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WORLD
BOWL XII - THUNDER 30 GALAXY 24
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OTHER
STUFF
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Click here for a recap of WB week |
| THE GAME | ||
| World Bowl XII saw the Rhein sorry Berlin Thunder trying to equal the 1991 London Monarchs by finishing 10-1. Amazingly the only game the Thunder lost all year was by 1 point in the final second. That's as close to perfection as anybody is likely to get. A win would also give them their 3rd WB in 4 years. |
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| In WB XII, the Thunder were up against the ever present Frankfurt Galaxy who were playing in their 6 Bowl in the last 10 years. The Galaxy finished 7-3, but 2 of those losses were to Berlin, including a 41-0 whipping one week ago. However only one team has ever lost 3 times to another in the same season (1996 Galaxy to the Claymores). |  |
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| Berlin kick off and WB XII was underway! |  |
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J.T. O'Sullivan's 1st drive in 3 weeks ended in disaster after only 4 plays when his attempt to throw a screen pass to Skip Hicks out in the right flat was picked off by Thunder DT Montique Sharpe who rumbled 28 yards to paydirt. The Berlin Hounds had struck! BERLIN 7-0 |
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O'Sullivan bounced back on his next drive however scrambling for key yardage to avoid the Berlin pass rush to move the chains. He also found his passing rhythm too, hitting fellow Saint WR Derrick Lewis for gains of 9, 15 and 9 yards. However after again avoiding the pass rush somehow on 3rd and goal, and scrambling back across the field to his left, Skip Hicks was unable his pull in his throw and the Galaxy settled for a 28 yard FG from Ralf Kleinmann. THUNDER 7-3 |
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League MVP Rohan Davey took to the field, and used his imposing bulk to his advantage sneaking for 2 yards when the Thunder gambled on a 4th and 1 from their own 41 yard line. After that, he started to find his favourite receivers hitting Richard Alston for 21 yards and Chas Gessner for 20 yards. However Gessner was stripped of the ball by Galaxy CB Ahmad Brooks trying to fight for extra yardage and S Chris Brown recovered for the Galaxy at the 4 yard line. |
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2nd
Q
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| Berlin were moving again, thanks to a key facemask call on LB Robert Chapman when Eric McCoo had been stopped on 3rd and 1. However McCoo became the 2nd Thunder player to spill the pig, when he was hitting by LB Dustin Cohen trying to gain extra yards on a screen pass, and Chris Brown again recovered the Galaxy - this time at their 29 yard line. | ||
| The fumbles continued however! First O'Sullivan couldn't handle a snap and TJ Bingham recovered for Berlin. But 3 plays later McCoo was hit just as he took the handoff by Merceda Perry and he dived on the loose pig for the Galaxy again! But Frankfurt were unable to take advantage again - as Skip Hicks was stopped on 3rd and 1 and they punted the ball away. |
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Starting on his own 9 yard line, the Thunder looked ready to roll again as league rushing leader McCoo started to find some running room and Davey hit LeShaun Ward for a 12 yard gain on 3rd and 7. But just after crossing midfield, Davey this time couldn't handle the snap - and DT Aubrayo Franklin was there for the Galaxy to recover. |
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4th time was the charm for the Galaxy after this fumble - as they would capitalize. A personal foul on a late hit on the sideline by ex Claymore DL Devonte Peterson moved them inside the 25 yard line, and 4 plays later O'Sullivan hit Derrick Lewis for 8 yard TD pass to give the Galaxy the lead with 1:05 left in the half. GALAXY 10-7 |
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The Thunder had less than a minute to move downfield but did so with ease aided by another facemask call on the Galaxy and Davey finding Ward and Alston for 1st downs. Then it appeared Davey had hit LeShaun Ward for a 32 yard score with 27 seconds. However Chas Gessner had false started. Next play Davey lasered another pass into the end zone for Ward - who was open but managed to drop it through his hands. A short completion to Alston with 1 second remaining allowed Jonathan Ruffin to salvage some points with a 38 yard FG as the half ended. |
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The Galaxy could hardly be doing cartwheels at the half however - seeing their 4 turnovers turn into only 10 points. 10-10 HALFTIME |
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3rd
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Two Skip Hicks runs set up a 3rd and 1, but it then it was O'Sullivan's turn to misfire as he overthrew an open Lewis near the goal line. Then more comedy. A bad snap on the field goal was picked up by Ralf Kleinmann, who decided he'd try his hand at QB. Unfortunately he only brought back memories of Garo Yepremian in Super Bowl VII as his flutterball was picked off by Kevin DeRonde. Big Ralf however did make the tackle and saved further embarrassment. |
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Momentum can change quickly in football - and this demonstrated it. On their 1st play after the turnover, Davey handed to LeShaun Ward on an end around, who flipped the ball to fellow WR Richard Alston on a reverse. Alston then threw the ball as far as he could downfield where WR Chas Gessner had got 10 yards behind the nearest defender. Gessner had to wait on the ball a little, but gathered it in, put 2 hands around the ball, and crossed the goal line to complete a spectacular 60 yard TD play. Just like that Berlin had the lead again - one they wouldn't lose. THUNDER 17-10 |
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| A 64 yard kick return from Hugo Lira gave the Galaxy great field position, but a fired up Jim Tomsula D took to the field and immediately made its presence felt. Hicks was stopped for no gain by Devonte Peterson, and O'Sullivan was sacked on back to back plays. First Montique Sharpe dropped him, then Corey Smith and Israel Idonije combined to drop him again. |
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Berlin then mounted their longest drive of the day driving 73 yards on 13 plays helped by the running of McCoo and 3 passes to FB Ed Ieremia-Stansbury in the flat who helped to move the chains. However LeShaun Ward again couldn't pull in an end zone Davey pass and Jonathan Ruffin booted a 42 yard FG to extend the lead. THUNDER 20-10 |
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The Galaxy's 3rd quarter meltdown continued. First kick returner Jason Willis spilled the ball on his own 23 yard line and Ryan Brewer recovered for Thunder. A sack on Davey by another ex-Claymores DL Radell Lockhart however forced Berlin to settle for 3 again through a Ruffin 40 yard FG. THUNDER 23-10 |
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Willis held on to his next kick return, but on the next play O'Sullivan was picked off by Darrell Rideaux who ran the ball backed to the Galaxy 20. A TD would have sealed the game, but the Galaxy D held firm again and Ruffin missed his 38 yard attempt. |
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4th
Q After McCoo ran for a 1st down, the Galaxy D (with the aid of an offensive pass interference call against Gessner) forced a punt with 8:44 left. |
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| After a completion to Haddad got them to the 38 yard line of Berlin, quickly O'Sullivan was faced with a 4th and 3. His pass to TE Chad Hayes over the middle fell incomplete when LB Jason Kazar separated him from the ball. |  |
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If that wasn't the end - then surely this was. On the next play McCoo scooted up the middle and broke off right down the sideline where no Galaxy defender could catch him to complete a World Bowl record 69 yard TD run. With 6:26 left and down by 20 surely there was no way back for Frankfurt. THUNDER 30-10 |
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Not so fast! Another good kick return from Lira was followed by 4 straight completions from O'Sullivan. The last one to a wide open Drew Haddad covered 17 yards and got the Galaxy back in the end zone with 4:05 left. THUNDER 30-17 |
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| An onside kick was not successful but the Galaxy D was helped when Gessner was called for yet another penalty (this time a personal foul) and they stopped McCoo to force a punt. Haddad again made a big play returning it 33 yards to the Galaxy 40 yard line with 2:52 left |
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On the 1st play O'Sullivan aired the ball out deep where Jason Willis was open - but Scott Farley committed pass interference to stop it being caught. That put the ball on the Berlin 19 yard line. On the next play, O'Sullivan pulled off another of his Houdini acts. As he dropped back he looked sure to be sacked again for a big loss but somehow escaped and as he scrambled up the middle let go a pass to a wide open Derrick Lewis for a breathtaking 19 yard TD. Suddenly with 2:31 left the Galaxy were only down 6 points. THUNDER 30-24 |
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| But there would no more miracles. First the onside kick went out of bounds. And then when faced with 3rd and 3 Davey again found his FB Ieremia-Stansbury in the flat who rumbled for 6 yards and a 1st down. That allowed Davey to kneel away the rest of the clock and Berlin to become WB Champions! |
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So congratulations to 1st year head coach Rick Lantz (here getting a soak) and of course Jim Tomsula (here getting congratulated by Galaxy GM Tilman Engel). FINAL THUNDER 30 GALAXY 24 |
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| Game MVP was Eric McCoo who overcame his early 2 fumbles to rush for 167 yards and 1 TD as well as catching 3 balls for 23 yards. He's need some work on this MC'ing though - he's definitely no Tank Reese! |
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WORLD
BERLIN
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