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West Coast Trojans 20-8 Merseyside Nighthawks
The Merseyside Nighthawks played host to the West Coast
Trojans as they looked for their first win of the season, but it was the
Trojans who got out of the blocks the quicker, cornerback Tal Peer picking off quarterback
Tim Parr on the Nighthawks’ second play from scrimmage. Although Merseyside
forced the turnover on downs, the Trojans’ secondary once again made the play, cornerback
Brian McFerren returning a pick for a score. A successful two point conversion
gave West Coast an early 8-0 lead.
West Coast looked to build on their early advantage and did so, recovering a
fumble deep in Hawks’ territory, and though the Hawks’ defense stiffened, they
managed to convert on fourth down. On fourth and goal Peer, in his running back
guise, went in for six. The two pointer was unsuccessful, but the Trojans were
already up by 14. The Merseyside fight back was led by their defense, with Steve Parry and Mark
Cairns recovering West Coast fumbles to give the offense a shot. Quarterback Parr
went to work, finding tight end Jason Elliott for a 9 yard catch and run before
Joe Black made a superb adjustment while the ball was in the air for a 12 yard
reception. A promising drive came down to fourth and goal and though wide
receiver Andy Dyson made the play, he was brought down on the half yard line,
turning the ball over on downs.
West Coast responded with a drive of their own but, although quarterback Gary
McNey found McFerren for 30 yards, a third down tackle for loss by Carl Rugen
(junior) forced the punt. The Mersey D had to hold one last time as the half drew to a close as defensive
tackle Stuart ‘Soggy’ Caldwell recovered a fumble on their 20 yard line, but a
Steve Parry goal line bat down saw them reach halftime with the score remaining
14-0 to the Trojans.
The Trojans received the ball to start the second period and quarterback McNey
rolled out to find tight end Craig Fulton for 23 yards. The Nighthawks stopped
Fulton short on fourth down to win the ball back for the offense, but cornerback
Peer came up with another pick, this time for a touchdown, to stretch the lead
to 20-0. Merseyside’s offense needed to step up and did so with Parr finding Joe Black
for 38 yards, running back Ben Kamara for 17, and then back to Black for the 6
yard score. Three plays, 61 yards, 6 points which, with a successful two
pointer to Andy Dyson, gave the Nighthawks a lifeline at 20-8.
Heartened by this, the defense got the ball back for them as cornerback Dave
Eldridge recovered a West Coast fumble, giving the offense the ball at the
Trojan 26 yard line. Parr promptly found Black for another 19 yards, but the
drive was fumbled away, Kevin Gray coming up with the ball for the Scots. The
Hawks defense were stepping up the pressure, but West Coast kept punishing them
with the big play, with McFerren picking up 26 yards on a third down end around
and, although linebacker Phil Brown broke through the line to sack McNey, a
muffed catch by the Hawks punt returner allowed the Trojans to make the
recovery in Merseyside territory as the game entered the fourth quarter.
The teams exchange punts and Merseyside were looking to punt once more when a
roughing call gave them another bite of the cherry. Unfortunately, cornerback
Peer chose this moment to make his third pick of the game, intercepting backup quarterback
Andy Dyson. Game to the last, the Nighthawks started to build once again, with
Dyson reeling off three consecutive completions, to Joe Black for 3 and 8 yards
and then Neil Jones for 20, before the Trojans forced the turnover on downs.
Dyson didn’t have to wait long for another try, hitting Jones for 32 yards, but
a fumbled handoff and subsequent Trojan recovery brought an end to the drive
and West Coast held on for the 20-8 victory.