Posted in:
BAFL 1,
Cambridgeshire Cats
By Mike Revell
Sep 2, 2009 - 12:15:36 PM
Oxford
Saints 13 Cambridgeshire Cats 25
Cambridge
versus
Oxford inevitably brings forth images of boat racing, but American football was on the cards last Sunday, where the age-old rivalry was played out not in the water, but on the grass fields of Oxford Rugby Club, as the Cambridgeshire Cats defeated the Oxford Saints in the quarter-final of the BAFL 1 playoffs.
Oxford
received the ball first and began to march steadily down the field behind a power running game. But the Cats drew first blood when linebacker James Kocherhans intercepted a screen pass and took it 70 yards down the sideline to put the visiting team on the scoreboard. The Saints looked to respond, but the Cats defense, inspired by their early success, was relentless: every
Oxford run seemed to meet an abrupt end at the hands of Travis Simmons and co., and it was not long before Cambridgeshire’s league-leading offense took the field. Almost immediately, Josh Gilreath hurtled around the outside for a 66 yard touchdown, and the Cats led 12-0 midway through the first quarter.
It didn’t take long for the Saints to fight back though, with Jay Taylor finding an opening in the
Cambridge defence and completing a quick pass for 30 yards.
Oxford churned up the field with more strong running before finishing the drive with an 11 yard run for the score. With the extra point added, the first quarter ended 12-7.
The second quarter proved less eventful than the first, as both defences ground down the pace. The Cats offense was slowed and twice had passes intercepted, but the Saints were having difficulty maintaining possession, fumbling on two occasions. With both teams wrestling for momentum going into the half, it was Gilreath again who broke away for a 33 yard score and gave Cambridgeshire an 18-7 lead at halftime.
With a place in Sunday’s semi-final on the line,
Oxford started the second half on fire. Cambridgeshire received the ball, but their drive was snuffed out early, and on came the Saints offense looking to cut into the Cats’ lead. They promptly drove down the field, before running back Chris Taylor pounded the ball across the line from eight yards out, to make it 18-13.
Momentum ebbed and flowed, with neither side getting the better of the other before Josh Gilreath fielded a punt return, eluded a defender and took it all the way for the score. The Cats seemingly had their cushion again but there was a penalty on the play, and it was called back.
With only five points separating the two teams, the ensuing stalemate lasted late into the fourth quarter. Eventually, the Cats moved down the field and were knocking on the door of the end zone, but
Oxford intercepted a pass on the goal line. Behind their fantastic running game, the Saints marched 95 yards down the field, and looked set to take the lead for the first time in the game, but a fantastic defensive effort by the Cats stopped them short. The Saints fumbled the ball and the Cats offence took over on the one yard line. Two runs were stopped for minimal gains as
Oxford piled on the pressure, but Josh Bartimus found Nate Ashby on a 28 yard pass, and all of a sudden the Cats had room to work.
Oxford struggled to keep pace with the Cambridgeshire running game, and as time ticked away, Casey Campbell scampered around the outside and tip-toed down the sideline to put the Cats up 25-13.
The win secures the Cats a spot in the semi-finals on Sunday against the undefeated London Cobras, who are coming off a 66-0 routing of the Doncaster Mustangs. The game will take place at Boston Manor, and kick off at 2:30pm.
