The latest addition to the Lancashire Academy of American Football are still recruiting players and coaches. The Preston Panthers, who train at Moor Park, Preston, were formed 2 months ago following an award from the British American Football Association. Coached by a team of 6 coaches from the Lancashire Academy the team have started well and have a strong group of players. They recently recieved a boost when the teams kit finally arrived, enabling the boys and girls aged between 14-16 to get their first real taste of 'contact' American Football. Head Coach, Chris Bradley is pleased with how the team is progressing but welcomes new players  - "American Football is a fast paced game but whatever your size or athletic ability there is a position on this team suited to you - come down and see what all the fuss is about!"

October sees two of America's biggest teams arrive in the UK for the latest edition of the NFLs International Series, held at Wembley Stadium in London. The Preston Panthers and the Lancashire Academy of American Football welcome any interest from fans of the NFL! Email us on  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

On Saturday 24^th September the Chorley Buccaneers made Club history when for the first time in their eleven years existence all three teams attended the National Finals in Crystal Palace.

The Cadet flag team were to face the Coventry Jets in their semi final and started off on Offense but couldn’t advance it and so the Jets took were to take possession and try and find the endzone, but Bucs Rookie Kyle Webzell had other ideas and make a great interception to run it all the way back for a the score making it 6 – 0 to the Bucs. Webzell was in the picture again when QB Zach Christie glided the pass to him for the one point conversion making it 7 – 0.

The Jets took the field back on Offense and meant business as after two plays, they did a trick play which fooled the Bucs defense and allowed them to pass downfield to an open receiver for the score, the Jets then went on to get the one point conversion making the game tied at 7 – 7.

As both teams moved the ball well on ground and through the air, neither of them could find the endzone until Dylan Chesters made his first of two interceptions of the game and ran it back for twenty yards before being tackled. Chesters not content with not reaching the endzone, took the ball on a hand-off and dodged through several tackles to waltz into the endzone giving the Bucs the lead 13 – 7. It was the Christie / Webzell link up that got the Bucs the extra point to take the score to 14 – 7 to the Bucs.

As halftime got closer the Jets the broke through the Bucs defense and looked set to score but for the other half of the Chesters duo Joel, coming from the other side of the field to make the tackle one yard shy of the endzone to save the touchdown and to bring the game to halftime at 14 – 7 to the Bucs.

The Jets started the second half on Offense and started strong with a full length touchdown pass to their star receiver to bring the score to 14 – 13 to the Bucs. The Jets looked set to make score tied as they completed the pass on their one point conversion attempt but a great tackle by Joseph Hill stopped them just short of the score! The game now saw both teams trading possessions without scoring but showcasing some incredible talent on both sides of the ball, and it was Dylan Chesters that highlighted this talent with an amazing interception which he ran back for ten yards to give the Bucs possession.

The Bucs took the field and ran the ball effectively to run down the clock but then when they had to pass the Jets were ready and intercepted the ball for no gain. With only a couple of minutes remaining the Bucs had to dig deep on Defense to ensure their place in the final and this is exactly what they did forcing the Jets to go four and out and allow the Bucs Offense to run the clock out and put them in the Final against the Marlow Wolves.

The Final saw the Bucs face a strong Marlow team and the Bucs looked like they meant business when on the first drive Bucs QB Christie passed to Dylan Chesters for the score and then again for the one point conversion giving the Bucs a 7 – 0 lead. Marlow though composed themselves and slowly but surely got their game together on both sides of the ball to win the game 35 – 7 and be crowned National Champions 2011.

Junior Flag

The Bucs older flag team were to play against the Coventry Cougars in their semi-final game and delivered a thrilling game.

Buccaneers were the first to score with a short catch thanks to James Schofield but they missed the conversion. Cougars fought back with a fantastic long run by Kieran Mulcahy then Jordan Leith turn it into a touchdown after fooling Buccaneers with a fake hand off. The Bucs offense took the field once again led by QB Chris Varney who along with some strong running from  Running Back Jason Hoyle, got the Bucs back in the lead when Varney linked up with Schofield again to take the score 12 – 6.

As the game saw both teams take the lead several times, the Bucs offense turned into the Varney – Schofield show as they completed over a dozen receptions and put all of the Bucs twenty five points on the scoreboard.

However the twenty five points weren’t enough to win the game and the Bucs lost in a heartbreaking finish which saw the Cougars clinch the win by one point to win 26 – 25 and end the Bucs dreams of being crowned the National Champions.

Kitted

The Kitted team who were attending the National Finals for their fourth consecutive time, were to face off against the unbeaten Woodham Warriors. The Bucs started with the ball and drove the ball well on the ground with Running Backs Matt Holt and James Mallon gaining some good yards to put the Bucs six yards away from the endzone. A good fake saw the Warriors bite on the run and enable QB Ben McNally hit Wide Receiver Tom Salerno in the endzone to give the Bucs a 6 – 0 lead. McNally then made a great pass to Holt for the one point conversion to take the score to 7 – 0.

Warriors came out on Offense and faced a very strong and pumped up Bucs defense who led by Cornerback Paul Toulson immediately shut them down to the give the Bucs the ball back. The Bucs Offense picked up from where they left off and ran the ball hard at the Warriors defense soon finding themselves down near the Warriors endzone. McNally again sold a great fake and found team captain Matt Clayton in the endzone to take the score to 13 – 0 to the Bucs and leaving the Warriors stunned.

The Warriors though dusted themselves off and drove the ball downfield to score just before half time and then get a two point conversion to make it 13 – 8. The second half saw the Warriors come out strong and ready to prove why they had been unbeaten all season, a quick start on Offense saw them soon find the endzone and take the lead 14 – 13.

The Bucs seemed to drop their heads and couldn’t move the ball on Offense as they had done in the first half and so the Warriors to possession once again. The Bucs  defense stepped back up though and the two teams traded possession back and forth and it wasn’t until towards the end of the game when the Warriors manage to deliver a deadly blow and score through the air to seal the win 20 – 13.

The Bucs then had to play the London Warriors for the playoff place game and started on Defense. The Warriors moved the ball effectively with their Running Back and soon found the endzone and went 6 – 0 up. The Bucs though came out on offense with all guns blazing pounded the Blitz defense with their running game and it was Fullback James Mallon that broke two tackles and ran twenty yards for to tie the game 6 – 6.

The Blitz offense retook the field but failed to generate anything productive against a strong Bucs defense and were forced to turn possession back to the Bucs. It took the Bucs just two plays to find the endzone with Mallon  once again breaking tackles ran a homeward bound but this time for thirty five yards putting the Bucs 12 – 6 up. Quarterback McNally added the one point conversion to increase the Bucs lead 13 – 6.

The Blitz though using their strong running back managed to grind the Bucs defense and once again found the endzone and then get a two point conversion taking the score 13 – 14 to the Bucs.

With halftime closing in the score looked to be set not to move until some amazing blocking from Wide Receiver Chris Slessor allowed fullback Mallon to not only reach over 100 yards rushing in the game but also get his third touchdown of the day and increase the Bucs lead to 19 – 14 at halftime.

The Second half saw a fired up Blitz offense come out onto the field and once again using their star play gain ground towards the endzone and add another touchdown to his tally and give the Blitz the lead 20 – 19. The game then saw both teams swap possessions until QB McNally drew all the Blitz defense in and then hit Receiver Tom Salerno with a perfect pass who then breezed into the endzone to give the Bucs lead 25 – 20 with less than five minutes remaining!

As the clock dwindled down the Bucs were punished with a harsh penalty which put the Blitz just two yards outside of the endzone in which saw them take advantage and add six points to the scoreboard as the lead once again changed hands back to the Blitz 26 – 25. The Bucs took the field once again but were unable to make it count and the ball was handed back to the Blitz with less than two minutes remaining!

Some amazing tackling and the Bucs taking their timeouts, the Blitz were unable to run out the clock and so the Bucs were given one last chance to score with just thirty-eight seconds left. QB McNally hit Captain Clayton on a ten yard pass but he couldn’t get out of bounds to stop the clock, so the Bucs ran to the line and snapped the ball, as McNally checked down his receivers he found Mallon open and got the ball to him for a twenty yard gain. Mallon trying to fight his way to the endzone was  tackled just one yard short and with just ten seconds remaining  the Bucs ran back to the line, and as Offensive Assistant Coach Greg Adam shouted in plays which confused the Blitz defense and caused them to call a timeout giving the Bucs one last lifeline.

As the Bucs took the field for these last three second it seemed like everything was in slow motion until the McNally snapped the ball and hit a wide open Team Captain Matt Clayton for the one yard pass and gave the Bucs the win 31 – 26 sending the Bucs sideline into a frenzy.

The Bucs then played the Balby Carr Mustangs in a small last game in which they lost to finish 6^th in the standings, but for the Bucs it was more about getting the players game time and rookies Alan Barrow and Sam Thompson certainly stepped up to the plate during the game on both sides of the ball. However the game took a turn for the worst when QB McNally took a thunderous hit causing him a severe concussion to put a damper on the day.

After the games Kitted Head Coach and Club Manager Ian Nicolson said “Firstly I am immensely proud of what my team has done today, the performances they have put in throughout their three games could not of made me prouder and I couldn’t of asked for more. Secondly and more importantly as Club Manager, to have all three teams here today making club history really does make me the proudest club manager in the country and every player and coach should be proud of what they have achieved this season.” 

Sunday 28th August sees Playoffs football come to Blackburn Rugby Club.

The Quarter Finals of BAFANL Division 2 sees the Central Conference Champions, the Lancashire Wolverines, host the Essex Spartans, who finished as runners up in the Eastern Division. The Wolverines record of 9 wins and 1 loss this season sees them ranked as the number 2 seed in Division 2, matching them with the number 7 seed Spartans (7 wins, 2 losses and 1 tie). The other playoff matches see the Central Division runners up Shropshire Revolution travel to play the Berkshire Renegades, whilst the Kent Exiles face the South Wales Warriors, and the Milton Keynes Pathfinders have a long trek to play the top-seeded West Coast Trojans.

In the BAFANL Junior Quarter Finals the Lancashire Wolverine Colts (7-0-1), who finished as Northern Conference Champions are up against the Tamworth Phoenix (5-0-2), who were runners in the Central Conference. Both teams have managed to avoid defeat this season, so this match up should prove interesting. The other quarter final matchups see the Gateshead Senators travel to play the Sheffield Tomahawks (with the Winner of that game facing todays Winner in the semi finals). In the other side of the playoff set up the London Blitz host Colchester Gladiators, whilst last years BAFANL Junior Champions the Bristol Aztecs travel to the Cambridgeshire Cats.

Entry to Blackburn Rugby club is free of charge and kick off for the Colts is scheduled to be at 12noon, with the second game beginning at 3pm. We hope to see you at Ramsgreave Drive for a great afternoon of American Football.

Go Wolverines!!

The Academy celebrated the 15 year anniversary of its Wolverine Colts this past Sunday at Blackburn Rugby Club with a day of fitting tributes to the team’s fantastic past fifteen years. On the field, the Colts kicked off the day with an exhilarating 86-8 win over local rivals the Manchester Titans. In front of a packed out crowd that included many ex-Colts, the Wolverines’ Senior team also claimed a victory 17-6 over the Chester Romans, making the prospect of an unbeaten regular season a very real possibility with one fixture remaining.

Off the field saw the largest attendance of the season with spectators enjoying the amenities surrounding the two featured games. The bar and barbeque, as well as the Colts team history and merchandise stalls went down a treat whilst younger attendees enjoyed the bouncy castle. The Colts two most successful head coaches, Geoff Leigh and Paul Day later announced their much anticipated Colts All-star teams.

Both on and off the field the day was a huge success and a great celebration of 15 years of Colts football. The publicity that the event received in Lancashire media outlets and the scale of the celebration was also testament to something further - that the Lancashire Academy of American Football is growing, thriving and promising a successful future.

COLTS STUN TITANS

After 15 years of great football the current Colts were challenged by their coaching staff to serve up a performance that reflected the team’s glorious tradition. They certainly didn’t disappoint with their sensational 86-8 win over the Titans. The victory also meant that for the third consecutive season the Colts were crowned North Division winners.

Colts All-Star member Jonny Frayne got the Colts off to a fast start by scoring within minutes of the kick-off and his early score set a menacing tone. With the Colts defence creating multiple turnovers, on several occasions the offence found itself in great starting field position and capitalised to a great extent. The offence put together many effective drives in its highest scoring performance of the season. Colts All-Star tight end Seb Kerridge and running back Jake Hodgkinson capped these series with multiple touchdowns through the air and on the ground. Defensive end Mark Balcombe recovered a loose ball after a mishap in the Manchester end-zone for a touchdown and in addition the defence forced two safeties to complete the Colts first half scoring. At the break the hosts held a staggering 50-0 lead.

In the second half Kerridge would add to his tally, first with a weaving running score and then as the recipient of another gracefully thrown pass by James Slack. The Colts quarterback would finish the day with four touchdown passes and in the second half added a rushing touchdown of his own from three yards out.

Despite a defensive mix up that resulted in Manchester scoring their lone touchdown, the Colts continued to force turnovers and generate good field position. Krit Duffy and Joni Gordon intercepted Matt Blinkhorn passes whilst Tom Jump, Jake Hodgkinson, Casey McArdle and James Robbins each brought the Titans quarterback crashing down to the turf for sacks that had field position implications.

Jake Hodgkinson tallied two further rushing touchdowns from 5 and 24 yards out to complete the Colts lofty scoring as the final score was pushed to a fantastic 86-8. The emphatic win gives the Colts excellent momentum heading into the playoffs buoyed by impressive outing by both their offence and defence and proved tremendously fitting for the celebration of 15 years of Colts football.

VENI, VIDI, VICI – Wolverines defeat Romans

In the second game of the anniversary day double-header the Lancashire Wolverines moved a step closer to an unbeaten regular season and continued their push for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with victory over the Chester Romans. The 17-6 score-line was reflective of a game in which the home team largely remained in control but was made to work for their win.

Danny Morton saw his 19-yard field goal blocked as the Wolverines attempted to put up early points. Instead, on a day when he was named quarterback of the Colts all-star team, it was fitting that ex-Colt Adam Purcell gave the Wolverines the lead by returning an interception for a touchdown from the 26-yard line. Purcell picked off the attempted pass over the middle before reversing field and hurdling into the endzone. Morton’s extra point was good to give the hosts a 7-0 lead.

Although the Wolverines showed some glimpses of promise on offence they couldn’t quite manage to punch the ball into the endzone in the first half. On the other hand, an interception by cornerback Chris Anderson and a fumble recovery by defensive tackle Tony Stephenson ensured that Chester were also unable to answer offensively.

In the second half the visitors found some success but not before linebacker Carl Rimmer, another ex-Colts standout and member of its announced all-star team, provided a timely interception which he returned to the Chester 21-yard line. From here the Wolverines offence did score as David Mead (another member announced as part of the all-star team) threw an eight yard pass to wide receiver Neil Sullivan. Danny Morton again tacked on the extra point to extend the Wolverine lead to 14-0.

Chester aimed to counter and a long successful drive was capped off with a four yards rushing touchdown by James Tootle. However, the visitors in looking to close the deficit were unsuccessful in their 2 point conversion attempt. Late in the third quarter the Wolverines countered as Danny Morton impressively connected on a 33-yard field goal attempt and the 17-6 lead remained after a scoreless fourth quarter.

The fact that many ex-Colts are amongst the ranks of the Wolverines and contributing to their current unbeaten record was yet another fitting theme for the anniversary event. The Wolverines visit the Sheffield Predators this coming Sunday in a bid to complete the regular season undefeated.

Article By Christopher Ollett.