Saturday, December 2, 2017:
Our first full day in Mexico would be a good one to be sure.
My room mate, Kicking Coach Luca Zigliani, Defensive Coordinator Mike Wood and I hopped into a taxi in Texcoco for the one hour drive west into Mexico City to meet up with our Running Backs Coach Mauricio "The Polish Rifle II" Jaworski and his friend Irene.
The purpose of our reunion was simple enough, we all wanted to drive another two hours farther west to the city of Toluca to be part of the Tazón de Campeones 2017 or Champions Bowl 2017.
This is the game that would decide the Division I National Collegiate Championship of Mexico!
The 9-1 ONEFA league champion UNAM Pumas were traveling to take on the 9-2 Borregos Toluca champions of the CONADEIP league.
The winner would be crowned Mexico's 2017 Champion of Champions!
It was a lot of driving but we made it in one piece.
Nearing the stadium in Toluca
"Get your Pumas souvenirs!"
"No, gracias."
The Blue and Silver Borregos
have a blue smurf-turf field
Mauricio being interviewed
about our game next Saturday
L. to R.: Mike, Luca, Mauricio,
me and Irene
We had end zone seats
Did I mention that the Borregos
were League Champions?
Borregos is Spanish for Rams
I like this team already.
"Get your Borregos souvenirs!"
"No, gracias."
Nice setting for a game
The food was reportedly good
but the long lines were not
Borregos punt returners
warming up
Luca heading towards our
end zone seats with the Sun
at our backs
The covered home stands were packed
when we got to Toluca about an
hour before kickoff
The Borregos stadiums name is "La Congeladora," literally "The Freezer."
You see, Toluca is Mexico's highest altitude city sitting 2,667 meters above sea level. That would be an altitude of 8,750 feet.
Thus it can get extremely cold for games, hence the stadium name.
But not today.
The entry fee was 1oo pesos,
about $5.36 USD
A bargain at twice the price!
PUMP UP THE PRE-GAME
WARM-UP VOLUME!
Borregos in full stretch mode
The game program cost 10 pesos,
about 54 cents USD
A bargain at three times the price.
Borregos Offensive Linemen
practicing QB Sneak Wedge blocking
Borregos were crazed dogs
coming out of their tunnel
HERE COME THE BORREGOS!
HERE COME THE PUMAS!
The opening kickoff
Pumas on offense
Good pass protection!
Swarming Borregos defense
At the end of the First Quarter: 0-0
Because the Pumas receiver
fell down on the right, backside
pressure was fast approaching
the Pumas QB which led to a . . .
. . . SACK-FUMBLE!
The Borregos got it!
This Red Zone defensive play by the Borregos defense proved to be HUGE in the end!
But at Halftime the Pumas led 7-0.
Borregos Score!
Not so fast, holding offense. This would be the first of three potential Toluca TDs that were called back due to penalties in the Third Quarter.
Here comes the Borregos Offense
yet again in the Third Period
Settled for a Field Goal again
Penalty
Holding on the Offense
At the end of the Third Quarter, the Pumas were still leading 7-6.
It all came down to a
frantic Fourth Quarter
Early in the final stanza the Borregos kicked another field goal to go up for the first time, 9-7.
With about two minutes left in the game, the Pumas scored a TD and made a two point conversion to regain the lead 15-9.
Toluca responded with a great drive of their own to score their lone TD of the game. The extra point was good and now the Borregos led 16-15 with only 42 seconds left in the game!
The Borregos defense, a 3-5-3 alignment by the way, did their job and the club from Toluca earned a hard fought victory and the title Champion of Champions for 2017.
This is the first year in Toluca's long American football history that they have won a championship much less two, the CONADEIP and National Championships
My MVP of this low scoring, tough defensive ball game was the Toluca kicker/punter. He kicked three field goals and a clutch game winning PAT. All five of his kickoffs landed deep in the end zone. His his long distance, incredible hang time punts put the Pumas in a deep hole all game long.
It was a GREAT day for American football!
The boys before dinner
back in Mexico City
Mexico City Hooters?
Why not?
We went to Irene's home after a so-so dinner to watch the Clemson-Miami ACC Championship Game.
With Clemson routing Miami, we opted to go home way before the end of the game via taxi from the nearby Mexico City airport.
VW Christmas tree
in the airport
It was a good day with good people but now it is time to get to work . . .
This is our schedule for the
U19 Europe Warriors on Sunday
Let the fun begin!
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