals of 48, 36, and 43 yards stretched the Tucson lead to 53-0. The lead would only get bigger shortly after the last field goal when Williams again picked off a Guns pass this time returning it 64 yards for the score. Adding to his gaudy stats on the night Williams minutes later picked off Guns, returning the pick 36 yards for a pick six trifecta on the night.

Trailing 70-0 and looking to salvage some pride Vegas put together their longest drive of the night reaching the Tucson 3 yard line. It was the Nighthawks who showed more pride by stiffening and forcing 3 straight incompletions for another turnover on downs. "We'd worked to damn hard all night to let them score at the end" said Nighthawks defensive captain Quickly Sacked.

Adding insult to injury and capping off a stellar night for the Tucson secondary D.W. Macbeth batted a Guns pass away only to have the ball land right in the hands of corner Jimmy Williams. Sixty three yards later the corner had his fourth pick six of the game providing the final margin of victory for the Nighthawks.

"Williams was like a magnet out there tonight" said DC Moses, "and that performance came against a team that came into the game with the Conference's top ranked team. I can't say for sure but it was probably a franchise record." Asked what he thought was the difference in the second half Moses said, "I think the punt return and first interception just deflated their team and from there things quickly went downhill." When questioned about the struggles of his offense in the second half P-nutt quickly pointed out that part of that was probably his fault, "With the big lead I got kind of conservative with my play calling trying to keep the clock moving as much as possible."

***Stat Of The Game***

We could go with..............................
39 ............................ the number of passes knocked down by Tucson's secondary

Most would probably go with..............................
4 .................................. the number of time Jimmy Williams picked off a pass and returned it for a TD.

But I'm going to go with.............................
118 ............................... the number of plays that Vegas ran without scoring a single point.

Lol..Wtf Go get some puccy and all your problems would be solve

why is this stickied?

Un-sticky and delete in my IMO hasn't been updated in ages

well if its updated,keep it sticky!