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Coventry Cassidy Jets 33-40 Bristol Aztecs
The Coventry
Cassidy Jets snatched defeat from the jaws of victory as the Bristol Aztecs
edged a 40-33 thriller with a last minute touchdown from Mike Adams.
Game MVP Stuart Franklin looked like he’d
done enough to lead his team back from a 13 point fourth quarter deficit when
he found Jeremy Simms for a 2 point conversion with just over one minute
remaining, however, on the very next play from scrimmage Adams won it with a 69
yard run off the left side.
Franklin and
his offense didn’t lose heart, big completions to Simms and Mark Cohen got the
Jets down to the 23 yard line before time expired sending the Aztecs’ sideline
wild. After 4 years of defeats Bristol finally got the better of their biggest
rivals for the first time in 7 attempts. The two will now likely meet in the
playoffs where the Jets have defeated the Aztecs for three straight years.
Bristol took
the ball from the opening kick off and signalled their intention by running on
every play except one, moving the ball 54 yards in nine plays culminating in a
25 yard touchdown from Adams. Jon Wyse booted the conversion for an early 7-0
home lead. There was more scoring in the first quarter, as both teams traded
punts in a frenetic opening period.
Gary Clark put
Coventry on the board with a 3 yard blast early in the second quarter, Clark’s
first Jets score came after he was deployed at fullback, his position from his
days at Lakeland College. Coventry’s conversion woes continued apace as
Franklin missed Perkins to leave the Jets trailing by one. Bristol responded
and padded their lead behind Wyse’s 31 yard field goal.
A quick strike
from Franklin to Simms from 28 yards out had the Jets two scores up within a
few minutes of the restart and Cohen slotted through the extra point to break
the Jets conversion hoodoo for a 19-10 advantage. With the Jets defense
beginning to tire against the Aztecs’ relentless ground game, Bristol mounted a
19 play 62 yard drive but needed a controversial pass interference call to
convert on third and long. Nick Proctor darted in from 8 yards to put his side
back within one score at 19-17. The Jets had a chance to reply but an
interception from Jon Wyse placed the Aztecs at Coventry’s 34 setting up Adams
for his second score of the day as Bristol regained the lead at 25-19.
Coventry went
four and out as they struggled to get their offense going again, Bristol
however, were having no such problems. Dominic Westwood hit a deep ball to Nick
Smith for 52 yards as the leggy receiver got tangled up with Adam Biggs sending
the Jets’ defensive back to the turf as he sprinted to the endzone for a 13
point advantage. Franklin found his stride again making consecutive completions
to Simms and Courtney Pope before a 2 yard touchdown to Cohen dragged the Jets
back into the game at 32-25.
What all seemed
too good to be true turned out to be so as Adams galloped untouched for 69
yards on the very next play. The back-breaking touchdown was converted by
Proctor for a 7 point advantage. Coventry moved 49 yards with the minute they
had but it wouldn’t be enough as time expired with the Jets knocking on the
door. Coventry now wait five weeks before a trip to face the London Blitz at
Finsbury Park.