Lion's Game Report
Both teams came out fired up after the Christmas break period with Warwick scoring first and converting the 2 point play on their first drive.
After that, even enough the game was an intense fought battle, Birmingham scored 49 unanswered points on the ground with Mark Smith scoring from 33, 18 and 54 yards out and a 5 yard run from rookie Ernest Obeng-Menash (Dennis) and through the air with a Matt Gavin to John Zinkus 17 yard TD connection and a 52 yard interception return from linebacker Jordan Butel, a 76 yard punt return from Ben Cowap and to finish off the game a 33 yard field goal by Mark Smith.
A spokesperson for Birmingham commented after the game “that the score line does not reflect how much Warwick have improved since we last saw them in Nov., you can tell they have continued to work hard each week, best wishes to them for the rest of the season. It was a good win for us after a long break, we have worked hard the past 3 weeks, we will review the film, correct our mistakes and get ready for Oxford next Sunday”.
Oxford Game Report
After kicking off to start the game, the Oxford defense started strong by
stopping the Barracuda offense in their half, forcing Bristol to punt away their
first possession.
Oxford started out strong on their first drive with Drew Janes running off
tackle for 60 yards to be brought down at the Bristol 3. QB David Fajgenbaum
then took the ball into the endzone for the TD. After stopping Bristol again on
their second drive, the Cavalier offense again drove down the field using both
the pass and the run, Fajgenbaum again took the ball into the endzone.
Neither team could find the endzone for the duration of the first half.
The Cav's got the ball to start the second half and started out in the same
fashion as the first. Stuart Lowe got the 6 after a diving catch at the Bristol
5 by Duncan Robertson. Charlie Fisher tacked on the one point for the PAT.
With the Fajgenbaum/Robertson combination going into overdrive and the ball moving on the legs of RB's Dennis Cook and Ian Johnson, RB/LB Drew Janes blasted into the endzone from 8 yards out.
Duncan Robertson ended his 10 catch performance with his own TD from 20 yards out from Fajgenbaum in the 4th quarter. Stuart Lowe rounded out the Oxford scoring with a 2 yard catch from Fajgenbaum.
Fajgenbaum completed 17 passes for 3 TD's and ran in 2 himself, and Drew Janes in his first game in Cavalier blue had 150 yards on 15 carries.
The Oxford D gave very little, with Andy Fenning getting a pick, and Cameron
McClean blocking a punt.
Oxford MVP - Drew Janes
Cobras Game Report
Cardiff Complete Decade of Dominance!
Another season, another Cardiff victory in the Welsh Bowl. The fixture had been in doubt earlier in the week due to heavy rain in West Wales but the pitch was good and the weather was fine for the early kick off to accommodate the England/Wales rugby game in the afternoon.
Aber won the toss and deferred so Cardiff took the ball. The Cobras drew first blood as #8 Chris ‘Lamby' Hunt kicked a 31yd FG after strong running from #39 Peter ‘Piece of Milk' Allott behind the Cardiff offensive line of Taylor, Giblin, Swellers, Stacey, Mellett & Kwafo.
The Cobras defense kept a shut out for the second week running following the Christmas break and forced at least two turnovers in the 1st quarter with interceptions from birthday boy #56 Dave ‘Cheeky Predator' Griffith and #28 Tom ‘Egg' Slater who returned the ball 5yds before pitching it to LB #45 Robin Kelly who took the ball a further 15yds in a convoy of defensive players.
The 2nd quarter saw the Cobras offense continue to drive on Aber but a series of penalties meant they had to work harder for the games' first TD which came on an 18yd pass from #5 Stephen ‘Smiler' Hutchinson to #8 Hunt. Defensive MVP Dan Murch made his 1st pick of 2008 and a 5yd return to set up another FG attempt but the kick was blocked in the backfield. The score going in at half time was Cobras 10 Tarrannau 0
The wind picked up in the 3rd quarter but Cardiff we're still able to move the ball through the air and picked up some big yardage on the ground through the combination of #39 Allott and #10 Jake Heath. The Cobras drove into Aber's red zone but could not add to their points tally as a further three field goals were blocked but the Cobras defense didn't look like giving up any points and continued to force Aber to punt each drive. Early in the 4th quarter, #28 Slater made his second big return of the day following a return in the 2nd quarter but this time took the ball 45yds for the touchdown and a 17-point lead.
The game finished with the traditional presentation of the Welsh Bowl to the Cardiff President Andrew Giblin before both teams made their way to see the second Welsh victory of the day!
Next week the Cobras face the Bath Killer Bees in Cardiff in a massive game that will decide how far the Welsh team will progress after the regular season.