Sunday, September 3, 2023

Camarillo Stingers Game Day #2


Saturday, September 2, 2023

It promised to be simply a BEAUTIFUL day for American football today!

Jacob and his fellow Camarillo Stingers
were ready for another week of
Pop Warner football

First, let's take a complete look at
the first weekend of Gold Coast Youth
Football League's Sophomore level play

GCYFL Sophomore Conference
Week #1 Results
Saturday, August 26, 2023
Camarillo 30 - Simi Valley Orange 6
Calabasas Gold 28 - Saugus White 0
Valley 14 - Santa Barbara 12
Fillmore 20 - Oxnard 6
Calabasas Black 22 - Saugus Navy 0
Santa Clarita 6 - Simi Valley Black 0

BYE: Newbury Park

Sophomore National Conference Standings
Calabasas Rams Black 1-0
Calabasas Rams Gold 1-0
Camarillo Stingers 1-0
Fillmore Raiders 1-0
Santa Clarita Wildcats 1-0
Valley Rush 1-0

Newbury Park Steelers 0-0

Oxnard Knights 0-1
Santa Barbara Saints 0-1
Saugus Spartans Navy 0-1
Saugus Spartans White 0-1
Simi Valley Bulldogs Black 0-1
Simi Valley Bulldogs Orange 0-1

GCYFL Sophomore Conference
Week #2 Schedule
Saturday, September 2, 2023
Calabasas Gold (1-0) at Camarillo (1-0)
Calabasas Black (1-0) at Santa Clarita (1-0)
Saugus White (0-1) at Fillmore (1-0)
Newbury Park (0-0) at Simi Valley Black (0-1)
Saugus Navy (0-1) at Valley (1-0)

BYES: Oxnard (0-1), Santa Barbara (0-1)
and Simi Valley Orange (0-1)

Let's take a look at the Stingers game today . . .

The Calabasas Rams Gold (1-0)

at

The Camarillo Stingers (1-0)

The game today was played at Camarillo H.S.

These two teams met up a few weeks ago in a scrimmage at Newbury Park H.S. during the GCYFL's Sophomore Jamboree.

The two teams were extremely competitive during that 40 play scrimmage.

What would an entire game, that would now also include the ever important Special Teams, bring to our American football banquet today?

Captains out!

Calabasas won the coin toss
and deferred

The Stingers had a solid
Kickoff Return to start with
good field position

The Stingers relied on their bevy
of Running Backs to advance the ball

A second Stinger RB turning
the corner early in the game

The Rams Defense pursued and
tackled well throughout the contest

Yes, #55 is a Running Back too

As a reminder, there are rules in Pop Warner regarding Offensive players wearing position specific numbers like there are at the high school, college and professional levels of the game.

Yet a fourth Camarillo RB toting
the rock in the First Quarter

Jacob is the team's long snapper
on Punts, this was the first, and when
the day was over, only Punt of the season

I have to be honest, having been an average long snapper myself back in the day, I was nervous for Jacob.

Jacob rose to the occasion and delivered a fine snap to his Punter.

Our Punter then punted the ball
directly towards the sideline where
Coach Michael was standing as the
target for his punt

It was about a 25 yard punt, out of bounds so no return and rolled dead at Coach Michael's feet.

PERFECT!

At this level of football, a 25 yard punt is considered a Ray Guy like effort.

The Calabasas RB was a mini-BEAST

Great Stinger Defensive Pursuit

The Stingers pursuit kept several good runs by #2 from becoming long TDs.

The Stingers Defensive Line
did a good job in the Red Zone

The opening stanza saw lots of yardage coupled with key defensive stops by both evenly matched squads.

End of the First Quarter
Camarillo 0 - Calabasas 0

The emphasis on running the ball and thus being forced into playing stout Defense continued in the Second Quarter.

The Calabasas RB had a DEADLY
straight arm that he used at will

Jacob at Defensive End

Jacob got off the ball quite well

The Rams started to pass the ball but
the Stingers Defense had solid coverage

More passing meant more pass rushing

GREAT pressure but . . .

. . . somehow the Rams QB flicked the ball
about a yard to, who else, their
mini-beast of a RB

The Stingers Defense continued to
swarm to the ball

Camarillo was still gobbling up
yardage but not scoring any points

Lots of blockers in front of the ball

A Stinger in the open field is
always a good thing

Unfortunately, this drive ended on a Camarillo turnover.

Back on Defense where running to
the ball has become second nature

One of about three First Half potential
Camarillo interceptions that were dropped

One of them occurred in the flat area that would most likely have been a Pick Six.

The Stingers Offensive Line
controlling the line of scrimmage

The Rams Defense was also
swarming with gusto and pride

That darn football sure does
attract a lot of attention

Ass over tea kettle is the
correct phrase, I believe

About to cut it back

Back on Defense late in the
Second Quarter meant more
Pass Rushing!

First Jacob had to beat the
Rams Offensive Tackle

Jacob turning the corner

Chasing the ball on a bad Rams
shotgun snap

Again with the Gang Tackling
by the Stingers Defense

The Pit was contentious all game long

Just as it was in the First Quarter, the two teams continued to battle with a steady rhythm of Offensive yardage gained countered by Defensive stops and/or turnovers.

Thus, scoring was still non-existent in this old school, rock and sock 'em, defensive battle.

End of the Second Quarter
Camarillo 0 - Calabasas 0

What adjustments would the competing coaching staffs make during the intermission?

The Stingers Kickoff team would
start the Third Quarter

Calabasas came out throwing the ball

On this short Rams pass the WR
split these two Stingers . . .

. . . and was headed for the game's
first score when . . .

. . . three Stingers showed up
but to no avail

The Calabasas receiver alluded them all and sailed into the End Zone for an apparent Rams TD.

Fortunately for the Stingers, there was a penalty flag laying on the field.

The call was holding by a Calabasas player.

A sigh of relief on the Stingers sideline was countered by heated anger on the Rams bench.

Unperturbed, the Rams kept
faith in their passing attack

The Stingers were pressuring the
Rams QB but he still completed
this pass somehow

One-on-One in the open field . . .

. . . no problem,
help was on the way . . .

. . . to secure the tackle

More Calabasas passing meant . . .

. . . more open field tackling

EXCELLENT PURSUIT!

This tackle finally ended the
Rams first drive of the Second Half
 
Still a 0-0 game, it was now up to the Stingers Offense to show what they could do.

He could . . .

. . . go . . .

. . . ALL THE WAY!

A one play, TD drive was an AWESOME way to respond to the Rams near TD.

Now for the all important
Two-Point PAT

The inside run was blocked well
two more points for the Stingers

Camarillo led 8-0 early in the Third Quarter.

Jacob on the Kickoff team

The Rams returning the Kickoff

The Rams started running the ball
effectively with their strong RB

One-on-One tackles against
the Rams RB are tough to execute

Uh-Oh

Eventually, in a few more plays, this impressive RB, would score a TD close the gap to Camarillo 8 - Calabasas 6.

Could the Stingers stop the Rams upcoming Two-Point PAT attempt?

YES THEY COULD!

Tremendous Camarillo penetration caught the Rams RB in the backfield, the Stingers thin lead was preserved!

The Stingers continued to
run the ball effectively

The use of four fresh, different Camarillo
RBs was a good move by the Stingers coaches
on a hot, humid day

See what I mean?

Get the ball in your OUTSIDE
arm, young man

The yardage on the ground
just kept coming

The Stingers #21 is a strong
inside the tackles runner

It is North-South at all times
by this Human Bowling Ball
of a runner

Another turnover would end this promising Camarillo drive.

The Rams continued to get
the ball to the perimeter as
the Third Quarter expired

The Fourth Quarter promised to be nerve wracking!

End of the Third Quarter
Camarillo 8 - Calabasas 6

Would Calabasas continue the throw the ball?

Why, yes they would!

That meant more pass rushing
from our favorite DE

The Rams did not abandon the
run completely though

Run pursuit is essential but
someone needs to set the edge

For the Stingers on this play,
#10 was that someone

That pesky straight
arm strikes again!

While it looks bad for #10
individually, he indeed allowed time
for the cavalry to arrive

Keep working your feet Stingers

Jacob got in on this tackle that
forced a much needed Calabasas punt

A good punt return . . .

. . . was negated by a Stingers
illegal block in the back

With less than four minutes left in the game and buried in their own end of the field, Camarillo relied on their running game to eat up the clock.

Solid but short runs led to a
Fourth Down and One at about
the Camarillo 25 yard line

The Stingers decide to go for it.

It was a gutsy call to be sure.

Give it to the Human Bowling Ball

The Stingers only needed one
but got about 15 yards on that crucial
Fourth Down play

The clock kept running.

Runs and . . .

. . . more runs were the order
of the day at this point

The clock kept running.

It brought up another Fourth Down situation but now Camarillo had the ball well into the Calabasas end of the field.

The Stingers needed about three yards for the game sealing all important First Down.

The Human Bowling Ball, #21,
was up to the task with his patented
North-South running style

The Camarillo Offensive Line did a fantastic job all day long blocking for any and everybody who carried the ball for the Stingers.

Now it was time for the best formation and play in any team's playbook . . .

VICTORY FORMATION
QB KNEEL DOWN

The Stingers successfully executed this play twice and the game was over.

The Final Score was . . .

The Stingers improved to 2-0
while the Rams are now 1-1

Up next for the Stingers is their first road game of the season to Channel Islands H.S. at 1:00 p.m. next Saturday to play the Oxnard Knights.

As for the Calabasas Rams Gold squad, they have a bye next week before playing the Santa Clarita Wildcats at home on Saturday,  September 16th.

The post victory team huddle
is always a joyous place to be

A great, hard nosed victory today for 2-0 Camarillo.

CONGRATULATIONS STINGERS!

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