International Sunday Football Results

 

Sunday, October 30, 2022

It promised to be a splendid day for American football all over the globe.

Until it wasn't.

We start in beautiful Milano, Italia for an IFAF European Qualifying game for the next IFAF World Championships in 2025.

This is similar to the IFAF Americas Qualifying Tournament in Mexico City next June in which our Brasil Onças team will be competing.

Team Great Britain

vs.

Team Italia

The fact that Varese Skorpions star

OLB/SS Nicolas Principi was playing for 

Team Italia made it even more interesting

 

Hopefully Nicolas' savvy and experience

would help Team Italia to victory

IT DID!!!

Congratulations to Nicolas and

all of Team Italia!

On to the NFL and our beloved . . .

. . . RAMS!

San Francisco 49ers (3-4)

at

Los Angeles Rams (3-3)

The Rams have been mediocre at best so far in 2022 following their Super Bowl success of last season.

While the 49ers have not been red hot either this season, they added a key ingredient to their future plans with the recent acquisition of RB Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers.

It was a case of  WAY too much

of #23 Christian McCaffrey!

McCaffrey threw a 34 yard TD pass, rushed 18 times for 94 yards and a TD and hauled in 8 passes for another 55 yards and yet another TD.

This win by the 49ers marked the fourth consecutive season that the San Francisco club has swept the annual two game regular season contests between the two long time West Coast rivals.

The EIGHT straight losses to the 49ers since 2019. DAMN!

Historically, the 49ers-Rams series began in 1950 when the 49ers' old All-American Football Conference merged with the Rams' National Football League.

Today's game was the 148th between them with San Francisco enjoying the series lead, 77-68-3.

This record includes two times when these two proud franchises met in NFL playoff games.

The 49ers won an NFC Championship game in dominant fashion versus the Rams in 1989, 30-3.

The Rams returned the favor in the 2021 NFC Championship game defeating the 49ers with a thrilling come from behind victory, 20-17.

Regardless of both the long and the recent history between them, the 2022 Rams are in trouble it seems to me.

Up next for the 3-4 Rams is a road trip to Tampa Bay to play the struggling 3-5 Buccaneers who have lost their last three games. Both clubs really need to win this game.

Camarillo Stingers Semi-Final Playoff Game

Saturday, October 29, 2022

Before we start on today's doings, I am pleased to report that Brandon Contreras, no relation, the great Camarillo H.S. athlete who was taken by ambulance last night from their game against Newbury Park H.S., was released from the hospital at 11:00 p.m. with a concussion. Not ideal, but much better than the other negative possibilities that crossed everyone's minds watching him lay on the field for over 20 minutes.

On the docket for Saturday was Jacob's Camarillo Stingers (5-3) Semi-Final playoff game vs. the Santa Barbara Saints (5-2) at Encino's Crespi H.S. in the heart of the beautiful San Fernando Valley.

It promised to be a tough go for the Stingers as the Saints were undefeated on the field but had to forfeit two of those wins for some unknown reason.

All were in good spirits as we left

for the 30 minute drive to Crespi H.S.

Old #99 got to run around a lot today

Pursuit!

Is Jacob being held?

It sure looks like it but

no penalty was called

The Saints had ball carriers in

the open field too often

Stalk Blocking

Jacob at Tight End

 

He also lined up at Wide Receiver for a few plays and played on the Stingers Kickoff and Kickoff return teams.

On Defense, he played at both Nose Tackle and Free Safety.

A solid block to spring

his Running Back

Searching for a Saint to block

At Wide Receiver going DEEP!

Jacob with a good blocking

base on this run play

 

Free Safety

Pursuit on yet another

Saints long run

Too many of these Two-Point Defense

situations today for the Stingers

The Stingers had committed way too many turnovers to be in the game but, going into the Fourth Quarter, thanks to TDs on a Kickoff Return and a blocked Punt, were only trailing 26-14.

The Saints scored the last 24 points

of the game, all in the Fourth Quarter

It was a disappointing end to the season that had previously seen the Stingers win or lose tight games.

Still, 50-14 really felt about right today as the Saints were in total control throughout despite the relatively close, 26-14 score after three periods.

Next Saturday at Ventura H.S., the Santa Barbara Saints (6-2) will play the LA City Ducks (8-0) who beat the 805 Warhawks 20-0 in the other Semi-Final game today. The winner will be crowned the 2022 Gold Coast Youth Football League's American Division Champion.

Jacob was a little bit down after the lopsided loss but waxed poetic about how fast everything happened this season. He mentioned how only yesterday it seemed, they were starting Hell Week and now it's over.

How could we possibly cheer him up?

A stop at Tarzana's McDonald's

helped quite a bit

We are all proud of Jacob's efforts this season and believe that Jacob enjoyed his first experiences playing American football. Hopefully he'll take the lessons he learned and work hard in preparing for his 2023 Stingers' campaign.

Friday Night Lights: Newbury Park at Camarillo

 

Friday, October 28, 2022

Yet another edition of Friday Night Lights, this time at Camarillo H.S. for a game to decide both second place in the Canyon League and their final seedings into next week's 2022 C.I.F. football playoffs.

It was the Newbury Park Panthers (8-1) on the road against the Camarillo Scorpions (7-2).

A good home crowd was on hand

for the Scorpions

Jacob practicing honing his

pass catching skills at halftime

The start of a 95-yard TD drive

that would seal the win for Camarillo

The Scorpions were able to run

the ball with physicality from their

Offensive Linemen

Maybe Jacob now is at that age

where comes to these games for

more than just football

Scorpions mixing it up with a pass

Personally, I spent much of the game on the NPHS sideline catching up with Greg Ropes who continues to enjoy a long multi-sport coaching career that has seen stops at Thousand Oaks H.S., Camarillo H.S. and Newbury Park H.S.

Good times, INDEED!

Speaking of good times . . .

I was happily surprised to see Dan Herman

at the game on the NPHS sideline

Dan is one of Thousand Oaks H.S.'s all-time great athletes who was an amazing QB for the Lancers in 1969-70 before taking his skills to the University of Colorado.

My first season as a coach was as a JV coach at TOHS in 1970, when Dan was the Big Man On Campus.

Dan is one of the good guys.

His brother Kurt was our QB/DB at TOHS in 1973-74 when both of those clubs won Marmonte League Championships. Kurt was a fun guy to coach as he brought lots of energy and passion to our program back in the day.

There was one somber event at the game when Camarillo's outstanding athlete Brandon Contreras, no relation, received a big, legal hit while returning a kickoff. The game was halted for over 20 minutes until an ambulance was able to take him to a hospital for further evaluation.

Brandon Contreras #24 in action

against Hart H.S. earlier this year

Needless to say is was a good sign to see Brandon moving his legs while laying on the field. We all hope the best for this young man and his family.

A Somewhat Subdued Week

 

Sun.-Thurs., October 23-27 2022

It was an overall quiet week which neither of us complained about.

We opted to drive up to The Collection at River Park shopping center in Oxnard for lunch at one of our favorite Italian pizzerias.

Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana

We were happy with our respective pizza choices but still had a need for a dolce.

UBE Brownie Ice Cream!

It was being served at a new ice cream shop also in The Collection.

Ube, meaning tuber in Tagalog, is a sweet purple yam like vegetable from the Philippines that we fell in love with over the last few years on our frequent visits to Maui.

Again, we were two happy campers after sharing a scoop.

Jacob was back at it at Stingers

practice preparing for Saturday's

Semi-Final playoff game against the

Santa Barbara Saints

The first of two memories of

the Los Angeles Rams that I

grew up watching

"Jaguar" Jon Arnett was the Pride of the Manual Arts H.S. Toilers and the USC Trojans before being drafted by the Rams.

He was a life long L.A. favorite son as Manual Arts, USC and the Rams all played their games just a few blocks apart.

Los Angeles' first World Championship

team in any sport

Yelberton Abraham (Y.A.) Tittle

San Francisco 49ers, 1951-1960

Hall of Fame QB

This photo of Y.A. also popped up on the net this week, apropos as the Rams host the 49ers on Sunday.

The Washington Huskies really need to

come out wearing these the next time we

have a "Throwback" uniforms game

SWEET!

Great to see that good friend

Jesús Sánchez will be coaching

the Mallorca Voltors in the

Spanish DI league again in 2023

Big game this weekend in Milan

between Italy and Great Britain

On Thursday, we drove down to Orange County to meet with our college roommates Sandy and Loren Brucker for lunch and a J.V. football game.

Lunch at this iconic Newport Beach

spot was as amazing as we had hoped

The Crab Cooker knows how to condense

life to just a few simple words

On to the J.V. football game . . .

Northwood H.S. Timberwolves

at

Dana Hills H.S. Dolphins

That is the Pacific Ocean at the

far end of the Dana Hills field

We were there to watch the Brucker's

grandson Jack play

He is a Running Back/Outside Linebacker but was battling a painful hip pointer suffered in last weekend's action.

He fought through the pain and scored Northwood's First Quarter TD on a 70-yard Hook and Lateral play where he got to show off his blazing speed.

There was lots of passing in this game

It was not the Timberwolves day as Dana Hills battled to a 27-6 Pacific Hills League victory to end the season for both teams.

Fall Colors at Dana Hills H.S.

Reading Is FUNdamental!

Another EXCELLENT read in Baldacci's

Memory Man series