O - Nick Weiss 3yrd TD Run O - Nick Weiss 2yrd TD Run O - Nick Weiss 1yrd TD Run O - Ronye Brown 34yrd TD Catch (Schuk Pass) O - Ronye Brown 21 yrd Run S - Kyle Ritter 40yrd FG S - Kyle Ritter 5-5 XP Kicked
The Phoenix Break Through:
The Wilmot Phoenix began thier 2011 Season in startling fashion, stunning the league and the Premier with a 38-33 victory Friday night against Fox Valley. With a start time of 6:30, this was the first game in the GFL to begin play, and it began with a Premier posession which ended with a Phoenix interception near the 30 yard line. With the ball in good field position, the Phoenix traveled all the way down to the Premier 1 yard line, when Nick Weiss was stripped before the goaline and some brief uncertanty ensued. The Phoenix recovered the loose ball in the endzone, yet the referees joined together and claimed the Phoenix recoverer fell on the ball outside the endzone, and then crossed the line afterwards. Phoenix Video disputes this, yet considering the refs had an otherwise stellar game, we need to chalk it up to a simple missed call. With the Ball at the 1 yard line, the Premier began to move the ball out of thier deep area, yet a fumble on a snap resulted in yet another turnover and the Phoenix again had terrific field position. To capitalize this time, Nick Weiss plowed into the endzone to make the game 7-0, and then the floodgates opened. In what seemed like seconds, the Premier responded, hitting a long TD pass to tie the game, which showed just how dangerous this team can be. Yet the Phoenix did not wither, and responded to the Premier score in kind with a long strike from Ryan Schuk to Ronye Brown in the back of the endzone for a 34 yard touchdown. Each team the rest of the half continued to respond to each others scores, neither team giving an inch. On the final play of the half, Ryan Schuk broke the pocket and scampered for 22 yards before being tackled at the 21, yet he fumbled the ball, and it bounced backwards into Brown's arms as he racd the final 20 yards for a touchdown. The score at half was 28-21. With the Ball, and the lead, the Phoenix offense would score a touchdown (Nick Weiss's third of the day), and a long field goal (40 yds, Kyle Ritter) to stretch the lead to 17 with half the final period to go. The defense got another stop, and the offense began to move the ball again when the last thing the Phoenix needed happened, they gave the ball away and gave the Premier some hope. With the ball and a little momentum, the Premier rattled off the next 12 points (both XP's were missed) and showed exactly why this team is a championship contender. The Premier played the whole game with 12 players, and each one of them gave everything they had. At the two-minute mark, the Phoenix punted the ball out of thier zone, and the defense, harrased all day and staggering, was called on to end this game. And yet, the Premier moved, every so slightly, towards the endzone. It was not easy, the Premier called only two straight run plays all night, and the Phoenix put thier fastest players on the field to deal with the downfield attack. During the Drive the Premier faced two 4th down and long situations, on one of them they converted, on the other they failed. The game ended at the 48 yard line, and the Phoenix went home victorious. The Phoenix organization would like to take the time to tip our hat to the Premier, who even short handed gave every ounce of themselves in this game. They wanted this game, badly, and it showed after the fumble late in the game. Even though they were short on guys, they were never short on heart, or talent.
The Phoenix will travel to Lake Shore to play the Lynx, only the three time defending GFL champions. It should be a good one.
Top Awards
Offense Nick Weiss Defense TJ Dotson Reserve Jesse Wine Play Kyle Ritter Butter & Sryup TJ Dotson Hustle Trion Brown
