SCAB Report

Championship

Galactic Soup Bowl

Pacifists Prevail, Mosquitos Fall

The Cinderella story of Swampmush St. did not get its fairy tale ending because the heir apparent claimed the throne. Northwestsoutheastern completed a wire-to-wire season, the pre-season pick and season-long number one dominating another undefeated contender, for its third SCAB championship.

The Pacifists got a quick taste of the most formidable Mosquito, RB Jock Kitsch. On the first drive of the game, after busting up the middle on runs of 9 and 6 yards, Kitsch caught a pass over the middle from Swampmush St. QB Hunt Down, got to the outside, and rambled for a 46-yard gain. He carried the next two times himself, scoring the second, a 1-yard plunge across the goal line.

The Pacifists seemed to have a match-up when their ensuing drive was stalled at the Swampmush 13 and they settled for a 30-yard field goal by K Kaman Ataboi. But it proved to be an inauspicious beginning to greater things. From that point, the Pacifists played the kind of defense Swampmush had in 2005, and as they did against State Pen, the Pacifists went on an impressive scoring streak. It was the first of four straight scoring possessions.

The biggest weapon of Northwestsoutheastern, Demetrius Award winning WR Avery Cunningham, figured in the first drive, on an 18-yard pass play. He started off the next Pacifist drive with a 24-yard gain on a reception of a QB Sebastian Ophuls pass. He would continue to sting the Mosquitos the rest of the game, including for an 8-yard TD in the second half.

Cunningham and RB Drew Cheers had been their own Cinderella story among the Fighting Pacifists all season. On a team loaded with stars, they had stepped over their senior and illustrious teammates, Ophuls, 2004's upcoming star WR Aman DeLamb, the 2004 SCAB rushing leader RB Juarez Hell, with more outstanding game performances. Cunningham had done so enough to walk off with the Demetrius Award as a freshman, the first ever to win it.

While Hell proved a sure thing to punch it in, scoring on two consecutive possessions in the 2nd quarter, the latter his drive entirely as he converted a blocked punt recovered on the Swampmush 6 into a TD in one play, Cheers burned the Mosquitos for 97 yards rushing. His 48-yard run in the 4th quarter set up the final points, a 19-yard Ataboi field goal that punctuated the domination.

Ophuls finished with 27 completions of 36 passes for 349 yards and 2 TDs, with 1 interception, and 4 rushes for 41 yards. His passing yards expressed the domination of a Swampmush defense that had grounded high-flying offenses such as HPEMC, Dunne-Geep, Kootsville Tech. and State Pen. While Ophuls' part was obvious in the passing attack, his accuracy, timing and awareness of his receivers, it was even more clear that the otherwise sturdy Swampmush corps could not contain Cunningham, and that also led to other Pacifist receivers, DeLamb, TE Phil Badd, and the RBs, getting open.

10 Clan:
HP 9 0 0 12 2 0
LB 7 2 0 8 5 0
MV 6 3 0 7 5 0
Ca 6 3 0 7 5 0
Fl 5 4 0 5 7 0
Bu 4 5 0 5 7 0
UF 3 6 0 3 9 0
Gr 2 7 0 3 9 0
IO 2 7 0 3 9 0
Bf 1 8 0 1 11 0

Little 10:
SS 9 0 0 14 1 0
KT 8 1 0 10 4 0
SP 7 2 0 9 5 0
Br 5 4 0 6 5 1
PU 4 5 0 7 5 0
Bd 3 5 1 4 7 1
GJ 3 6 0 5 7 0
CU 2 6 1 4 7 1
Wh 2 7 0 5 7 0
MS 2 7 0 4 8 0

10 Pack:
Nw 9 0 0 15 0 0
Pb 7 2 0 9 4 0
DG 6 3 0 10 4 0
DS 6 3 0 7 5 0
HG 5 4 0 7 5 0
Cr 5 4 0 7 5 0
MO 3 6 0 4 8 0
Fm 2 7 0 5 7 0
AT 1 8 0 4 8 0
Sb 1 8 0 3 9 0

Non-Conference:
LW 8 1 0 9 4 0
UP 8 1 0 10 3 0
BH 7 2 0 12 3 0
Pk 7 2 0 8 5 0
OL 5 4 0 7 4 1
Ox 4 5 0 4 8 0
Pe 3 6 0 4 8 0
OD 1 8 0 1 11 0
St 1 8 0 1 11 0
So 1 8 0 1 11 0