Aztecs rookies welcome Banshees to BAFL

Posted in: Bristol Aztecs    By Peter Jones Jul 17, 2008 - 6:24:07 PM

Rookie full back Marcus Allen Burnett.

The Bristol Aztecs welcome West Country neighbours, the Gloucester Banshees, to the BAFL fraternity this Saturday at Plock Court in Gloucester. Recently accepted as a BAFL associate team, the Banshees will host the Bristol Aztecs in a showcase game in an effort to gain full BAFL membership status for the 2009 season.

Football in Gloucestershire has been gaining momentum since 2006, initially with the emergence of the University of Gloucestershire Gladiators who played two fixtures against Bristol’s own University of Bristol Barracuda in early 2007 and now with the formation of the Banshees. The redevelopment of football in Gloucester is the work of Coach Maurice Myers a stalwart of West Country football since the sport’s birth on these shores in the 1980s.

First year quarterback Steve Hutchinson.

The Banshees roster has some familiar faces to the Aztecs. Head Coach Mo Myers and Defensive Coordinator Ken Gray brought their gruelling preseason workouts to the Aztecs for a brief spell in 2000, and the Banshees boast former Aztec Richard Lusty and Aztec Youth graduate Matt Henry.

Aztecs Head Coach Mark Hopkins commented on the game; “Some have criticised our decision to play this fixture at the midpoint of the BAFL Premier season, but the Bristol programme is resolute in its ongoing commitment to player development. This game is of huge importance to our organisation as it gives our rookies and younger players an opportunity to showcase their talents, and gain valuable experience in a live game situation. Taking into account the competitive nature of the BAFL Premier this year, it has proven difficult to get our younger players the live snaps they deserve, this fixture rewards the hard work of these players and gives us a chance to take a closer look at the Aztec starters of the future.

Second year defensive back Pat Benson.

The Bristol Aztecs will be resting their starters for this fixture in preparation for their crunch BAFL Premier fixture on Sunday 27^th July against defending champions, the London Blitz.

Club Captain Charlie Wilson commented; “With a self sufficient junior team, youth team, two university teams, and the early stages of a flag programme now in place, the next target in our organisation’s growth plan is a competing adult development team. Due to the ever increasing standard of competition at BAFL Premier level, we are finding that a number of our graduates are finding it difficult to make the initial jump in competition. Saturday will be the first step in discovering the viability of this venture for the Bristol American Football Organisation.”

Bristol Aztecs at Gloucester Banshees, “The Showcase”, kicks off at 2:30pm on Saturday 19^th July at Plock Court, Gloucester. Further details on this fixture can be found at: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=28525613816

The Aztecs are always looking for fans, players aged 14+, staff, and sponsors.   For more information on the Bristol Aztecs visit www.aztecs.co.uk or email bristolaztecs@hotmail.com

Images courtesy of Pete Tiley, Mike Allen and Steve Pickford.

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