Thursday, September 21, 2023

Lots of American Football News, As Usual


Sun.-Wed., September 17-20, 2023

As continues to be the case this time of year, our daily routine is just that, routine.

American football is what tends to drive us on most days in late September each Autumn, so let's cut to the chase.


Jacob's Pop Warner Weekly
Camarillo Stingers Recap

Gold Coast Youth Football League
Game Results of September 16, 2023
Saugus Navy (3-1) 40 - Camarillo (3-1) 14
Santa Clarita (3-1) 28 - Calabasas Gold (1-2) 0
Santa Barbara (1-2) 28 - Fillmore (2-2) 0
Newbury Park (3-0) 40 - Simi Valley Orange (1-2) 6
Valley (2-2) 44 - Oxnard (0-3) 8
Calabasas Black (4-0) 24 - Saugus White (0-4) 0
BYE: Simi Valley Black (0-3)

GCYFL Sophomore Standings
1. Calabasas Rams Black 4-0
2. Newbury Park Steelers 3-0

3T. Camarillo Stingers 3-1
Santa Clarita Wildcats 3-1
Saugus Spartans Navy 3-1

6T. Fillmore Raiders 2-2
Valley Rush 2-2

8T. Calabasas Rams Gold 1-2
Santa Barbara Saints 1-2
Simi Valley Bulldogs Orange 1-2

11T. Oxnard Knights 0-3
Simi Valley Bulldogs Black 0-3
13. Saugus Spartans White 0-4

GCYFL Sophomore Schedule
Saturday, September 23, 2023
Camarillo (3-1) at Santa Wildcats (3-1)
Valley (2-2) at Simi Valley Orange (1-2)
Calabasas Gold (1-2) at Newbury Park (3-0)
Santa Barbara (1-2) at Oxnard (0-3)
Fillmore (2-2) at Saugus Navy (3-1)
Saugus White (0-4) at Simi Valley Black (0-3)
BYE: Calabasas Black (4-0)

Regretfully . . .

The Brasil Onças is the name given to the Brazilian National Team of American Football.

In the Spiring of 2022, I was honored to be selected as the Linebackers Coach for the Onças first team camp since the Covid-19 epidemic wreaked havoc on everything and everybody.

I thoroughly enjoyed spending a week in the suburbs of São Paulo working with dedicated coaches and players.

Towards the end of that week, I was asked to be one of four speakers from that camp to address an assembled group of coaches both in person at the coaches clinic and live via a Zoom meeting all over Brazil. My topic was simply "The Importance of the Kicking Game."

I must have done a solid job in my presentation as the Onças Head Coach, Brian Guzman, asked me a few days later to return to the Onças in a new role as their Special Teams Coach for the America's Cup Tournament in January of 2023 in Mexico City.

Because I highly respect Brian and the professionalism that all of the Brazilian coaches displayed at the camp, I said a hardy SIM!

That's YES in Portuguese.

The America's Cup Tournament winner would earn a spot in the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) World Championship Tournament in Germany in the Summer of 2024.

Due to IFAF organizational issues, the tournament was initially moved from from January to June, still in Mexico City.

More IFAF squabbling, no real surprise there, moved from June to December and from Mexico City to Brasilia, the Brazilian capital.

This past weekend, after agonizing over a final decision on my part for months, I informed Coach Guzman that I would not be able fulfill my original commitment to the team.

My Mother's ongoing health issues and the need to take care of her trumped American football.

Being able to give my notice two and a half months before the start of the tournament gave the Onças plenty of time to find a capable replacement for me I'm sure.

A big OBRIGADO, i.e., THANK YOU, to Coach Guzman for both the initial offer and for being so understanding to our family's situation.

On Saturday the Huskies travelled
to take on the Michigan State Spartans

Washington (3-0) was up to the task with an easy 41-7 win over the Spartans (2-1).

That good win did not change the
Huskies stranglehold on their
#8 ranking

The third year of the European League of Football is about to come to a successful end as their playoff Semi-Finals were contested over the weekend.
 
UPSET SPECIAL!

The #2 seeded Vienna Vikings were the defending ELF 2022 Champions and 12-0 on the 2023 campaign.

The #3 seeded Stuttgart Surge were 11-2 entering the game after winning their Wild Card game the previous week.

Make that the 12-2 Surge as they beat the Vikings 40-33.

The Surge are a great comeback story in the ELF this year, having gone 0-12 in 2022!

All as planned

The #1 seeded Rhien Fire (13-0) took care of business in handing the #4 seeded Frankfurt Galaxy (11-3) a resounding 42-23 defeat.

The Fire are also a feel good Elf team this season having failed to make the 2022 playoffs during a 7-5 season.

Only one more game left
in the 2023 ELF Season

ELF Championship next
Sunday in Germany

#1 Rhein Fire (13-0)
vs.
#3 Stuttgart Surge 12-2

The surprising 1-0 Rams had
a tough one on their hands
in the 1-0 49ers

Veteran DT Aaron Donald was,
as always, up to the task

So was rookie WR Puka Nacua

It was a loss but the Rams
competed despite what we all
thought would be a young,
inexperienced roster

The Rams electing to kick a Field Goal while down by ten points with only four seconds left in the game made several San Francisco backers unhappy.

Why you ask?

Simple really, the 49ers were 7 1/2 point favorites in the wonderful world of gambling. The successful Los Angeles Field Goal meant that the 49ers now only seven point victory equalled a loss for any and all gamblers who wagered on a San Francisco win.

I'm OK with that. 

Jacob with the white head band
talking to his coach before practice

As if practicing with the Camarillo Stingers football team and taking piano lessons were not enough, Jacob tried out and made his middle school's flag football team.

Since the team is made of 8th, 7th and 6th graders, it was no small accomplishment to make the squad as a 6th grader.

He seemed to have fun while playing WR and MLB at Wednesday's practice.

Mary, "The Queen of Goofiness,"
with a hat that Jacob earned at school

Mary was also keen on wearing this
dress to school for Latino Heritage Month

Finally . . .

Someone posted this program cover on Facebook from a 1974 college football game between Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State Fullerton with Cal Poly Pomona QB Jim Zorn on the cover.

Zorn would go on to star at QB for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks from 1976-1984 before ending his career with one year stops with the Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Canadian League's Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Cal Poly Pomona (5-3-2) beat Cal State Fullerton (4-7-0) by a final score of 32-25 in 1974.

That year, Cal Poly Pomona was a member of the five school  California Collegiate Athletic Association along with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, UC Riverside, CSU Northridge and CSU Los Angeles.

Today, only Cal Poly San Luis Obispo still fields a football team.

As for CSU Fullerton, in 1974 they were members of the six team Pacific Coast Athletic Association that included San Diego State, San Jose State, Fresno State, Pacific and Long Beach State.

CSU Fullerton, Pacific and Long Beach State no longer have football teams.

Two California based football conferences from nearly 50 years ago made up of 11 universities, seven of which no longer have football teams in the USA's most populated state.

Sad.

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