Women's Football Continues to Grow

Lyndi Prestgard Falconz LB going in for a tackle on Megann Lohman

by MICHAEL RAMOS

We always look forward to playing the Mile High Blaze. They were the first team to score on us, and they're the only team we've faced which has scored on us in more than one game. Our defense has one goal when we play them: to get a shutout.

As usual, Blaze Coach Terry Lister and his staff had his ladies playing. They were missing players. Wide receiver Kim Santistevan was out, as was quarterback Tyesha Lowery. Lowery is an all-out baller. She's got a great knack for keeping plays alive. She breaks plays and can fire the ball deep downfield. She's a true test for our defense, and it was a shame she didn't play. As a coach, I'd prefer she be in the sideline because she's a headache. As a fan, though, I love to watch her play.

But Blaze QB Stacey Williams stepped up and played well against us. Her passes were on the money. And even though we had three interceptions, she was throwing darts. Passes were just out of reach of our defenders, and their receivers played well. Williams got her team in to the end zone on a deep pass we barely missed knocking down. Even though we won 67-6, the defense really wanted the shutout. So in our opinion, the Blaze got us again.

That's not to downplay our performance. With the three interceptions Saturday, that makes eight picks in two games. However, none of them have been returned for touchdowns, as I've reminded my defense. I like when they're hungry, so whenever they get an interception, I grill them if they don't run it back for a touchdown. Our Falconz offense was as efficient as ever, scoring on nearly every time we get the ball, and that includes our second- and third-string units.

Without question, the Blaze is a great group to play against. On and off the field, they are a commendable group. When I spoke to their players, they always answered with "Yes, sir" or "No, sir". I don't think Yolanda Searcy took any plays off. She was carrying the ball like a beast, making tackles on defense, and blocking on kick return. The only time I saw her take a break was during the two lightning delays, and in between quarters.

If they stay the course, the Blaze has the potential to be a juggernaut. The team is loaded with talent, with a nucleus of players who continue to improve. And they're not afraid to play us. This is particularly refreshing because playing football games should be the reason we're all here. We watch a lot of film whenever we have the Blaze on the schedule.

Not only are they playing solid football, they're playing their local rivals. That means they're bringing more attention and fans to women's football. It'd be nice to get a rivalry like that going in Utah. We have the teams here, we have the talent, it's about time to make it happen.

Until then, we're happy to have friendly rivalries with teams like the Blaze and the Rocky Mountain Thunderkatz. The Blaze was a great opponent to have as we are closing out our schedule. We can use the film against them to continue to teach our players what it's going to take to become a championship team.

They're also a great group to break bread with. Whether home or away, we always get together post-game to have a few drinks. I wasn't able to make it this time around, as I needed to catch a redeye. But I'm looking forward to the next encounter, because it's sure to be a great one.

While I couldn't make it to the fifth quarter get-together between our teams, can I take a second or two to laud Mesa Verde Restaurant inside Denver International? Not only was the food great, our server Allie was a tough little spitfire Coach Lister should look at recruiting. Moral of the story: Colorado is full of tough women. We're playing another one this week. The Colorado Freeze travels to Salt Lake ready to battle. They're a new team, and we're looking forward to another Colorado rival. 

You may have noticed a slowdown in the blog posts. Watching loads of film and preparing for opponents leaves little time for reflection. However, now that we are gearing up for the postseason, it's a good time to reflect on everything that's happened so far. After this week, anything can happen. Our season can be over with one bad half, or with a defense that loses focus.

My job is to make sure we don't lose focus. So right now I'm focusing on more game film.

The State of Women's Football

California Quake defense stopping Danielle Moyes short of carrying the ball over the goal line.

by MICHAEL RAMOS

What is the state of women's football when one team beats another 81-0? It's a legitimate question, because every Saturday, scores like this can be seen across the women's football landscape.

If you look closely, our game against the California Quake provides a couple of answers on what's going on with the game.

The first is there are a lot of teams with a great deal of heart, and passion for the game. The Quake exemplified this in every way. They agreed to play is when others backed out. They knew we had 45+ on our roster, and agreed to meet us with 13 players. You want to be impressed? Watch a team like the Quake play nearly the equivalent of iron-man football.

Regardless of the score, those ladies were impressive. Furthermore, they were well-coached. For a short-handed team, they flew around the field, and gang-tackled. And even though they didn't have any subs, it was offset by the fact they were well-conditioned. The Quake players didn't commit the mental mistakes most teams in that situation normally do. There were few holding or offside penalties, there weren't any pass interference calls because their cornerback was lazy and didn't play good coverage.

What gets lost in the lopsided score is the disciplined brand of football the Quake played. They did the little things. In football and in life, the little things are the difference between winning and losing. Don't believe me? Look at the Olympics, where the gold and silver medal is decided by hundredths of a second. The NBA Finals have been won by a jumper inches from being blocked. This year's Super Bowl was decided by a diving interception at the goal line.

So if you find a team that doesn't jump offsides and swarm-tackles, don't sleep on them. I'll take a team like that all day. Disciplined football is what championship coaches preach.

So a big shout out to the Quake. They earned the respect of every player on the Falconz. If they continue to heed their coaches' advice, and if they can increase their numbers in talent-rich California, they're going to be a handful. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a strong, clean rivalry.

The flip-side to that coin, however, is there are a lot of cowards out there. There are a number of opponents with larger numbers than the Quake which refuse to play us. And while there is a lot of bickering back and forth about which league is the best and which ranking system holds the most weight, the bottom line is teams from the "superior" league backed out of playing us.

Some say it's political, but I'm calling b.s. We steamrolled every team we've played from the WFA, and this year we've done nothing but add size and depth to our roster. If rankings haven't taken that in to effect, they're not worth the paper they're printed on.

But that's a blog for another day.

For now, it's off to Denver to pay the Mile High Blaze. Of all the teams we've played, the Blaze has been able to consistently move the ball against us. They're tough at home, so this is going to be a good game. A tough team that wants to play us? That's great for women's football.