David Lassen of the Riverside, California Press-Enterprise newspaper wrote two nice articles about Falcons' QB John van den Raadt and French football that appeared in today's paper and on their blog.
You can link up to the printed article at:
The more detailed blog article can be found at:
http://blog.pe.com/alumni-report/2013/03/31/football-more-on-john-van-den-raadt-in-france/
MERCI DAVID!!!
#21 is CB Ibel Ahidazan
French Junior National Team
Ibel plays for the Falcons Cadet team but was selected to play for the French National Junior team that played a high school all-star team from the USA yesterday near Paris.
I am very proud to say that Ibel started at CB and played most of the game. The USA squad won the match by a final score of 19-0.
The Falcons' Cadet team (2-0) played today at home and beat the Lyon Gones 27-16. Good job Cadets!
Easter Sunday the Bron-Villeurbanne Falcons boarded the bus at 9:30 a.m. for the three hour bus ride to destiny and the Alpine village of St-Cergues, France near Geneva, Switzerland.
Papi Bastiand gave me a present on the bus,
what could it be?
A DARK Chocolate Easter Egg
It never made it back to Lyon . . .
The Falcons (6-0) were playing the Bulldogs (5-1) for the right to claim the championship of the league and Poule C's #1 National Playoff seed.
France is not known worldwide for its high levels of organization and the Falcons are not immune from this cultural trait. I was excited that all 36 players who said they would be playing today did just that despite it being Easter Sunday, the morning after the change to Daylight Savings Time and such a long bus trip to the game.
One problem did come up. We counted out our white jerseys and we only had 24 in our possession, fully a dozen short of what we needed. The tradition with the Falcons is that a player who made a bonehead play in the previous game takes the jerseys home, washes them and brings them back for the next match. The Junior team last used the white jerseys last Sunday and the player in question had not returned them. A quick cell phone call to his house got our bus rolling to meet him there and pick up the much needed shirts.
France.
Nice Goal Post Pad Cover
The Dawg House
The Bulldogs Field had a nice view
of the French Alps
Maison Jeunesse Culture
The Dawg House is actually an M.J.C. which means that the roots of this building lie somewhere deep in post-WWII history when the French Communist Party was pushing for these types of structures to be built throughout France. We even have one about one km from The Villa here in Bron.
FIRST QUARTER:
Swing Pass from
John van den Raadt to Thibaud Rontet
The Bulldogs got a nice return out to the 40 yard line on the game's opening kickoff but the Falcons' defense forced a Three and Out Punt. It was a poor punt.
The Falcons struck quickly as QB John van den Raadt exploded on 53 yard run for the games first TD. Fred "Papi" Bastiand added the PAT. The Falcons led 7-0.
The Buldogs got a first down but ended up punting.
The Falcons moved the ball but turned it over on downs at the Bulldogs' 27 yard line.
The Bulldogs picked up a second first down but turned the ball over on downs at the Falcons' 40 yard line.
John van den Raadt hit WR Pierro Theyssier with a 49 yard bullet for six points. Papi's PAT was true again and the Falcons led 14-0.
Falcons Geoff Moulton and David Ollagnier combined for a big hit on the ensuing kickoff. The Bulldogs were on the march as the First Quarter ended with the Falcons in command 14-0.
SECOND QUARTER:
One BIG Dog!
The Bulldogs' drive is aided by a roughing the punter call and a dead ball personal foul. They finish the drive with a one yard QB sneak for a TD. The PAT is no good. The Falcons are still ahead 14-6.
The big play of the next Falcons drive is a 31 yard pass from vasn den Raadt to WR Gaetan Tafa. Short yardage specialist QB Mathieu Paredes runs a QB Wedge for a one yard TD. The PAT is wide right but the boys from Bron-Villeurbanne was rolling along with a 20-6 advantage.
The Bulldogs are threatening as the half comes to an end with the Falcons leading 20-6.
It was not our best half of football this season.
THIRD QUARTER:
MLB #52 Matt Fayard closing in
on another tackle
Thibaud Rontet has an excellent kickoff return but the Falcons can not take advantage as we turn the ball over on downs at the Bulldogs' 28 yard line. It was on this drive that French refereeing took a decided turn for the worse.
About five yards from our sideline a very obvious Bulldog face mask penalty occurs but the side judge does not throw a flag. Our offensive coordinator yells at him for badly missing the call at which point the ref turns, says "No it was not a face mask!" and then proceeded to grab our coach around the neck and shoulder area and shake him to show how the tackle "really" happened. Needless to say, our coach went off verbally on the ref who then threw a 15 yard penalty on our coach. In the meantime, another referee with the gift of sight had called the original face mask penalty from the other side of the field.
Simply put no coach should ever grab a ref in anger and, conversely, NO REF SHOULD EVER LAY HANDS IN ANGER ON A PLAYER OR COACH!!!
It's in the Napoléonic Code. You can look it up.
Meanwhile, back at the game . . .
The Bulldogs were forced into a second Three and Out Punt. The snap sailed over the punter's head to about the 10 yard line and the punter's hurried punt went out of bounds at the 25 yard line giving the Falcons a short field.
Brice Rontet had a nice 14 yard run on fourth down to set up Mathieu Paredes' second one yard QB Wedge TD. Papi Bastiand splits the uprights and the Falcons were cruising 27-6.
On the kickoff, Falcons Special Teams Captain, Steven "Gypsy King" Berthomier made a great tackle at the Bulldogs nine yard line. The Falcons finally started playing rock 'em, sock 'em defense like they can and had a very dominant Three and Out Punt, their third one of the afternoon.
The Falcons' offense stalled and we had a dreaded Three and Out Punt of our own.
The Bulldogs suffered another Three and Out Punt. Defense is really playing well.
The Falcons go Three and Out Punt again but David Ollagnier makes a solid punt tackle on the Bulldogs' eight yard line as the Third Quarter comes to a close with the Falcons ahead 27-6.
FOURTH QUARTER:
Thibaud Rontet following his
brother Brice's block
Defense, Defense, DEFENSE!!! Bulldogs go Three and Out Punt for the fourth time in the match.
The Falcons fumble the ball after a vicious but clean hit by the Bulldogs.
On the next play, Falcons OLB David Ollagnier intercepts a Bulldogs' pass.
The big play on this drive is a 44 yard pass from van den Raadt to Gaetan Tafa. Paredes scores his third one yard QB Wedge of the day and Bastiand is perfect again on the PAT. Falcons are cruising 34-6.
Guess what? Bulldogs Three and Out Punt #5 as MLB Matthieu Fayard has a great series stopping the Bulldogs' Lead Option play all by himself.
QB Bruno Chapuis hits WR Bastien "Baba" Vincent with a 13 yard TD pass and Bastiand is good as gold again on the PAT. Bron-Villeurbanne is leading 41-6.
The Bulldogs take a knee to end the game.
The final score is Falcons (7-0) 41 - Bulldogs (5-2) 6.
With victory, the Falcons earn the title . . .
2012-2013 Division III
Sud Poule C Champions!!!
WAY TO GO FALCONS!
2013 Senior Division III Playoffs
Start the Weekend of April 27-28
Week # 9 Game Results
Bron-Villeurbanne 41 - St-Cergues 6
Clermont-Ferrand 7 - Chambéry 6
BYE: Lyon
SUD POULE C STANDINGS
Bron-Villeurbanne Falcons 7-0 *
St-Cergues Bulldogs 5-2 **
Chambéry Aigles 2-4
Lyon Gones 1-5
Clermont-Ferrand Servals 1-5
* Sud Poule C Champions
** #2 Sud Poule C Playoff Bid
Week #1o Games
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Clermont -Ferrand (1-5) at Bron-Villeurbanne (7-0)
Lyon (1-5) at Chambéry (2-4)
BYE: St-Cergues (5-2)
I'm exhausted from a long day on a bus, a mentally draining game in the Sun and too much chocolate but I know that I'll be feeling better soon because I have only . . .
More Days until Paris!!!
