In the latest start ever in the previous 15 seasons of Blitz, week one kicked off on October 6th, 2018. As per usual, we started the season off with a championship rematch of the season before. The Vikings got to the field bright and early and crusty eyed in championship hangover mode to face off against the Athletes. Jay Smooth got the crowd going for the home team Athletes with his pregame speech and facebook live inside the lockerroom. A hype speech that the likes of Al Pacino is Any Given Sunday couldn’t touch. A speech so enchanting that it would give Coach Taylor from Friday Night Lights the chills. Some historians would say this speech was not to be missed. Some would say it doesn’t deserve to be heard ever again due to it’s poetic sorcery and persiflage. If you missed his pregame monologue, then you missed the building of the Taj Mahal. The Athletes were inexplicably lulled to sleep by the beauty of Smooth’s words that they failed to comply on the field. The Vikings charged out to a 14 point lead in the first half and then replicated their performance in the second half to finish it out. The Vikings shut out the Athletes 28-0 on opening day.
In a match of former champions, the Scoregasms took on the Tigers at 8:25. The Scoregasms jumped out to a huge lead early thanks to Dan Walkley and Nano also known as Travis Tripodi. Nano got the Scoregasms on the board first with a diving, face scraping touchdown reception to go up six. Dan Walkley then caught career touchdown number 118 and followed it up with 119 to put the Scoregasms up 20. The Tigers began to mount a comeback after the half when Keith Johansen caught the first of this two TD’s on the day to pull within 8. The Tigers second half defense held the Scoregasms scoreless but it was just too little too late, the damage had already been done. The Tigers can’t complete the comeback and they fall on opening day for the second straight year, 20-12.
The BLITZ game of the WEEK took place across the way as the Carnage hosted the Rage. Carnage got on the board first when Dane Schindler shoveled the ball forward to a slashing Chris Rocker for the score. Two drives late, John McCarthy caught an arching laser beam over the Rage safety to go up 12. The Rage would not be shutout in the first half. Jimmy Sanford connected with Rob Keddie with time winding down to cut the Carnage lead to six at the break. In the second half, Schindler struck again for Carnage but this time on the ground to go back up by 12. Anthony Williams of the Rage responded in his own way. He caught a deep fly route over the Carnage defenders to pull within 5. Fast forward to one minute left on the clock and the Rage have the ball. Sanford shoveled the ball to Andrew Howard a la Showtime to take their first lead of the game. With no timeouts, Carnage got the ball and started marching down the field. They got all the way down to the six yard line with seconds left. With everyone running to the line of scrimmage in hopes to spike the ball and stop the clock; offsetting penalties on the offense and defense gave Carnage one last shot. But unfortunately for the home team, they were unaware that the clock started out of the formation and the clock expired before they snapped the ball. Good night, game over, drive home safely. These two teams are destined for great things once again as this possibly served a precursor for things to come. Rage win it going away, 19-18.
At 9:25 the swagtastic Battletoads took on voguetastic Flagnado. The Toads leaped and hopped out to a quick lead in their first two possessions. Ben Phelps tapped his toes behind the pylon and then Nick Kepka Calvetti was left wide open in the back of the endzone for the easy stomach enveloping touchdown. Reigning Offensive Player of the Year, Bill Savary struck for the first time this season by catching a TD in the back corner of the endzone to pull Flagnado within seven at halftime. Right out of the gate, the Toads came out hot. QB Scott French connected with Josh Briand at the goal line to go back up by two scores. On Flagnado’s next drive, Dylan Humphrey would eventually catch a leaping endzone grab to pull back within a score. The game would remain a seven point lead until the final minute of the game with Flagnado driving. Savary caught a pass for eight yards. Jerry Brown for five. Jake Tinirella rushed for 16. Then Sapienza for nine to the seven yard line with eight seconds left to play. On the games final play, Flagnado’s QB rolled to the left, eyed Humphrey and fired it. Humphrey corralled the pass with coverage all him and then Kepka got his hands in there to bat it away. The Battletoads take down a big rival, 20-13.
The new look Vinegar Strokes went into battle (literally) at 10am against the expansion Knights squad. The Knights were actually in control of this game for the first half thanks to the arm and legs of Gert Petro Papa. He rushed for a TD then threw one to rookie Jonathan Rollins right before the half to go up by eight at halftime. In the second half, the Strokes got it going. Chad Crockett caught a quick slant over the middle to pull within two. Vinegar Strokes would then use the power of the fumblitis to take the lead. After a fiesty fumble, Mike Kelly caught a pass up the sideline and scampered to the glory for the victory. The Knights lose not only a player, but they lose their champagne bottle home opener, 20-14.
A new rivalry may have been born in a matchup between the Goonies and Legion of Doom. This game started sloppy as both teams needed a bit of time to shake off the summertime rust. The Flash Shattuck who might actually be healthy for the first time in 6 seasons, tossed the games’ first TD. After a Vinnie Frasco interception, Flash connected with Rookie receiver Alex Andrews for six. It wasn’t until 30 ticks left on clock when the Goonies made their move. After a false start backed them back into their own territory, QB Steve Tambouris fired a twisting spiral skyward for the hands of Craig Maynard. Maynard vaulted into the air to pull down the reception over two defenders to pull within a point before the halftime clock wound down to zero. In the second half, LOD QB Jordan Miranda came out of the locker room to take over his offense. He found a leaping, toe dragging Josh Thomas in the back of the endzone. After the Goonies scored via Garrett Nelson and his graceless dip, LOD put the nail in the coffin. Miranda threw a little screen from his own one yard line to Andrews who shook his defenders off and bolted down the sideline for the full distance TD. Vinnie Frasco picked off another Goonies pass in the final possession to seal the deal. Legion of Doom win a thriller at home, 21-14.
In the first game of their sophomore season, the Dream Killers took on the expansion squad of veterans known as the West Canaan Coyotes. AJ McKelvey made a name for himself in his first game in blue. He stiff armed his way to the endzone to start the scoring, then would later pick off a Dream Killers pass and take it to the house for a pick six. In Matt Arpin’s first game in black and orange, he made his presence felt. Arpin only had 2 catches but he racked up 85 yards including a 60 yarder in which he beat everyone down the field for his first touchdown of the year. McKelvey would score another TD for the Coyotes at the end to put it officially out of reach. The Coyotes get their first franchise victory, 23-7.
America’s Children was next on deck to take on New Wave at home. Tom Scalley got his squad on the board first with a post corner from the 15 yard line for six. He then followed it up on the next drive with a little out route from the one yard line for his second TD of the game. With New Wave being down 13 they finally answered. QB Devon Collier connected with Sam Gilot over the middle who stiff armed his way into Children’s territory. Collier would then hook up with Harmel with just over 2 minutes to play in the half. America’s Children would respond right back. O’Donnell hooked up with Alec Texas cornbread in the endzone after a few New Wave hands bobbled it up into the air. New Wave put up another crooked number on the scoreboard right before the half when Nathan Guillermo slashed his way into the endzone on a little slant to pull with eight at the half. Out of the gate, New Wave possessed the ball poised to tie it up but the Children had other plans. Cory Allen picked off a Collier pass and took it 48 yards for a pick six to put the game out of reach. Highlight of the day went to Isaac Velez, who scored his first career TD for New Wave on a perfectly executed hook and ladder with just over a minute to play. Too little too late for New Wave as they fall, 27-18 on opening day.
Title aspirations don’t often come along for expansion squads but at noon, the Brawlers made everyone believers. QB Brent Wahl put on a show with his arsenal of offensive weaponry. On their first Blitz drive, Wahl hooked up with Zakari Smith for the first of his four touchdowns on the day. Tyler Morissette would pick on an Insanity pass in their next possession to set up his own first career receiving TD. They continued to spread the wealth on their next possession as Adam Ledoux caught an easy TD with no one around him to increase their lead. Morissette added another score before the break to put his team up 28 points. Insanity’s Tyler Gagne hooked up with Tyler McDaniels for their teams lone score after halftime. That was it for the day as Adam Ledoux poured it on with his second TD of the game and so on and so on. Luis Jimenez closed the game out with pick six and the Brawlers roll easily into their first victory, 63-6.
The finale of the day pitted fall competitors Metrowest Boomin against an A playoff poised Illmatic team. Illmatic set the tone early. Cory White caught his first TD of the day followed by an Omar Graciamo TD to jump out to a 14 point lead. Boomin all-pro, Jay Davis put his team on the board with a quick slant and slash from Brendan Bernazzani. This was as close as Metrowest would get. Cory White took this game over all by himself. White scored three consecutive touchdowns to bring his total to four TD’s on the day to go along with eight receptions. Davis punched another TD in late for Boomin but the damage was done. Illmatic wins it’s opener, 34-12.