Week 10 and last orders at the Claymores last place saloon for 2004!

Also the last chance to see Scott Couper in a Claymores uniform as Scott is retiring (again) after 9 fantastic seasons.

This was a low key affair compared to the charged atmosphere of 2001 when he retired for he 1st time.

Also being honoured this week was last weeks First Down cover star Andy Colvin.

The GM presented him with his own #10 jersey (we were shocked that it hadn't already been retired to honour the first ever #10 Lee Williamson).

And then for good measure he was giving coin tossing duties for the day. Just as well he hadn't spent his last pound coin in the bar earlier...

We lost the toss by the way.

The 1st quarter was essentially a Claymores flag fest as were penalized a total of 6 times for 45 yards, with most of the culprits coming from our sack anxious defensive line.

However Cologne couldn't take advantage of our generosity, as our D stuffed their running game and also contributed a sack from Cedric Scott.

Curt Anes (making a belated 2nd start) had started to move the ball nicely on the Claymores 1st drive, hooking up with Aaron Golliday for 20 yard catch on 3rd and 8. But a false start on Scott Couper helped stall that drive and Curt was unable to find anybody open on 3rd and long.

A 16 yard punt return from DeAndrew Rubin gave Curt Anes some rare good field position, and some nice Maurice Hicks runs had them driving again. But a hold on Curt McGill followed by a 10-yard sack from league leader Felipe Claybrooks (who surely looked offside on the play) stalled that drive. Anes injured his leg on the play and would not return.

Antwaan McCray helped ground out a couple more 1st downs for Cologne but they soon had to punt as well.

2nd Q
Nate Hybl returned at QB for the Claymores, but it was 3 and out time again as DeAndrew Rubin was surprisingly called for offensive pass interference, while trying to make a catch along side the left sideline.

A 15 yard punt return by Albert Johnson gave new QB Rob Adamson good field position, and he only needed 2 plays to take advantage hitting Claymore killer WR Todd Devoe deep for a 38 yard TD. Despite it being Devoe's 5th TD of the season he clearly needs work on his end zone celebration ...

CENTURIONS 7-0

But back came the Claymores thanks to the tandem of Hicks & Smart. First Maurice returned the kickoff 41 yards. Then Ian ripped off a 14 yard gain to get the ball into Cologne territory for the 1st time.

2 plays when his number was called on a halfback option, he decided to pull the ball down and run instead … he cut back across the field and down the left sideline and aided by a nice block from DeAndrew Rubin outraced the Centurions DB's for a TD.

A deserved TD for Ian.

TOUCHDOWN SCOTLAND!

7-7 ALL TIED

However it appeared the Claymores had forced a turnover when Alphonso Roundtree picked off a deep pass at the 4 yard line - but #23 was called for illegal contact much to his surprise. The D held after this however - but Cologne still got points when Derek Schorejs landed a 50 yard FG.

CENTURIONS 11-7

Then with 3:10 left in the half Pete Vaas rolled the dice and sent in his Japanese QB Kentaro Namiki. He immediately took the air hitting Werner Hippler for 3 yards. After a run for a loss, he stepped up in the pocket and threw down the middle to Reggie Newhouse for a 16 yard completion and a 1st down. Three plays another 3rd and long was converted when Cobourne took a screen pass 12 yards. A facemask call on Alphonso Roundtree moved the ball inside the 20 - but with time running down Namiki was unable to get the ball in the end zone and Schorejs was good from 34 yards as the 1st half ended.

CENTURIONS 14-7

3rd Q
Arth was back at QB and although the Claymores quickly had to punt again, they got the ball back when Albert Johnson muffed his punt return and Herb Haygood dived on the ball at the Centurions 17 yard line.

4 plays later Arth faked a handoff to Hicks, and bootlegged left where he then fired a 3 yard TD pass to Marcus Helfman and the scores were tied at 14 again.

14-14 ALL TIED

Johnson then managed to drop the kickoff but recovered this one and ran it back to the 22 yard line. However with Ryan Van Dyke back at QB, the Centurions went 3 and out when Jermaine Chatman broke up a 3rd down pass.

Van Dyke managed to move the Centurions out of the shadow of their goal post with a 10 yard pass to Johnson for a 1st down, but Cheek was on to punt again when Ivory McCoy stuffed Cobourne on 3rd and 3.

This time Howard Clark got a clean block of Cheek's punt - but just as in Amsterdam 2 weeks ago he was unable to cleanly pick up the loose pigskin for the TD. However his recovery at the 4 yard line set up Arth again with wonderful field position.

Two plays later Maurice Hicks took the handoff and cut back to his left and knifed in from 3 yards out and the Claymores were in front again.

TOUCHDOWN SCOTLAND!

However the special teams miscues were Scotland's this time as Nick Murphy couldn't handle a poor snap and he was unable to do anything with it.

CLAYMORES 20-14

More defensive penalties helped Van Dyke, but again it appeared the D had a great chance to keep them out of the end zone, but on 3rd and 13 he threw a perfect post pattern to Reggie Newhouse for a 21 yard TD score. Ola Kimrin was good on the extra point and Cologne were back in front!

CENTURIONS 21-20

But suddenly Avon Cobourne came to life, reeling off 1st down runs of 10 and 21 yards to move the chains and eat the clock to get them to the Claymores 20-yard line.

After yet another offsides (this time on Durrand Roundtree), Cobourne pounded it down to the 1 yard line on 3 more runs before Van Dyke went over on a QB sneak with 1:51 left.

CENTURIONS 28-20

The Claymores last chance of tying the game disappeared when Arth was intercepted by LB Bobby Brooks near midfield and the Centurions ran out the clock for their 1st ever road win.

FINAL

CENTURIONS 28 CLAYMORES 20

Game "cheddars" to...

Ian Smart. 9 rushes for 80 yards and long awaited TD. Needs to work on his passing arm however ...

Nick Murphy. 7 punts for 41.3 average including a 55 yarder. 4 downed inside the 20 and no touchbacks!

Howard Clark. Another punt block and 3 tackles on D.

Cedric Scott. Partial punt block & 2 sacks.

Ryan Myers. 11 tackles to extend his season record.

What we learnt after Week 10 ...

Same old story. Close but just not enough. Once again our valiant D buckles late in the 4th Q when we needed them most. How bizarre was this? They had held the Centurions top rusher Avon Cobourne to minus 4 yards rushing on 10 carries, until that final drive when he reeled off 49 yards on 7 carries to help seal the victory. As great as the D was this year - too often they were unable to produce a signature moment in the 4th quarter when we needed the ball back. But it's hard to fault them in the final analysis.

Arth = field position talisman. Once again with Tom in at QB, he was gifted great field position twice thanks to Howard Clark's punt block and Herb Haygood's fumble recovery. Unlike the game in Amsterdam however, he was to cash this in for points.

Peter Vaas is a fun coach. We've seen him pull off gutsy fake punts before (Thunder at Claymores 2000 twice!) so it shouldn't have come as a total surprise to see him pull off a 4th and 26. (Although by all accounts that wasn't actually called - and Jetron Evans audibled into it). But his decision to play QB Kentaro Namiki at a crucial part of the game was a surprise, and the football gods rewarded him handsomely.

Odds & Ends

Thanks to everybody who bought the FTP 10 year badge on Saturday and helped raise money for Yorkhill Sick Kids Hospital. In the end £500 was raised thanks to the generosity of the Claymores fans.

Remember to check out the FTP site as always.

There wasn't too much to cheer this year, but we celebrated the best we could as always!

As we've said week in week out on this site, we're proud of the 2004 Claymores and the way they played from start to finish. A little more luck here or there and things could well have been different.

In the end the defense carried the team the best they could and made sure we were in just about every game to the end.

We certainly hope some of these guys can go on to better things in the NFL - and we wish them all well.

And speaking of defense, we had no choice but to award Ryan Myers Cheddarhead MVP for 2004. His 73 tackles were a new team record, and he provided sterling work all season. All the best in New York Ryan!