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Wildcats tamed as Wolverines push on |
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The Wolverines notched up a second consecutive win on Sunday with a home victory over the Highland Wildcats, racking up an impressive 47 points and also collecting a shutout on defense en-route to the win. It was the second time this season that the Wolverines have managed to move past the Wildcats, a team full of endeavour, after the season’s earlier meeting had finished a similar 37-0. Most importantly the victory keeps the Wolverines in the hunt for a position in the playoffs.
The Wolverines had a blistering first half in which they scored 41 of their 47 total points. Quarterback David Mead tossed five touchdown passes earning the game’s MVP award. The biggest beneficiary of the quarterback’s good form was tight end Rick Cole who caught four touchdown passes from one from Adam Purcell in the second half and Cole was named Offensive MVP of the game. The game’s Defensive MVP honour was given to Ian Nicolson who returned a fumble for a touchdown on a 28-yard return.
Both teams had eventful opening series. The Wildcats, opening on offence, fumbled in their own territory and the ball was recovered by the Wolverines’ defence. However, their offence struggled to take advantage of such great field position and the drive resulted with a missed field goal attempt, as the ball bounced agonisingly off the left upright and the crossbar before bouncing back into the endzone.
When the Wildcats’ offence took over again on downs, the Wolverines’ defence forced the first of a throng of swift three and outs from the opposition offence. After a useful punt return which was taken out to the 45 yard line by Neil Sullivan, the Wolverines offence returned to the field for their second series. This drive produced a the first score of the game when, on 3rd down, quarterback David Mead connected with tight end Rick Cole for a 31-yard touchdown pass. Good protection had paved the way for Mead to stand tall in the pocket and allowed Cole to arch his route towards the right side of the Wildcats’ endzone. The ball was delivered with a deft touch and accuracy and after Cole had plucked the ball out of the air he turned up field and crossed into the endzone. The extra point that followed was good and so the Wolverines led 7-0 early in the first quarter.
The first score seemed to spark some fierce momentum within the Wolverines and instantaneously they followed up with a second touchdown. The defence, in no mind to be outshone, continued their penurious start to the game and forced a second fumble by the Wildcats offence. The ball popped out of the Wildcats running back’s cradled arms and was snatched up by defensive captain Ian Nicolson, who scampered into the Wildcats’ endzone for a 28-yard fumble return. This time the following extra point was missed leaving the game at 13-0. 
With the first quarter winding down the Wildcats had 3rd and goal and their quarterback rolled out direct from the snap and pitched out to his running back. The Wolverine defense were alert and forced the opposition running back out of room and completed the tackle at six-yard-line right on the sideline. This forced a field goal attempt which was blocked partly because the kick was low but kudos must go to the defensive unit who created enough penetration and extended their arms up to block the kick and keeping the Wildcats off the scoreboard.
Starting deep inside their own half the Wolverines put together an excellent offensive series moving with the consonance of a well-oiled machine. The offensive line afforded the quarterback Mead the time to pick his shots down including a tremendous 55 yard gain down the left sideline which was caught by Iain Pearson. The excellent drive was given a fitting end as Mead threw a beautifully accurate pass into tight coverage to his tight end Nick Russell who snatched the ball away from the surrounding defenders and artfully maintained possession of the ball on his way to the ground for another score. The extra point attempt that followed was good and gave the Wolverines a comfortable 20-0 lead at the close of the first quarter.
At the start of the second quarter the game lost some of its impetus although some well-crafted blitzing, particularly pressure created by the Wolverine secondary, was continuing to harass the Wildcat’s quarterback. After some scoreless series by both offences, the Wolverines appeared to re-tune themselves, moving downfield with some good offensive running. On a second down at the Wildcats fifteen, Mead rolled outside of the pocket to evade pressure and tossed his third touchdown of the game, again to Rick Cole, who managed to scoop up the ball from no more than six inches off the ground for a tremendous touchdown reception. The extra point was good and the Wolverines possessed a healthy 27-0 lead mid-way through the second quarter.
After the Wolverines’ defence forced another three and out, the Wolverines’ offence produced the games most exciting play – a highlight reel moment to go down in Wolverines’ folklore. Quarterback Mead connected with his tight end Nick Russell, he then masterfully tossed a lateral to Rick Cole who finished the impressive move with a scamper into the endzone for his 3rd touchdown of the game. Mead and his tight end duo were, simply put, stealing the show. Kicker Morton was now in fine form also and connected on another extra point attempt putting the game at 34-0 and completely out of reach for the Wildcat’s towards the end of the 2nd quarter.
With half time approaching there was still time for another offensive series for the home team. This time it was the running game which ate up a whole chunk of yardage as the offense progressed swiftly down field. The offensive line were successfully winning their battle in the trenches and then capping it off by helping to block down field. Once in the redzone it was left up to Mead and Cole to hook-up together for the fourth time as Cole caught the ball at the seven yard line and then powered his way into the endzone. With another extra point successful the Wolverines went into the half time break leading the Wildcats 41- 0.
After the interval the 3rd quarter got off to a scrappy start with both teams trading possession, playing solid defence and struggling to operate offensively. Comfortably in the lead, the Wolverines sent into the game some of their rookies for some valuable experience. Quarterback David Mead also left the game but deputising quarterback Adam Purcell was able to engineer a scoring drive as he threw an adroit 19-yard touchdown pass to Rick Cole, demonstrating the ability to get in-sync with the multiple touchdown scoring tight end. The resultant extra point attempt after the score, which proved to be the last of the game, was no good and so left the score at 47-0 full time.
At the close of play Head Coach Paul Horsburgh commented, “I’m pleased with today’s performance, although there were some silly mistakes too. We will work to correct these before the next game. We now need to push on and look to get a win against Glasgow to ensure we move another step closer to the playoffs.”
Next up for the Wolverines is a home fixture with the Glasgow Tigers at Blackburn RUFC with a 2.30pm kick off with another victory imperative before going into a potentially division deciding game with the current leaders Manchester Titans. Report by Christopher Ollett |
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 23 June 2009 20:54 |
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This Sunday will see the Lancashire Wolverines take on the Highland Wildcats at Blackburn RUFC with an 11am kick off. Following the game, the Academy will be holding the 2009 family fun day, including a lads (and girls!) v dads (and mums!) game of flag football to celebrate fathers day. The event is open to all and members of the Academy are encouraged to bring their families along for the event. Food and refreshments will be available from the clubhouse all day. |
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Wolverines sting the Hornets |
 This weekend saw the Lancashire Wolverines travel to the Hull Hornets for the second match up between the two sides this season. The first encounter at Blackburn RUFC led to a closely contested 19-6 victory for the Lancashire side. The Wolverines were looking to get the win that would keep them chasing the Manchester Titans for the BAFL 2 North conference title, and a place in the playoffs.
The game started with Wolverines kicker Danny Morton kicking the ball to the Hornets. Hull started in a positive manner, driving down the field on the back of strong running and passing by quarterback Gaz Hughes. The Wolverines defence held firm however, and managed to turn the ball over to provide the offence with their first opportunity. The offence took their opportunity, with excellent running by rookie Lee Nelson capped off by a touchdown run by quarterback David Mead, who has been finding the end zone regularly this season. The point after attempt was successful through the ever reliable Danny Morton.
The two teams traded possession for the majority of the first half following this score, however the Wolverines looked for standout receiver Iain Pearson with the last play of the half, and Mead found Pearson with a deep pass down the left sideline which he took to the end zone. Morton had a rare miscue with the extra point attempt, and this left the score at 13-0 to the Wolverines at half time.
In the second half the Wolverines continued to apply pressure, although possession wasn’t converted into points until mid-way through the third quarter. The Wolverines were deep in their own half when running back Lee Nelson broke free on a run which didn’t end until he reached the Hornets end zone 60 yards later. This was one of many plays made on the day by Nelson, and he was awarded the Offensive MVP award after the game. Morton returned to his usual way to leave the score at 20-0.
L ater in the quarter the Wolverines extended their lead with a deep pass from quarterback Wayne Glover, this going 82yards to rookie wide receiver Brendan Simcox for his first touchdown as a Wolverine. With the game at 27-0 and firmly under control for the Wolverines, play settled down with the teams trading possession until early in the fourth quarter. The Wolverines were looking to record their second shutout of the season, but the Hornets weren’t ready to let this happen, and a big run from Chris Brown resulted in the Hornets putting their first points of the day on the board. Quarterback Gaz Hughes successfully converted the 2-point conversion attempt with a run round the outside to put the score at 27-8.
The resulting kick-off was put out of bounds by the Hull kicker, giving the Wolverines excellent starting position on their 40 yard line. Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator Paul Horsburgh caught the Hull defence flat footed, and Mead completed another long pass to Pearson going 60 yards for the final touchdown of the day. Morton again converted, and with quarterback Wayne Glover consistently able to run the ball to take time off the clock, the final score was at 34-8 at the end of the game.
After the game, Head Coach Paul Horsburgh said:
“I am pleased with the performance of the team today. After the disappointing result against Manchester two weeks ago I was keen for us to bounce straight back and we did that today. All phases of the game improved, with the defence setting the tone for the game, highlighted by defensive back Jim Mawson’s defensive MVP performance. Offensively we started quickly and created some big plays, and I was pleased to see Lee Nelson step up and he thoroughly deserves his Offensive MVP award.”
Due to the late cancellation of the refereeing crew the game was played using three team judges, two from the Wolverines and one from the Hornets, and Horsburgh dedicated the Wolverines Game MVP award to chairman Steve Norris and defensive backs coach Gary Burke for stepping in to ensure the game went ahead. Horsburgh said of this:
“It was unfortunate that we were unable to have a refereeing crew today, but the three volunteers did a superb job. I think both sets of players deserve credit for their conduct, as they all stuck to the spirit of the game and there were no issues all day.”
The Wolverines have two weeks to prepare for their next game, which sees the Highland Wildcats visit Blackburn RUFC on Sunday 21st June. The game is an early start with an 11am kick off. |
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 June 2009 08:12 |
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Wolverines fall short in titanic struggle |
 This weekend the Lancashire Wolverines welcomed their old rivals the Manchester Titans to Blackburn RUFC. This first match up of 2009 was widely anticipated, as recent history has shown the two teams to be evenly matched, and both teams were undefeated going into the game.
The game started with the Wolverines kicking the ball to the Titans, and forcing them to start deep from within their own half. This brought the Wolverines strong defence to the field. Things did not go to plan however, and the Manchester Quarterback went deep to his wide receiver who raced the length of the field to score on the opening play. To add insult to injury, the extra point snap was inaccurate, but the kicker calmly collected the ball and threw to an open receiver in the end zone to leave the score at 0-8 with very little time elapsed.
The poor start by the Wolverines was compounded when the offence proceeded to fumble the ball on consecutive drives giving possession to Manchester deep in Wolverines territory. On the first of these drives Manchester managed to punch the ball into the end zone and converted the extra point, taking the score to 0-15. On the second drive the Wolverines defence made a stand, forcing Manchester to attempt a field goal, which the Wolverines successfully blocked.
The second quarter of the game started in the same fashion as the first, with Manchester again managing to score a touchdown, with a successful conversion taking the score to 0-22. The Wolverines finally roused their offence, who to this point had been completely nullified by their own errors. The awakening of the offence was down to the strong leadership of offensive captain, quarterback David Mead, from Chorley, who picked up the team through a display of accurate passing and strong running, capped with a touchdown run from five yards out. Kicker Danny Morton converted the extra point, taking the score to 7-22.
This score spurred on the defence, who proceeded to hold the Manchester offence giving the ball back to the Wolverines who were looking to close the gap before half time. Again Mead was the catalyst, with a helping hand from offensive MVP Nick Russell and wide receiver Iain Pearson, from Leyland. A solid drive down the field took Mead into the end zone again with a run from three yards out. The Titans managed to block the extra point attempt, leaving the score at half time at 13-22.
 Following the terrible start by the Wolverines, they had managed to claw themselves back into the game, with David Mead being the main influence on the offence, and defensive MVP Paul Mather spurring on the defence. The second half started with the Wolverines looking confident and managing to drive down the field and bring the game even closer with a touchdown pass from Mead to ex-Titan, Nick Russell. With a successful extra point from Morton, the game was now finely balanced with the score at 20-22 to the Titans.
The Wolverines had managed to drag themselves back into the game with an excellent show of resilient football, but the heat of the day was starting to show through, and the Wolverines defence who had spent a lot of time on the field was starting to tire. Manchester’s large squad was showing, as they rotated their players to stay fresh, and managed to grind out another score through their powerful ground game. Another successful two point conversion left the score at 20-30 in the Titans favour, and the Wolverines were starting to struggle to stay in the game. The game was closed out with the Wolverines showing promise but not making it to the end zone, and Manchester managed to get one more score, leaving the final score at 20-36. The result was disappointing for the Wolverines, but a lot of character was on display to mount a comeback from 22 points down so early in the game.
After the game, MVP David Mead said:
“We can hold our heads high today after this loss. Manchester are a very good team, and we put ourselves in trouble with a very slow start, but I’m proud of the way we rallied to bring the game back in touching distance. If we can show that character for the rest of the season I am confident we can go on to great things. We’ll get back to work this week and look to improve for our visit to Hull in two weeks time.”
The Wolverines now have a week off, before heading to Hull to play the Hornets on the 7th June. In the reverse fixture earlier this season the Wolverines triumphed 19-6. The next game at home is on the 21st June against the Highland Wildcats at Blackburn RUFC. For more information, please visit the Wolverines website at http://www.wolverineden.com/
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Wolverines and Romans too close to call |
 This Sunday the Lancashire Wolverines returned to their home at Blackburn Rugby Club following their victory against the Highland Wildcats on the road in Inverness which took them to a record of 2-0 for the season. The opponents for this game would be the Chester Romans, a team who didn’t manage to record a victory in the league last season, including two defeats at the hands of the Wolverines. This meant that the Wolverines were going into the game as favourites; however the Lancashire side certainly didn’t underestimate the Romans, who also recently returned from Inverness with a victory to start their 2009 season.
The first quarter started off as a tight and cagey affair, with both sides able to gain enough yards to move the chains a couple of times before punting without threatening the end zone. It wasn’t until midway through the quarter that the first blow was landed, with the Chester Romans breaking a long run down the sideline through wide receiver Glyn Chadwick, narrowly avoiding the Wolverines defensive backs to run 76 yards untouched into the end zone. The point after attempt was good, leaving the score at 7-0 to Chester. Possession continued to be traded for the rest of the quarter, including a pair of interceptions, one for either side to close out the first quarter.
 The second quarter started with the Wolverines driving down the field on the back of strong running by Chris Littler and quarterback David Mead. The drive was capped with a three yard touchdown run from rookie tailback Anatoly Kulikov. The ever reliable Danny Morton kicked the extra point taking the score to 7-7.
On the next Romans drive, the Chester offence drove the ball down deep into Wolverines territory, but an excellent stand led by Defensive MVP Dean Fitzpatrick forced the Romans to attempt a field goal. Excellent Wolverines pressure led to the field goal attempt being unsuccessful.
Later in the quarter the Romans were again driving, and when down close to the Wolverines goal line, a well executed quarterback sneak by Jason Wilcock took them into the end zone once again. Another successful point after attempt left the score at 14-7 to the Romans, and this is how it remained until the half.
The second half started like the first with the teams trading possession, and it was well into the third quarter when the Wolverines drove down the field and drew level with a fourteen yard touchdown pass to tight end Rick Cole thrown by quarterback David Mead converted once more by Danny Morton. With the score tied at 14-14 both teams traded possession deep into the fourth quarter, and the last drive of the game saw the Wolverines driving down the field looking to get close enough to bring Danny Morton out to attempt a late game winning field goal. Strong defence by Chester managed to hold the Wolverines out though, and the game finished with an incomplete pass leaving the game tied at 14-14.
After the game, Wolverines Head Coach Paul Horsburgh said:
“This was a hard fought game that really could have gone either way. I’m proud of the way my team battled today, and Chester are certainly a different team to the one we played last season. We have a lot of positives to take from the game today, and we’ll look to build on these and improve for the visit of Manchester in two weeks time.”
Following the game, Horsburgh presented the game MVP award to Paul Mather who excelled on both the defensive and offensive lines, with an honourable mention going to middle linebacker Martin Williams.
The Wolverines go into a bye week where they will look to prepare for the visit of local rivals the Manchester Titans on the 24th May at Blackburn RUFC. Kick-off time is 2.30pm and further details can be found on the Wolverines website at http://www.wolverineden.com/.
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