Article by James Dunstan - Oxford
On Saturday 18th July, the Oxford Saints made the long journey down to Newquay and came home
with a 13-12 victory over the Cornish
Sharks!
The Saints made swift work of the Sharks earlier in the
season with a 43-24 win when they visited Oxford. The last time the Saints
travelled to take on the Sharks on their own turf was in 2013, where Oxford
suffered a 51-0 defeat.
Although already guaranteed a playoff spot due to being 2nd
place in Division II – Southern Football
Conference West (SFCW), a win over the Sharks was still important as the
Saints now go into the playoffs on the back of a 2 game winning streak.
The Quarter Finals are on 23rd August but with several teams
still winding up their regular season, it is not yet decided who Oxford will
face in the first round.
Travelling with a smaller squad than usual, several changes
were made to the starting line-up. On the offensive line, first year player Rob Dennis was awarded with his first
starting position alongside Chris
Daniels. With no travelling full backs, Chris Roberts and Antonios
Athanasiou switched from their usual positions and shared the workload.
This game marked a special occasion for the Saints as
veteran linebacker and team captain Dean
Bryan recently celebrated his 10th year competing in American Football and
was playing in the 100th game of his career, all for the Oxford.
“I’ve learned how to play this sport from some great players and
coaches and won a Division 2 championship in 2006.”
“10 years on, now I’m one of the players who helps my teammates learn
the game, teach them how to win and how to have success.”
“I absolutely didn’t imagine playing this long or having any of the
team or personal success that I’ve been fortunate enough to have when I first
started playing.”
“There is no team sport like this game. If you haven’t played the game
or got close to the game, you just can’t know.”
Kick-off
With the Sharks winning the coin toss and choosing to start
with the ball, they took over from their own 29 yard line following the kick-off.
The Saints were caught short as quarterback Joseph Wolfenden-Brown threw a deep pass to wide receiver Isaak Marshall, who hauled in the pass
over the top of the Saints defenders and ran into the end zone for the score. Othniel Lewis attempted the extra point
kick but it was blocked by the Oxford defense, leaving the hosts with an
instant 6-0 lead.
Stunned by the quick score, the Saints offense took to the
field and looked to make their own statement. Led by first year quarterback Ben
Denton, they quickly earned a first down with a 17 yard reception from tight
end Rich Bloomer. Looking to
establish the often dominating Oxford run game, Denton handed the ball off to
James Walter who fought his way through the Sharks defense and picked up
another first down.
With the Saints approaching Sharks territory, a jumping
catch for a 6 yard gain by Sam Armstrong
brought Oxford to 3rd down with just 4 yards needed to pick up another first.
The ball was once again handed to Walter who broke off a huge 34 yard touchdown
run. Denton attempted a 2 point conversion and a pass intended for Bloomer was
incomplete, leaving the score tied 6-6.
Following Walter’s big gain, he has now reached a milestone
of 1,000 rushing yards in the 2015 regular season. A commendable and uncommon
achievement outside of the professional level, Walter has ran riot against
opponents throughout the year and has often been a game-changing force on the
field.
With the Saints defense back on the field, everyone was
acutely aware of the deep passing threat from the Sharks and were keen to not
be caught out again. Quarterback Wolfenden-Brown kept the ball on the ground to
begin with and handed it to his powerful running back who picked up a first
down before being tackled by free safety Michael
Bearman. A further run attempt was stopped short after just 2 yards by
tackles from defensive end Adam Baker
and linebacker Graeme Taylor. In
need of a first down, the Sharks looked to throw but two incomplete passes
forced the turn over and the Saints offense took over from the 20 yard line.
Running backs Grant
Tebb and James Walter attempted
to find their usual rhythm but were struggling to make any significant gains
against a determined Sharks defense and the ball was soon turned back over to
the hosts.
Much of the first half continued in the same fashion, seeing
a back and forth battle as both defenses stood firm and controlled the flow of
the game. It was the Sharks who were the first to break the cycle with strong
running from their main running threat, Othniel Lewis. Fast approaching the
Saints end zone, Lewis found room to run on several plays and picked up first
downs against the Oxford defense. The score came when Wolfenden-Brown handed
the ball to running back Shaun Griffin
who ran up the middle for a 4 yard touchdown. Lewis attempted the extra point
kick and it was again blocked by the defense. Sharks extend the lead 12-6.
With time running out in the 2nd quarter, the Sharks were
once again on the attack after a stalled drive by the Saints offense gave the
opponents great field position. Spotting an opportunity to fit in another score
before half-time and extend to a more comfortable lead, the Sharks were looking
dangerous. A 12 yard pass from Wolfenden-Brown gave them another first down,
with the receiver being brought down by Spencer
Duffy. Further tackles from Duffy, Graeme Taylor and George Wright prevented the Sharks from picking up the first, but a
penalty against the Saints defense granted them the much needed yards and a
fresh set of downs
As the end zone drew closer, the Sharks continued to find
room to move on the ground. The ball carrier picked up 6 yards before being
brought down by Wright and Bearman, with Taylor then driving the ball carrier
back for a 3 yard loss on the following play. Facing 3rd down, rookie defensive
end Sam Stancombe struck
Wolfenden-Brown for a big sack and a 7 yard loss at a crucial moment. Stancombe
suffered a serious injury during the pre-season and only returned for the final
2 regular season games of 2015. He has quickly made his mark and proved he’s
fit to play again, after landing an equally impressive sack 2 weeks prior in
Oxford’s big win against the Swindon
Storm.
On 4th down, the only option was for Wolfenden-Brown to
attempt a 20 yard pass into the endzone for the score. As the ball was snapped,
receiver Isaak Marshall sprinted across the field on a slant route and caught a
quick pass over the middle, closely pursued by cornerback James Dunstan. Catching the ball at the 2 yard line, Marshall was
immediately tackled to the ground by Dunstan and Taylor just short of the goal
line.
2nd Half
With a close 12-6 lead for the Sharks, the Saints started
with the ball to begin the 3rd quarter and continued their hunt for the
equalizing score. The Sharks defense came out strong and prevented Denton from
picking up a first down, following incomplete passes intended for Walter and
Armstrong.
The Sharks kept the ball on the ground for their next drive
and picked up a first down, with the tackle coming from strong safety Martin Fitzpatrick. On the next play,
the towering rookie defensive end Conor
Whitehouse hit the ball carrier and forced a fumble but it was recovered by
the Sharks and they maintained possession. Unable to make any gains and a 3
yard tackle for a loss by linebacker Calvin Holmes, the Sharks were forced to
punt the ball away.
Taking over from their own 4 yard line, the Saints offense
were in a risky situation as they were backed up dangerously close to the end
zone. Attempts by Kev Brooks and
Walter to give the offense breathing room were shut down by the Sharks defense.
On 4th down with everyone expecting a punt, the ball was snapped to Walter, who
normally performs the punting duty, but instead of kicking the ball away he
threw a pass to tight end Rich Bloomer
who had broken out into space. Bloomer hauled in the 18 yard pass and the
Sharks were caught off guard.
Despite the success of the trick play, the Saints were unable
to pick up a further first down but it did give them a better position to
eventually punt the ball from.
As the Sharks offense took over from their own 26 yard line,
another first down was swiftly picked up on the ground, before another first
down run for 16 yards was brought down by cornerback Mike Turner. On 2nd down,
Spencer Duffy delivered the 2nd sack on Wolfenden-Brown by the Oxford defense,
this time for an 8 yard loss. On 3rd down a pass to Isaak Marshall was
completed for 9 yards and the ball carrier was brought down by Dunstan,
bringing up the punt on 4th down.
In the 4th quarter, the game remained closely contested with
both offenses attempting to find holes in the imposing defenses. The Saints
defense increased the intensity and began to greatly limit the Sharks offense
on the ground. On 2nd down, rookie defensive tackle Dann Harvey showed great determination as he pursued the ball
carrier out towards the sideline before tackling him for a 1 yard loss. The
Sharks soon found a first down with a 19 yard pass from Wolfenden-Brown, with
the receiver brought down by Turner. On the next play defensive tackle Deke
Morton stopped the ball carrier for no gain. On 4th down the Sharks fumbled the
ball and they recovered in the backfield, but for a 16 yard loss.
Denton led the Saints offense out with great field position,
starting on the Sharks 33 yard line and a short distance to score. The ball was
handed to Antonios Athanasiou who picked up 4 yards. A completed pass to Walter
for a 7 yard gain gave Oxford the first down. Walter’s number was called again
and he charged through for a 17 yard gain and another first down. With just a
few yards out, Athanasiou received the ball and smashed his way into the
endzone for a 4 yard touchdown, marking his first touchdown with the Saints
after transferring to the team at the beginning of the season.
With the score tied, head coach Andrew Day called for the extra point kick attempt and Spencer
Duffy took to the field. The ball was snapped by centre Gordon Cutting, and was quickly put in position and held in place
by 2nd string quarterback David
McCormack. Duffy kicked the ball through the uprights and the Saints edged
forward with a 1 point lead. 13-12.
Following a good return on the kick off, the Sharks offense
took over from the Oxford 35 yard line and they themselves only had a short
distance between them and the score.
All eyes were on the Saints defense who needed to make one
more stop to seal the game. Not looking to take any chances, Wolfenden-Brown
kept the ball on the ground but his running backs found nowhere to go, with an
Oxford defense which was now even more fired up, fighting to maintain the win.
The first attempt was brought down by Duffy, and a 4 yard gain on the 2nd run
attempt was stopped by Duffy and Holmes.
In desperate need of a 1st down, Stancombe delivered a
further blow to the Sharks with a tackle behind the line for a 2 yard loss.
On 4th down with 7 yards to go, Wolfenden-Brown attempted
the pass and targeted his receiver over the middle of the field but the
jump-ball was contested by strong safety Martin Fitzpatrick who disrupted the
play and broke up the pass. The Saints defense celebrated as they took to the
sideline and the offense came out for their final drive.
With time running out, the Saints picked up a first down
thanks to a penalty against the Sharks and then chose to take a knee to run out
the remaining seconds, sealing the 13-12 victory.
Summary
Concluding the regular season with another win, the Saints
now sit at the top of the Southern Football Western Conference. However as
Bristol still have two games to play, it is unlikely that Oxford will maintain
the top spot unless Bristol suffer defeats in both.
The regular season of the British American Football National
League sees its last games being played on August the 9th, so the Saints have
several weeks to prepare before finding out who their first playoff opponent
will be.
Statistics
A closely contested game and a rare occasion where it was
not the Oxford offense which led the game in yardage.
The Sharks picked up 136 yards on the ground with another
133 in the air, for a total of 254 on offense.
Meanwhile the Saints picked up 124 on the ground (96 from
Walter alone) and another 68 in the air, for a total of 192 on offense.
Both teams suffered from fumbles but were able to recover
their own. Oxford QB Ben Denton recovered two fumbles and the Sharks recovered
all three of theirs.
Penalties were a common sight throughout the game with 7
against Oxford for 35 yards, and 8 against Cornwall for 55 yards.
QB vs QB
Ben Denton attempted 14 passes and completed 4, for 50 yards
and 0 TD’s.
Cornwall’s Joseph Wolfenden-Brown attempted 19 passes and
completed 7, for 133 yards and 1 TD (on the opening play of the game).
Wolfenden-Brown was sacked by the Saints defense 2 times for
a total of 15 yards.
Oxford Stat Leaders –
Offense
Running back/tight end James Walter put in another strong performance.
Walter took 18 carries for 96 yards and 1 TD, with an average gain of 5.3 yards
per carry. He also caught 1 pass for an additional 7 yards.
Running back/wide receiver Antonios Athanasiou picked up 19
yards on 6 carries, including 1 TD. He also caught 1 pass for an additional 20
yards.
Oxford Stat Leaders –
Defense
The defense put in another defiant showing and limited the
Sharks to just 12 points, including several 4th down stands which prevented
further touchdowns.
Linebacker Spencer Duffy led the day with 9 solo tackles and
3 assists, including a sack for 8 yards.
Following Duffy was fellow linebacker Graeme Taylor with 3
solo tackles and 5 assists, including a crucial tackle on the 2 yard line
preventing a Sharks touchdown.
Awards
Team MVP – Spencer Duffy
Offense MVP – Antonios Athanasiou
Defense MVP – Spencer Duffy
Special Teams MVP – James Walter
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