Beach Bowl II - Game Report

If last years tournament was the Ice Bowl, then this year’s tournament will undoubtedly become know as the Mud Bowl. However the conditions failed to halt any of the teams from giving 100% effort and commitment in the second annual national tournament, which marks the end of the BSFL season.

Nine teams entered this Senior Flag 5on5 tournament which is growing in stature. Held in Southampton, teams travelled from Bournemouth, Derby, Leicester, Birmingham to join a number of local teams in what turned out to be a fantastic days American football. With the teams drawn into three groups of three, the top placed team in each group would qualify for the championship group to find the Beach Bowl champion for 2002.

Qualifying Group A

Brockenhurst Exiles 6-26 Chichester Sharks

The Sharks took to the bog like pitch not knowing what to expect from the new team from the New forest, and things started very badly when on the second play of the game, Brockenhurst connected on a long completion down the left touchline, the Sharks defense were backed up early and were a score down on the very next play. Brockenhurst were leading 6-0 and Chichester were looking shell-shocked. The Sharks stepped up and stopped the extra point. Time for the Sharks offence to take to the field and even things up, and that’s exactly what happened when Jason Davis took a quick pass from Nick Watson into the endzone from the half way line, hardly any time gone and two quick scores. Pete Steel caught the extra point and the Chichester took the lead 7-6.

Although the Chichester defense had had little time to regroup and make adjustments, they came out fired up and took the game to the Brockenhurst offence, stopping their running game with a strong tackles by Justin Handley and Julian Simms, who also stopped the passing game on third down by sacking the Quarterback. The Sharks took control of the game with further scores from Pete Steel a fantastic length of the field catch and another great rushing effort from Jason Davis

Brockenhurst Exiles 0-24 Bournemouth Raiders

The Raiders destroyed their local rivals scoring 4 TD's to 0 in a 24-0 whitewash. The Raiders picked off the Exiles QB 3 times, and each one was returned for a TD to give the Raiders an unassailable lead. On the first play of the day, Matt Heasman returned one for a TD, and that was quickly followed by ones from Matt Hemsley and Abdul Lawal. The Raiders struggled offensively also, with Heasman unable to complete a pass, and it was left to Vincent Gurrea to seal the win with another interception return to give the Raiders the win.

Chichester Sharks 7-6 Bournemouth Raiders

This was always going to be the harder of the two games, as not only were Bournemouth competing for the Beach Bowl, they were competing with Leicester to be crowned national 5on5 Champions. Bournemouth had dismantled the Sharks in earlier season clashes, but this one would prove to be different.

Bournemouth started with the ball, but with the Sharks defense growing in confidence, were soon were forced into making poor choices and went four and out. It was a similar story when Chichester tried to move the ball on the Raiders. The Defense’s of both teams remained on top of the game as time continued to run down until a dazzling piece of skill from Jason Davis opening the scoring. A 45-yard carry down the right sideline beating three Bournemouth players and the completed extra point to Center, Dave Giles who had also made several key catches. To make the 7-0 Sharks.

The game remained close going into the final minutes of a nail biting game and the Sharks seemed to have everything under control but on the Raiders’ next drive Abdul Lawal broke down the right touch line for a TD, matching Jason’s effort minutes earlier, 7-6 Chichester, the extra point to go. Bournemouth went for the two pointer but saw the pass go out the back of the endzone and with it the game. Chichester had finally beaten the Raiders and with the undefeated record progressed into the Championship group.

Qualifying Group B

Leicester Eagles 12-14 Southern Sundevils ‘A’

The Eagles first game was against last years winners, the Sundevils. The Eagles offense got off to a sluggish start and the defense failed to deal with the Sundevils aerial attack and quickly found themselves 14 – 00 down. However the Eagles stepped-up their game with QB Marcus Gambrill passing to Ryan Melbourne to make the score 14 – 06. Eagles safety Andre Clarke then intercepted the Sundevils on their next drive and jinxed his way into the end zone and a 14 – 12 scoreline. The Eagles went for a 2 point conversion to tie the scores but QB Gambrill’s pass was batted down in the end zone.

Leicester Eagles 15-6 Southampton Stags

The Eagles defense got off to a flying start against the Stags when linebacker John Pimperton returned an interception to the seven yard line but the Eagles offense failed to capitalise as the Stags intercepted QB Gambrill in the end zone. The Stags offense made the most of this, scoring on their ensuing drive and taking a 0 – 6 lead. After another stalled drive, the Eagles defense got to work with Andre Clarke scoring a safety to make it 2 – 6 and on the next possession the Eagles offense finally clicked with QB Gambrill passing to Andrew Gambrill for a TD and Ryan Melbourne for the extra point to make the score 9 – 6 to the Eagles. The Stags next drive was halted by an Alistair Coulthurst interception and the Eagles capitalised on this with Coulthurst scoring a TD on a pass from John Pimperton – 15 – 6 to the Eagles. Rookie Lewis Freer made the game safe for the Eagles by intercepting the Stags on their next drive.

Southampton Stags 8-28 Southern Sundevils A

The Southern Sundevils qualified for the Championship Group with a comfortable 28-8 victory over the Southampton Stags. Cliff Boddington threw 4 TD’s.

Qualifying Group C

Southern Sundevils B qualified for the Championship with 2 victories out of 2. In game 1, they defeated the Derby Dream Team 13-12. Trailing 12-6 late in the game, Ted Baynham threw a disputed TD to Kevin Shergold to give the Sundevils the narrow win. The Dream Team claimed the ball had bounced as Shergold made the catch, but the officials gave the TD. Derby didn’t recover as they fell to a 12-7 defeat against the well organised Birmingham Raiders team. In the final game of the group, Birmingham lost out 18-12 to Southern Sundevils, with Baynham throwing for 3 TD’s.

Championship Group

Chichester Sharks 6-12 Southern Sundevils A

The field had began to become little more than a large muddy puddle, by the time the Sharks came to play the Sundevils A team, but against the odds both teams seemed set to pass the ball with both teams having some initial early success, the Sundevils producing several drives into Shark territory but were shut out on all but drive when Cliff Boddington was given enough time to throw a perfect strike to the open target at the back of the endzone. 6-0 Southern but the extra point was batted away and the score line remained unchanged.

Nick Watson then conducted a drive of class, using the surprise package of the day, Dave Giles to move the ball down the field and set up the play of the game. With the Sundevils focused on Dave Giles and Neil Henderson, Pete Steel was able to find enough space on the right to catch a quick out, reverse his field and run cross field and up the opposite touchline for the score. Touchdown Sharks! 6-6 extra point to follow, Again the Sundevils seemed to ignore Pete Steel who again found space, this time on the left to catch the extra point, but confusion and a nervous few minutes ensued, as the officials reviewed their disscission on whether or not Pete steel had been in the endzone when he caught it, eventually the score stood and the Sharks had the lead 7-6 with two minutes remaining.

What happened in the next few moments was little short of farcical, with the Sundevils needing a score to go ahead they began to force their game onto the Sharks defense with little success, until on third down a Cliff Boddington pass was ruled a completed pass after it bounced up off the ground into his team mates arms in the endzone. With no official willing to take full responsibility for the call, and the viewing crowd voicing their opinions, a few minutes passed once again until the ruling of a touchdown was made. No extra point was added but with 38 seconds remaining in the match the Chichester offence had to go the length of the field. Things started well enough with a quick pass to Neil Henderson moving the Sharks up to the half way line and on the next play a pass interference penalty moved the Chichester team to with in touching distance of the endzone and another victory; but it was not to be as time ran out the Chichester Sharks were left 4 yards short of the goal line. The Southern Sundevils had done just enough to hang on and win a close one.

Southern Sundevils A 0-18 Southern Sundevils B

The Southern Sundevils B side turned over the A side 18-0 in a convincing win, which gave them pole position to win the Beach Bowl title. QB Ted Baynham threw TD’s to Matt Coppinger, Steve Shergold and Kevin Shergold to give them the win.

Chichester Sharks 0-27 Southern Sundevils B

The final game of the Sharks day began as darkness began to set in on, and after the heartache of losing a close one early to other Sundevils team, this game was a step to far, and was not really a contest as the eventual tournament winner led by quarterback Ted Baynham were able to pick apart the largely untried Chichester defense. The final performance of the day did not reflect the way the Sharks had played up until then. With the final score Southern Sundevils B 27-0, the Sundevils B had gone through the tournament with 4 wins out of 4 and claimed the title.

4th/5th/6th Playoff Group

Birmingham Raiders 12-6 Bournemouth Raiders

The defeat to Chichester left the team deflated and that showed in the opening game of the 2nd stage of the competition which would determine 4th, 5th and 6th spots. Birmingham took an early lead, but the Raiders hit back on a counter run with Lawal charging down the left hand touchline with Stu Winship shadow blocking! With the scores tied at 6-6, it was the Birmingham Raiders who stole the game with a deent drive leading to a catch in the left hand corner of the endzone to deal Bournemouth their second straight defeat.

Bournemouth Raiders 19-12 Leicester Eagles

The Raiders really have a hoodoo over the Eagles, and this was a crucial game for both sides. With results from all BSFL 5-on-5 tournaments counting towards the final BSFL National table, the winner of this game would win the title. Bournemouth opened up with a series of runs and passes on a great drive kept alive by center Allen Gilbert stunning one handed diving catch on 4th down. It was Gilbert again who made the catch from Heasman to give the Raiders a 6-0 lead.

The tide swung firmly back to the Eagles in a two minute spell, when Andre Clarke broke two tackles to score on a pass from Marcus Gambrill, and then on the Raiders next drive Heasman was intercepted by Clarke who returned the interception for the score to put the Eagles 12-6 up. Heasman led the team back down the field, which culminated with Matt Hemsley scoring on a crossing pattern to tie things up at 12-12. A tie would not have been good enough for Bournemouth, and remarkably it was rookie Duncan MacGregor who won the game for the Raiders when he made a great interception which he returned for the winning score. Heasman hooked up with Mark Houston for the 1 PAT to give the Raiders a 19-12 lead. The defense then stepped up and held the Eagles on their next drive to give the Raiders the win and the BSFL National Championship!

Leicester Eagles 18-6 Birmingham Raiders

The Eagles final game of the day was against their old sparring partners the Birmingham Raiders (the teams first met in 1997). The Raiders took an early 6 - 0 lead but the Eagles replied with Andrew Gambrill taking a John Pimperton pass into the end zone to make the score 6 - 6. The Raiders took their next possession to the Eagles 5 yard line but the Eagles defense held on 4th and goal. The Eagles then took a 12 – 6 lead with an Alistair Coulthurst run. After another goal line stand by the Eagles defense, Coulthurst burst through the Raiders D to give the Eagles an 18 – 6 win.

7th/8th/9th Playoff Group

Southampton Stags 6-21 Derby Dream Team
Derby Dream Team 21-8 Brockenhurst Exiles
Southampton Stags 8-0 Brockenhurst Exiles

With the talent that the Derby side possessed, they should never have been playing off for 7th place. 7th place they took with two convincing wins against Southampton Stags and the Brockenhurst Exiles. The Exiles picked up the wooden spoon when they lost 8-0 to the Stags in the final game of the group.