Mon.-Sun., Feb. 28-March 6, 2022
Lot's of news on the American football front this week and most of it is exceptionally good.
But first, some good posts from war torn Ukraine.
Ukrainian Presiden Volodymyr Zelenskyy
as opposed to
Russian President Vladimir Putin
They seemingly have a BIG difference in their "People Skills" when it comes to hosting high level meetings.
Which do you prefer?
Don't mess with Ukrainian Librarians
EVER!
Don't even think about the consequences of an overdue book.
Coach Dale Heffron is still with his
Wolves in the Ukraine
His daily updates on what is going on near him in Vinnytsia are both heart warming and gut wrenching.
Such courage . . .
On a much, much lighter note, the used American football clothing that we have been sending overseas for the past five months continue to show up of the EuroBall club's websites.
Spain's Ávila Grizzlies were looking
SHARP!
Especially the Grizzlies first
and only female player
Poland's Sieradz Warriors' haul
Apparently the box itself was too big to fit into Warriors' contact Piotr Walczak's car so he opened it and was able to cram the contents from the box into his trunk and . . .
. . . onto some of his Warriors at
practice later that week!
Another Polish club, the Zabki Dukes,
also struck gold this week
That is the Dukes' contact man, Dennis Boika, toting both the club's box of treasures and sporting that huge smile.
He promised to send us photos this week when the Dukes' players get possession of their new/used gear.
I may be coaching again soon . . .
The Europe Warriors were calling
After coaching all five of the Warriors' fun games in the past, the project came to a screeching halt, like most everything else, during the Pandemic.
Three of these games took place in Mexico City with Men's (2017), U19 (2017) and Women's (2019) with each team getting a turn against some of Mexico's best talent.
Another Men's game was played in Chihuahua, Mexico in 2018.
Finally, the Europe Warriors had a "home" game on the continent when the club's U18 squad played in Vienna, Austria in 2019.
Getting the project back on track has been difficult to say the least.
With the help of Brazilian native Brian Q. Guzman who is currently the Offensive Coordinator of one of Mexico's top university teams, the Borregos of the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterey's Toluca campus, we learned this week that we do indeed have a game!
The game will be played in Sã0 Paulo
on Saturday, March 26th
This time it will be the Warriors Men's team taking on the stout Brazilian National Team. A TALL order to be sure.
The recruiting of the Warriors'
roster has been going on for some time
But the logistical difficulties had forced our club leaders to set a March 1st deadline on moving forward with the game.
March 1st game and the word was GO!
I bought my ticket the same day!
My journey will take me from Los Angeles to Santiago de Chile, a ten hour and 30 minute flight.
After a five hour and 25 minute layover in Chile's capital city, I'll take another flight to São Paulo that will take another four hours.
Then the fun begins with the Europe Warriors!
Speaking of American football fun, often times it comes in the form of cherished memories.
Thus it was time to talk with the representatives of two local high schools about reuniting a couple of outstanding teams celebrating special anniversaries.
FORTY years ago this team won
a Marmonte League Championship
I was fortunate to be the Head Coach of the Warriors during that magical campaign. We had great players and coaches working together on that club to be sure.
I stopped by Westlake H.S. to talk to the Warriors Head Coach Mark Servé about it and he was all for it.
Now we just need to pick an early season game on their 2022 schedule to introduce the 1982 club to the crowd before the opening kickoff.
As if that wasn't enough, I also needed to stop off at Thousand Oaks H.S., home of . . .
. . . The Lancers!
They were holding a workout
when I got on campus
They devoted a lot of time to
much needed agility drills
My reason for this visit was the same as the one for visiting Westlake H.S. earlier in the afternoon . . .
. . . it was about the FIFTY year anniversary
of the Lancers first ever
Marmonte League Championship team
I was a young Assistant Coach on that team along with three veteran coaches who taught me a lot that season. Again, we had a ton of great, hard nosed players on the roster.
Current Thousand Oaks H.S. Head Coach Evan Yabu was equally receptive to the idea of honoring this team and already decided to do the presentation before the opening game of the season on August 19th against Santa Ana's Segerstrom H.S. Jaguars.
Both of these events should be wonderful, it is always good to see former players.
Back to our fun, end of the week routine . . .
Picking up Mary and Jacob
after school
No, I'm NOT sleeping
Just peering at Jacob's work on one of his interactive websites.
Mary decided that we definitely
needed a group selfie to end the week
We all agreed with her.
Meanwhile, it was a busy EuroBall weekend starting in Spain's Serie A.
The Zaragoza Hurricanes (1-3)
at
YOUR Mallorca Voltors (1-3)
In the first game between these two clubs played in Zaragoza on January 16th, the Hurricanes won 41-35.
Their was a full slate of Serie A
games this weekend
There are now only three games left in the Spanish Serie A regular season.
The Voltors will, in succession, play at the Barberá Rookies (4-0), vs. the L'Hospitalet Pioners (1-4) and at the Badalona Dracs (4-1) to close out the season.
There will be no games next weekend. Here is how the Serie A season shapes up after seven weeks of competition.
Spanish Serie A
Eastern Conference Standings
Barberá Rookies 4-0
Badalona Dracs 4-1
Zaragoza Hurricanes 2-3
Mallorca Voltors 1-4
L'Hospitalet Pioners 1-4
Eastern Conference Results
Week #6 0n March 6, 2022
Hurricanes (2-3) 48 - Voltors (1-4) 19
Dracs (4-1) 54 - Pioners (1-4) 14
Rookies (4-0) - BYE
Eastern Conference Games
Week #7 on March 20, 2022
Voltors (1-4) at Rookies (4-0)
Hurricanes (2-3) at Pioners (1-4)
Dracs (4-1) - BYE
Spanish Serie A
Western Conference Standings
Osos Rivas 5-0
Las Rozas Black Demons 3-2
Murcia Cobras 2-3
Gijón Mariners 2-3
Fuengirola Potros 0-4
Western Conference Results
Week #6 0n February 26, 2022
Black Demons (3-2) 30 - Cobras (2-3) 22
Osos (5-0) 34 - Mariners (2-3) 3
Potros (0-4) - BYE
Western Conference Games
Week #7 on March 19-20, 2022
Black Demons (3-2) at Osos (5-0)
Cobras (2-3) at Potros (0-4)
Mariners (2-3) - BYE
This was the Opening Weekend of the American football season in Italy's 12-team Division II.
The Varese Skorpions were opening
at home against Verona Redskins
Shouldn't they at least be the Verona Football Team?
Maybe the Verona Commanders?
The Skorpions were coming back after a 7-1, 2021 campaign that saw them lose a close semi-final game to the eventual champion Modena Vipers.
By all indications, they will have to battle the potential complacency that can come as the favorites to win it all in 2022.
Mission Accomplished
The Skorpions jumped all over the Redskins ask they dominated in all three phases of the game while exploding to a 28-0 lead at the end of the First Quarter.
The liberal substitutions started in the Second Quarter and most of the Second Half was played with a Marcy Rule running clock.
Good job Skorpions!
Skorpions in gray mounting
a solid pass rush
A HUGE hole for Alessandro Brovelli
The Skorpions asserted their authority on the ground.
A Redskins Defensive Pass
Interference in the making
"Ass over tea kettle" as the saying goes
Here is how the Italian DII campaign shook out this weekend.
Italian DII
Girone A Standings
Ferrara Aquile 0-0
Reggio Emilia Hogs 0-0
Torino Giaguari 0-0
Torino Reapers 0-0
Girone A Results
Week #1 0n March 5-6, 2022
No Games Schedule
Girone A Games
Week #2 on March 13, 2022
Giaguari (0-0) at Aquile (0-0)
Hogs (0-0) and Reapers (0-0) - BYES
Italian DII
Girone B Standings
Varese Skorpions (1-0)
Bergamo Lions (1-0)
Legnano Frogs (0-1)
Verona Redskins (0-1)
Girone B Results
Week #1 0n March 5-6, 2022
Skorpions (1-0) 42 - Redskins (0-1) 0
Lions (1-0) 20 - Frogs (0-1) 13
Girone B Games
Week #2 on March 12-13, 2022
Frogs (0-1) at Skorpions (1-0)
Redskins (0-1) at Lions (1-0)
Italian DII
Girone C Standings
Cernusco Daemons (1-0)
Padova Saints (1-0)
Isonzo Sentinels (0-1)
Savona Pirates (0-1)
Girone C Results
Week #1 0n March 5-6, 2022
Saints (1-0) 20 - Sentinels (0-1) 0
Daemons (1-0) 40 - Pirates (0-1) 6
Girone C Games
Week #2 on March 12-13, 2022
No Games Scheduled
I love the typical wackiness of whoever schedules DII games in Italy. Two clubs, the Reggio Emilia Hogs and the Torino Reapers, are not scheduled to play their first games of the 2022 campaign until the THIRD week of the season.
Così è la vita . . .
The Professional League in Mexico
started their season this weekend too
Two of our former Europe Warriors, Cody Smith and Edgar Cavazos are playing for the Galgos (Greyhounds) in Tijuana's new Stadio Caliente.
The Galgos moniker makes sense if you know that Stadio Caliente sits on the grounds of Tijuana's old Caliente Race Track where greyhounds used to break the hearts of many a bettor.
Cody and Edgar in the elegant Galgos Tunnel
leading to Stadio Caliente's game field
The Galgos lost their season opener, 33-9, against the Querétaro Gallos Negros.
Road Trip!
Finally on the American football front . . .
The Ventura County High School
All-Star Game will be played
next Saturday
As usual, I've been in the middle of this game as well in the capacity of both Head Coach and Assistant Coach.
I was an Assistant Coach in the first one of these games back in 1974.
You know, I'm getting up in years.
Reading Is FUNdamental!
Two good ones this week as I made the time to get back into a good reading groove.
These two writers combined efforts
never disappoint me
Neither does this one
I love a good mystery or two.
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