Monday, June 17, 2019

An Artsy Review of the 2019 Varese Skorpions Breakthrough Season


Tuesday, 18, January, 2019

I thought that we would start today's blog with a look back at our 2019 Skorpions season via the use of the Skorpions' pre-game posters and FIDAF's colorful post-game scoreboards.

GROUP A - GAME ONE

For some unknown reason, we did not have a pre-game poster for our season opener.

The Cardiac Kids
were born on this night

Group A - Game Two

We overcame a night where we turned the ball over five times including a Blue Storms pick six. Great defense all night combined with solid Special Teams play and a TD late in the game gave our season the kick start that we needed.

The Milano Rhinos were dropping
down from DI this season

They were a better team but
we continued to play with courage
from start to finish

As I write this post, the Rhinos are in the DII Semi-Finals as the playoffs #1 seed and are a perfect 9-0.

To date, this is still the closest game they have played in 2019.

Group A - Game Three

The Sharks are known for one thing,
TOUGHNESS

We were down 0-14 early in the
First Quarter

We proved to be pretty tough mentally too!

Group A - Game Four

This was a going to be another
TOUGH contest against
a quality opponent

We lost in Overtime

The Daemons are currently in a DII Semi-Final playoff game, are the DII #2 playoff seed and are 8-1 having lost only to the 9-0, #1 seeded Milano Rhinos.

Group A - Game Five

This was a . . .

. . . key game at this point in the season

We came through with flying colors

Our Special Teams were really special in this game with lots of successful fakes.

Having our son Michael in attendance just added to the evenings festivities.

Group A - Game Six

Our only long road trip of the season

I liked the Brescia poster a lot

A wide open slugfest

QB Jack threw an amazing SEVEN TD passes in this game!

Group A - Game Seven

Crosstown Rivalry

Yep, a Derby

That was a close one that could
have easily gone the Gorillas way

Our Special Teams play proved to be the difference in this one again.

Good friends Mark and Susie Johnson were at Jungle Field that night as was Laurie for her first game of the year.

Group A - Game Eight

The Regular Season Finale . . .

. . . would come against the physical,
three yards and a cloud of dust Mastifs

After the Mastifs NINETEEN play
opening drive to take the early 7-0
lead, the Skorpions settled down to
play our most physical game in two years

DII Wild Card Playoff Game

Our first home playoff game in
11-man American football since 1988
was a Group A rematch that . . .

. . . produced our first 11-man
playoff win also since 1988!

DII Quarter-Final Playoff Game

It looked to be an extremely difficult
Group A rematch vs. the #2 seeded,
7-1 Daemons and . . .

. . . it certainly was!

WHAT A GREAT YEAR IT WAS!



As for the news of the day, I picked up Bart Iaccarino at Malpensa Airport this morning as our Venom Camp with the Chicago Bears coaching staff will be held this weekend in Varese.

Bart is the man with the plan who organized the Venom Camp and is also the Head Coach of the L'Hospitalet Pioneers in Barcelona and the G.M. of the Europe Warriors.

We headed into downtown Varese to meet with Enzo Petrillo for lunch to discuss Venom Camp's logistics.

On the way we found a new
restaurant and, as you may know,
I LOVE PRETZELS!

After eating pizza at another spot in town, we headed to the Venom Camp's stadium for a 2:00 p.m. appointment to tour the facilities with Chicago Bears Special Teams Coordinator Brock Olivo who also spearheaded this Venom Camp endeavor.

All those keys and none of them
opened the stadium's gate

We finally got in via another, already opened gate.

We finally got the right key to the stadium's gates at about 2:45 p.m.

Ah Italy, my Italy . . .

The Home Stands
at Venom Camp

The Visitors Seats
at Venom Camp

And, YES, this stadium also serves as Varese's Velodrome.

The camp should be fun with about 50 players signed up to get coached up by both the NFL's Chicago Bears coaching staff and Steve Spagnuolo who is the Kansas City Chiefs Defensive Coordinator.

All of these coaches arrive at Milano's Linate Airport tomorrow morning.

Reading Is FUNdamental!

Love the twisted look
on Catholic Church traditions

An interesting read to be sure.

No comments: