![]() Fri, Nov 17 – The Pigskin Hooligans entered the first round of the playoffs on Friday afternoon, facing off against the #3 Wamp Rats in a rematch of the team’s season opener. The Hooligans were looking to pull off an upset and advance to the second round on Sunday afternoon. Once again a massive deficit in players plagued the team – despite a huge roster size, only four original team members were available to play. The Hooligans showed heart and determination, keeping the game close, but the team was eliminated from the playoffs as the Wamp Rats advanced with a 22-14 victory. The Hooligans made a late signing, adding Conner Forbes to the team, and he joined co-captain Danielle Thompson, Darius Wilson, Ken Simon and co-captain Mike Russell starting on the field. The Hooligans won the coin toss and elected to play defense first. Danielle Thompson contributed many key flag grabs throughout the day, but the Wamp Rats moved the ball steadily down the field with a 7-on-5 advantage. However Conner Forbes would come up with an interception in the endzone and return it all the way for a “pick 6”, giving the Hooligans their first lead of the season. The Wamp Rats responded on their next drive as captain Andrew Ripke hooked up with Tyler Tweedale for a touchdown, tying the game 6-6. On the Hooligans’ next possession Darius Wilson showed off his speed, gashing the defense for big gains. The Wamp Rats eventually managed to force a turnover on downs, taking over just past midfield. But the Hooligans’ defense came up huge again – Conner Forbes came up with his second “pick 6” of the game. Forbes would then toss a 2-pt conversion pass to Ken Simon to give the Hooligans a 14-6 lead. The Wamp Rats converted on their next drive to even the score again. Joel Werner took the reins of the quarterback position and tossed a pass to Micah Penhallegon with Taylor Kahlstorf hauling in the game-tying 2-pt conversion. The Hooligans moved down the field again as co-captain Mike Russell took a swing pass for a long gain and Ken Simon hauled in a first-down reception. The offense would make it just outside the goal line, but the Wamp Rats would come up with a goal line stand to force a turnover on downs. Darius Wilson paced the Hooligans’ defense with clutch flag grabs, but despite facing a long field the Wamp Rats converted - Joel Werner connected with Daniel Jacob with Tyler Tweedale adding a 2-pt conversion to take a 22-14 lead. The Hooligans made one last drive before halftime but a deep pass to the endzone would be broken up by Micah Penhallegon. At halftime, the Hooligans had several players who had to leave which brought the team down to 3 total players. All captains agreed that the most fair decision was to declare the first half the end of the game, giving the Wamp Rats a 22-14 win. Hooligans co-captain Mike Russell and Wamp Rats captain Andrew Ripke drafted teams of 5 for a pickup game “just for fun”. Russell’s team would win 37-36, paced by the standout play of first overall draft pick Danielle Thompson. Grace Stadler cheered on the Hooligans from a distance while at CUAA women’s soccer practice. The Hooligans conclude their 2017 season with an 0-3 record. The Wamp Rats improve to 2-1, claiming their first playoff win in franchise history. They had this to say on the historic playoff victory: “Soli Deo Gloria! #trusttheprocess”, while also adding: “Dilly-dilly!”. The Wamp Rats will now advance to face the #2 seed, the Green Hornets, this Sunday afternoon. Be sure to check back in the next several weeks for a season overview and other coverage. The upper management of the Pigskin Hooligans firmly believes that the organization has many talented young players that played this year and the future is bright. If additional team members can be secured for next year so that a full roster can be fielded in games, more championships could be just around the corner. ROLL HOOLIGANS! Note: All interceptions listed are on defense.
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Remember the Pigskin Hooligans have their 1st round playoff game today against the #3 Wamp Rats at 3:45pm! The game will be played on the mini soccer field in front of Cardinal Stadium. Come out and support the team.....ROLL HOOLIGANS!
The Pigskin Hooligans compete in their 1st round playoff game tomorrow, Friday Nov. 17th, at 3:45pm on the mini-soccer field in front of Cardinal Stadium! The team will face the #3 Wamp Rats in a re-match of the Hooligans' season opener. Come on out and support the team......ROLL HOOLIGANS!
![]() Sun, Nov 12 – On a chilly, drizzly Sunday afternoon the Pigskin Hooligans played their second game to conclude their regular season. The team faced off against the Green Hornets, who entered with an 0-1 record after a close 16-12 loss to O Block in their season opener. The Hooligans once again faced a massive personnel shortage with only 4 team members available for the game despite their massive roster size. The Green Hornets made 5 interceptions on defense and cruised to a 66-11 win over the Hooligans. The Green Hornets showed great sportsmanship in playing with only 4 players at a time to match the Hooligans’ number. The Hooligans began with Blake Dean, Kaushik Thallapally, Ken Simon and captain Mike Russell on the field defensively. The Green Hornets converted on their opening possession as Alex Janssen found captain Tyler Pummell in the endzone for an early strike. However, the Hooligan defense would make an impact on the PAT as Blake Dean forced a fumble on the attempt and returned it all the way for 2 points. Kaushik Thallapally hauled in an early reception for the Hooligans on their first possession, but Green Hornets captain Tyler Pummell made an interception on a deep ball. The Hornets capitalized as Eric Bugg passed to JT Clark with Devyn Miller adding a 3-pt conversion catch. After a turnover on downs Blake Dean continued to lead the Pigskin Hooligans defensively, making an interception. However Jacob Baxter responded with a pick for the Hornets which led to Eric Bugg making a power run into the endzone for a 21-2 lead. Captain Mike Russell made the first of several receptions on the next series, eluding defenders for a 10-yard gain. However the Hornets forced a turnover on downs and converted one more time before halftime. Alex Janssen looked deep to Paul Zysk who picked up a great block from captain Tyler Pummell on his way to the endzone. The Hornets led 30-2 at the break. The Hooligans began the second half with the ball but Paul Zysk used his 6’ 9” height to make an interception for the Green Hornets. Eric Bugg would then toss a deep pass to Paul Zysk who caught the ball in stride, although Kaushik Thallapally denied the 3-pt conversion attempt. Ken Simon showed his elusiveness several times in the second half, making sensational spin moves to avoid flag grabs. Blake Dean and Ken Simon both alternated snaps at quarterback, but while the Hooligans picked up some positive yardage they struggled to move the ball and were forced to punt. The Green Hornets scored again on the next drive as Alex Janssen found Jacob Baxter for a deep touchdown and then ran for a 3-point conversion. Eric Bugg then made two consecutive “pick 6” plays – one came on a deflected ball and one came on a deep pass. With time winding down the Hooligans put together one last solid drive. Ken Simon hauled in a first-down reception right at midfield to convert on 4th down. With the Hooligans in the redzone, quarterback Blake Dean lofted a high pass to the left side of the endzone which was caught by Hooligans captain Mike Russell for a touchdown. The Green Hornets would make one last drive as they aimed to score 69 points. Alex Janssen connected with Jacob Baxter for a score, but the 3-pt conversion was no good. The Green Hornets emerged with a 66-11 win. Hooligangsters captain Gabe Farr excellently officiated the game between the two teams. The Pigskin Hooligans drop to 0-2 and will be the #6 seed in the playoffs. The Green Hornets improve to 1-1. Despite the low ranking, it should be noted that the Hooligans have historically performed well in the underdog role. In 2014 the team entered the playoffs as the lowest seed after a 1-3 regular season, and they ended up winning the championship. The playoffs are currently scheduled for Sunday, November 19 but we are still uncertain of the exact details. Stay tuned for updates…ROLL HOOLIGANS! Note: All interceptions listed are on defense. The Pigskin Hooligans will be in action today at 2pm against the Green Hornets at the Cardinal Football Field. Come out and cheer on the team.......ROLL HOOLIGANS!
The Pigskin Hooligans are scheduled to play the Green Hornets this Sunday (Nov 12) at 2:00 in Cardinal Stadium! The matchups had to be shuffled slightly due to team schedules, so the 3:00 matchup will now feature the Wamp Rats vs the Hooligangsters in a battle of the league's top two teams.
The Green Hornets enter with an 0-1 record, having suffered a 16-12 defeat in their season opener against O Block. The Hooligans will look to even their record with a victory so come on out and cheer on the team...ROLL HOOLIGANS! IMPORTANT SCHEDULE CHANGE: The Hooligans game originally scheduled for 2pm tomorrow has been cancelled due to projected thunderstorms. We expect the game will likely be rescheduled for some time next Sunday. Check back for updates......ROLL HOOLIGANS!
The Pigskin Hooligans' next game is currently scheduled for this Sunday, November 5 at 2:00pm against the rival Hooligangsters! The Hooligangsters enter the game 1-0 after defeating Balls Deep 68-46 last Sunday. The team features several former members of the Pigskin Hooligans franchise.
We are still waiting for official word but we hope that Cardinal Stadium will be available as the game location for Sunday at 2pm. If not, the teams should be able to compete on the small soccer field in front of the stadium. We will also continue to watch the weather as current projections show a strong chance of thunderstorms Sunday afternoon. In that case, the game would have to be rescheduled. Stay tuned for updates...ROLL HOOLIGANS! |
Written by Mike Russell
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