Would you call out your CEO like this?

Hamstring muscle is at about 95%. I went for an 100 minute run on my treadmill today, logging 8.25 miles. A little slow, but good to be able to run for distance again!

For the first time in the team's three year existance, we won a playoff game Thursday night by the score of 3-0. No second half collapse this time!

The last game of the regular season pitted our 1-4 team against the 4-1 B league leader. We knew we could play them tough, as we were tied with them with two minutes to go in our last game against them. Just like Monday, we played with only seven players, so we were unable to do substitutions throughout the game.

The game started well, with mostly short drives and punts, in a field position game. They scored, we responded with a bootleg touchdown, and they scored again on the last play of the half. Halftime score was 13-6, with us very much in the game.

On the first drive after halftime, they once again scored, but missed the extra point. We responded with a scoring drive of our own, culminating with a touchdown throw off the scramble to Andre in the back of the endzone. Score is now 19-12. Trivia tidbit: To this point, we have not converted an extra point all season. Aprroximately 0 for 8!

Time is winding down, and a defensive stop is critical. The opposition marches down the field with scrambles and short passes. First and goal, pass out of the endzone. Second and goal, our corner Brian breaks in front of the pass with nothing but green ahead of him, but unfortunately he channels former Philadelphia Eagle defensive back Al Harris, and the pass falls harmlessly to the ground. Third and goal, Andre's gamble pays off with the interception, and he might be off to the races! He's at the 20, 30, 40, with blockers! The 50, the 40, the 30, and then a miraculous flag pull by the opposition to save the touchdown. With 1:30 left on the clock and both timeouts, there is plenty of time for the "two minute drill".

Two short passes to the linemen and a quarterback scramble gives us first and goal. Another short pass puts the ball on the 3 yard line, second and goal. Quarterback sneak.... stopped on the one yard line. Third and goal, hoping to catch them offguard we run the same play, the quarterback ends up in the end zone but the referee signals a flag pull down at the 1. Fourth and goal, our last chance to win one for the Shawn, the team organizer (he missed our only victory on the season, the only game he did not play). We line up 5 receivers left, and one running back. Play call is a halfback pass to the quarterback. I pitch the ball to Kevin, and go towards the endzone. Immediately I am levelled by the defensive lineman who was tricked by the playcall. Trying to find the action, I hear the referee's whistle and see his arms in the air. TOUCHDOWN! And I have no idea how.

Score 19-18, and here's where the trivia from before comes into play. We have never scored an extra point. In the huddle, I suggest the play we have tried twice before, feeling that it will work this time (in the previous two attempts, the pass attempt bounced off a receiver's hands). To a man, they channeled former Nebraska coach Tom Osbourne, in the 1984 Orange Bowl against Miami: "We want to go for two. Go for the victory!". I am surprised, but I channel "TMQ" (Gregg Easterbrook): "You're 1-4, what do you have to lose?". For the go-ahead points, we must score from the 7 yard line on one play.

The snap from center is good. I look left, it's covered. I look right, it's covered. The protection breaks down. I scramble out of the pocket. Juke past the first defender, end zone in front of me, with two defenders in front. I try to split them, ultimately colliding with both as they converged on me. I end up in the endzone, looking at the referee. He signals... flag pulled at the half yard line! Perhaps it would have been better if the team had channeled Jon Gruden for the two point conversion instead ;-) Forty seconds to go, without the ball but with two timeouts, our chances for victory are slim.

An incomplete pass stops the clock. A quarterback scramble gives them first down, and we are forced to call timeout. The defense holds on second and third downs, and we call our last timeout with five seconds remaining. Fourth down and 10, if we give up a first down, or if the play runs longer than five seconds, it is game over. The quarterback immediately scrambles for a huge gain, and it looks like all is lost. But wait! A flag is thrown before the first down line. An illegal spin move is called. Automatic five yard penalty, loss of down, and the game cannot end on a penalty. We get one more shot from midfield! The play call is "The Play", from the 1982 Stanford/Cal game. Basically, keep lateralling the ball until you score! The defense plays an aggressive set and breaks into our backfield immediately. I throw to an offensive lineman, but he drops it. Game over, but another close game for our team.

We finish the season 1-5, but we still make the playoffs! Season summary to follow after the playoffs are over.

We got our first real Christmas tree last night! After some initial growling, it looks like Scout is going to welcome the new addition ;-)

A 1-0 lead turned into another second half meltdown. I was a little disappointed with my goalkeeping performance, as I should have saved the second goal. Write the game off to rust, as it has been a long time since we have played!

Hey... didn't we have a blog entry with this title before?

We ran into a team with superior tactics and quarterbacking, who easily picked apart our defense and stifled our offense. I missed a few open throws, plus barely missed two receivers on deep routes that would have made things a bit more interesting. A bright spot for me was pulling in my third defensive interception on the year, but I think I have thrown a few more ;-)

We're off to Elise's brother's house today, for the rest of the Thanksgiving holiday. We figured we might as well drive on the busiest driving day of the year! I fully expect us to have a good time once we arrive.

In one convenient cartoon!

Our football game last night was delayed about 40 minutes as the prior game went to triple overtime. We struggled to keep warm and loose on the sidelines with the outside temperature at 40 degrees. We expected a tough game as the other team was 3-1, with two of those victories coming over a team that beat us handily. The first play of the game, the other team sent the snap from center over the quarterback's head and into the endzone, giving us a 2-0 lead. Sportingly, we allowed them to regain the lead for a while. Three quick touchdowns by them gave us a 20-2 deficit heading into the half.

A change in tactics was necessary... let's try throwing the ball downfield! A long strike to my favorite deep threat Andre bumped us to a 20-8 margin. On the following play, Andre intercepted the other team, and two plays later was rewarded with another short touchdown catch, and we are at 20-14 (you'll notice the missed extra points are a theme). THEN, a miracle interception by Anjun, rushing in as a defensive lineman with his arms raised in the air. The ball struck him in his chest and disappeared as he carried it the short distance to the endzone. We're tied at 20 with two minutes to go!

The other team executed the two-minute drill nearly flawlessly, as a short 5 yard pass became much more after two missed flag grabs. 27-20 now, with about one and a half minutes to play. We tried to execute our own two minute drill, and successfully moved the ball for a few plays. Faced with third and long, I went back to the well for another long shot to Andre. This play surprised no one, including the three guys guarding Andre, one of whom took the interception to the house. 34-20, and stick a fork in us. Just for kicks, we continued to throw long desperation passes, and the opposition faithfully intercepted them and returned them for touchdowns. I think the final score was about 48-20, but the game was much closer and more exciting than that.