Aztecs 2007 Season Review

Posted in: Bristol Aztecs, BAFL Premier    By Peter Jones Oct 4, 2007 - 9:13:47 AM

 

The Aztecs season started back in April, when they hosted old enemy the Southern Sundevils in the first ever British American Football League (BAFL) Premier league game.

Aztec quarterback Dom Westwood threw four touchdown strikes, leading the Aztecs to their first win over the Sundevils in eight years, and started the Aztecs along a journey that would see them silence the many doubters who had picked the Aztecs as favourites for relegation, by finishing third in the BAFL Premier.

The Aztecs had appeared in four consecutive bowl finals in Sheffield, and were getting younger, more organised and more professional every year.   The annual combine format pioneered in the UK by the Aztecs has yielded competitive rookies each year to supplement the existing core of players.   The successful Aztecs youth team have been producing quality additions to the senior squad every year, and the Bristol Bullets having romped to the BCAFL National Championship last year have also provided the Aztecs with some great young players.   A new addition to the Bristol American football family are the Bristol University Barracuda, head coached by Aztec Tim Stone. Football is strong in Bristol, and the teams feed off each other with college players helping coach youth, or playing senior, and Aztec senior players coaching both the Barracuda, and the Bullets based at the University of the West of England. This autumn will arguably see the pinnacle of the sport in the city when the Barracuda will take on the Bullets during the UWE Vs Bristol University Varsity week.

Aztec Head Coach Mark Hopkins has harnessed the talent available, by developing and nurturing a coaching staff which is swelling each year, as well as applying his football ethos and experience, picked up from such coaches as Jim Criner in the World League, and Riq Ayub for the GB Lions, to the organisation he now spearheads.

The landmark win against the Sundevils was followed up by a tough tie against the ever improving London Blitz. The Blitz have been built using a similar blueprint to the Aztecs, looking to develop and nurture talent from college and youth programmes, rather than recruit from other senior teams. The similarities in attitude, loyalty and family amongst the two teams, make these fixtures amongst the most passionate explosive affairs in the BAFL. This fixture was no different, with both defenses dominating, the only two scores in torrential conditions came when Aztec quarterback Neil Balthazaar orchestrated a long touchdown drive, and Blitz quarterback Henry Allen noticed a blown coverage and threw his first touchdown strike in senior football. The final score was 6-6, and the Aztecs had acquitted themselves admirably against a team who would shock the BAFL by finishing the season as the National Champions.

A narrow loss against the London Olympians 6-0 was next, and then a huge win by 59 points to 0 against the Sundevils, and a scrappy 20-0 victory over the East Kilbride Pirates. At the midway point in their season, the Aztecs had posted three wins, a loss and a draw. Next up was the longest away game of the year at Gateshead Senators. After delayed flights, and hours driving, the Aztecs were flat, and despite producing more than twice as many yards on offense as the Senators, Gateshead inflicted the Aztecs biggest loss of the year 37-20.

The London Blitz lay in wait for the Aztecs, for the two teams second fixture of the year. The draw in Bristol earlier in the season was the only blotch on the Blitz ‘s otherwise perfect record. The encounter proved to be another close one, with Neil Balthazaar making several key completions to receiver Kev Shelbourne, setting up a Nick Proctor touchdown to tie after an early Stuart Franklin touchdown pass. The Aztec defense held strong despite missing standout linebacker and defensive leader Tom Proctor, the Blitz however managed another score, this time Franklin taking it in on the ground, to seal a 14-7 win. The Aztecs now had three wins, three losses and a draw.   To secure post season action, they would need to win two of the three remaining games, two of which were against favourites the Coventry Cassidy Jets, and perennial champions, the London Olympians.

An away trip to the Bulls saw the Aztecs lean heavily on their ground game, as an injury riddled receiving core struggled to compete, the results were positive however as the Aztecs surged to a 17-0 half time lead.   In the second half, the Bulls came back strong, once again the Aztec defense held out when it mattered though, and a late safety when Tom Proctor tackled Kofi Campbell in the endzone sealed the win 19-14.

The penultimate game of the season saw the Aztecs travel to London to take on the Olympians. The Aztecs had not only never beaten the Olympians who had until this year won 12 out of the last 13 National Championships, they had also never scored on the Olympians defense.   Early in the game, the Aztecs set the tone controlling both sides of the line of scrimmage, and moving the ball consistently on the ground. The Olympians began to load the box to counter the Aztecs ground attack that was grinding out the yards.

This left tight end Stuart Toogood open over the middle for a twenty yard gain, setting up a Nick Proctor touchdown plunge. John Hartley then forced a fumble that Adam Sparrow scooped up and returned for a touchdown. Nick Proctor added to his tally giving the Aztecs a 22-0 lead. The Olympians mounted a comeback in the fourth, but their last drive, and the game, was killed by a John Hartley interception.

With four wins, four losses, a draw, and a place in the post season secured, the Aztecs hosted the Coventry Cassidy Jets who had only lost one game all year. The Jets were guaranteed a second place finish, and the Aztecs third, so the meaningless game saw both teams play the depth of their squad. Coventry looked dangerous however, and their potent offense racked up 47 points to the Aztecs 23. The Aztecs however were cautious of their game plan, aware that they would be travelling to Coventry two weeks later for a BAFL premier semi final playoff game.

 Their third place finish in the BAFL Premier was the Aztecs highest ever league position. The confidence this inspired set the Aztecs in good sted for their semi final match up.   While the Jets finished their schedule at the Birmingham Bulls, the Aztecs enjoyed a week of preparation, which along with shrewd play calling enabled them to run the Jets much closer in the semi final.  

The young Aztec defense held Coventry’s high octane superstar loaded offense to only thirteen points, their lowest points total in franchise history. The Aztec offense however didn’t fare as well, which their ground game largely shackled, and Neil Balthazaar harried in the pocket all day.   The final score was 13-7 to the Jets who went on to loose narrowly to the London Blitz 14-6 in the Britbowl.

The Aztecs 2007 offense was led by Canadian quarterback Neil Balthazaar who threw six touchdowns, six interceptions while posting a quarterback rating of 75.96. Backup Dom Westwood saw limited action throwing four touchdowns and one interception while posting a rating of 124.69.    Catching the majority of the balls were Nick Smith with sixteen grabs including five touchdowns, Kev Shelbourne with twelve, and tight end Stuart Toogood with eight catches and a touchdown. Unusually Scott Meredith and Kyle Latore didn’t make a significant statistical contribution due to injury plagued seasons. The Aztec offensive line-laying track for the stable of backs, included four Great Britain Lions, Charlie Wilson, Steve Hopkins, Pete Jones and Rob Hardy, as well as Paul ‘Jacko’ Jackson and Gary Gardiner.   The ground game totalled 1765 yards during the regular season, an average of 4.7 yards per carry.   Guy Hughs-Games rushed for 500 yards including two touchdowns, Nick Proctor (sponsored by Tempex) also rushed for 500 yards and 9 touchdowns, Gabriel Sey 400 yards and 5 touchdowns, and fullback Tim Stone chipped in with 167 yards.
 

Defensively Tom Proctor led with sixty tackles, two sacks, an interception, a fumble recovery and four forced fumbles. First year youth graduate Tom Johnson made an immediate impact at outside linebacker making twenty eight tackles, two interceptions, one forced fumble and three sacks.    Veteran Mark Proctor in his last campaign as a player before stepping up to coach, managed twenty four tackles, two forced fumbles and seven sacks despite a season ending injury in game six. Adam Sparrow also made a significant contribution with four fumble recoveries, one for a touchdown, and four interceptions one of which went for a touchdown.

Aztec Youth graduates again impressed coaches with their skill and commitment. Other than the impressive Johnson at outside linebacker, Ty Williams recorded ten tackles a fumble recovery and an interception prior to heading off to play NCAA football at Southwest Minnesota State University, Olly Skuse made eight tackles and one and a half sacks, and tailback Liam Miller picked up four yards per carry and his first senior touchdown in a busy Aztec backfield.

Head Coach Mark Hopkins is delighted with the Progress his Aztecs made this year, “ We have taken small steps forward each year, developing players, coaches and playbooks with patience and continuity, and the dividends are clear for all to see”, he was also keen to praise the efforts of his coaching staff, “I’ve got a great bunch of coaches helping me out, from Assistant Head Coach Albert Lambert, Offensive Co-ordinator Martyn Ellis, and Defensive player coach John Hartley, and their positional coaches”.

The Aztecs plan to add to both their playing and coaching staff in the off season, as well as pursuing off field plans, and continuing to strengthen their links with the local university teams the Bristol Bullets and the Bristol Barracuda.    Off season camps will be followed by the Aztecs annual combine early in the new year.   For more information, visit www.bristolaztecs.co.uk/ or email bristolaztecs@hotmail.com.

Images courtesy of Bristol Aztecs and EFink.

 

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