14 Nov 2011

There is something special about playoff games...teams rise and fall during the regular season, however in the playoffs, all teams work the preceding week to bring their "A" game. Most of these fall tussles are exciting! You will see lots of hard hits, trick plays, new strategies and off-the-chart emotions - all in their purest form. There are no scandals or news-worthy headlines. This is just kids and coaches, pitting their best efforts against foes they admire and respect.    

Peewees Lose Semi Final in Valiant Effort!

You could almost see this rematch coming back in mid-September. In that early season contest, the Saints really man-handled the Good Shepherd Peewee team, and beat the Rams 19 to 0. Those watching the game felt the score could have been a lot worse. But Peewee Head Coach really wanted another shot at the Saints. He would get it.

Yesterday, early on, it looked like the Rams would in fact up-end the tough Saint Peewees. The game started with a convincing offensive drive by GS. Behind a punishing running attack, the Rams went up early 6 - 0. But this would be a game where the Saints would always answer our TDs with a big play TD of their own. Through the 4th quarter, the game would remain very close.

The turning point was a interception for a TD by the Saints in the final period. The ball was just a finger tip away from being a Rams sure TD. Had that Ram's drive ended it a TD, the Rams would probably be playing next Sunday, but this is a game of inches. Good luck to the Saints next week, and congratulations to the 2011 GS RAMS Peewees! You have a lot to be proud of!     

Pony Team Captures Victory with Balance and Poise

Watching the GS Ponys is simply enjoyable.  They give us access to all that makes the game of football great. You have hard-nosed runners and tacklers. You have astonishing one-handed receptions. You have unsung heroes, who rise to the challenge when called upon. It's an easy team to like.  

Earlier in the season, the GS Ponys played Harrisburg in a game that some felt Harrisburg would have won if they had another minute on the clock. The final was 22 to 20, but the Broncos were driving. The "What If" question was answered last evening with resounding exclamation point!

After and opening drive, and a picture perfect pass and TD catch, the Rams appeared to have things well in hand. Then Rams RB/LB O. Neely strained his ankle, and the Broncos scored on a big running play. How would the Rams respond to these two obstacles? The answer became unsung work-horse was D. Pentz. This young player wanted to run the ball all year, but just could not crack the starting line-up at that position. He got a few carries during the year, but this was only to give the starters a break. Last night, the Ponys would need Dylan to come up huge, and the little titan did. Behind excellent blocking, the nifty back slashed his way thru the Bronco line and attained the 5 yards a carry the coaches asked him to get. He even scored a TD. Way to go, Mr. Pentz!

The Ponys would go on to win the game, in a total team effort, by a score of 18 to 13. This propels them into the 2011 Super Bowl vs. York (who upset #1 seed Holy Name by a score of 8 to 6). This is York's first year in the CFA, and they have two teams, Ponys and Midgets, playing next Sunday. This is not an upstart organization to be taken lightly - their kids and coaches will come to play!