Other American Football News From the Weekend

Sun. & Mon., September 8-9, 2024

Besides last Saturday's epic Camarillo Stingers Pop Warner game, it turns out that there were other important American football games being played over the weekend.

Let's start with a college game played in Seattle . . .

The Washington Huskies(1-0)

hosting

The Eastern Michigan Eagles (1-0)

A classic early season game between BIG-10 Conference and Mid-American Conference teams.

The Huskies beat powerful Weber State, 35-3, in their opener last week while the Eagles were dismantling always dangerous UMass, 28-14.

The Huskies prevailed comfortably

Up next for Eastern Michigan (1-1) is a home game against Jacksonville State Gamecocks (0-2).

As for Washington it is . . .

. . . Apple Cup Week for the Huskies

Normally played as the final game of the regular season played in often cold, rainy and/or snowy conditions, conference realignment issues have forced the game to be moved to this much more weather friendly part of the schedule.

The game will be played in Seattle but not at Husky Stadium. Instead the 2-0 Cougars, co-favorites to win the PAC-2 Conference, will face the Big-10's 2-0 Huskies at Lumen Field, the home of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks.

Historically, the Huskies hold a HUGE

advantage in the Apple Cup series

GO HUSKIES!

ELF Semi-Finals Weekend

These clubs proved themselves

to be the ELF's four best teams

during the regular season

Saturday's game between

the #4 and #1 seeds

It was a good one as the

#1 Vienna Vikings (13-0) prevailed

over the #4 Paris Musketeers (11-3)

Sunday's contest was a one

between the #3 and #2 seeds

In a mild upset, the #3 Rhein Fire (13-1)

edged the #2 Stuttgart Surge (11-2)

From the 17 clubs that started the

2024 ELF campaign, we are now

down to the just the two best

#1 Vienna Vikings (13-0) vs.

#3 Rhein Fire (13-1)

The game will be played at the VELTINS-Arena, seating capacity of 62,271, in Gelsenkirchen, Germany on Sunday, September 22nd.

Gelsenkirchen is located in western Germany's Westphalia region near the border with the Netherlands.

Coach Michael Wood's Helsinki

Roosters won the Maple Bowl over

the Seinäjoki Crocodiles

The Roosters are the 2024 Champions

of Finland's Maple League

The British American football leagues all played their BritBowl Championship games over the weekend as well.

We'll start with the Women's title tilt

The Birmingham Lions (5-0)

edged the London Warriors (4-1)

This game was for the Championship

of Britain's Elite Division

The London Warriors (12-0) beat the

Bristol Aztecs (9-3) to earn the claim

as Britain's best team in 2024 by

winning BritBowl XXXVI

There are two more divisions of British American football below the Elite Division, DI and DII. They played their Championship games this weekend, too.

The DI Final was contested on Sunday

The Nottingham Caesars (11-0)

ruined the Rushmoor Knights' (10-1)

previously perfect season

Finally, the DII BritBowl game

The Colchester Gladiators (10-1)

outlasted the Sandwell Steelers (9-2)

On Sunday, the Los Angeles Rams started their 2024 NFL season in Detroit vs. the Lions.

1960 Rams quaint 12 Game Schedule

popped up on the net randomly

The Rams went 2-10 in 1959 and sacked their future Hall of Fame coach Sid Gillman after five seasons at the helm.

Gillman was replaced by Hall of Fame former Rams QB Bob Waterfield who led the Rams to a slightly improved 4-7-1 record in 1960.

On a side note, that tie in 1960 occurred on October 23rd, a 24-24 game vs. the Chicago Bears at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. I was in the stands that day watching my first ever Rams' game.

Waterfield's Rams were 4-10 in 1961 and started out 1-7 in 1962 before he was fired as the club's Head Coach.

Harland Svare finished out the 1962 season as the Rams Head Coach but saw no improvement in the team's fortunes as they finished 0-5-1 under his leadership and 1-12-1 overall.

Hopefully, the 2024 season's 17 game schedule would see better results.

Game 1, the Detroit Lions hosting

the Los Angeles Rams

Damn, the Rams lost in OT

We have 16 more games to get

this team back on track, right?

We return to the GCYFL Pop Warner season . . .

Gold Coast Youth Football League

Junior American Conference

Saturday, September 7, 2024 Results

Camarillo Stingers Blue (3-0) - 30

Ventura Packers White (0-2) - 6

Camarillo Stingers Grey (2-0) - 14

Santa Clarita Grizzlies (1-2) - 6

Newbury Park Steelers Gold (1-1) - 20

Simi Valley Bulldogs Orange (0-2) - 12

Oxnard Knights (1-1) - 36

Santa Barbara Saints Black (0-3) - 0

North Valley Bears (2-0) - 22

Saugus Spartans White (1-2) - 0

Santa Clarita Aztecs (3-0) - 36

Santa Clarita Wildcats White (2-1) - 0

Saugus Spartans Grey (1-2) - 2

Calabasas Rams Gold (0-3) - 0

Bye:

Simi Valley Bulldogs Black (2-0)

GCYFL American Junior Conference

Week #3 Standings

1T. Camarillo Stingers Blue 3-0

Santa Clarita Aztecs 3-0

3T. Camarillo Stingers Grey 2-0

North Valley Bears 2-0

Simi Valley Bulldogs Black 2-0

6. Santa Clarita Wildcats White 2-1

7T. Newbury Park Steelers Gold 1-1

Oxnard Knights 1-1

9T. Saugus Spartans White 1-2

Santa Clarita Grizzlies 1-2

Saugus Spartans Grey 1-2

12T. Simi Valley Bulldogs Orange 0-2

Ventura Packers White 0-2

14T. Calabasas Rams Gold 0-3

Santa Barbara Saints Black 0-3

Saturday, September 14, 2024 Schedule

Camarillo Singers Blue (3-0) at

Oxnard Knights (1-1)

Camarillo Grey (2-0) at

Santa Clarita Aztecs (3-0)

Santa Clarita Grizzlies (1-2) at

Calabasas Rams Gold (0-3)

Ventura Packers White (0-2) at

Saugus Spartans Grey (1-2)

North Valley Bears (2-0) at

Simi Valley Bulldogs Black (2-0)

Santa Barbara Saints Black (0-3) at

Simi Valley Orange (0-2)

Newbury Park Steelers Gold (1-1) at

Saugus Spartans White (1-2)

Bye:

Santa Clarita Wildcats White (2-1)

Finally . . .

We have one or four of these cupboards

Ben Franklin was so wise

Isn't that the truth!

Here is to all of us having a good week my friends!

Game #3 of the Pop Warner Season: Camarillo Stingers at Ventura Packers

Saturday, September 7, 2024

It was a BEAUTIFUL day for American football!

Don't you agree?

We assembled at Buena H.S. in Ventura for Jacob's third game of his 2024 Camarillo Stingers Pop Warner season.

The temperatures were still in the mid-80° range with a nice ocean breeze at the 4:00 p.m. kickoff.

With only 17 players suited for the Stingers, the heat could be an issue as the game wore on.

Camarillo Junior Blue squad was 2-0

The Packers White team was 0-1

Grandson Jacob, #99, with his

teammates before the game

Stingers getting ready to march

Parading in front of our seating location

Jacob getting coached up during

pre-game warm-ups

He would play the entire game at Defensive End with a smattering of snaps at Wide Receiver.

Jacob was one of the four Stingers'

Captains for today's game

The Coin Flip

All that was left was for the Packers

to run through their helmet tunnel

Now we could finally . . .

. . . kickoff the game

The Stingers Kickoff Coverage was

SUPERB!

The Packers started the game with

a good gain on a QB Sneak

Camarillo Defense running to the ball

Pressuring the Ventura QB

This first Offensive play by Camarillo

was a TD run off of the left side

Ahead 8-0, the Stingers Kickoff

Coverage was at it again

The Defense did not let up either

Jacob closing in on a tackle

Battle of the Big Boys in THE PIT

Nice Camarillo block on the

Ventura defender

The Camarillo ground game was

in high gear this afternoon

Defense swarming this Packer RB

A nice Stingers waist-high tackle

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!

Thank goodness that Jacob did 

NOT block this Packer in the back

End of the First Quarter

Camarillo - 16

Ventura - 0

Camarillo was on the Goal Line

to start the Second Quarter

 

Pad-Under-Pad

usually wins the play

Ventura trying to run the ball off-tackle

This play was stopped for a minimal gain

Hustle - Hit - Have Heart

Good pass coverage by this Stingers CB

Camarillo continued having great

success running to the left . . .

. . . again and again

See the pass . . .

. . . catch the pass . . .

. . . turn up-field . . .

. . . and score a TD!

Darn easy when you do what the coaches teach you all week.

Goodness, a run to the right!

Going right worked quite nicely

The Stingers led 30-0 with 7:14 left in the Second Quarter in large part due to Ventura's refusal to punt on Fourth Down though deep in their own territory on several possessions.

Leading by 30 points, Mercy Rules were then activated that included a running clock, no more kickoffs and Ventura being allowed to pick any five Stingers players they wanted that would have to sit out the rest of the contest.

The immediate effect was Camarillo only having nine players on the field for the first play of the Packers next Offensive series, a nifty 60-yard Ventura TD scamper.

The health concern for Stingers fans was that with the removal of the five players, Camarillo only had 12 players left to play the final 27:14 of the game in the heat.

Additionally, some Stingers would be forced to play out of position.

Hopefully, the running clock would mitigate our squad's concerns.

Halftime

Camarillo - 30

Ventura - 6

The hand-to-hand combat continued

The Camarillo Defense still battling

Pressuring the Ventura QB again

Jacob coming off the edge

Going Vertical

Pursuing . . .

. . . closing in . . .

. . . Jacob finishing the tackle

Same tackle as seen from the

other side of the field

Is Jacob giving the "Horns Down"

sign in support of any one playing

the Texas Longhorns?

End of the Third Quarter

Camarillo - 30

Ventura - 6

The running clock part of the Mercy Rules was working to perfection.

Another solid Stingers tackle

Defense is all about Arm Wrap . . .

. . . and Team Pursuit

We really need this Big Man

to find the ball on Defense

Hurrying the Packers QB

Close to a Roughing the Passer

penalty but not quite

Solid run game blocking

Is that Ventura CB going down?

Another QB Pressure

GREAT  Dying Cockroach/Pancake

block by this hefty Stinger

It was all over quickly

FINAL SCORE

Camarillo (3-0) - 30

Ventura (0-2) - 6

Another solid win by the Stingers doing what a good team should do to a weaker opponent, dominate and not play down to their adversary's level.

Up next for Camarillo is another road game, this time at Channel Islands H.S. at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 14th. The opponent will be the Oxnard Knights (0-1) going into their game today vs. Santa Barbara Saints Black team (0-2).

No scores have been posted as yet on the Gold Coast Youth Football League's website from any of today's seven Junior American Conference games.

All in all . . .

GREAT JOB STINGERS!