Dundee
Hurricanes 12 Norwich Devils 26
The Norwich Devils held off a late rally by the Dundee Hurricanes to
win
the BAFL 2 Bowl game at the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield, and
complete their season unbeaten, for only the second time in their
history.
The
Devils started strongly and were soon on the scoreboard when
quarterback Darren Bailey hit running back Jason Osborn with a thirty
three yard scoring strike. Ben Green's kick went narrowly wide to leave
Norwich up by six. On their next possession the Devils put together a
sixty one yard drive culminating in a one yard Bailey sneak for the
second score. This time Green's kick split the uprights to give Norwich
a 13 - 0 lead.
In the second quarter the Devils were again driving hard and got to the
Hurricanes twenty two yard line before Bailey was intercepted to finish
the drive. However it wasn't long before the Devils were again in the
endzone when Bailey capped a sixty four yard drive with a sixteen yard
scoring pass to receiver Ben Green. Green's kick was good and the
Devils led 20 - 0 with just under six minutes left in the half.
The Dundee offense had been stifled throughout the half by an excellent
hard-tackling Devils defense, but were given a great chance as half
time
approached when a fumbled exchange by Norwich presented the Hurricanes
with the ball at the Devils twenty nine yard line. The Devils looked to
have overcome the problem when linebacker Tom Lyons came up with an
interception, but a pass interference call ruled it out and moved the
Hurricanes to the Devils fourteen. Still the defense wouldn't break
though and held Dundee scoreless for the half.
The Devils continued to move the ball in the second half, and midway
through the third quarter Bailey had his third touchdown pass, this
time
from thirty four yards out, when receiver Nick Welsh came up with a
spectacular catch in the endzone. Green's kick was blocked to leave the
score at 26 - 0.
Norwich had a further chance to extend their lead following cornerback
Bobby Kerr's interception that he returned to the Dundee six yard line.
A
sack on Bailey forced the Norwich quarterback temporarily out of the
game, but his replacement, Troy Schmidgall looked to have scored on a
sixteen yard run, only to see it ruled out on an illegal motion call.
This resulted in a thirty five yard field goal attempt, as the match
moved into the fourth quarter, but a bad snap meant the kick never got
off and the chance was lost.
This seemed to spark the Hurricanes into life and when a twenty seven
yard completion from quarterback Bruce Thomson to Fraser Thomson moved
them to the Norwich nine yard line, they at last got on the scoreboard
when Thomson threw to Gregory Ekatah for the score. The Hurricanes then
went for a two point conversion, but running back Niakate Mahamadou was
stopped short by a crunching tackle from James May.
On the ensuing kick off Dundee then attempted an onside kick but Welsh
made the recovery for Norwich. However as the match ran inside the two
minute warning, the Hurricanes, when the two Thomsons combined to come
up with the score, this time from two yards out. Again the conversion
was stopped short. The Hurricanes again tried the onside kick but again
Welsh recovered for Norwich, who then successfully saw the game to its
conclusion.
Norwich quarterback Darren Bailey was awarded the Most Valuable Player
trophy. |
|