To begin this week, we do have to preface by saying, that the Blitz community was in a world of mourning heading into the games as Friday night we learned of the passing of one of our own. Sean Marron who played two seasons with us was taken from the world too soon. It is with heavy hearts that we express condolences to all who love him and call him a friend.
Week three started off with a championship preview of the sort (says some Vegas phrophets), the shelled squad full of Covid Opt-Outs known as the Vikings took on the dazzling and exuberant Rampage. Riley Cote got the scoring kicked off for the home team with a TD grab from the five yard line on fourth down. The Vikings on their next drive, dink and dunked their way to pay dirt ending with a TD catch by Tyson Forsaith. Fast Forward to the two minute drill with the Vikings driving. Mike Lamonday sprawled out on the ground, making an outstanding catch to go up 13-6 at the break. Outta the lockerroom, Rampage rookie, James Tanguay got involved. He picked off a errant Vikings pass, shook a few defenders, spun around and lateralled it back to Andrew Duval who backflipped into the endzone for the score. On the successive drive, Sam Gilot struck. He plowed through the Vikings O-Line to hunt down the quarterback for the safety sack and their first lead of the game. Rampage would not look back. Duval added an aerial TD then Carter Cormier caught a 50 yard bomb to put the nail in the coffin for the Vikings. Rampage scores 21 unanswered and rolls, 27-13.
The Phantoms and Nightmare squared off in a battle of B proportions for a half or so. The Phantoms backup QB Jay Davis was rolling in the first half. He connected with Cory White to go up a quick six. Nightmare’s Tyler McDaniels scored his first TD of the day to tie it up. Then not to be outdone, Davis connected with Dean Muzzy deep down field for a Randy Moss like TD. McDaniels caught another pass to pull within a point for the home team. Just to keep things interesting, Davis connected with Marcelleus Lee for his first career TD to take the lead once again. Unfortunately for the Phantoms they couldn’t hold that lead going into halftime. QB Dillon LaPlante found Tyler…Gagne in the endzone this time to once again pull within a point at the break. The second half was a Nightmarish one for the Phantoms as Nick Santana took over. McDaniels caught his hat trick TD to take the lead, followed by Santana who intercepted two passes one of which he took to the house. The Nightmare pitch a second half shutout and get in the win column 38-19.
Do you like defensive battles? (crickets) Oh really? I don’t either. I don’t think anyone does and with that logic, nobody liked this next game on the schedule. On paper, the Vinegar Strokes and TMoney Tigers seemed like a matchup to earn the BGOW honors, but it fell as flat as the Tigers football on this day. Here are the highlights: The Tigers scored by way of an outstanding Eddie Sheridan TD grab streaking past the coverage. They converted the extra point (yes that’s a highlight). Then; halftime. The Strokes then came out of the locker room and showed some life. Ben Durand connected with Sean Marrero on a beauty of a dime to pull within a point. After the missed XPT, that was where it would end. Sloppy offense and both quarterbacks combining for a total Quarterback rating of 39.7 (Cam Newton foreshadowing). The Tigers hang on to win this one 7-6.
Now for the real #BGOW. Shake n’Bake v Rage of Doom. This matchup is as heated as Broncos Pats, Yankees Red Sox, Carnage Rage and this one did not disappoint. The first half was somewhat sloppy as both offenses were only able to muster up one touchdown a piece. Pat Bradenise caught a laser beam on a deep slant from Dane Schindler not to be outdone by a laser of it’s own by Jimmy Sanford to Deuce Jennings to tie it up and then go up by a point on the extra chance. Fresh out of an inspiring lashing by the ROD coaching staff, Tyler Shattuck took the game into his hands. On Shake n’Bake’s first possession, Flash abducted a ball from the sky and took it the other way for six. Championship teams respond and Shake n’Bake is one of those teams. Schindler connected with John McCarthy who took down a few defenders on his way to the endzone until he saw a roadblock. Seeing it in slow motion, he flipped it back to a trailing Jason Grace who wrangled it in and broke the plane to pull within three points. After a ROD turnover on downs, JMAC struck again. He caught a little drag over the middle and then spun by three defenders narrowly avoiding tackle after tackle until he emphatically reached the endzone. Shake n’Bake takes their first lead with 1 minute and 48 seconds left to play. Some would say don’t count your touchdowns before they’re hatched, while others will say eggs but ROD showed why they constantly find their way to the top of the standings year in and year out. Sanford found Shattuck three times more times to set them up in scoring position. Two plays later, Sanford connected with Deuce once again to seal the deal. Rage of Doom blows a lead then comes back to win 21-18.
America’s Children and the Battletoads squared off at 11:20 following the BGOW. If not for insanity of the previous game, this one might have filled that spot. America’s Children came out of the gate hard and fast. Ryan Glavin caught his first career touchdown to break the zero and then caught his second career touchdown after a Ben Phelps leaping touchdown grab in the middle. Nick Kepka Calvetti intercepted a stray ball from the Children’s end and then caught a TD on the other end to even it up at 13’s. Tom Scalley then found literal pay dirt in his face, to close the half and give America’s Children at seven point lead. Phelps would strike again in the second, leaping up in the back of the endzone coming down hard and hanging on to tie it up once again. It was utnil five minutes remained when Scalley slid across the endzone and scooped a ball into his chest to go back up by seven. After several stall outs on both ends the Toads had the ball and we’re driving. QB Scott French utilized all of his weapons in his final drive. He brought his team down to the two yard line when he flicked the snap directly back to his center, Ben Glassman who trickled into the endzone to pull within one point with ten seconds to go. It’s win or tie time; the Toads don’t play to tie, they play to win. French dropped back and scrambled his eggs away until he saw a window to connect with Kepka once again for the lead; for the win. Toads remain undefeated in a thriller, 27-26.
The day’s finale saw the Raiders go on the road to take on the Scoregasms. The Raiders’ David Baldwin got the game going with a highlight reel touchdown grab in the back of the endzone only to be followed up by a diving highlight reel touchdown grab of his own by Mike Aronian. The Raiders went up big late in the first half with scoring TD’s by George Notini and a pretty tip toe tappy by Britton Doyle. The Raiders of course “disrespected” the MVP as Dan Walkley single handedly kept his team in the game in the first half. He caught three fourth down conversions that were nearly impossible to come up with and hauled in gorgeous rolling touchdown of his own to pull within six. Baldwin struck first out of the break just to be followed up by Walkley again. Jack Mahoney put it out of reach for the winners in this one with his 40 yard go route touchdown over Walkley in tight coverage. The Raiders would add one more touchdown in garbage time to make it a lot more lopsided than it actually was. The Raiders hand the Scoregasms their first loss of the season, 38-19.
One week til Election day. Now get out an vote before it’s too late.Til next week. Rest up out deer and stay safe. G’luck and Godspeed to all and to all a week three.
