Saturday, December 7, 2019
After a long, hectic week of practices, it was finally time to take the field!
It was a BEAUTIFUL day
for American football!
2019 Europe Warriors Pride
Yes, it was indeed GAME DAY!
Europe Warriors vs. Team Mexico
Women's American Football
The schedule looked good but, as
usual this week, we would hit a snag
Warriors the Hotel Grand Prix
lobby awaiting our bus to the game
The Mexican Federation had scheduled a bus to pick us up at 8:30 a.m. for the 30 minute drive to the stadium.
At about 8:45 a.m., we got a phone call from the Federation, no bus was coming, we would have to get rides to the field on our own.
Fantastic.
As we were scrambling to rent last minute vans for our trip to the game, we received another phone call that there was indeed a bus awaiting us but it was about two blocks from the hotel on a small side street.
Why it could not pick us up in front of our hotel like all of the other busses we had taken this week was a mystery.
The Warriors got in a few extra physical fitness steps as we hauled our gear to the bus.
A GREAT start to the day.
Warriors getting ready to play
Game faces in place
The first time I'd seen this
in a pre-game locker room
LB Malene Mølgaard
ready to rock and roll
Getting into the Christmas Spirit
What a GREAT group!
The Warriors take the field
Let the game begin!
Our Mexican Warriors had been informed by some of their Team Mexico friends that their goal was to run up the score to at least 40-0 at Halftime and then play the entire Second Half with a Mercy Rule running clock.
This was, to these old coaching bones, a tremendous lack of respect on the part of Team Mexico.
QB Julia Schlatow running the rock
Team Mexico took the opening kickoff and put together solid drive that ended with a 15 yard run for a TD. The extra point was good and the home team had the early 7-0 lead.
We were unable to generate any offense in the first period but our defense came back with a vengeance.
CB Dani Prudente made a key play in breaking up a fourth down pass on the second Team Mexico possession.
At the end of the First Quarter, Team Mexico led 7-0.
They were a bit behind pace on their 40-0 Halftime goal.
It was getting PHYSICAL in the Pit
The Second Quarter saw CBs Liz Mondragón and Dani Prudente break up two more fourth down pass attempts to end drives as Team Mexico was desperately trying to score.
A third fourth down play by our gracious hosts ended with an overthrown pass.
In this second stanza, our offensive woes continued.
FS Sylvie Aibeche would intercept a pass as the half ended with Team Mexico's lead still at 7-0, way below their stated expectations.
Good stance Team Mexico
We started the Second Half with a bit of an offense spark at last but an interception killed this drive.
Team Mexico's first drive of the Half ended with a 17 yard TD run. The PAT was perfect and the Team Mexico lead was now 14-0.
The rest of the period saw both defenses rise to the occasion as needed.
The Third Quarter came to a close with Team Mexico ahead 14-0.
The Mercy Rule's invocation looked doubtful as we entered the final period.
Chasing down Team Mexico's
best play, a simple but effective
toss sweep
Our defense continued to play great despite being on the field for far too long. Big defensive plays in this quarter were turned in by Simone Kistler, Britta Exner and, once again, Dani Prudente. Dani was able to tackle the holder on a Field Goal attempt after a poor Team Mexico snap.
Malene Mølgaard made a fine tackle for loss on another Team Mexico fourth down play.
Unfortunately, a Warriors fumbled the ball away deep in our own territory which led to a 12 yard TD pass. Liz Mondragón blocked the PAT attempt and the Team Mexico lead was now 20-0.
Our defense again stopped a Team Mexico fourth down attempt and late in the quarter FS Sylvie Aibeche intercepted her second pass of the game on a Team Mexico double pass with about 30 seconds left in the game leading 20-0.
Definitely not as class move on the part of the Team Mexico coaching staff.
Team Mexico's RB was
as good as advertised
The game ended with Team Mexico winning a hard fought, clean game by a final score of 20-0.
I have nothing but the highest regard for the Team Mexico players after this game and the way in which they played.
Good luck to those ladies in their quest to make the final 45 woman roster for a Team Mexico squad that will be playing in the 2020 World Championships to be played in Finland.
After the game, it was photo-op time . . .
Our 2019 Women's Europe Warriors
together one last time
Our hard playing Defense
With RBs Izzy Burger
and Stine Madsen
With Warriors Game MVP Winner
FS Sylvie Aibeche
"The Pride of the Seattle Majestics"
Americans in the Casa!
With DL Missy Bedwell and
DB Hannah Ploskonka
With LB Claudia Lizzaraga
With WR Céline Martin
With DLs Taysha García
and Leticia García
They are not related.
Taysha and Leticia joined
by fellow DL Rea Schmidt
Bart and one of the
Team Mexico's coaches
OL Marisol Samperio
with OC Honza Rauš
It seemed like a GREAT
idea at the time
After the game, many of the parents, family and friends of the Mexican players who joined us for the Warriors experience gave us gifts like these Lucha Libre masks.
AWESOME!
This group, seen here with
Pia Schwarz, gave me a beautiful
red game jersey
The BEST part of the day was meeting
so many wonderful, caring and giving
people who love American football
Afterwards, we all headed over to a campus dining hall to share a meal with the Team Mexico players and coaches.
Instituto Politecnico Nacional
is the collegiate home of the . . .
The 2019 National Champions
of American Football
All the players got along as food
and more gifts were exchanged
The Team Mexico Head Coach was not his usual warm, welcoming self for some reason.
Maybe he took the overs at the local betting casino?
Back in the hotel, it was time
to share drinks with our players
Of course, Bart and I had to get
a few more tacos down the street
Europe Warriors enjoying
time at a beer bar
They seemed to be having fun
Raising their tequila shot glasses
to the spirit of Warrior football
After two rounds of shots, the group decided that they wanted to move on to a disco to dance.
Oh boy . . .
But I was saved by two tired angels!
Both Hannah and . . .
. . . Céline had had enough
for the evening and wanted
to return to the hotel
I volunteered to escort them back safely in a shared Uber ride.
I was safe from disco mania!
It was a tough loss today but a great week meeting and coaching with people passionate about the great game of American football.
I would work with this group of coachable women again in a heartbeat!
Go Warriors GO!
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