BYAFA BOWL XV
Clyde Valley Hawks 46 v 6 Lancashire Wolverines
The Scottish Champions eventually ran out comfortable winners in BYAFA Bowl XV, although things were not as easy as the score line suggested at first. The Hawks, trying to establish their powerhouse running game through Lee Nelson were forced back inside their own ten through a series of holding and false start calls. Eventually they worked the ball to their own twenty-eight before the Wolverines Phil Gough dropped onto a fumble to five the Lancashire side excellent field position. Unable to punch the ball home, and facing third and nine, the Wolverines went to the air only for Clyde Valley's Andrew Reynolds to snare the first of his four interceptions of the day which would lead him to MVP honours.
Still the Hawks failed to move the ball with any purpose thanks to a swarming Wolverines defense and nerves on their own part. Kristian Laurikietis, in particular was outstanding as he seemed to be everywhere stifling the Hawks and earning himself the MVP honours for the Wolverines. Forced to punt, Clyde's Lee Nelson failed to gather in a poor snap and Chris Littler recovered the ball for the Men in Black on the Hawks three-yard line. Four plays later yet another fumble ended the drive on the Hawks' one-foot line. Three plays later Clyde Valley returned the favour coughing up the ball on their own nine and allowing Jonathan Cringle to flop on the ball for the Wolverines. Still the Hawks' held firm with Gary Orr, Tom Chapman and Alisdair Longford putting in some fierce tackles.
As the quarter expired Sam Fogg returned a Hawks' punt to their twenty-one yard line as the Wolverines continued to have the better of the field position exchanges.
Clyde Valley began the second period camped on their own one yard line, and by midway through the quarter had still not made it into Lancashire's half of the field. However with the Wolverine's offense stalling once more, Tom Chapman blocked the punt with the ball spinning up into the grateful arms of Longford who reached the Wolverine twenty-one before being hauled down. Two plays later McKenzie hit Gary Orr in the back of the end zone from twenty yards to open the scoring. Chapman kicked the two extra points to give the Hawks an 8 - 0 advantage.
The Longford, Chapman punt blocking combination worked again on the Wolverine's next drive, with Longford blocking the kick and Chapman diving onto the ball in the end zone to extend the lead. With his normal sure boot Chapman edged the Hawks' out to 16 - 0.
The Wolverines fared little better on their next drive, when forced to punt again from close to their goal line, the snap sailed yards over Matthew Lord's head and out the back of the field to add a further two points to the Hawks tally. With the half coming to a close Craig McMillan dashed in from four yards out, allowing Chapman to boot the extra points and give the Hawks a remarkable 26 - 0 lead.
Reynolds collected his second pick of the afternoon to stifle any rapid Wolverine revival and Lee Nelson took advantage of the situation by scampering twenty yards untouched up the middle to pay dirt. A poor snap for the extra points try limited the score to 32 - 0.
Still the comedy of errors continued. Longford recovered a strangest pitch out seen in many a long year only for the Hawks to snap the ball and leave it still on the ground for the Wolverines to recover. Reynolds then capitalised on yet another mistake as he stood alone and waited for a wayward pass to fall into his hands before speeding thirty-five yards down the sideline to move the Hawks into a 38 - 0 lead by the end of the third.
The Lancashire side would still not lie down, and Sam Fogg took a reverse on the Hawks twelve and gambolled his way into the end zone to reduce the arrears to 38 - 6. The rally continued briefly as the Wolverines recovered the on side kick and but for a last gasp fingertip bat down by Gary Orr the Wolverines may well have added to their score. Lee Nelson completed the Hawks scoring with a fifty-two yard dash off left tackle and complete 136 yards on his 14 carries. The ensuing kick was blocked but rolled back into end zone for Garry Orr to smother for the two and complete a strange afternoon's scoring.