Wilmot Phoenix

Phoenix Drop a Classic               

               The Phoenix’s 2010 season started with jitters, and ended with an explosion. The Kenosha Cougars, well renowned for their staunch defense and mobile Quarterback play, threw every haymaker they could muster, and in the end, it was barely enough. The Cougars outlasted the Phoenix 12-7 on a balmy May night where the entire GFL had already finished up, and all eyes were on the entrenched, classy Cougars squad, and the scrappy, determined Wilmot Phoenix.

                The Phoenix held their own during the first half of the game, driving the field a few times, setting up for a field goal once (it was blocked). The theme of the night in the first half however was that we would start to get momentum, and would create a bad play or penalty that would halt everything. Too many times, throughout the game, a penalty would kill a drive that had great promise. The Cougars mobile passing attack led the way for a 12-0 halftime score.

                The story up to that point however, wasn’t the score, yet who was forced from the game. Chris Bella, the heart and soul of the Phoenix Defense, was ejected for what was considered to be a helmet shot to a Cougars receiver. Film would later show that the hit was far cleaner than what had been called, yet the damage was done. Bella was gone. Also in the second half, Richard Linkowski and Nic Purtee also left the game due to differing circumstances, leaving the Phoenix defense without 3 of their top players. Losing these three guys is like the Chicago bears loosing Urlacher, Briggs and Tommie Harris. You don’t replace what you have lost. Yet…the Cougars never scored again.

                The game could have gotten ugly, yet instead, the Phoenix defense put on one of the grittiest performances I have ever seen. Put up against the wall more times than what could be remembered, the defense held fast while the offense played a bit of a field position battle to shorten the field and gain an advantage. The tactic almost didn’t work, time was getting short, with almost 7:00 to go, the Offense on 4^th and 12 decided to punt. It wasn’t a popular decision, yet it backed the Cougars up to their 10 yard line. And then, lightning struck.

                In trying to put away the game, the Cougars ran a boot in which the pas was underthrown. Jeff Thorpe made a terrific play on the ball, and gave the Phoenix field position inside the 40. The game was now a contest again. The drive would result in a touchdown, and the extra point made the game 12-7. With less than 2:00 to go, the Cougars would have been wise to put the game away, and indeed they tried to, yet they lost a fumble which was recovered inside the 50. The Phoenix were far from dead.

                Rumbling, stumbling and grinding the whole way, the Phoenix made it to the Cougar 15 with 42.7 seconds left. However, the comeback was not to be. A tripped up receiver and a well played ball ended up with the Phoenix’s only turnover of the game. The Cougars escaped.

                Barely

                Chapters could be written about how this game was played. Intense, classic and smash-mouth are all words that come to mind. However, what will be taken away from this game the most is how the Phoenix came of age while on the field. In the first half, the team was jittery, a little overanxious. As an observer would say after the game, “Everyone knew what to do, yet everyone was just a beat away from getting there”. In the second half, after we took the shots, and withstood the uppercuts, we rebounded. We know who we are now, and we know how much better we can be.

                Next week, the Gators come to town as the Phoenix will look to rebound and even up their record. Come out and show support as the season is far from over.