We are dedicating today’s game and the rest of the 2005 season, to Collis #39.

Victory in the first battle of the day went to the Knight, winning the coin toss they elected to receive the Kick-Off and test our defence first. Product of the Olympians youth, Kicker/WR I Jacquet [Os88] playing his first senior game kicked deep into Knights territory, but poor coverage allowed Knight specialist M Dunston [PAK11] to return the ball out to the 35yrd line, eventually being tackled by M Coppinger [Os36].

The Olympians, always known for their tough defence proceeded to shut the Knights down with tackles from S Goppy [Os46], O Ekwegh [Os92] and A McKenzie [Os98] bringing out the Knights punt team returned 10yrds by J Simms [Os7]. So for the first time in 2005 the O’s offence saw competitive action.
It was an understandably an unsteady start for the Olympians, certainly not an indication of what was to come, and after 3 attempts Jacquet [Os88] (also on punt duty) kicked a beauty leaving the Knights to start their second drive from the 6.

Once again the Olympians defence held firm with ferocious tackling from rookie A Balogun [Os72] and veterans T Newton [Os44] and L Reid [Os95] led to another Knights punt, however, the ball was soon returned to the Knights when rookie Running Back J Allen [Os22] in his first start for the Olympians, had the ball stripped from his grasp in the trenches. The Knights then won the second battle of the day earning the first 1st Down of the day behind the hard running of K Ejioju [PAK33] taking them into Olympians territory before setting up a 22yd pass from QB A Heath [PAK3] to Wide Receiver. The Olympians consoled themselves by blocking the PAT attempt.

So the Olympians found themselves playing catch up once more against the Knights, C Palumbo [Os10] returned the squib kick giving his team great field position at the Knights 40 after a good return. On 1st down J Allen [Os22] got his first significant gain in British Senior competition with an 8 yard pick up, Olympians QB S Franklin [Os8] picking up the first down on a sneak the next play. A mistake by the O-line allowed 2 defenders a free run at the QB giving up a massive 20yd loss trying to out run them, to atone for his error S Franklin [Os8] then completed his first pass of the day to J Simms [Os7] for 15yds ushering in the 2nd Quarter.

Still on offence, but with 3rd and long the Olympians needed to change gear, after a holding penalty and a completed 12yd screen pass to Full Back M Coppinger [Os36] left Offensive coordinator with his dilemma of the day, deciding that without an experienced place kicker he would go for it on 4th down needing 8yds…A coverage sack probably wasn’t what he was hoping for.

Out came a now tiring O’s defence, but they sucked it up and tackles from Adewale [Os1], (Ex-Monarch) V E-Mohummed [Os2] and a near interception by the 2 way guy J Simms [Os7] gave the ball back to the Olympians via the punter at their own 20.

Looking down most of the field the Olympians new they had to move the ball consistently to reach pay-dirt 80yds down field. It started slowly but surely with a 5yd grab by J Price [Os3] followed by an 8yd gain by J Allen [Os22], a 6yds screen out of the backfield to M Coppinger [Os36] that led to the 1st down which led to a sensational ‘bullet out of a gun run’ for J Allen [Os22] for a 66yds touchdown, his first as a BAFL player and the Olympians first of the year. I Jacquet [Os88] PAT attempt was good.

So the Olympians are back on top with a slender 07-06 lead it was still anyone’s game, but had the machine started to roll or was that just a lucky break?
The Knights returned the ensuing kick off, and started the drive on their 35yd line. The O’s defence had got excited, they are not used to being upstaged by their offence, so had to prove a point, with some hard-hitting tackles by Linebackers, T Newton [Os44], S Conte [Os55] and Adewale [Os1] bringing out the by now well practiced punt team for the Knights.

Good running by C Palumbo [Os10] and J Allen [Os22] saw the Olympians begin to march down field again, having softened the Knights defence up with the run, Coach Dumas decided to throw a pass in, and it should have been a certain TD for J Simms [Os7] who had toasted his defender, but having played both ways for most of the game Simms seemed tired and couldn’t quite get to the ball, the drive then seemed to fizzle out, with the punt team coming out on 4th and long.
It seemed though, that the Knights felt generous, as what proceeded can only be described as bizarre! I Jacquet [Os88] kicked his first stinker, sending the ball 50yds horizontally but only 5yds vertically, which should have left the Knights with good field position….had the Punt-Returner not had other ideas sprinting down field to attempt to pick up the bouncing ball…of course it ended up bouncing off his knee and ironically fell to the kicker to recover the ball for the Olympians at the half way line.

Now it would have been bad manners for the Olympians not to take advantage, so being as courteous as they are, they proceeded to stride downfield towards the opposition endzone with a balanced mixture of running and passing using M Coppinger [Os36] for a short gain, a nicely set up screen by S Franklin [Os8] to J Allen [Os22] for 22yds and a beautifully placed pass on a corner route to J Price [Os3] which left them 4 downs to gain 1yd, after a facecage penalty put the offence that bit closer allowing J Allen [Os22] an easy run into the endzone. Once again PAT attempt was good.

The Olympians defence really wanting to get on the field, but another calamity on special teams saw rookie K Lawson [Os25] knock the ball, from Knights return specialist M Dunstons [PAK11], grasp allowing M Coppinger to pick up the ball, once again handing the ball to the Olympians offence.
This time they didn’t bother with niceties and went to the skies immediately connecting with J Price [Os3] for the score. A poor snap meant an easy point was lost.

Getting really impatient the O’s defence this time got their wish, taking the field for the first time in what seemed like ages, the rest-up was evident on the first play of the drive when A Balogun [Os72] chased down scrambling Knights QB A Heath [PAK03] for a 10yd loss on the play, ending the half.

The second half started promisingly for the Olympians with C Palumbo [Os10] returning the ball 50 yards to the Knights 35. However this drive was to self-destruct on its first play with S Franklin [Os8] over throwing his receiver D Clarke [Os84] and putting the ball straight into the arms of the waiting Corner Back (2 turnovers each by my counting). Were the Knights about to mount a come back, they are more than capable of scoring 14+ points! Well they gave it a damn good try after an initial tackle behind the line of scrimmage by S Conte [Os55], the Knight began to drive down field with some good gains from last years leading rusher K Ejioju [PAK33] with runs of 9, 16 and 8yds on this drive this series saw the Knights complete their second deep pass of the game, this time the receiver was brought down by O’s Defensive Back C Cahoon [Os24] and S Rowe [Os5] with the drive coming to an end after the Knights elected to go for it on 4th and goal from nine yards out, unfortunately they only made 8! Corner back, for the Olympians W Roach [Os37] throwing the TD saving tackle. New drive, new runners, it was now the turn of 2nd year Running Back B D'Anyangwe [Os30] taking over running duties, a 8 yd gain an incomplete pass and a good defensive play at the line stopped this drive from developing and out came the punter. Confidence was now beginning to rise and the defence was beginning to have fun, and when a defence has fun that means somebody gonna feel it (pleasure/pain theory) and O’s outside Linebacker, Adewale [Os1] administered the first of a succession of punishing tackles from the defence, utterly neutralizing the Knights fullback and using him to tackle the Halfback 4yds behind the line of scrimmage, an incomplete pass and a recovered fumble (Roach forcing) brought up 4th and 11 with the Knights needing the score, they went for it and failed. A couple of incomplete passes were compensated for by an electrifying 30yd run by runner Allen. Deciding that the running game was working and not bothered about the ticking game clock the Olympians stayed with the running game for a while this time G Dauley [Os27] ex-Southern Sundevils runner taking Half-Back duties moving the ball down field gaining a couple of first down with runs of 5, 12 and 11 yards again mixing it up with the pass put the Olympians back in scoring territory at the 11yrd line and into the 4th quarter.

The Knights decided they would like to have a goal-line stand as well, with the O’s throwing an incomplete pass on 4th down this handed the ball back to the Knight deep in their own territory. Once again K Ejioju [PAK33] got his team out of trouble with a 27yd sweep. The Olympian then shut down the run with strong tackling from O’s defenders P Evans [Os69] and S Goppy [Os46] forcing Knights QB Heath [PAK3] to take to the air completing to [PAK86] to move the chains. More solid tackling by T Newton [Os44] and then ‘the turf’ brought up 3rd and long once again for the Knights and once again [PAK33] came to the rescue doing enough to get a 1st down and goal at the 8yd line, this was the key to the defence to execute their 2nd goaline stand of the day a sack by S Conte [Os55], good penetration by the D-line disrupted the exchange to the half back, before the ball was finally picked off by O’s 7 Simms on the 6 yard line after Knights A Heath [PAK3] threw a jump ball to his receiver. The Olympians once again had almost the whole length of the field to look down, starting off by giving touches of the ball, first to Allen [Os22] and then to Palumbo [Os10], before the offensive play of the game a 70+yd td reception from Franklin [Os8] to Price [Os3] in which proceeded to turn the Defensive back inside out before sprinting to the endzone. PAT attempt by Jacquet [Os88] good..27-06 Olympians. The likelihood of the Knights scoring 3 touchdowns in the time that remained was slim. The Olympians just needed to not allow a quick score and keep the ball inbounds to keep the clock ticking, a tackle by S Goppy [Os46] a dropped interception by O’s Adewale [Os1] led (probably out of frustration, for dropping the pick) to the hit of the day, Adewale [Os1] was sent on a perfectly timed blitz laying an ‘NFL Crunch-time' hit on US running back C Bolton [PAK49] (who thankfully just had the wind knocked out of him), the Knight were left with no choice but to go for it again throwing an incomplete pass giving the ball back to the Olympians to finish the game.