Sultry Sunday

 

Sunday, August 30, 2026

Not much to report on today's doings in sleepy Camarillo. The lone exception was taking granddaughter Mary, first to the Nike store to purchase new running shoes for her upcoming Cross Country season with the Las Colinas Middle School Mustangs and then to Chianti Ristorante for a delicious quatro formaggio pizza for lunch.

There was some EuroBall news to report though.

The American Football League

of Europe's second Semifinal

game of the weekend

Poland's Wroclaw Panthers (10-2)

at

Germany's Rhein Fire (10-2)

These two clubs met once during the regular season.

On July 12th, the Fire beat the Panthers, 48-7, in Germany.

This did not bode well for the Panthers' chances in the rematch today.

WRONG!

The Panthers beat the odds and won a nail biter.

The inaugural AFLE Gold Bowl is

now set for next Sunday, September 6th

in Duisburg, Germany

Vienna Vikings (12-1)

vs.

Wroclaw Panthers (11-2)

These clubs split their two regular season meetings.

The Vikings won the May 31st game in Poland, 42-23.

On August 8th, the Panthers nipped the Vikings, 34-31, in the Austrian capital.

A neutral site for the Gold Bowl will make the game a tad more interesting.

Speaking of stadiums, we are planning on taking a trip sometime this season to see another 8-Man football game, this time to see the Trona H.S. Tornadoes (1-0) play.

Trona H.S.'s famed stadium

Trona, California is located about a three+ hour drive from Camarillo, about 60 miles from Death Valley.

A mining town inhabited by approximately 1,900 brave souls, the land here is so acidic that nothing grows in their soil.

Thus the Tornadoes are home to one of America's most unique fields.

Click on this link to see a video about the Trona H.S. field:

https://www.maxpreps.com/ca/trona/trona-tornadoes/football/

Continuing with our stadium theme today . . .

The crowd at the San José State-USC

game at the Los Angeles Memorial

Coliseum was a bit sparse

This Friday the Trojans (1-0) will be

at home again vs. Fresno State (0-0)

My advice, buy your tickets today before the cost skyrockets to $25 in a few days.

Time for levity . . .

Really?

I do not know how Valapraiso DB, Kaiser Wilhelm, did not make this list.

Friend Michael D'Antuono thinks that instead of DB, Kaiser should be playing a spot in the trenches.

It's hard to argue that logic.

Jacob's Freshmen Scorpions (1-1)

have their home opener on Thursday

against the Pacifica Tritons (0-0)

Another week looms, let the Adventure continue!

News From EuroBall and an 8-Man Football Game in Ojai

 

Saturday, August 29, 2026

Another toasty day in SoCal, a good one to stay indoors during the daylight hours and watch two big EuroBall games unfold.

We'll start with a look at the European Football Alliance's inaugural championship game.

Denmark's Nordic Storm (10-1)

vs.

Germany's Munich Ravens (10-1)

at

Tivoli Stadium, Innsbruck, Austria

In their two regular season meetings, the Ravens beat the Storm in Copenhagen, 37-34, and late in the season, the Storm manhandled the Ravens in Munich, 55-7.

The Storm (11-1) won the rubber

match by a comfortable margin

over the Ravens (10-2)

The Storm won the EFA's

first ever crown

Time to celebrate, INDEED!

Europe's American Football League of Europe was playing its Semifinals this weekend as well.

London Warriors (6-6) at

Vienna Vikings (11-1) on Saturday

Wroclaw Panthers (10-2) at

Rhein Fire (10-2) on Sunday

In there regular season matchup

in London, the Vikings pulverized

the Warriors by a score of  62-10

The Warriors (6-7) were routed again

today in Vienna this time

The Vienna Vikings (12-1) now await the winner of Sunday's Wroclaw-Rhein game in the AFLE's inaugural Gold Bowl Championship game in Duisburg, Germany next Sunday, September 6th.

In the evening, with the temperatures dropping, son Michael and I headed up to Ojai to watch an 8-man football game.

Michael had never seen an 8-man game before and a game at Villanova Preps bucolic campus was a perfect spot to see one of these wide open affairs.

Our season opening combatants were . . . 

Carpinteria's Cate School Rams (0-0)

at

Ojai's Villanova Prep Wildcats (0-0)

A school in the country

Because of the heat, the game's Kickoff scheduled for 5:00 p.m., was pushed back this morning to 7:00 p.m.

A good choice but I distinctly remembered that when I visited this stadium last year there were no lights. 

No Lights, No Problem

To beat the heat, Villanova Prep's athletic department wisely brought in ten sets of portable lights, each with its own generator to take care of the eventual loss of daylight.

Go Wildcats!

As I said, a bucolic setting in Ojai

Our Exclusive Club Level Seats

I was happy to be alive and on a

natural grass field as it was a

BEAUTIFUL night for American football!

Cate's pre-game prayer

The Rams enjoy a solid 8-Man football program having made it to the C.I.F.-Southern Section's 8-Man DII Championship game in 2025.

Villanova Prep's last pre-game instructions

The game start with a Kickoff

What else would you expect?

 

Cate's signature Jet Sweep

The action was fast and furious!

Battle in the Secondary

End of the First Quarter

Cate - 8

Villanova Prep - 0

This run ended up as a Ram's TD

At this level, it is still a game of

Blocking and Tackling

The stands were PACKED!

Cate's Defense was stifling!

Another TD for Cate

Enjoying the moment from our

prime End Zone seats

Halftime Score

Cate - 24

Villanova Prep - 0

The Rams were still motivated

heading into the Third Quarter

When the Sun finally set, the

temperatures in this idyllic setting

dropped precipitously!

Micheal actually went back to our car to get our much desired sweatshirts.

Who would have guessed that?

Interesting remnant of a trench

down the middle of the field

Third Quarter Trench Warfare

Wildcats going DEEP!

End of the Third Quarter

Cate - 40

Villanova Prep - 0

Even though the score was out of hand, we were still enjoying the game as both squads continued competing on a play-by-play basis.

Sideline Referee Justin Schmidt

There will be more about Justin at the end of this post.

Villanova Prep's Trainer,

Jesús Ayala

We had a chance to speak at halftime, Jesús is a former Rio Mesa H.S. football player, RMHS Class of 1995.

A fine young man indeed!

Personalized Cate football

Interesting logo on the back

of the Wildcats jerseys

The Wildcat Defense needs to

improve a bunch this coming week

Wide open football is the hallmark of

the 8-Man brand of  American football

Elated Cate Rams players gathering

for their post game chat

The Rams were victorious

Final Score

Cate (1-0) - 46

Villanova Prep (0-1) - 0

The Wildcats will have to regroup quickly as they take on the Pismo Beach's Coastal Christian Conquerors (0-0) next Thursday, September 3rd.

Cate's next game is on Saturday, September 5th, at Santa Maria's Valley Christian Academy Lions (0-1). The Lions lost today to the Hesperia Christian Patriots (1-0), 40-13.

Post game Selfie with Michael and

referee/Rio Mesa alum Justin Schmidt

 

Justin was a lineman at RMHS

playing with Michael all four

years of High school

They were both members of the Rio Mesa H.S. Graduating Class of 1994.

Justin was a great young man to coach back in the day and has developed into a great adult roll model since those long ago days.

I am glad to see him keep involved in the game with what now must be a 20+ year career as a referee.

Life Continues to Bless Me!