![]() Tue, Nov 29 - The much-awaited championship game finally took place this past Tuesday, pitting the #1 seed Hooligans against #3 seed We Love TDs. The weather was unusually great for late November with a 55 degree temperature and sunny skies. The match featured very high scoring, but the Hooligans defense consistently forced turnovers to maintain a steady lead and claimed a 70-54 victory. With the win the Hooligans complete a perfect 3-0 season and claim their 3rd championship in the last 5 years, finally earning the label of a true dynasty. Due to late notice of the unavailability of the CUAA football field the teams had to make adjustments on the fly to still get the game in. Hooligans captain Mike Russell and We Love TDs captain Gabe Farr agreed to use the grass in front of the stadium as the playing area and together they worked out the field dimensions. The teams agreed to play first to 70 points rather than the traditional 2 20-minute halves. Both teams began play 5-on-5 as neither side had a girl present. The field was significantly longer than the usual playing area, but that didn’t stop the Hooligans offense as Humphrey Ihejirikah took a short pass from Micah Oetting and juked his way down the field for an early score. We Love TDs would counter on the next series as Hunter Kinney would start at the quarterback position and find Greg Barbuto deep. Derek Nelson would switch to QB for the Hooligans on the next series and Humphrey Ihejirikah would once again show his elusiveness taking a short pass to the endzone. Blaine Milheim would then step up defensively for the Hooligans, making the first of his three interceptions in the game and returning it for a pick 6 and a 24-8 Hooligans lead. Hunter Kinney would lead another scoring drive for We Love TDs as he would find Mitch Diamond in the endzone with Greg Barbuto adding a 2-pt conversion. Matt Botti checked into the game for the Hooligans and made his presence felt with a huge run, but the We Love TDs defense would force a turnover on downs. However Blaine Milheim gave the Hooligans the momentum right back as he would make his second “pick 6” of the game on the next series. Marshall Oetting then stepped up defensively making a “pick 6” of his own, and the Hooligans would convert a 3-point conversion with Blaine Milheim grabbing a jump ball over We Love TDs captain Gabe Farr to open up a 41-16 lead. We Love TDs players would begin to show signs of frustration, but their offense would have life as Hunter Kinney would connect with captain Gabe Farr for a touchdown though Matt Botti would sack Kinney on the 2-pt conversion attempt. Matt Botti would switch to quarterback for the Hooligans and lead a scoring drive, connecting with Blaine Milheim for both a touchdown and 3-pt conversion. Matt Botti then stepped up defensively forcing a fumble and returning it for a touchdown making the score 56-22 in favor of the Hooligans. Hunter Kinney would connect with Greg Barbuto on the next drive and then made a pick 6, giving We Love TDs two straight scores. Derek Nelson would rotate back in as quarterback for the Hooligans and he would perform well finding Matt Botti for a touchdown. The Hooligans’ lead looked insurmountable with a 62-36 advantage, but We Love TDs did make a late comeback bid scoring 18 unanswered points. Hunter Kinney would connect with Mitch Diamond for a touchdown, Mitch Diamond would make a pick 6, and then Mitch Diamond would once again come up with an interception giving his team the ball. Hunter Kinney would take advantage of the great field position connecting with Ryan Abenth for a touchdown, but Blaine Milheim would intercept the PAT attempt and return it for 2. With the Hooligans needing just one more score to claim the championship Marshall Oetting would move to quarterback for the final drive. He skillfully led the team down the field, eventually finding Humphrey Ihejirikah for the game-clinching score. The game would end 70-54 in favor of the Hooligans and the dreams of a dynasty would be realized. Carly Pearson, Chandlar Zavala, and Kassidy Grandorff were at the game to cheer on the Hooligans. The team completes a 3-0 season, going undefeated for the first time since the 2012 championship year. The Hooligans have been impressive in the modern era of CUAA flag football, winning 3 of the last 5 championship games dating back to 2012 and appearing in 7 of the last 8 championship games dating back to 2009. It is uncertain what the future of the franchise will be next year, but captain Mike Russell hopes that the team will continue in some way in the future. Be sure to check back in the coming weeks for the announcement of the All-Star rosters, a Hooligans season overview, and the announcement of the Hooligan awards for 2016. ROLL HOOLIGANS!
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We hope all Pigskin Hooligans fans had a great Thanksgiving! The Hooligans are still hungry for a championship, and we will be making our fourth attempt to hold the championship game tomorrow (Tuesday, November 29) at 4:00pm. The weather forecast calls for it to be around 55 degrees and sunny at that time - perfect weather for a game!
The game should be held on the real CUAA football field, though Rummel Field is always the backup location if for some reason the football field is unavailable. We once again hope to see a HUGE crowd, so be sure to come out and support the team tomorrow at 4:00 as the Hooligans look to win their 3rd championship in the last 5 years! ROLL HOOLIGANS! We regret to inform fans that the championship game has once again been cancelled for today due to holiday travel schedules. We hope to reschedule the game after the Thanksgiving break depending on weather and team member availability. We wish all Hooligan fans a Happy Thanksgiving and be sure to check back for updates....ROLL HOOLIGANS!
The championship game has now been rescheduled for this Tuesday, November 22nd, at 4:00pm. The Pigskin Hooligans are looking to win their 3rd championship in the last 5 years when they face off against We Love TDs. The game will be played at either the real CUAA football stadium or Rummel Field. We'd love to see a huge crowd so come out and support the team....ROLL HOOLIGANS!
IMPORTANT SCHEDULE CHANGE: The championship game will not be held today due to scheduling conflicts. We expect the game will be rescheduled for some time this next week.
Tomorrow at 4pm the Hooligans will be playing to win their 3rd championship in the last 5 years! The team enters the playoffs as the #1 seed, receiving a 1st round bye after finishing 2-0 in the regular season. The Hooligans will play the winner of the Wamp Rats versus We Love TDs game which will be held at 3pm.
We would love to see a huge crowd to support the team! Be sure to head out to the CUAA football field tomorrow, Sunday, at 4pm. ROLL HOOLIGANS! With many rostered members unable to play in this past Sunday’s games, the Hooligans added a few players for the doubleheader: ![]() Hallie Williams, junior, 1st year Hooligan - Hallie signed with the Pigskin Hooligans for the second match of their doubleheader after competing against the team in the first match. She brings an athletic background to the team as a defender on CUAA’s first ever varsity women’s lacrosse team. Hallie made several pass receptions in the Hooligans’ game against the Wamp Rats to help advance the offense down the field. She had this to say on signing with the team: “It’s an honor to sign with the team, I’m excited to be here!” ![]() Matt Botti, sophomore, 1st year Hooligan - Matt signs with the Hooligans for the first time in his intramural career. He brings an athletic background to the team as a utility player on the CUAA baseball team. Matt played for We Love TDs last season, leading the league with 4 interceptions. He showed great versatility on both sides of the ball for the Hooligans, using his speed to make big gains on offense and showing great hands making both flag grabs and an interception on defense. We will keep fans posted as to when the Hooligans will be in action again, stay tuned for updates...ROLL HOOLIGANS! ![]() Sun, Nov 6 - After defeating We Love TDs in the first game of their doubleheader, the Hooligans would put their 1-0 record on the line against the Wamp Rats in the second game. The team maintained a steady lead throughout the game with a strong offensive performance, but the Wamp Rats did manage to find holes in the Hooligans defense as the teams traded scores all throughout the second half. The Hooligans would emerge with a 62-53 victory after the dust settled, securing their first 2-0 start since the 2012 season. The Hooligans won the opening coin toss and elected to play defense first, taking the ball to start the second half. Micah Oetting would quickly get the Hooligans the ball back with an interception, and new quarterback Matt Botti would step up and find Dana Ford for a 9-pt score with Micah Oetting adding a 3-pt conversion. Joel Werner would then take the reins of the quarterback position for the Wamp Rats and he led a very nice drive, eventually connecting with Tyler Tweedale in the endzone though Micah Oetting intercepted the PAT attempt and returned it for 2. On the next series Hooligans captain Mike Russell took a short swing pass and showed his elusiveness, spinning his way past several defenders for a touchdown to make it a 22-6 Hooligan lead. After the Hooligans defense forced a turnover on downs Matthew Botti would find Marshall Oetting in the endzone for another score, although James Haugen would make a great pass breakup on the 3-pt conversion attempt. The Wamp Rats would switch to Matt Korte at quarterback and he led his team down the field eventually passing to James Haugen for a late touchdown with Tyler Tweedale adding the 1-pt conversion. The halftime score would read 28-13 in favor of the Hooligans. The Hooligans began the second half with the ball and Matthew Botti continued to perform well at the quarterback position, connecting once again with Marshall Oetting for a touchdown. On the next series the Wamp Rats opened up their playbook, calling the “Trump Train” play in which the entire team lined up in a row 7 players deep. The Hooligans defense attempted to “build a wall”, but Matt Korte would find Connor Forbes for a quick touchdown strike in the endzone with captain Andrew Ripke notching the 2-pt PAT. The Wamp Rats would gain momentum on the next series as James Haugen made a huge interception leading to Matt Korte finding Joel Werner for a touchdown and cutting the Hooligans lead to 36-27. The Hooligans would switch back to Micah Oetting at quarterback and he would once again show his arm strength finding Derek Nelson on a deep route for a quick score. The Wamp Rats would still battle hard as Matt Korte hit Tyler Tweedale in the endzone keeping it a close game at 42-33. Matthew Botti showed his speed on the next play, eluding defenders and cutting back across the field for a nice touchdown run. The Wamp Rats would continue to respond as Tyler Tweedale hauled in his third TD catch of the day with James Haugen adding a 2-pt conversion to make it 48-41. The teams traded scores as Micah Oetting connected with Matt Botti while Matt Korte would find fan favorite Connor Forbes on the next series. In the waning minutes Micah Oetting would fire deep to brother Marshall Oetting to make it a 62-47 game and secure the game for the Hooligans. The Wamp Rats made a late quarterback change as Kayla Swanson showed great poise in the pocket passing to Connor Forbes for a short gain. Connor Forbes would catch one more touchdown from Matt Korte as time expired, and the Hooligans would secure a 62-53 victory. Chuck McKinney, Omar Prieto, and Victor Diaz were at the game to cheer on the Hooligans. Alison Rein, Becca Johnstone, Emmi Schultz, and Esther Schultz cheered for Hallie Williams and the Hooligans at times, but they also seemed to show a strong affinity for Connor Forbes and the Wamp Rats. The Hooligans improved their record to 2-0 for the first time since the 2012 championship season. Back in 2012, the team finished a perfect 7-0 claiming their first title in franchise history. Stay tuned for details on the Hooligans’ next matchup...ROLL HOOLIGANS! ![]() Sun, Nov 6 - The Hooligans opened the 2016 season with a doubleheader on Sunday, playing on a beautiful sunny day with unusually warm weather for November. The team played their first game against We Love TDs in a rematch of last year’s title game. The Hooligans held the lead for most of the game but nearly lost control near the end, having to battle back from a late 1-point deficit to win 58-51. Marshall Oetting tied the franchise record for single-game receiving TDs with 4 in the match, putting him in a 4-way tie with other legends Angela Martin, Bre Taylor, and Micah Oetting. We Love TDs won the coin toss and elected to defer to the second half. Micah Oetting would receive the opening start at QB and drove the Hooligans down the field finding Dana Ford in the endzone for the first score of the 2016 season. Tyler Kempf would counter for We Love TDs, finding Kreighton Rahn in the endzone for a touchdown although new Hooligan signee Matt Botti would intercept the 3-pt conversion attempt. Micah Oetting would put together another scoring drive, this time connecting with brother Marshall Oetting for a TD pass with Derek Nelson adding the PAT. Kreighton Rahn would respond for We Love TDs as he took a short swing pass and eluded many flag grabs on his way to the endzone. The Hooligans would pull out some trickery on the next play as Marshall Oetting caught a pass just outside the endzone and lateraled to Dana Ford for a 9-pt female score to open a 28-14 lead. The teams traded scores before halftime with Tyler Kempf connecting with Kreighton Rahn for the third time on the day and Micah Oetting finding Marshall Oetting for the second time in the match. The halftime score would read 36-22 in favor of the Hooligans. Jessica Russ would arrive in the second half as a late signee for We Love TDs, and she would immediately make her presence felt showing blazing speed with a huge run setting up a Greg Barbuto touchdown. The Hooligans would continue to push downfield on offense as Micah Oetting would once again find Marshall Oetting for a TD strike. Another huge run by Jessica Russ, coupled with solid blocking from her lacrosse teammate Hallie Williams, would lead to a touchdown reception by We Love TDs captain Gabe Farr to narrow the Hooligans’ lead to 42-36. The Hooligans made an immediate answer in one play on the next series as Micah Oetting showed his arm strength looking deep to Derek Nelson who hauled in the touchdown, but We Love TDs would not go away as captain Gabe Farr scored a touchdown to keep it a 6-point game at 50-44. With under 3 minutes to go in the game the Hooligans looked to drive down the field and put the game away, but Gabe Farr came up with a huge “pick 6” to tie the game at 50-50. We Love TDs elected to go for a 1-point conversion and quarterback Tyler Kempf would take it in himself to give We Love TDs their first lead of the game at 51-50. With under 2 minutes Micah Oetting would remain calm and collected in the pocket, making a critical third down conversion and eventually finding Marshall Oetting who notched his franchise record-tying 4th receiving TD of the game. We Love TDs was left with under one minute to work with, and although they would put together a great last drive the Hooligans’ defense would come up with a stop on the last play of the game to deny a touchdown and secure a 58-51 win. Adrienne Woodruff and Chuck McKinney were present at the game to cheer on the Hooligans. The team won its season opener for the second straight year and improved to 1-0 on the young season. The Hooligans would go on to face the Wamp Rats in the second game of the doubleheader, that recap will follow shortly. With several players missing for the doubleheader Sunday and Brandon Waack reannouncing his retirement, the Hooligans have some key additions to announce thanks to the recruiting of team member Micah Oetting: ![]() Blaine Milheim, sophomore, 1st year Hooligan - Blaine will be a big addition to the Hooligans’ 2016 championship efforts. He brings athleticism honed as a star outfielder on the CUAA baseball team. Blaine has made big plays both on the diamond and the flag football field, having quarterbacked the We Love TDs squad that defeated the Hooligans 70-23 in last year’s championship game. He will bring great speed to the team and contribute on offense and defense. ![]() Derek Nelson, junior, 1st year Hooligan - Derek will be coming to the Hooligans for his first season in 2016. He also joins many of his baseball teammates on the Hooligans roster, having signed with CUAA baseball this year as a pitcher. Derek is listed at 6’2” which will make him a tall receiving target on offense, and his height will also make him a strong defender as he will be able to deflect high passes. Remember, the Hooligans will be in action this Sunday, November 6 at 3:00 against We Love TDs and then again at 4:00 versus the Wamp Rats. All games will be played on the real CUAA football field. The weather is supposed to be nice and we are looking for a huge crowd to support the franchise in the season opener. Come on out and support the team...ROLL HOOLIGANS! Get excited Hooligans fans - the 2016 season will officially open this Sunday, November 6 on the real CUAA football field! The Hooligans will be playing a doubleheader.
The first match will be at 3:00 against Gabe Farr's We Love TDs squad in a rematch of last year's championship game. The second match will be at 4:00 against Andrew Ripke's Wamp Rats squad in a rematch of last year's semifinal game. We hope to see a HUGE crowd out for the game so be sure to bring all your friends and come out to the CUAA football field at 3:00 and 4:00 this Sunday to cheer the Hooligans on to victory...ROLL HOOLIGANS! The 2016 flag football season will be underway soon, and the Hooligans will look to make one more championship drive this season. Captain Mike Russell is still awaiting word from the CUAA athletic department on field availability so that the schedule can be finalized. The franchise is still in contract negotiations with a few potential players to fill their last roster spot, but let’s take a look at the current team the Hooligans will field in 2016 (players listed alphabetically by first name according to number of years played, after captains): ![]() Mike Russell (captain), grad student, 11th year Hooligan - Captain Russell returns for one final championship drive with the Hooligans in 2016. He has continued to work tirelessly to assemble the best talent available, ensuring that the franchise remains competitive and in contention for a championship. On the field Russell has continued to improving his receiving skills over the years, and on the sidelines he provides solid leadership and coaching. He had this to say on returning to the team: “I am proud to get one more chance to lead this franchise to a title in 2016, roll Hooligans!” ![]() Angela Martin (co-captain), grad student, 6th year Hooligan - Angela returns to the Hooligans for a sixth year as a grad student, serving once again in a co-captain capacity. She has etched her name solidly into the Hooligan record books as the franchise’s career leader in touchdowns with 26. Angela has amazing speed and great hands, making her a sensational player on offense and defense. She will continue to make a huge impact on both sides of the ball for the Hooligans this season. ![]() Dana Ford, senior (6th year), 5th year Hooligan - Dana comes back to the Hooligans for her fifth year with the team. She has made a significant impact the last several years as a receiver, showing great catching ability and the speed to make some big gains. Dana earned the Gold Play of the Year last season for her long touchdown run in the playoffs which featured several juke moves. She has also shown ability as a defender notching interceptions and flag grabs. Dana had this to say about resigning with the team: “Roll Hooligans, it’s too cold to play flag football!” ![]() Humphrey Ihejirikah, senior (5th year), 3rd year Hooligan - Humphrey resigns with the Hooligans for his third time with the franchise, serving as one of the team’s players with collegiate football experience. He has been a very dependable receiver over his time with the team, making some key catches to keep drives alive and hauling in passes in the endzone. Humphrey has also shown tremendous hustle on the defensive end, earning Defensive Player of the Year in 2015 for his efforts making numerous flag grabs. ![]() Marshall Oetting, senior, 3rd year Hooligan - After many last-minute contract negotiations were hammered out Marshall has signed again with the Hooligans for his third season. He has been stellar at the quarterback position, earning co-MVP honors the last two years and showing great arm strength and field awareness. Marshall has also seen time at receiver and has been solid on the defensive side of the ball as well. He had this to say on returning to the team: “I’m glad to be on the team!” ![]() Micah Oetting, senior, 3rd year Hooligan - Similarly, after much discussion with his agent Micah has returned to the Hooligans for the 2016 season. He has been stellar at the receiver position, earning co-MVP honors the last two years and showing great hands, speed, and route-running. Micah also has shown great defensive ability in making interceptions, and he is a capable quarterback as well having led the championship drive in 2014. He had this to say on returning to the team: “It’s good to be back with the Hooligans, I’m here to win a championship!” ![]() Brandon Waack, senior, 2nd year Hooligan - Brandon will return to the Hooligans in 2016 after contemplating retirement in the offseason. He provided a great speed option in the 2015 season, hauling in 3 receiving touchdowns and making great gains. Brandon also made his presence felt on defense coming up with an interception which he returned for a touchdown. He will be an impact player on both sides of the ball for the Hooligans this year. ![]() Jordan Taylor-McLeggan, senior (5th year), 2nd year Hooligan - Jordan comes back to the Hooligans for her second year after signing with the team late last year for the playoff run. She showed great potential as a receiver in the 2015 playoffs, running solid routes and hauling in a touchdown catch. Jordan has been training hard all summer for flag football season and she hopes to gain the attention of women’s football league scouts. She had this to say on returning to the team: “I’m glad to be back, it’s been a long summer but now I’m ready!” ![]() Lukas Mueller, senior, 2nd year Hooligan - Lukas returns to the Hooligans for his second year with the franchise. While he was unable to play last year due to his schedule he will look to pick up where he left off in the 2014 season - as a highly dependable receiver who hauled in 6 touchdown catches and made some crucial first-down receptions. Lukas’ 6’3” height will also enable him to make an impact on defense. ![]() Jon Targus, senior (5th year), 1st year Hooligan - Jon will be new to the Hooligans in 2016. He brings an athletic background to the team having completed a sensational 2-year career as a pitcher for CUAA baseball. Jon towers at 6’4” which will make him a tall dependable target at the receiver position. His height will also make him a good defender as he will be able to deflect passes. Jon had this to say on signing with the team: “Signing with the Hooligans was one of the best decisions of my life. Such a great opportunity and honor to play for a historic franchise, I really am blessed!” It is possible that the Hooligans could play this upcoming weekend, but as noted before we are still awaiting word from the CUAA athletic department on field availability. Stay tuned for more updates...ROLL HOOLIGANS! |
Written by Mike Russell
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