SAFL SAFL 2010 Season Week 4 Newsletter

2010
Week 5
Game *** Weeks’s Highlights ***
Schedule
(All games this week 1. World League Games
are at the SAS turf
field) 2. National League Games
Fri Oct 08: 7:00 pm 3. American League Games
(World) Bulldogs –vs-
Vikings
4. League Standings
Sat Oct 09: 8:30 am
(American) Longhorns – 5. Commissioner's Corner (Jeff Woodard)
vs- Gators
6. SACAC Announcements
Sat Oct 09: 9:30 am
(American) Gators –vs-
7. Tomo's Tips: Treating Contagious Illnesses in Sports
Rams

Sat Oct 09: 10:30 am 8. "The Yellow Flag" - Penalty flags and their meanings
(American) Rams –vs-
Longhorns 9. The Road to Athletic Scholarships (NCSA)
Sat Oct 09: 3:00 pm
(National) Raiders –vs- 10. "Bet You Didn't Know" – Johnny Unitas
Cougars
11. Pictures of the Week
Sat Oct 09: 4:00 pm
(National) Chargers –vs-
Raiders

Sat Oct 09: 5:00 pm ***

(National) Cougars –vs-
Chargers
Greetings And Welcome
Sat Oct 09: 6:30 pm
(World) Oilers –vs-
Steelers Hello everyone! Welcome to the fourth edition of the regular 2010 season
Newsletter for the Singapore American Football League (SAFL). This edition
brings to you game highlights of the World, National and American League
games that were played this past week. We have very good game write-ups
contributed by Phil Morris (World League), Roy & Michael Connors (National
League) and David Moritz (American League). Photographs were contributed by
Andre DiBiagio, Maureen Pond, James Haensly, Shannon Chambers, Karl
Week 3 volunteers
Kimbal, Julie Jackson, Wendy Pampel, Lael Hinman Stanczak, and many others.
Thank you!
Sandy Lal volunteered her professional editing skills, Tomo Tanabe contributed
**************
the write-up on Concussion, and Phil Morris compiled the article about the great
quarterback, Johnny Unitas.

A huge thank you to all our contributors mentioned above, and to numerous
 others for their contributions to help make this fourth edition happen, and also
Farewell to Fred
Gomez, to the coaches, referees, chain gang, booth staff plus everyone else
Newsletter Editor volunteering their time to make this another successful SAFL season!

As you know, Fred

Gomez has been
spearheading our
excellent newsletter
for last year and this
year as well. Game Highlights – World League
Unfortunately (for us),
Fred will need to give
up the Newsletter Steelers 28 – Vikings 6; 01 October 2010
Editor role since he will
be returning to the Week #4 for the World League opened up with a Friday evening game featuring
U.S. shortly. Next the Steelers in yellow (2 wins, 1 loss), and the Vikings in white (2 wins, 1 loss).
week's Newsletter will
be Fred's final edition. Both teams were looking to advance to the top of the division with a win in this
We would like to thank evening’s game.
Fred for his wonderful
and never-ending The contest began with the Steelers kicking off to the Vikings, who took over on
support over the past their own 20 yard line. The Vikings wasted no time in moving the ball – Joshua
couple of years!!
Dawe received the handoff, but was met by a “Steel Curtain” and fumbled the
Urgent Need to ball. However, Chris Peng of the Vikings was there to scoop up the fumble, and
Find Fred's Peng trundled nearly 50 yards down to the Steelers 25 yard line. Joshua Dawe
Replacement - and Chris Hampton combined for runs which took the ball to the Steelers 13 yard
line and a Vikings 1st down. Despite several determined running plays, the
For the Newsletter to
continue this year, we Steelers defense held firm and denied the Vikings passage into their endzone.
need to find a new The Steelers took over on downs, deep in their own territory.
Newsletter Editor
immediately!! You do
not need detailed
football knowledge to
do this job!! The
Newsletter Editor plans
the contents of the
Newsletters, solicits
inputs from
contributors, and then
inserts all articles,
photos, and other
items into the
Newsletter. Once the
Newsletter draft is
prepared, the Editor
will review with
League leadership/
SACAC prior to
release.

Please volunteer
for Newsletter
Editor, and
contact Phil
Morris at:
Steelers Matt Conklin gave his team some breathing room by pushing his way out
philip.morris@boeing.com
to his own 20 yard line. Hayes Kimball chewed up some more yardage on some
strong running up the middle, and pass midfield for a Steelers 1st down. Viking
Or Jeff Woodard
at: penalties combined with runs by Kimball and Conklin gave the Steelers another
1st down near the Vikings 40 yard line. But, that’s as far as the Yellow Men got –
jeff@jnwoodard.com Viking defense stopped them and the Steelers were forced to boot. The Vikings
took over on their own 15.
Thanks very
much!!!!
  

SACAC Sports would

like to thank the
following for their
generous sponsorship
of the SAFL Falcons
at the 2010 Asia
Bowl.

……………….

The Singapore
Falcons will travel to
Yongsan Army Base The Vikings drive went nowhere, so they elected to punt. Now 1st and 10
in Seoul, Korea to Steelers on the Vikings 35 yard line. After a few plays, Steelers QB Jamie
play the Seoul Onischuk found Erik Vantilburg on a long pass to the Vikings 9 yard line – 1st and
American School goal, Steelers. On the very next play, Matt Conklin took the handoff and strode
Falcons on Saturday, up the middle into the Vikings endzone for the 1st score of the game. The Point
October 23rd. After Touchdown (PAT) was wide right, so the initial score became Steelers 6,
Vikings 0.
……………….
The Vikings took the Steelers kickoff and returned it to their 16 yard line. As the
clock wound down on the 1st quarter of play, Vikings QB Tyler Creasman
completed a pass to Robert Williamson near their own 23 yard line. The quarter
Correction:
ended with a score of 6-0, Steelers.
Newsletter #3
referred to the Seoul
American High School
as the Dragons; this
is an error – SAHS
are in fact also the
Falcons.
 The Vikings drive continued at the start of the 2nd quarter on a 28 yard pass play
from Creasman to David Shum, this giving the Men in White a 1st down just past
Thank you Sponsors midfield. Joshua Dawe added more yards on a nice run to the Steelers 40. After
several incomplete passes however, the Vikings handed off the ball, but this was
disrupted by penetrating Steelers. The ball went loose and was eventually
recovered by Adam Boothe of the Steelers on the Vikings 38 yard line.

The Steelers wasted no time in driving towards the Viking endzone. Matt Conklin
Thank you
moved the ball to the 28 on a dash up the middle and a 1st down. It was Conklin
sponsors for again who wove his way to the Vikings 10 yard line and 1st down. Matt Conklin
supporting our finished off the Steelers drive by driving thru Viking defenders into the endzone
Singapore Falcons! for a TD. The PAT was no good, but the score widened to Steelers 12, Vikings 0.

 
The Vikings next took over after the kick on their own 15 yard line. Shorts runs
by Joshua Dawe gave the Vikings a needed 1st down. Dawe again went to work
and produced another 1st down at their own 35 yard line. But the Vikings hope of
a sustained drive ended on a fumble recovered by Jacob L’Heureux. Steelers
ball.

The Steelers drive produced no results, so they elected to punt. Big Chris
Hampton came through the line and blocked the punt, which was then downed by
Matthew Beck of the Vikings. It was now Viking ball on the Steelers 42.
However, the Steelers got the ball right back on an interception and long runback
by Jake Derksen. Steelers ball, 1st and 10, on the Vikings 10 yard line. Aided by
a Vikings penalty, The Steelers Hayes Kimball powered into the endzone for
another Steelers touchdown. Kimball added two more points, which made the
 score: Steelers 20, Vikings 0.

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see all the action! As things were not going the Vikings’ way, the kickoff return was fumbled and
recovered deep inside Vikings territory by Matt Conklin. The Steelers took over
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The 2nd half started with the Vikings kicking off to the Steelers who took over at
their own 35. Hayes Kimball found some daylight and drove his way to the 44.
On a fake punt, Kimball snuck the ball to the Steelers 45 yard line and a 1st
down. The Yellow Men’s drive on the ground continued with a punishing run up
the middle by Kevin Hurh. Hurh matched this run 2 plays later, and took the ball
to the Vikings 31 yard line. QB Onischuk kept the ball and snuck to the 30 for a
1st down. However, all good things come to an end, and this is true for the
 Steelers who coughed up the ball on a fumble, and which was recovered by
Vikings Chris Hampton.
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The Vikings had to punt after failing to make a 1st down, but the punt return was
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Just before the end of the 3rd Quarter, the Steelers retook possession, but could
not advance the ball. Following the punt, the Vikings got the ball back on their
own 23, but soon returned it to the Steelers on the Steelers 44 yard line. And
this is how the 4th Quarter began.

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The Vikings then went to work to put some points on the board. QB Creasman
found David Shum for a couple of key passes over the middle, and a Vikings 1st
down. Shum then broke one free from midfield after collecting a pass from Tyler
Creasman. Shum strode into the endzone for the 1st Viking TD of the night. The
 2-pt conversion was no good, and the score became 28 to 6, Steelers.

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And as the 4th Quarter came to a close, the final score of a very hard-fought
game was Steelers 28 and the Vikings 6.

Oilers 26 - Bulldogs 20; 02 October 2010

The Week #4 game between the Oilers in Blue and the Bulldogs in Black turned
into a real “Black and Blue” affair. It also went down in the record books as one
of the most closely contested games in the 2010 SAFL season.

The Bulldogs kicked off to the Oilers who took the ball back to their own 20 yard
line. Early in the drive, the Oilers coughed up the ball on a fumble, which was
recovered deep in Oiler territory by Bulldog Gabrielle Malaki. 1st & 10, Bulldogs.
 On the Bulldogs drive, however, they in turn fumbled the ball, which was
recovered by Oiler Dominic Singson. A long run up the middle by Jake Walker
brought the ball to the Oiler 35, and combined with a facemask penalty, gave the
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Oilers a 1st and 10 at midfield. Two plays later, Oiler Jake Walker showed why he
is one of the best running backs in the league when he broke through the Bulldog
defense and ran nearly 50 yards for the Oilers 1st score of the game. The 2-point
Ho's Kitchen conversion was no good, and the score was Oilers 6, Bulldogs 0.

The Bulldogs took the ensuing kickoff, but had to punt the ball away on downs.
The Oilers once again got started on their 20 yard line. The Oilers pushed up
pass their 30 yard line on runs by Jake Walker, Corey Burkett, and Robert Morris.
Morris picked up another 1st down on a run around the right side for 13 yards.
Although Robert Morris managed to give the Oilers a 3rd 1st down to the Bulldogs
47, the drive stalled and the Boys in Blue were forced to punt.
 

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It was now the Bulldogs turn with the ball. Quarterback Andrew Roberts ran hard
around the left side of the Oilers defense for a big gain up to his own 46 yard
line. But this offensive drive didn’t last long, and the Bulldogs punted again. For
a 3rd time, the Oilers started their drive at their own 20.

A penalty, plus some solid Bulldog defense caused the Oilers to punt on downs,
and the Men in Black took over at their own 40 yard line. Nate Harris of the
Bulldogs made a nice 6 yard gain to his own 46 as the 1st Quarter ended. Score:
6-0, Oilers.

On the 1st play of the 2nd Quarter, the Bulldogs attempted a screen pass, which
was actually a backward lateral. When the ball was dropped, it was not an
incomplete pass, but instead a fumble. Oiler Alex DiBiagio recognized that the
ball was still “live”, scooped it up and ran it 35 yards into the Bulldogs endzone
for a touchdown. The point after attempt failed, but the Oilers padded their lead,
12 to 0.

On the ensuing kickoff, Nate Harris gave Bulldogs fans something to cheer about
when he dodged, ran, and juked his way down to the Oilers 45 yard line.
Although penalties and touch Oiler defense pushed Roberts and the Bulldogs back
to their own 45, QB Andrew Roberts connected on a bomb to Chase Pope, taking
the Bulldogs down deep into Oiler territory.
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The Bulldogs squeezed out another 1st down to the Oilers 13, then Aidan Hanley
education,
technology and connected on a pass in the endzone to Chase Pope. Danny McCarvel, who was
relationships filling in for an injured Andrew Roberts, completed the 2-pt conversion on a short
pass to Chase Pope. The score now narrowed to Oilers 12 and Bulldogs 8.

The Oilers now could not advance the ball following the kickoff, and had to punt it
away. The Bulldogs took over on their own 45 yard line. QB Danny McCarvel
made an inspiring run of 23 yards down to the Oilers 32. Despite the fact that
Olivier Damas made two fine runs, a combination of penalties and staunch Oiler
defense caused the ball to turn over on downs. 1st and 10 Oilers on their own 32.

In the next set of downs, Oiler QB Sam Wright connected with Robert Morris on a
13 yard screen pass to the Oilers 45 yard line. Jake Walker, Corey Burkett, and
Alex DiBiagio combined to give the Oilers a 1st down in Bulldogs territory. They,
Alex DiBiagio scampered for a long yardage gain down to the Bulldogs 25. But
the 1st half of play was winding down, and the Oilers could not convert their
 efforts into any more points. The score as halftime was Oilers 12 and Bulldogs 8.

At the start of the 2nd half, the Bulldogs Danny McCarvel ran the kickoff back to
Advertisement midfield, giving the Men in Black good field position. But, the Bulldogs could not
capitalize on the field position, and booted the ball away. The Oilers again took
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possession on their own 20.
Contact Kelly Kassela at
KKassela@sas.edu.sg for
details.
The dreams of another Oiler drive were quickly dashed when they fumbled the
ball deep in their own territory, and Bulldog Olivier Damas came up with it. Runs
by Bulldogs Harris and Damas brought the ball to within striking distance of the
Oilers goal line, but then Corbin Weber of the Oilers, playing heads up football,
scooped up a low pass for an interception. Oiler ball.
 

  The Bulldogs defense stood firm, and the Oilers punted just in front of their
endzone. The Bulldogs took over on the Oilers 25. Nate Harris gave the Bulldogs
  a 1st down on a run to the 15, and then Andrew Roberts hit Creighton Little for
the 2nd Bulldog TD of the game. With fortunes reversed, the score became
  Bulldogs 14 and Oilers 12.

  Following the kickoff, Corey Burkett of the Oilers gave his team another 1st down,
and then Alex DiBiagio ran long and hard around the right side to the Bulldogs
  43. The Oilers could go no further and punted the ball. Bulldogs 1st and 10 on
their own 15 yard line.
 
The Bulldogs passing game then kicked in, and QB Andrew Roberts hit Olivier
  Damas for a short pass, then struck deep on a bomb to his brother, John Roberts,
for a big gain inside Oiler country. Nate Harris ran the ball to the Oiler 18, then
  several plays later, the Roberts brothers teamed up again for a highly lofted pass
completion in the Oiler endzone – touchdown! The point after was no good, but
 
the Bulldogs now led 20 to 12 towards the end of the 3rd Quarter. The Oilers
  drove deep and quickly into Bulldogs territory on a long bomb from QB Wright to
  Oiler receiver Garrett Holt. And, at the end of the 3rd Quarter, it remained 20 to
12, Bulldogs.
 

So, it all came down to the 4th Quarter. The Oilers met with a very determined
Bulldogs defense, and as a result, turned the ball over on downs. But, the Oilers
themselves were determined, and did the same thing to the Bulldogs, forcing
them to punt as well. But as the Oilers next drive was gaining momentum, their
long pass was intercepted by Bulldogs Nate Harris at the Bulldogs 45 yard line.

The Bulldogs drive went nowhere, and punted to the Oilers, who took over on
their 37 yard line. Robert Morris made a determined run up the middle to the
Bulldogs 43 yard line, but then had the ball stripped away. Olivier Damas of the
Bulldogs came up with the fumble, but the entire play was negated due to a
Bulldogs penalty.

On the next play, Morris redeemed his fumble by sprinting around the right side
to the Bulldogs 37 yard line. Sam Wright took the handoff and got the 1st down
on a run to the Bulldogs 32. On the next play, Morris handed off to Sam Wright,
who through a pass to Alex DiBiagio near the goal line. The ball was deflected by
Bulldogs defenders, but DiBiagio managed to haul the ball in for another Oiler 1st
down on the Bulldogs 5 yard line. The Oilers Robert Morris then bulled his way
straight ahead and into the endzone for a touchdown. The 2-pt. conversion failed
and the scoring gap narrowed to Bulldogs 20, Oilers 18.

As time was winding down in the game, intensities on both sides of the ball
 continued to grow. After taking the kickoff back to midfield, the Bulldogs went to
  the air again. But under a strong defensive rush, the Bulldogs pass went short
and Oiler Alex DiBiagio again made a clutch play by intercepting the ball and
running it back all the way to the Bulldogs 13 yard line. Two plays later, Robert
Advertisement Morris ran the ball into the Bulldogs endzone, thus returning the lead to the Boys
in Blue. Morris capped off the drive with the 2-pt conversion, and the score was
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now Oilers 26, Bulldogs 20.
KKassela@sas.edu.sg for
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With more than 6 minutes left on the clock, the Bulldogs once again took over to
 
try to reclaim the lead in this see-saw game. On a quarterback keeper, Andrew
Roberts ran the ball across midfield to the Oilers 47. Roberts continued his hot
 
passing game by hitting Aidan Hanley on the Oilers 19. The Bulldogs were
  coming right back again. Nate Harris plowed ahead on two carries to the Oilers 8
yard line, and again on a run down to the Oilers 3. But despite a well-executed
  drive, which nearly led to 6 points, the Oilers defense showed that they were up
to the challenge, and held the line.
 
With the last few seconds ticking away, the Oilers took over on downs and
  claimed victory in one of the most exciting and evenly matched games of the
season; the final score being: Oilers 26, Bulldogs 20.
 
- Thanks to Sports Writer Phil Morris for the game write-ups and Sports
  Photographer Andre DiBiagio and Karl Kimbal for the great photographs.

  Game Highlights – National League

 
Correction: Newsletter #3 has an error concerning the score in the NL Raiders/
  Chargers game. We reported that the Chargers beat the Raiders 20-6, but in
fact, the Raiders beat the Chargers, 20-6. Please note that only the headline
 
was incorrect - the game highlights accurately report the events and the final
  outcome. The Newsletter editors would like to apologize for this mistake.
 
Raiders Outlast Cougars 12–8; 02 October 2010

If after the first defensive series by the Cougars you thought this game would
be a dandy—well, then, you would have been spot on. After taking over at their
own 49-yard line, the Raiders’ high-octane offense was forced to punt on fourth
and 6. Cougar all-purpose player Cole Derksen fielded the punt on a full gallop
and returned it 25 yards, where the Cougars took over at the Raiders’ 41-yard
line.
 The Cougars opened up aggressively, with Cole Derksen firing way downfield to
an open Stephen Faris, but the ball just skipped off his fingertips. Second and

  10 for the Cougars—but notice had been served. After Daniel McConaghy
stuffed Tom Kim for no gain on second down, Nick Holl took a toss sweep down
to the Raiders’ 27-yard line, where Jack Albanese forced him out of bounds. On
the very next play Derksen again went to the air for Faris, who this time
outmuscled two defenders for the ball and was awarded 6 points for his efforts.
Touchdown Cougars! The offensive line of the Cougars escorted Derksen into
the end zone for the 2-point conversion, and with 6 minutes to play in the
opening quarter the Cougars led the Raiders 8–0.

In the next series the Raiders tried to even things on their first play, but
Stephen (I’ll catch the other team’s passes too) Faris intercepted Jack
Albanese’s halfback option pass and returned it midfield to set the Cougars in
play. But Cougar mistakes and good Raider defense led by Kam Hardy and
Daniel Brundage forced a Cougar punt on fourth and 8. A rushing Michael
Albanese got a hand on the punt, allowing his Raiders to take over on their own
42-yard line.

The Raiders were moving the ball on the ground with runs of 9 yards by Jack
Albanese and a 5-yarder by Eliot Sperling. But the drive ended there, when
Cougar Jack Hogan recovered Albanese’s fumble on the Cougar 44-yard line.
Raider Sean Mouton wanted back in on offense, so he stepped in front of Cole
Derksen’s pass on the next play. First and 10 Raiders on their own 42-yard
line. The Raiders’ Jack Albanese then ran for gains of 8 and 14 yards. Focusing
on the dangerous Albanese makes a defense vulnerable to misdirection. The
very next play emphatically illustrated this point. Two-way workhorse Daniel
 Brundage swept the right side on a double reverse after taking an inside handoff
from running mate Sean Mouton. The perfectly executed play netted 41 yards
and a touchdown for the Raiders. Cougars Nick Holl and Justin Hunt shut down
  the Raider 2-point conversion attempt, and with 3:02 left in the first quarter the
score was Cougars 8, Raiders 6.

Cougar Sean Yoo covered the onside kick to allow his team to take over at their
own 40-yard line. Brett Bertamini rambled into Raider territory before Michael
Albanese finally stopped him after a 16-yard gain. Josh Haensly shut down Tom
Kim’s sweep attempt for no gain on first down. After a false start penalty
backed up the Cougars to the Raiders’ 48-yard line, Kim was interfered with on
a pass play, bringing the ball down to the Raiders’ 33-yard line.
 The last play of the first quarter was a heartbreaker for the Cougars, when Cole
Derksen’s dream ball slipped out of the hands of his open receiver at the 8-yard
line. The Cougars had no further progress on the drive, so the Raiders took over
on downs at their own 33-yard line. The Raider ground game marched the ball
 
into Cougar territory, where on first and 10 from the Cougars’ 47-yard line
lighting struck twice. The Raider double reverse, again executed to perfection,
sprung Daniel Brundage for 47 yards and a touchdown. Kim and Derksen
stopped Sean Mouton from scoring the conversion, but the Raiders took the lead
12–8 with 5:18 left in the game.

Nick Holl’s determined 20-yard kickoff return was finally stopped by Tim
Cargan, but the Cougars had prime field position on the Raiders’ 41-yard line.
Runs of 7 yards and 4 yards by Tom Kim and Brett Bertamini were as far as the
Cougars would travel. After a Michael Albanese sack of quarterback Chris
Jackson, the Cougars again visited bad snap city—and Raider Josh Haensly was
only too happy to capitalize on the Cougar miscue.

With the Raiders facing third and 9 thanks to strong defensive plays by Nick
Holl, Hannes Herrel, and Brett Bertamini, the Raiders went back to their money
play; and the third time was indeed a charm. Daniel Brundage’s double-reverse
run covered 18 yards before Tom Kim and Hannes Herrel hustled to prevent the
hat trick. But the Raiders surrendered the ball on downs after gaining only one
more yard. Inspired defense by Nick Holl, Ian Woodard, Cole Derksen, and
Sean Yoo helped shut the door to the Raider advance.

The Cougars were now battling the clock as well as the Raiders. On fourth and
8 from their own 43, Cole Derksen hit Stephen Faris on a 12-yard pass as the
clock ticked down to zero. You could forgive the Cougars for feeling that they
 did not lose, they just ran out of time. Final score: Raiders 12, Cougars 8.

Chargers Overwhelm Raiders 28–0; 02 October 2010

 
The Raiders were playing this game without the services of all-everything Daniel
McConaghy, who had to be helped from the field with just minutes to go in the
first game. Get better, Daniel, and come back soon! As football fans we missed
being treated to McConaghy’s sideline-to-sideline exploits. The Raiders certainly
missed his play and his leadership. But make no mistake, sports fans: The
Chargers took control of this game from the outset and played hard to the final
whistle.

Football players are always coached about the importance of sending a message
with the game’s first play. Well, the Chargers’ Connor Cione took that message
to heart, stopping the elusive Sean Mouton for no gain on first and 10 from the
Raiders’ own 46-yard line. It seems Cione may have gotten ahold of the Raider
playbook, because he spent a good portion of the game draped all over Raider
ball carriers.

On second down, Jack Albanese took a snap out of the shotgun formation and
bolted to daylight down to the Chargers’ 39 for a 15-yard gain and a fresh set of
downs. An encroachment penalty and an Albanese 7-yard quarterback keeper
around the right side brought the ball down to the 26-yard line. But the next
four Raider rushing attempts netted -7 yards as Bas Sock, Stuart Baker, Andrew
Taylor, Brett Moody, Michael Lin, and Jack Devins teamed to repel the Raider
advance.
 Operating from their own 33-yard line the Chargers sent Andrew Taylor in
motion, and without breaking stride Taylor took a handoff from quarterback
Jack Devins and motored 67 yards around the right sideline for the game’s first
score. Bas Sock’s 2-point conversion run made the score 8–0 Chargers with
5:17 left in the first quarter.

 
After Thomas Hewitt and Ryan Pond dumped Jack Albanese for a 3-yard loss on
first down, Daniel Brundage rumbled up the middle for 11 yards—but the
Charger defense gave no further quarter. Andrew Taylor and Alex Robinson
threw the Raider ball carrier for a one-yard loss on fourth and 2 to set the
Charger offense up on the Raiders’ 35-yard line. It was (almost) all Bas Sock
from there. After Sock slashed his way down to the 22-yard line, teammate
Andrew Taylor contributed 4 more yards before Sock finished things off with an
18-yard burst up the middle for the game’s second score. After Sock added
another 2-point conversion, the Chargers led 16–0 with 2:15 remaining in the
first half.

Teaguen Stanczak handled with aplomb an uncertain onside kick, putting the
Raiders on offense at the Chargers’ 49-yard line. Jack Albanese was gang-
tackled for a 6-yard loss on first down, but Daniel Brundage runs of 6 and 4
yards got the Raiders going again. On fourth and 6 Connor Cione and Stuart
Baker met in the backfield to sack Albanese for a 7-yard loss.

It was now the Raiders’ turn to aim the reverse gun at the Chargers offense.
Jack Albanese—having maybe a less-than-fun day on offense as Daniel
McConaghy’s replacement quarterback—still had tons of fun on defense. He
teamed up with Daniel Brundage to tackle Ryan Pond for a 4-yard loss on first
down ending the first quarter, and after a fumbled snap on second down he put
 a big hit on quarterback Jack Devins on third down for a 10-yard loss. His
quarterback pressure on fourth down contributed to an incompletion turning the
ball over to the Raiders.

On the Raiders’ first play Jack Devins tackled Daniel Brundage after just 2
yards, and Jon Wong stopped Albanese for no gain on second down. Then
Devins went up high to intercept Albanese’s third down pass to turn the ball
over to the Chargers.

After a 5-yard encroachment penalty and Andrew Taylor’s 7-yard in-motion

signature run, the Chargers went no huddle and caught the Raiders completely
 off-guard. Bas Sock’s run over right guard was met with no resistance,
resulting in a 53-yard touchdown run—prompting many a dad in the booth to
claim that he too could have scored on the play. Oh, the older I get the better I
was.

Michael Albanese tackled Bas Sock on the conversion attempt to make the score
Chargers 22–0 over the Raiders with 7:36 left to play.

After Sean Mouton picked up 4 yards on first down, the Chargers’ Connor Cione
and Alex Robinson caught Mouton in the backfield for a 3-yard loss and Cione
ended the drive on third down by recovering a Raider fumble.
 On first and 10 from his own 46-yard line, Andrew Taylor went in motion and—
you guessed it—took a handoff in stride and raced down to the Raiders’ 33-yard
line before Daniel Brundage and Matthew Rowe tackled him. On second and 6
from the Chargers’ 29, quarterback Jack Devins shaked-n-baked down to the
13-yard line before Kam Hardy and Tim Cargan put the genie back in the bottle.
A fumble on first down and subsequent recovery by ever-ready Ethan Wade
snuffed out this Charger scoring opportunity.

  With the Raiders facing second and 15 on their own 9-yard line, Daniel
Brundage galloped 14 yards before Sean Farris and Connor Cione teamed up to
tackle him. Brett Moody needed no help taking down Brundage after only a
yard on the next play, and when Thomas Hewitt tackled Jack Albanese for a 4-
yard loss on third and 7 the Raiders were forced to punt.

Fielding the punt at midfield, Andrew Taylor broke several tackles en route to a
truly exciting 40-yard return before Ethan (not-on-my-watch) Wade brought
him down. On first and goal, Bas Sock loped through an enormous hole in the
line to make the score 28–0 with 1:52 to go in the game. Wade tackled Jack
Devins on the conversion attempt.

The Chargers’ Andrew Taylor recovered the onside kick, but successive tackles
by Ethan Wade, Henry Manachi, and Michael Albanese ended any further
Charger scoring threat.

Final score: Chargers 28, Raiders 0.

 Chargers Battle Cougars for 22–6 Victory; 02 October 2010

The faithful fans were just finding their seats for the third game of the afternoon
when Jack Devins’s kickoff was fumbled by Cole Derksen and recovered by
Charger Dillon Little on his own 48-yard line. These boys just love big plays to
start the game.

The Cougar defense, however, rose to the challenge. On fourth and 11 from
their own 47-yard line, Andrew Taylor was stopped a few yards short of the first
down by Brett Bertamini, Jack Hogan, and Jacob Kang. Cole Derksen dropped
back to pass on first down for the Cougars, surveyed the situation, and instead
ran the ball 11 yards to the Chargers’ 44-yard line. After the 1st game Derksen
 must have had an extra helping of fumble stew, because on the next play he
coughed up the ball to the Chargers’ Alex Robinson at his own 49-yard line.

Enter the Cougar defense. After successive penalties by the Chargers made it
first and 20, Nick Holl sacked Jack Devins for a 7-yard loss and Holl and Sean
Yoo tackled Ryan Pond for a 6-yard loss. On fourth and Larry Bird, Bas Sock
managed 8 yards before a gang tackle led by Yoo turned the ball back over to
the Cougars.

On first and 10 from the Chargers’ 36-yard line, Cole Derksen rifled an absolute
  seed downfield that dropped through his receiver’s hands and fell harmlessly to
the turf. The Chargers—sensing they’d dodged a bullet—stepped up the
defensive effort when Connor Cione sacked Derksen for a 5-yard loss on third
down and teammate Brett Moody loomed large by picking off Derksen’s fourth
down pass attempt.

The Chargers duo of Andrew Taylor and Ryan Pond picked up 4 and 8 yards on
the ground to set up an effective Charger aerial attack. Quarterback Jack
Devins clicked with Taylor on identical pass plays covering 22 and 20 yards to
open up the scoring 6–0 in favor of the Chargers with 4:00 to play in the first
quarter. Jack Devins skipped over left guard on the conversion to push his
team’s lead to 8–0.

Andrew Taylor launched the ensuing kickoff down to the 10-yard line, where a
hustling Brett Moody tackled Cole Derksen at the 22-yard line. Operating deep
in their own territory, the Cougars churned the ball upfield on the ground behind
the running of Brett Bertamini and Tom Kim with a little Nick Holl to keep the
defense honest. Keeping these three very busy were the Chargers’ Connor
 Cione (four tackles in the drive), Andrew Taylor (two), Ryan Pond, Thomas
Hewitt, and (Jumping) Jack Devins. After a rare (and we hope the last)
Unsportsmanlike Conduct Penalty brought the ball down to the Chargers’ 35-
yard line, Derksen’s pass was tipped by a defender. It appeared to be
completed but instead was picked off by playmaker Devins, who returned his
loot 62 yards to the Cougars’ 13-yard line. Only a pursuing Kim prevented
Devins from returning it all the way. On first down Kim stopped Taylor for no
gain, but on second down the reunion tour of Devins-to-Taylor produced a 13-
yard passing touchdown. Not so fast. A flag on the play wiped out the score
and brought the ball back to the 20-yard line. Bas Sock’s 10-yard run and a 2-
  yarder by Pond had the Chargers facing a fourth and 8 on the 11-yard line.
Nick Holl and Jack Hogan’s tackle of Devins appeared to end the Chargers’
scoring bid, but a critical illegal participation penalty against the Cougars set up
Devins’s 2-yard keeper to make the score 14–0 Chargers with 8:09 to play.
Holl prevented the conversion with his usual fine tackling.

No one told Hannes Herrel you’re supposed to just fall on onside kickoffs. And
luckily for the Cougars, no one did. Herrel picked up the ball, ran as though the
bell just went off on the last day of school, and didn’t stop until Ryan Pond
finally tackled him at the 18-yard line. Runs of 6 yards and 1 yard by Brett
Bertamini and Tom Kim were both stopped by Connor Cione. Connor—Note to
self: Have same pre-game meal every week.

On third and 3 from the 11, #11 Cole Derksen’s keeper around the right side
brought the ball down to the 5-yard line before Jack Devins tackled him. After a
5-yard Cougar penalty made things more interesting, Bertamini took a handoff
at the 10-yard line and ran for 8 yards. With Ian Woodard leading the way,
 Bertamini bounced off nearly every Charger en route to a well-earned
touchdown. Kim was pushed out of bounds on the conversion attempt, but the
Cougars were on the board with the score now 14–6 Chargers with 5:17 left in
the game.

Justin Hunt’s kickoff was fielded by Andrew Taylor, who was finally brought
down at his own 43-yard line by Jacob Kang. Taylor’s 8-yard run on first down
was followed by Ryan Pond’s 26-yard sweep around left end, which conjured up
images of Paul Hornung and Green Bay Packers. A hustling Nick Holl limited the
damage for the Cougars on the play. Facing third and 4 on the 20-yard line, the
Chargers were handed an encroachment penalty gift and a new set of downs.
On third and 7 from the 12, Ryan Pond swept around the left side and didn’t
stop until the zebras reached for the heavens. Touchdown Chargers. Bas
Sock’s successful 2-point conversion run boosted his team’s margin to 22–6
with 2:16 left in the game.

The Cougars then started the next series on their own 38-yard line and ended
on their own 30-yard line. Fine defensive plays by Ryan Pond, and a Thomas
Hewitt-Stuart Baker sack of quarterback Chris Jackson ended the Cougars’ final
bid for pay dirt. The Chargers ran out the clock to preserve the victory.

Final score: Chargers 22, Cougars 6.

- Thanks to Roy & Micheal Connors, for providing the NL game write-ups.
 Game Highlights – American League

Longhorns 22–Rams 8; 02 October 2010

This week began with a kickoff by the Rams to the Longhorns. Miller Williams
picked up the kick on the 20-yard line, ran 12 yards up the right sideline to the
32-yard line, and was tackled by Robert Moritz. On the first play, Bradley Park
kept the ball and ran up the middle for a 4-yard gain. On second down, the
snap was fumbled—but Daelen Denenberg managed to recoup the ball and gain
a couple of yards. Next, Park kept the ball again to charge up the middle. This
  time he evaded a few tackles to make a nice gain of 14 yards before being
brought down by a trio of Rams. Unfortunately, on the tackle he butted heads
with Nick Cione. As a result, Cione was out of the game for a little while. Park
kept the ball again on the next play. He ran up the left sideline for a
touchdown. Denenberg scored the 2-point conversion. Longhorns 8, Rams 0.

The Longhorns kicked off the ball to the Rams’ 20-yard line, and Robert Moritz
ran the ball back 8 yards before being brought down by six Longhorns players in
a mass tackle. The first play had Moritz trying a sweep down the left side, but
Jonathan Picard and Tiri Shaw stopped him after one yard. Garrett Jenkins,
filling in as quarterback for the injured Nick Cione, kept the ball on the next play
but was wrapped up in the backfield by Jack Hollister. The Rams tried another
sweep to Moritz on the left side, but Hayden Grubb and Jack Hollister stopped
him for a loss of a couple of yards. Unable to make progress, the Rams punted
on fourth down from their 20-yard line. Jenkins’s long punt was fielded by Harri
Starr on the 36-yard line. He gained some momentum on his run down the
right sideline to gain 19 yards to the Rams’ 25-yard line. He was brought down
by a trio of Rams: Ramon Neira, Bryce Yoder, and Jack Teerlinck.

The Longhorns started their next drive with a fumble. Miller Williams recovered
the ball but then was quickly pounced on by Nick Cione for a loss of 9 yards. On
 second down, the Longhorns fumbled again. This time Cione was assisted by
Nils Berggren as they sacked William Hewitt for an 8-yard loss just as he
recovered the ball. On third down, the Longhorns fumbled the ball yet again but
managed not to lose any yardage. On fourth and a lot, the Longhorns decided
to punt. Bradley Park’s punt was picked up by Robert Moritz on the Rams’ 28-
yard line. His punt return was up the right side for 22 yards, where he was
taken down by a few Longhorns players—but not before he broke a few tackles
along the way.

Wesley Dimond carried the ball 2 yards up the middle on the next play and was
stopped by Braxton Fish. On second down, a recovered Nick Cione kept the ball
to run across the left side for a gain of another 2 yards. Dimond took the ball
another 2 yards up the middle on the next play. Andrew Sabol made the tackle.
Sabol, quite happy with himself, then celebrated his nice play (and hearing his
name being announced). On fourth down, Nick Cione completed a nice pass up
the right side to Nils Berggren for 10 yards and the first down.
 
The next play caused confusion on the field as the backward pass by the Rams
was fumbled. Thinking that it was an incomplete pass, the referee mistakenly
blew the whistle to end the play. This resulted in a replay of the down, much to
the annoyance of the Longhorns coaching staff. However, little did that matter,
because on the next play Nick Cione kept the ball to run right up the middle of
the field for a touchdown, breaking four tackles along the way. Robert Moritz
scored the 2-point conversion. Rams 8, Longhorns 8.

The kickoff was deep to the Longhorns’ 15-yard line, but Daelen Denenberg
scooped up the ball and ran around the left sideline for 25 yards to midfield
before being pushed out of bounds by Ramon Neira. On first down, Bradley
Park kept the ball and ran 5 yards to the right side. Robert Moritz stopped him
on a nice open field tackle to end the first quarter.

The second quarter started in a downpour as the Singapore monsoon season

seemed to get going. Daelen Denenberg got things going with a 10-yard run up
the middle for a first down. Bradley Park then managed to gain 8 yards and
then another 4 yards for another first down on the Rams’ 25-yard line. Park
continued to run the ball up the field for a few plays to make it to the 2-yard
 line. Denenberg then got the ball to score the touchdown. The 2-point was
punched in by Harri Starr. Longhorns 16, Rams 8.

Nils Berggren returned the ensuing kickoff to the Rams’ 28-yard line. He was
brought down by Jonathan Picard. Unfortunately for the Rams, the next play
resulted in a fumble, which was recovered by the Longhorns on the Rams’ 25-
yard line. Then there was some more drama as the hike to William Hewitt went
between his legs. However, he remained poised and picked up the fumble and
ran up the left side to come within inches of a touchdown, only to be knocked
out of bounds by Robert Moritz. Miller Williams then took the ball into the end
zone for the score. Longhorns 22, Rams 8.

After the kickoff, the Rams started their drive on their 32-yard line. They
started off by losing a few yards on a foul and then a sweep stopped by Andrew
Sabol. However, on the next few plays Nick Cione kept the ball and managed to
first gain 15 yards and then another 25 yards. He was stopped at the last
second by Daelen Denenberg, before he could get into the end zone. The next
  play’s fumble sealed the game.

Final score: Longhorns 22, Rams 8.

Gators 14–Longhorns 12; 02 October 2010

The Longhorns’ kickoff was picked up by Julian Padgett, and he was stopped by
a nice tackle by Harri Starr on the 30-yard line. The Gators started their drive
by giving the ball to Finn Sykes, who was stopped at the line of scrimmage by
Tiri Shaw and Jonathan Picard. William DiBiagio then ran the ball for 8 yards
and was stopped by Daelen Denenberg. On third down, the snap was fumbled.
DiBiagio kept the ball on fourth but didn’t quite make the first down, and the
Longhorns got the ball at midfield.

The Longhorns’ Bradley Park ran the first play for 8 yards to the 32-yard line.
Daelen Denenberg took the ball another 8 yards for the first down and was
brought down by William DiBiagio. Next, it was Bradley Park again who ran the
 ball up the left side for a touchdown. He was helped along the way by a nice
block by Denenberg. Longhorns 6, Gators 0.

The Longhorns’ kickoff was again returned by Julian Padgett, this time to the
35-yard line after picking up 5 yards. Then, Zachary Turmon ran a quarterback
keeper up the left side for 30 yards. He would have scored a touchdown had it
not been for T.J. Munoz stretching to grab his shirt and bringing him down on
the Longhorns’ 15-yard line. Turmon then ran the ball again, this time for 7
yards. He was stopped by Braxton Fish and Hayden Grubb. Matt Jones then
carried the ball a couple of yards up the middle and was stopped by T.J. Munoz
and Miller Williams. Turmon then punched it in around the right side for the
touchdown. Gators 6, Longhorns 6.

After the kickoff, the Longhorns started their next drive on the Gators’ 35-yard
line. However, on the first play a fumble caused them to lose 5 yards to
 midfield. Bradley Park kept the ball on the next play to run 15 yards to the 25-
yard line, just short of a first down. After another fumble the Longhorns tried
running the ball again but couldn’t get the first down, and the Gators got the
ball.

The Gators managed to run the ball back to midfield and beyond on the next
few plays, with William DiBiagio getting a couple of first downs for the Gators.
The next few plays saw William DiBiagio and Finn Sykes alternating possession
to push the Gators up the field to get another first down on the goal line.
Fittingly, DiBiagio kept the ball and drove up the middle for the touchdown and
also for the 2-point conversion. Gators 14, Longhorns 6.

The kickoff went out of bounds on the Longhorns’ 32-yard line. William Hewitt
ran the first play for 2 yards and was tackled by Nicholas Hurst. Then, Miller
Williams ran the ball for 4 more yards before being stopped by Mishan Bassiri
and Nicholas Hurst. Williams kept the ball for the next play as well and ran
briskly for 20 yards. Sterling Kassela and Jackson Post finally brought him
down. Hewitt ran the ball next, but it was Kassela’s hard tackle at the line of
scrimmage that got the attention. On the next play, Williams broke an early
tackle and then ran up the middle for a nice 25-yard touchdown run. The
Longhorns needed to score the 2-point conversion in order to tie the game.
However, Williams was brought down by a dramatic lunging tackle by Kassela
inches from the goal line.

Final score: Gators 14, Longhorns 12.

Gators 22–Rams 14; 02 October 2010

The third game of the week started with the Rams kicking off to the Gators.
William DiBiagio picked up the kickoff and brought the ball to the 30-yard line
before being brought down by Robert Moritz and Jack Teerlinck. On the first
play, DiBiagio kept the ball to run for just under 10 yards. He was brought
down by Nick Cione and Garrett Chambers. DiBiagio kept the ball on the next
drive to get a first down. However, there was a fumble on the next play and the
Rams’ Jack Teerlinck recovered the ball.

The Rams then started their next drive. On the next play, Carter Ware sacked
the Rams’ quarterback, Nick Cione, for a 2-yard loss. The next two plays by the
Rams resulted in a loss of yardage as well, and the Rams elected to punt.
However, the punt was deflected and the Gators got the ball on the Rams’ 30-
yard line.

The Gators quickly capitalized on this by scoring a touchdown via a run into the
end zone by William DiBiagio a few plays later. Finn Sykes ran in the 2-point
conversion. Gators 8, Rams 0.

The kickoff return was to the Rams’ 25-yard line. On the first play, Jackson Post
sacked quarterback Nick Cione for a loss of a few yards. Then, Garrett
  Chambers managed to gain a few yards up the left side. After that, Cione kept
the ball again on a quarterback sneak up the middle. He evaded a number of
tackles, cutting left and right, and after 35 yards was tackled by Nicholas Hurst,
who saved the touchdown. After a fumble on the next play, the Rams
completed a nice pass on the left side. Cione hit Nils Berggren for a 5-yard gain.
Nick then kept the ball again up the middle for 10 yards but just short of a first
down. However, on fourth and 3, the Gators encroached and the Rams got an
automatic first down on the Gators’ 8-yard line. Cione then hit Chambers on a
beautiful touchdown pass along the right side. Gators 8, Rams 6.

The Gators started their next drive on their 32-yard line after the kickoff. The
first play had Finn Sykes running 8 yards up the right sideline. The second play
had him running up the right sideline for another 10 yards. The third play had

him again running up the right sideline, this time for a 30-yard touchdown. The
Sykes show continued as he ran in the 2-point conversion as well. Gators 16,
Rams 6.

The Rams started their next drive on their 20-yard line after receiving the
kickoff. Nick Cione started off the action with a run along the right side for 8
yards before being brought down by Sterling Kassela on a diving tackle.
Unfortunately for the Rams, they fumbled the ball on the next play. It was
recovered by Roy Connors of the Gators.

A couple of nice runs by Zachary Turmon and then Matt Jones brought the
Gators to within 10 yards of the goal line. A couple of run plays later and Jones
ran the ball off right tackle for the touchdown. Gators 22, Rams 6.

The Gators’ kickoff was caught by Nils Berggren and run for 8 yards to the
Rams’ 37-yard line. Nick Cione then kept the ball to run to the Gators’ 25-yard
line for an 18-yard gain and a first down. The Rams quickly returned the favor.
Cione connected with a great pass to Robert Moritz, who evaded two tackles to
score a touchdown thanks to an alert open field block by Wesley Dimond.
Dimond also ran in the 2-point conversion. Gators 22, Rams 14.

The Rams tried to retain the ball with an on-side kickoff attempt. The Gators
had time to run a few plays, but then the game ended.

Final score: Gators 22, Rams 14.

- Thanks David Moritz for providing the AL game write-ups.

League Standings

2010 WORLD LEAGUE  STANDINGS 
   W  L  T  PCT  PF  PA  STK 
                       
OILERS  3  1     0.750  128  32  Won 1 
VIKINGS  2  2     0.500  48  58  Lost 1 
STEELERS  3  1     0.750  60  62  Won 2 
BULLDOGS     4     0.000  20  104  Lost 4 
2010 NATIONAL LEAGUE  STANDINGS 
   W  L  T  PCT  PF  PA  STK 
                       
RAIDERS  5  3     0.625  124  90  Lost 1 
CHARGERS  6  1  1  0.750  154  74  Won 2 
COUGARS     7  1  0.000  50  164  Lost 5 
2010 AMERICAN LEAGUE  STANDINGS 
   W  L  T  PCT  PF  PA  STK 
                       
GATORS  8        1.000  134  58  Won 8 
LONGHORNS  4  4     0.500  106  78  Lost 1 
RAMS     8     0.000  54  158  Lost 8 
  

Commissioner’s Corner

True Sportsmanship

When the 1964 Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck opened, the clear favorites
in the four-man Bobsled event were the hometown Austrians and the Italians.
Experts gave the Canadians an outside chance. But something magical
happened. Canada 1 broke the Olympic record in the first heat and had a half-
second lead on the rest of the field. But on that record setting first run there'd
been a problem. The Canadians went into the last turn too fast and the sled hit
the ice wall and went up on two runners. The accident damaged the sled's axle.
If it wasn't fixed the Canadians would be disqualified.

Eugenio Monti and his Italian team didn't want to win unless they raced against
the best, and the best were competing on equal terms. Fifteen minutes before
Canada's next run, Victor Emery reached the top of the track to find his sled
upside down. The Italians had it torn apart. The collision with the wall had
caused Canada 1's axle to seize - Monti's mechanics where doing their best to
fix it.

With Monti's help, Canada 1 was able to race and hold on to its lead. By the
fourth and final run, they were so far ahead only a disaster would keep them
from the gold medal. When the Canadians came to a stop it was clear no one
was going to catch them. The gold medal was theirs. In the end Italy's Eugenio
Monti and his team received the bronze medal.

This is only the beginning of a great story.

In the two-man Bobsled event Tony Nash of Great Britain, after his first run,
recorded the fastest time. A bolt attaching the runners to the shell had sheared.
Eugenio Monti, who was about to steer the Italian number one sled down the
track said, "Get an Englishman and a Spanner to the finish and they can have
my bolt." True to his word and ignoring inquiries from mystified Italian
journalists, the bolt was ferried back up to the start and quickly attached to the
British Bob. In the end Tony Nash and Robin Dixon of Great Britain took home
the Gold and Eugenio Monti took home the Bronze and the "Pierre de Coubertin"
award for fair play.

Monti was criticized in the Italian press but he was steadfast. "Nash didn't win
because I gave him the bolt," he said. "He won because he had the fastest run."

Olympic medalist John Naber says, "A true sportsman who understands the
Olympic ideal, wants to win against his best opponent on his best day." So the
sportsman is not elated but disappointed when top competitors are injured or
disqualified.

As a follow up, Eugenio Monti won the gold medal at the 1968 Winter Olympics
in BOTH the two-man and four-man Bobsled events. What earned him a
prominent place in Olympic history? His will to make sure he competed against
the best at all cost. His act represents True Sportsmanship - the pursuit of
victory with zeal and passion, recognizing that there is no true victory without
honor.

Today, parents and coaches should be teaching youngsters that the real glory of
sport is in the striving, not the winning. With so many athletes willing to cheat
just to win, we need positive reminders of what the Olympics are meant to
stand for.

Eugenio Monti and his Italian team represent an important truth about life. We
must not only give the best of ourselves, but also give the best to everyone
around us.

Thanks to Insight of the Day, http://www.insightoftheday.com/quotetext.asp?msgid=445

-Jeff Woodard, SAFL Commissioner

 SACAC Announcements

Football News:

1. Next week is Fall Break. Only World League will play.

- Saturday, October 16th: 3:00 Oilers vs. Vikings

- Saturday, October 16th: 6:30 Steelers vs. Bulldogs

2. The following weekend the Falcons will be playing in Korea Bowl game.

Other SACAC News:

1. SACAC FUNDRAISER on Wednesday, October 27th at 7:00pm: For the very

first time, we will join Mr. Amid Mir and Lotto Carpets Gallery for a carpet
auction to benefit SACAC programs. Join us for a memorable evening of
beautiful carpets, delicious food, and a wealth of carpet knowledge.

2. SACAC Winter Registration continues ONLINE until October 14th for the
following sports: Baseball, Basketball, Fencing, Gymnastics, Pee Wee Soccer,
Softball and Speed Training.

3. SACAC extends an honest THANK YOU to its many volunteers, parents and
athletes! We are encouraged to see so many happy athletes, and couldn't do it
without you!

***

The “Yellow Flag” – Rules of Football

The SAFL and your Newsletter Editors would like to bring you an article on the
rules of football each week. The game of American Tackle Football is confusing
enough to the experienced eye, but even more bewildering to someone new to the
sport. The numerous rules of the game exist for the protection of the players, and
to ensure fair play. Here is the first installment:

NFHS Rules

Did you ever wonder why something is called one way in SAFL, and differently on
ASN? Well, besides the fact that our eagle-eye volunteers rarely miss a call (!),
there are a number of basic differences between High School and NCAA (and
professional) rules. The SAFL is governed by National Federation of High School
(NFHS) rules - the major body governing High School football in the US. This
article will discuss a few of the notable HFHS rules.

Neutral zone infraction: A player is guilty of a neutral zone violation

(encroachment) whenever he breaks its plane, after the ball is marked ready for
play. The neutral zone on a scrimmage down is the length of the football. In other
words, he may not 'get back'. This is a dead-ball foul and a 5-yard penalty. The
snapper may be over the ball, but his feet must be behind the neutral zone.

A catch (reception or interception) is valid if receiver is forced or carried out of the

field of play. For NCAA, it is valid only if he is carried out (no force outs).

A chop block is a delayed block at knees or below of opponent in contact with

teammate of the blocker. In the NCAA, it is a high-low or low-high combination
block by any two players against an opponent. (Note we rarely see chop blocks in
SAFL).

Under NFHS rules, the play clock is always 25 seconds; for NCAA, it can be 25 or
40 seconds.

The 'restricted area' is a minimum of a 2-yard belt from the sideline. A maximum
of three coaches may be in the restricted area. No player, non-player or coach
shall be in the restricted area when the ball is live. This is for the safety of
officials, players, and coaches. The foul for sideline interference is 5 yards. The
NCAA has separate 2-yard areas for coaches and officials.

Pass interference: Under NFHS rules, if there is contact while pass is in flight, it is
not a foul if contact is away from direction of the pass. Faceguarding is
interference. For the NCAA, pass must be catchable, and physical contact is
required for interference.

Face Mask: Grasping the face mask without pulling, turning, or twisting is a 5-
yard penalty. Grasping and twisting, turning or pulling the face mask or helmet
opening is a 15-yard penalty. The 5-yard variety does not exist in NCAA.

- Jeff Woodard, SAFL Commissioner

Tomo’s Tips: Treating Contagious Illnesses in Sports

Because football involves direct contact between the players, it is easier to

transmit virus or bacteria between teammates and opponents, such as flu,
hand foot mouth disease, and staph infection. Staph infection is a minor skin
infection caused by bacteria going into the skin through open wounds. It is
often easily treated. However, some staph infection can become resistance to
antibiotics, one of which is MRSA.

MRSA – Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

What is MRSA?
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an infection caused
by a type of staph bacteria that is resistant to some antibiotics.

How is MRSA transmitted?

MRSA is spread by:
‐ direct contact through another player’s infection;
‐ sharing towels, razors, etc., that have touched infected skin;
‐ touching surfaces or items (e.g., used bandages) contaminated with
MRSA.

What are the signs and symptoms?

The symptoms include a bump or infected area on the skin that is:
‐ red;
‐ swollen;
‐ painful;
‐ warm to the touch;
‐ filled with pus or oozing;
‐ accompanied by fever.

If any of these symptoms are detected, seek medical care immediately.

What should you do if you think you have MRSA?

‐ Cover the area with a bandage.
‐ Seek medical care.
‐ DO NOT treat the infection yourself (NO picking or popping the sore!)

How is MRSA treated?

MRSA is treated by draining the infection, and in some cases by
prescribing an antibiotic. DO NOT drain the sore by yourself—most likely
you will make it worse. It is important to finish the prescribed course of
antibiotics even if the infection is getting better, unless your healthcare
provider tells you otherwise.

How do you protect yourself from MRSA?

‐ Clean your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.
‐ ALWAYS cover skin abrasions and cuts with a clean
bandage/dressing.
‐ Do not share personal items (towels, razors, clothing, uniforms).
‐ Maintain a clean environment.
 ‐ Shower immediately after exercise.
‐ Keep uniforms and other clothing clean.

Practice good hygiene to protect yourself and your teammates!

- Contributed by Tomo Tanabe

The Next Step in Athletics… Guidance from NCSA (National

Collegiate Scouting Association)

No Athletic Scholarships Left Behind: Responding to ALL

Coaches

By the end of the recruiting process, you may begin to wonder if an entirely
separate postal service exists solely to deliver letters, brochures and question-
naires from college coaches to prospective scholarship athletes. Mass mailings
are relatively inexpensive and easy, so college coaches and recruiters often
contact every athlete that they consider to be even a potential candidate for a
scholarship offer. Every recruited athlete is likely to receive correspond-ence
from dozens of colleges and universities, and so there’s a natural inclination to
respond only to schools you’re interested in, and to “weed out” all others. Avoid
this urge! Although responding to every coach who contacts you might seem
tedious and time-consuming, this extra effort might be the difference between
landing that scholarship offer and wondering what might have been….

There are plenty of reasons to respond to every coach who contacts you, but
the first question to consider is: why wouldn’t you? Are you really worried that
you might get too many scholarship offers? Not likely. The reality is that
responding to every coach helps you develop as many relationships as possible,
and ensures that you remain on many coaches’ radars. Unless you’re a truly
elite talent, a coach isn’t likely to continue to correspond with a student-athlete
who couldn’t be bothered to respond to previous contact, and therefore the
coach will simply stop recruiting you.

Remember that you’re likely to change your mind a great deal as the
recruitment process carries on, and you might decide that you’re a perfect fit
with a program whose contact you previously ignored. By talking to as many
coaches as you can, and learning as much as you can about their programs, you
can develop a better sense of the size and type of school that is best for you,
athletically and academically. In the same way that people test drive many cars
before buying the one they like, so too should you test out many coaches and
programs before deciding which one works for you.

Although it may seem daunting to reply to every letter or email (particularly

during your sport’s season), this hard work is certain to pay off. If you need
help beginning the process and learning about the best practices to take,
contact the NCSA Athletic Recruiting Network using the following link:

https://recruit-match.ncsasports.org/fasttrack/lead/preSAEF.do?pg=v2&lnkSrc=SAEF-SACAC

NCSA would like to provide readers a free download of their 5 and 5 guide book
on Athletic Scholarships. Please click on the following link:

http://www.ncsasports.org/content/download/9191/90045/file/Recruiting-Simplified-Guidebook.pdf
I Bet You Didn’t Know This About Football….

Unitas Surprised Them All

"A guy broke through the line, hit him, pushed his head in the ground. He called
the same play, let the guy come through and broke his nose with the football. I
said, "That's my hero,' " says Bubba Smith about Johnny Unitas on ESPN
Classic's SportsCentury series.

Johnny Unitas, whose passing led the Baltimore Colts to victory in "The Greatest
Game Ever Played", will be profiled on Friday, Sept. 26, at 8 and 11 p.m. ET.

Johnny Unitas emerged as a superstar at the same time the NFL was developing
as a TV sport. Notre Dame thought Johnny Unitas was too small. The Pittsburgh
Steelers thought he wasn't intelligent enough.

The Baltimore Colts got it right. Unitas, 6 feet and a mere 145 pounds in high
school, became a nowhere-to-somewhere story, a backup who kept getting
opportunities to succeed at every level. Give me a chance, the crew-cut
quarterback would say, and I'll show you. He went from semi-pro dirt fields to
stardom in the NFL.

And he did it quickly.

     

"The most important thing of all about Unitas," said Weeb Ewbank, his Colts
coach, "is that he had a real hunger. This was a kid who wanted success and
didn't have it so long that he wasn't about to waste it when it came."

Unitas led the Colts to NFL titles in 1958 and '59, helped them win Super Bowl
V, was chosen to five all-league teams and was Player of the Year three times.
He played in 10 Pro Bowls. He threw at least one touchdown pass in 47
consecutive games, an NFL record that began in his rookie year.

When he led Baltimore to a 23-17 overtime victory over the New York Giants in
the 1958 championship, a game often proclaimed as football's greatest, Unitas
boosted the sport's popularity.

Sid Luckman, a fellow Pro Football Hall of Fame member, said Unitas was the
best quarterback ever. "Better than me," he said, "better than Sammy Baugh,
better than anyone."

Unitas was born on May 7, 1933 and grew up in a working-class section of

Pittsburgh. His father died when Johnny was five, and his Lithuanian-born
mother Helen raised four children by herself, supporting them by working two
jobs.

At St. Justin's, a small Catholic high school, Unitas played halfback and end until
he replaced the injured starting quarterback early in his junior year. As a senior
he drew some interest from colleges.

The Notre Dame backfield coach, though, said Unitas was too light. Indiana also
passed on him. Pittsburgh offered him a scholarship, but Unitas failed the
school's entrance exam.

He finally accepted a scholarship from Louisville, where as a freshman he

became a starter in the sixth game and led the Cardinals to four wins. He
gained 40 pounds in his first two college seasons, threw for 21 touchdowns and
also played safety. Slowed by injuries and sub-par teams his junior and senior
seasons, he finished his college career with 27 touchdown passes and 3,139
yards passing.

   

The Steelers drafted him in the ninth round in 1955, but they doubted he had
the smarts to run a pro offense. They had four quarterbacks in camp, and
Unitas played in none of the five exhibition games before being released. "Most
of the time they acted like I wasn't there," he said. While working construction
in Pittsburgh, he played quarterback and defensive back for the Bloomfield
Rams, a local semipro team that played with old equipment on sandlot fields.
Unitas, who had married during college and had a child, signed on for $6 a
game.

The Colts offered Unitas $7,000 to sign early in 1956, and he joined them for
their spring session. Ewbank liked what he saw, even Unitas' size - he had filled
out to 6-1 and 190 pounds.

"He was a big boy, with good speed," Ewbank said. "Not dazzling speed, but
good speed. And he was so very eager to learn."

Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas delivered Baltimore its first NFL
championship. When starting quarterback George Shaw suffered a broken leg
against the Chicago Bears in the season's fourth game, Unitas made a nervous
debut. His first pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. Then he
botched a handoff on his next play, a fumble recovered by the Bears.

Unitas rebounded quickly from that 58-27 loss, leading the Colts to an upset of
Green Bay and their first win over Cleveland. He threw nine touchdown passes
that year, including one in the season finale that started his record 47-game
streak. His 55.6-percent completion mark was a rookie record.

Setting up quickly in the pocket and with a knack for calling the right play, he
threw for 2,550 yards and 24 touchdowns the next season, leading the Colts to
a 7-5 record. The league's players voted him MVP.

Rebounding from injuries became a Unitas trademark. In 1958, when he led

Baltimore to the Western Conference title, he was hit by the Packers' Johnny
Symank in the sixth game and hospitalized with three broken ribs and a
punctured lung. Four games later, he led the Colts from a 27-7 halftime deficit
to a 35-27 win over the San Francisco 49ers, a performance he rated higher
than the season's celebrated title game.

That nationally televised championship game at Yankee Stadium was riveting.

The Colts led 14-3 lead at halftime, then fell behind 17-14 in the fourth quarter.
With two minutes remaining, they got the ball at their 14-yard line.

"I said to myself, 'Well, we've blown this ballgame,'" Colts receiver Raymond
Berry said. "The goalposts at our end of the field looked a million miles away."

Unitas completed four passes for 73 yards, the last three to Berry for 62 yards,
to set up a game-tying 20-yard field goal by Steve Myhra with seven seconds
left. In overtime, Unitas directed the Colts on a drive that Sports Illustrated
termed "13 plays to glory." Alan Ameche's one-yard touchdown run ended the
NFL's first sudden-death finish.

     

Passing for 349 yards, the game solidified Unitas' reputation and sold many,
including outstanding running back Buddy Young, on the quarterback's
preeminence. "You know what convinced me?" Young said. "He'd get knocked
on his fanny play after play, yet he'd be right up there at the spot where the
referee was putting the ball down and then he'd be checking the clock and
knowing how much yardage he needed."
Unitas might have been overlooked as a young player, but he was always a
forceful, confident leader. Unitas threw at least one TD pass in 47 consecutive
games. "Anything I do," he said, "I always have a reason for."

Even at the end of that championship game, he dismissed Ewbank's instructions

to keep the ball on the ground. "We don't want an interception here," the coach
reminded him during a timeout.

Two plays later, inside the 10, Unitas passed to Jim Mutscheller down to the
one. Asked about the risk of an interception, Unitas said, "If I saw a danger of
that, I would have thrown the ball out of bounds. When you know what you're
doing, you're not intercepted."

Unitas threw for 32 touchdowns in 1959 and the Colts beat the Giants again in
the title game. In the 31-16 victory, Unitas ran for the go-ahead touchdown and
passed for 264 yards and two scores.

His 3,481 yards passing topped the NFL in 1963. The next season he was the
league's MVP when he led the Colts to the NFL's best record at 12-2 and was
first in yards per pass attempt (9.26). In winning another MVP in 1967, he had
a league-high 58.5 completion percentage as he passed for 3,428 yards and 20
touchdowns in the Colts' 11-1-2 season.

After being hurt most of the 1968 season, Unitas returned and led the Colts on
their only scoring drive in historic Super Bowl III, a 16-7 loss to the New York
Jets. Two years later, in the Colts' 16-13 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in
Super Bowl V, he threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to John Mackey before
suffering an injury late in the first half.

The Colts benched Unitas in 1972 and the following January sold him to the San
Diego Chargers, for whom he played one undistinguished season before retiring.
In his 18-year career, Unitas threw for 40,239 yards and 290 touchdowns in
211 games.

What made Unitas special, Berry said, "was his uncanny instinct for calling the
right play at the right time, his icy composure under fire, his fierce
competitiveness, and his utter disregard for his own safety."

- (Courtesy of ESPN.com)
Pictures of the Week

Hey Football Players!! - When you think of Football, many things may come
to mind….winning, pain, sacrifice, teamwork, etc. We also hope that you
think of the friends that you made and the families that support you. Here
are a few glimpses….
 Useful links

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Singapore American Football League

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