Sun, Nov 17 - Following their victory over the White Choppas, the Pigskin Hooligans advanced to the championship game for the 9th time in franchise history. The Hooligans looked to spoil the undefeated season of the #1 seed Black Slicers who entered the game a perfect 4-0. While both teams traded touchdowns throughout the contest, a pair of late interceptions from Adam Purdy lifted the Slicers to a 63-57 championship win. The Slicers won the coin toss and elected to take defense first. Harry Kinney led a successful opening drive, connecting with Mikey Melcher in the endzone. Preston Sherman started at QB for the Slicers, running for several large gains. After taking a backwards pass, Joe Tany threw to Matthew Botti for a touchdown to tie the game 6-6. Harry Kinney found Mikey Melcher again for a touchdown with RJ Bortle adding a 2-pt conversion. Preston Sherman countered by rolling out of the pocket and firing deep to Matthew Botti for a score. On the next series Kimmy Thompson took a short pass and nearly scored, setting the team up outside the endzone. Harry Kinney found Ryan Bailey in the back of the endzone for a touchdown, but Matthew Botti intercepted the 2-pt conversion and returned it for 2 points. The Slicers took a 22-20 lead after Preston Sherman connected with Joe Tany for both a touchdown and 2-pt conversion. The Hooligans drove down the field in the final minute of the 1st half and Harry Kinney connected with Mikey Melcher in the back of the endzone for his 3rd TD of the day. The Hooligans led 26-22 at halftime. The Slicers started the 2nd half with the ball and Preston Sherman escaped pressure and found Matthew Botti for a touchdown to reclaim the lead. Harry Kinney responded by avoiding the blitz and connecting with Perry Melcher for a touchdown. After a deep catch by Matthew Botti, Preston Sherman ran in a touchdown with Adam Purdy adding the 2-pt PAT. Harry Kinney responded with a highlight-reel run from the quarterback position, juking multiple defenders and blazing his way into the endzone for a 40-36 lead. Preston Sherman found Joe Tany for a touchdown as the lead continued to change hands. A turning point in the 2nd half came when Adam Purdy came up with a big interception for the Slicers. Preston Sherman took advantage of the short field and found Matthew Botti in the endzone. Adam Purdy made another critical play for the Slicers with a “pick 6”, giving his team a two-possession lead with a 56-40 advantage. The Hooligans still kept fighting in the final minutes as Harry Kinney ran for a touchdown and 2-pt conversion. Preston Sherman sealed the game with another successful scoring drive, finding Adam Purdy for a touchdown. The Hooligans drove down the field in the final minute and Kimmy Thompson caught a short pass for a touchdown, giving the team a 9-pt female score. The Slicers were able to kneel out the remainder of the clock and handed the Hooligans a 63-57 loss in a hard-fought game. Trooper Hunter was at the game to cheer on the Hooligans. The team concludes their season 4-2 overall and the team still has many accomplishments to be proud of. Several franchise milestones and records were broken this year, and the team has many key young players with a promising future to build around. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for the announcements of the league All-Stars, a Hooligan season overview, and the reveal of the 2019 Hooligan Awards. Until next year....ROLL HOOLIGANS! Team members from left to right: Mikey Melcher, Harry Kinney, Perry Melcher, Layne Pries, RJ Bortle, Mike Russell, Kimmy Thompson, Blake Dean, Ryan Bailey
Not pictured but played in 2019: Ashley Bartram, Daniel Castro, Darricle Jones, Darryl Davenport, Gabe Farr, Henry Capers, Hunter Lastacy, Josh Course, Kordell McNeal, Louis Schimmel * All interceptions listed in the stats are on defense.
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#2 Pigskin Hooligans advance to the championship game with 82-61 win over #3 White Choppas11/17/2019 Sun, Nov 17 - The Pigskin Hooligans entered the playoffs as the #2 seed, receiving a rematch against the #3 seed White Choppas. The teams entered the third meeting this year having split the season series. The Hooligans pulled away late in the 1st half and were able to continue converting offensively to secure an 82-61 victory and a berth in the championship game. Harry Kinney broke the legendary Zach Johnston’s single-game record with 11 pass TDs. The White Choppas won the opening coin toss and elected to begin on offense. Kimmy Thompson made solid blitzes with heavy pressure on the quarterback, but Ethan Vosburg escaped on 4th down and ran for a touchdown. Harry Kinney returned to the quarterback position and found the speedy Gabe Farr for a touchdown with Mikey Melcher snagging a 2-pt PAT. Ethan Vosburg connected with Zack Williams on the next series with Chris Lowe adding the 2-pt PAT. Harry Kinney led another scoring drive, firing over the middle to Perry Melcher for a touchdown. Kimmy Thompson continued to pressure the quarterback and came up with a big sack. After a deep pass to the endzone, Blake Dean came up with a huge interception in the endzone off a deflection. Harry Kinney was able to escape pressure on the next series and dump a pass to Mikey Melcher who ran the length of the field for a touchdown. Gabe Farr continued the defensive onslaught by forcing a safety after a blitz. The Hooligans capitalized on the turnover as Harry Kinney needed just one play to find Gabe Farr deep for a touchdown and a 30-16 lead. The White Choppas continued to convert as Ethan Vosburg escaped pressure and found Grant Steinborn for a touchdown. The Hooligans stopped the 2-pt conversion after Ryan Bailey denied the pass. The team converted in the final minute of the half as Harry Kinney found Ryan Bailey in the endzone with Layne Pries adding the PAT. The Hooligans led 38-22 at halftime. The Hooligans began the 2nd half on offense, but Elijah Abenth made a fumble recovery to stall the drive. However, Harry Kinney made an impact on defense with an interception to start the team back on offense. Kinney led another scoring drive with Blake Dean catching a pass in the back of the endzone and Kimmy Thompson adding the PAT. Ethan Vosburg scrambled for a touchdown on the next series with Grant Steinborn tacking on a 2-pt conversion. The Hooligans continued to respond as Layne Pries jumped high to catch a pass in traffic and blazed down the field for a touchdown. Ethan Vosburg connected with Zack Williams in the endzone, but Layne Pries again made an impact with a leaping catch in the endzone to put the Hooligans up 62-36. Ethan Vosburg hooked up with Zack Williams again, and Harry Kinney countered with a deep touchdown strike to Gabe Farr. Both receivers had their 3rd TD of the day. As time wound down in the game, Ethan Vosburg found Elijah Abenth for a touchdown with his brother Ryan Abenth adding the 2-pt conversion. The Hooligans responded with a historic drive as Harry Kinney made his record-breaking 10th touchdown pass in the game to Mikey Melcher. In the final minutes Ethan Vosburg rushed for his third touchdown of the day and then scored on a lateral off a 3-pt conversion. The Hooligans drove down the field for one more touchdown with Harry Kinney connecting with RJ Bortle in the endzone. As time expired, the Hooligans claimed an 82-61 win. The Hooligans improved to 4-1 with the victory and advanced to face the #1 seed Black Slicers in the championship game.
Playoffs will be held this Sunday, November 17th, at Cardinal Stadium. The Hooligans are the #2 seed and will face the #3 seed White Choppas in the semi-finals at 2:30pm. If the Hooligans win they will play in the championship game at 3:30pm. Come on out and support the team......ROLL HOOLIGANS!
Because the Hooligans picked up a forfeit win against Special K prior to their game Sunday, captain Mike Russell officially picked up his 50th career win as captain of the Hooligans! Captain Russell is now 50-33-1 all-time at the helm of the franchise.
#cfb150 #won50 Sun, Nov 10 - After both teams collected an automatic forfeit win against Special K, the Pigskin Hooligans and the White Choppas played a rematch in a last-minute rescheduled game. The Hooligans came into the contest 3-0, winning the teams’ prior meeting 72-48, while the Choppas entered 1-2. While the Hooligans began to find an offensive rhythm in the 2nd half, a strong defensive start to the game lifted the White Choppas to a 60-40 victory behind 6 total turnovers. The Hooligans won the opening coin toss and elected to begin on defense. Ethan Vosburg led a scoring drive on the White Choppas’ first possession, connecting with Grant Steinborn for a touchdown. Chris Lowe gave the Choppas early control of the game with back-to-back interception returns for touchdowns, putting the Hooligans in a 22-0 deficit. Blake Dean checked into the game around the 15-minute mark, proving a spark on offense. RJ Bortle was able to lead a scoring drive for the Hooligans’ first touchdown, finding Layne Pries on the left side of the endzone to break the shutout. Grant Steinborn added his second touchdown on the next series, reaching the ball over the goal line. RJ Bortle was able to make a sack on the 2-pt conversion attempt to deny the PAT. Ryan Bailey made a catch on the next series and showed his track star speed, making a number of defenders miss. However, Elijah Abenth came up with an interception off a deflection in the endzone. The Hooligan defense countered with a turnover on downs as RJ Bortle’s heavy pass rush led to a sack on 4th down. The Hooligans moved downfield in the final minutes after Blake Dean caught a short pass and spun his way to a 1st down. Layne Pries took a short pass and picked his way through the defense into the endzone, cutting the deficit to 28-12. The Hooligans made one more defensive stand before halftime with Blake Dean defending a pass and RJ Bortle making a sack. The Hooligans started the 2nd half with the ball and moved downfield after Josh Course took a short pass and juked his way to a 1st down. However, the Choppas capitalized after Ethan Vosburg recovered a fumble. Vosburg then connected with Elijah Abenth for a touchdown, leading to a 34-12 lead. Hunter Lastacy switched to QB and needed just one play to find Layne Pries for a touchdown as Pries blazed down the field with his speed. The White Choppas responded as Robert Brenay switched to quarterback and found Grant Steinborn for a TD, although Josh Course intercepted the PAT. RJ Bortle switched back to QB and connected with Hunter Lastacy in the endzone, giving Lastacy his team-leading 10th touchdown of the year. The defense nearly forced a turnover on downs, but on 4th down Robert Brenay found Grant Steinborn for his 4th TD of the day. Hunter Lastacy switched back to QB and tossed a short pass to Josh Course who found an opening through the defense and into the endzone. The White Choppas responded with Ethan Vosburg passing to Chris Lowe for a touchdown with Ryan Abenth adding the PAT. Layne Pries found the endzone for the 4th time in the game, sidestepping several defenders. The Hooligans looked for a late defensive stop, but Ethan Vosburg found Chris Lowe for his 4th TD in response. Hooligans captain Mike Russell checked back into the contest and turned a short pass into a decent gain before being caught. Ryan Abenth added an interception late in the game and the Choppas held on to seal the 60-40 win. Cooper O’Gara was at the game to cheer on the Hooligans. The team falls to 3-1 and will now be the #2 seed in the playoffs next Saturday, November 17. We will publish details on the playoffs as soon as we know...ROLL HOOLIGANS! Note: All interceptions listed in the stats are on defense. SCHEDULE CHANGE - Due to last-minute conflicts, the Hooligans are now facing the White Choppas in a rematch at 2:00pm today! The previously scheduled match against Special K will be counted as a forfeit win. Come on out and support the team!
The Hooligans will be back in action this Sunday at 1:30pm in Cardinal Stadium against Special K! As college football celebrates #cfb150 this week, Pigskin Hooligans captain Mike Russell will be looking for his 50th win as captain in the program's storied history.
Come on out and support the team...ROLL HOOLIGANS! The Hooligans added several new faces to the lineup in their 76-42 win this Sunday: Daniel Castro - Daniel joined the Hooligans for his first season in the 2019 campaign. He saw significant minutes in the team’s 76-42 victory over The Football Team. Daniel played tough defense and helped pace the team to the win. Darryl Davenport - Darryl joins the Hooligans for his first year in 2019. He brings an athletic background to the team as a wide receiver for Concordia’s nationally-ranked football team. Darryl made several key catches in the team’s win over The Football Team, hauling in a PAT in the game and showing his speed. Josh Course - Josh was another key signing for the Hooligans in their second game of the year on Sunday. He brings a knowledge of football as a student assistant on the CUAA football team. Josh earned the first star of the game for his 3 TDs (1 rec, 1 fumble return, 1 INT return) and 2 PATs in the victory. The Hooligans will be back in action on Sunday, November 10 but we do not yet know schedule details. Check back soon for updates...ROLL HOOLIGANS! Sun, Nov 3 - The Pigskin Hooligans played their second game of the year on a slightly chilly Sunday afternoon. The team faced off against league newcomer The Football Team, captained by Carter Richardson. After falling behind 12-0 early in the game, the Hooligans rallied behind a strong defensive effort. The team forced 5 total turnovers and pulled away for a 72-46 victory. With both teams featuring a large roster, the teams played 8-on-8 throughout the game. The Football Team won the opening coin toss and started on offense. Alex Phillips started at QB and led a scoring drive finding Tommy Senne in the endzone. Carter Richardson came up with an interception off a deflection and then caught a touchdown pass for a 12-0 lead. The Hooligans converted on their next possession when Harry Kinney lofted a high pass to Hunter Lastacy with Josh Course adding a 2-pt conversion. The defense forced a turnover on downs as Louis Schimmel blitzed the quarterback well and Kordell McNeal made a key pass breakup. Darryl Davenport made a big gain and the Hooligans took the lead when Harry Kinney threaded a TD pass to Josh Course through multiple defenders with Layne Pries adding the 2-pt PAT. Kordell McNeal then made an impact on defense by stripping the ball and Josh Course returned the forced fumble for a touchdown and a 22-12 lead. RJ Bortle continued the Hooligans’ defensive onslaught with an interception and a big return. Harry Kinney led another scoring drive, eventually finding Henry “Big Daddy Chocolate Thunder” Capers in the endzone. The Football Team would get 2 points back when Alex Phillips intercepted the PAT and lateraled to Braden Nawrocki. Kyle Hebner switched to quarterback for The Football Team and connected with Alex Phillips for a touchdown. The Hooligans needed just one play to answer when Harry Kinney made a perfectly thrown deep ball to Kordell McNeal for a touchdown. The team headed to halftime up 34-20. The Hooligans started the 2nd half on offense and Gabe Farr snagged a pass around a defender to extend the team’s lead. Kordell McNeal continued to make an impact on defense with a “pick 6”, and a 2-pt conversion from Darryl Davenport put the team up 48-20. The Football Team countered on their next drive as Kyle Hebner rolled to his right outside the endzone and found Carter Richardson for a score. The Hooligans responded as Hunter Lastacy caught a short pass and ran down the right sideline all the way to the endzone. Josh Course and Layne Pries made back-to-back interception returns for touchdowns, giving the Hooligans a commanding 68-28 lead. The Football Team countered as captain Carter Richardson made several jukes for a big gain and Curtis Townsend connected with Kyle Hebner for a touchdown. The Hooligans added one more touchdown as Harry Kinney fired deep to Hunter Lastacy, giving Lastacy his 3rd TD of the game and team-leading 9th TD of the season. Braden Nawrocki found Kyle Hebner for one last touchdown for The Football Team, but the Hooligans claimed the 76-42 win as time expired. The Hooligans improve to 2-0 on the year after the victory. The team will play again on Sunday, November 10 but the time is not yet known. Stay tuned for updates...ROLL HOOLIGANS! * * All interceptions listed in the stats are on defense |
Written by Mike Russell
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