.

SAFL
2010
SAFL 2010 Season Week 3 Newsletter
Week 4
Game *** Weeks’s Highlights ***
Schedule
(All games this week 1. World League games
are at the SAS turf
field) 2. National League games
Fri Oct 01: 8:00 pm 3. American League games
(World) Vikings –vs-
Steelers
4. League Standings
Sat Oct 02: 8:30 am
(American) Longhorns – 5. Commissioner's corner
vs- Rams
6. SACAC Announcements
Sat Oct 02: 9:30 am
(American) Gators –vs-
7. Tomo's Tips: Concussion
Longhorns

Sat Oct 02: 10:30am 8. The Next Step in Athletics… Guidance from NCSA
(American) Rams –vs-
Gators 9. Football Tidbit: George Blanda dies at 83
Sat Oct 02: 2:00 pm
(National) Raiders –vs- 10. Pictures of the Week
Cougars
***
Sat Oct 02: 3.00 pm
(National) Chargers –vs-
Raiders Greetings And Welcome
Sat Oct 02: 4:00 pm
(National) Cougars –vs- Hello everyone! Welcome to the third edition of the regular 2010 season
Chargers
Newsletter for the Singapore American Football League (SAFL). This edition
Sat Oct 02: 6:30pm
(World) Oilers –vs- brings to you game highlights of the World, National and American League
Bulldogs games that were played this past week. We have very good game write-ups
contributed by Phil Morris (World League), Roy & Michael Connors (National
League) and David Moritz (American League). Photographs were contributed by
Andre DiBiagio, Maureen Pond, James Haensly, Shannon Chambers and many
others. Sandy Lal volunteered her professional editing skills, Tomo Tanabe
contributed the write-up on Concussion and Phil Morris compiled the article
about the late George Blanda.
Week 3 volunteers
Thank you!
A huge thank you to all our contributors mentioned above, to numerous others
**************
for their contributions to help make this third edition happen, and also to the
coaches, referees, chain gang, booth staff plus everyone else volunteering their
time to make this another successful SAFL season!
 Thank you Sponsors Game Highlights – World League

Steelers 8–Bulldogs 0: Friday, 24 September 2010

Week #3 of the World League saw the Steelers take on the Bulldogs in a hard-
fought battle, and the outcome came down to the final few minutes of the game.

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The game started with the Steelers kicking off to Nate Harris of the Bulldogs, who
Falcons!
returned the ball to his own 22-yard line. On the next play from scrimmage,
Harris ran the ball on the right side for a 9-yard gain. The Bulldogs completed
their initial first down on a quarterback keep by Andrew Roberts. But the
Bulldogs’ drive stalled in the face of a determined Steelers defense, and the
Bulldogs elected to punt the ball away. First and 10 Steelers on their own 9-yard
line.

The Steelers began to move the ball on such plays as a completed short pass
from QB Jamie Onischuk to Jake Derksen to the Steelers’ 45-yard line. Nigel Tan
and Kevin Hurh brought the Steelers into Bulldogs territory on good runs up the
middle for a Steelers first down. Erik Vantilburg took the ball deeper into
Bulldog-land, running down to the 27. But then the Bulldogs’ defense kicked in
and caused the Steelers to turn the ball over on downs, deep in Bulldogs
territory.

However, the Steel Curtain dropped on the Bulldogs’ hopes of a sustained drive,
and the Men in Black were forced to punt the ball away. Nigel Tan of the Steelers
received the ball and made a rapid return down to the Bulldogs’ 34-yard line.
This signaled the end of the first quarter of play, with the score remaining 0–0.

In this see-saw defensive match-up, the Bulldogs themselves stood tall, and John
Roberts recovered a Steelers fumble on his own 32-yard line. Ball to the
Bulldogs. But not for long—the Bulldogs went three plays and then punted on the
fourth. The Bulldogs got a good punt and roll, and the Steelers took over on their
own 22-yard line. A penalty on the Steelers moved the ball back near the 10,
and they began their drive from there.

The Steelers converted a first down on a determined run by Erik Vantilburg over
the middle. Kevin Hurh did his part as well and gave the Steelers another first
down near midfield. Nigel Tan and Erik Vantilburg marched the ball down to the
Bulldogs’ 30-yard line, and Jamie Onischuk kept the ball for a short gain and
subsequent first down. But the Steelers’ hope for a score faded as Leo Lee of the
Bulldogs knocked down a Steelers pass, thus forcing the ball to turn over on
downs. Bulldogs ball, first and 10, on their own 22.
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The Bulldogs wasted no time in going on the offensive. Bulldogs QB Andrew
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Roberts hit Chase Pope on a pass over the middle up to the Bulldogs’ 37-yard
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Danny McCarvel over on the left side, near the first down marker, but not enough
to move the chains. The fourth down conversion failed, and this very good
Bulldogs drive came to an end. The Steelers took possession, but not enough
time remained to sustain a drive. The first half ended with a deadlocked score:
0–0.
To start the second half of play, the Bulldogs kicked off to the Steelers, who
returned the ball to their own 32. The combination of Nigel Tan and Kevin Hurh
once again proved to be successful, and they moved the ball across midfield to
the Bulldogs’ 45-yard line. Next, the Steelers were penalized, which set the Men
in Yellow back on the Bulldogs’ 35, still first down. Another Steelers penalty
pushed them back to the Bulldogs’ 40, but

a nice run off left tackle by Jake Derksen negated some of the loss. Ball on the
27 of the Bulldogs. Kevin Hurh of the Steelers wiped out the yardage deficit with
a run to the right side for another Steelers first down. But the 13-yard line of the
Bulldogs was as far as the Steelers could go, and the ball turned over to the Men
in Black on downs.

The Bulldogs tried to advance the ball on offense, but the Steelers defense
proved too strong. The Bulldogs elected to punt, and they cleared the zone with
the ball ending up on the Bulldogs’ 45-yard line. Steelers ball.
 The Steelers drove hard against an entrenched Bulldogs defense but were able to
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it across the yard marker for a Steelers first down. The Steelers made an ill-
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With just a few seconds remaining in the game, the Bulldogs took possession but
were met by a determined Steelers defense. The final score was Steelers 8,
Bulldogs 0.

Vikings 12–Oilers 6: Saturday, 25 September 2010

The Week #3 contests continued in the World League with a hotly contested
battle between the Vikings and the Oilers.

The game started with the Oilers kicking off to the Vikings, who took over on
their own 36-yard line. The Oilers defense performed well, and the Vikings were
forced to punt the ball. The snap went high, however, and Jeremy Lincoln
downed the ball on the Vikings’ 25-yard line. Oiler ball, first and 10.
 On the Oilers’ first possession, combined runs by Alex DiBiagio and Robert Morris
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recovered by the Oilers, pushed them back to their 12-yard line. On the next
play, Oiler QB Trent Fish connected with Corey Burkett on a pass. Burkett ran
the ball down to the Vikings’ 1-yard line, thus recovering the lost yardage, and
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The Vikings took over on their own 33 following the kickoff. Joshua Dawe of the
Vikings burst across the right side and ran the ball to midfield and a Vikings first
down. But that was as far as the Vikings got, and they punted the ball away.
The Oilers took over on their own 30-yard line.

It was the Oilers’ turn next to have their drive stopped, resulting in a punt to
midfield. The Vikings again turned the ball over on downs, and the Oilers
regained possession at their own 35-yard line. The clock wound down on the first
quarter of play with the score Oilers 6, Vikings 0.

The second quarter began with the Oilers still in possession. From midfield, Alex
DiBiagio streaked down the left sideline for a big gain to the Vikings’ 25-yard line
and a first down. Robert Morris then took the ball and ploughed ahead to the
Vikings’ 16-yard line and a gain of 9 yards. But the Vikings defense
demonstrated their worth and shut the Oilers drive off. The Vikings took over
deep in their territory, first and 10.

During the Viking drive, Quarterback Tyler Creasman threw a long pass to Julian
Byrns, who dove for the reception at the Vikings’ 40-yard line and a first down. A
personal foul on the Oilers gave the Vikings a first down at the Oilers’ 47. Then,
QB Tyler Creasman kept the ball and dashed all the way down to the Oilers’ 20-
yard line, giving the Vikings a first down and good field position. Two plays later,
Creasman connected with Joshua Dawe on a pass, which put the ball on the
Oilers’ 1-yard line. Tyler Creasman executed a successful QB sneak, and the
score evened at 6-all on the Vikings’ first touchdown.
 On the ensuing kickoff, the Vikings recovered the ball on the Oilers’ 41-yard line
Advertisement after performing an on-side kick. The Vikings again drove the ball down toward
the Oilers’ goal line, on a completed pass from Creasman to David Shum, and a
long up-the-middle run by Chris Hampton. Neil Smith of the Vikings then ran the
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The Oilers then started their drive on a nice run by Robert Morris up to midfield.
But with only 30 seconds remaining in the second quarter, there was no time left
despite a long run by QB Trent Fish. The score at half-time was deadlocked, with
the Oilers and Vikings having 6 points each.

The second half of play again saw a Vikings on-side kick, which they recovered on
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Despite the good field position, the Oilers could not advance the ball and turned it
over on downs. The ball changed hands several more times midway through the
third quarter. With 3 minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Vikings began
to move the ball toward the Oilers end of the field, aided in part by good runs
made by Joshua Dawe and Tyler Creasman. The third quarter ended with the
score still tied at 6 apiece.

The fourth quarter opened with the Vikings capping off their third-quarter drive
on a pass across the middle from Tyler Creasman to Daniel Kim, for the second
Viking score. The 2-point conversion failed, and the Vikings took the lead, 12–6.
The remainder of the fourth quarter saw both teams engaged in a fierce
defensive struggle. The Oilers mounted a drive deep in Viking territory, but they
could not capitalize on this opportunity. The scoring ended with the Vikings
emerging as the victors in this very competitive, defensive game. Final score:
Vikings 12, Oilers 6.

- Thanks to Sports Writer Phil Morris for the game write-ups and Sports
Photographer Andre DiBiagio for the great photographs.

Game Highlights – National League

Chargers 22 - Cougars 6: Saturday, 25 September 2010

Cougar Jack Hogan sent the game into motion with a fine kickoff to Andrew
Taylor, who was met with a fierce form tackle by #81 Nick Holl. On third and 6
on their own 29-yard line, Charger QB Bas Sock lofted a nifty 20-yard toss to
all-purpose Andrew Taylor, who was brought down by #20 Logan Chaudhry.
―First and 10, do-it-again‖ clamored the Charger faithful.

After Jack Hogan tackled Bas Sock on a third down fumbled snap, the Chargers
were facing a fourth and 10 at midfield; but a painful Cougar illegal participation
penalty gave the Chargers a fresh set of downs at the Cougar 35-yard line.

On fourth and 9 on the Cougar 34-yard line Andrew Taylor caught a pass in the
right flat, but Justin Hunt stopped him 4 yards short of a first down. Big
Defensive Series for the Cougars allowed their offense to take over at their own
27-yard line. But the Cougar defense didn’t have time to take off their helmets.
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On first down the surging Charger defensive line caused a fumble in the Cougar
backfield, which Jack Devins was happy to claim for the Chargers. On first and
10 on the Cougar 22-yard line, reliable Ryan Pond sliced and spun for 22 yards
into the Cougar end zone for the game’s first score. Bas Sock’s keeper up the
middle put the Chargers up 8-0 with 5:47 left in the opening quarter.

The Cougars’ Cole Derksen galloped up the middle 20 yards with the kickoff to
his own 46-yard line, where his team took over first and 10. Brett Bertamini
rumbled 9 yards over the right side, and the Cougars were beginning to assert
themselves. Mistakes, however, would haunt the Cougars throughout the
game. The Chargers capitalized on the Cougars’ fumbled snap on second and 1
and took over in Cougar territory.

The Chargers moved down to the 28-yard line on runs by Ethan Shaw, Bas
Sock, and Ryan Pond. Then, on what looked like a broken play, Bas Sock
rumbled down to the 2-yard line, breaking several tackles along the way before
a hustling and determined Tom Kim corralled him out of bounds. Ethan Shaw
went the distance around the right side on the next play, and with Bas Sock’s
keeper up the middle good, the Chargers led 16-0 with 1:45 to go in the
quarter.
The dangerous Cole Derksen raced 25 yards to midfield with the kickoff before
an illegal block penalty brought the ball back to their own 42-yard line. On first
and 10 Derksen found receiver Stephen Faris between two defenders for a
beautiful 20-yard pass completion. Mistakes again cut the Cougar celebration
short, when on second down a poor snap and Stuart Baker’s pressure caused a
QB fumble that #70 Thomas Hewitt recovered for the Chargers with 38 seconds
left on the clock.

Charger Ryan Pond’s displayed a 25-yard burst after another Cougar penalty
brought the ball down to the 5-yard line before a very busy Tom Kim and
Stephen Faris brought him down. Cameron Creasman bulled his way to the 2-
yard line before Justin Hunt, amongst others, stopped his progress. With just
0.5 seconds to go, Cougar Chris Ragsdale, making his first start at DE, stopped
Sock cold, with Nick Holl cleaning up with an assist.

The second quarter opened with Nick Holl stopping Ryan Pond for a 3-yard loss
on the Chargers’ fourth and goal play. Yet once again the Cougar defense had
to take the field after a fumbled snap on first down turned the ball over to the
 Chargers. Ryan Pond would have been in for another score had it not been for
Advertisement the hustle of Tom Kim, assisted by Cole Derksen, taking Pond down at the 2-
yard line. And once again the Cougar defenders held strong, with Stephen Faris
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tackling Ethan Shaw for a 5-yard loss. But these Chargers seem to thrive on
KKassela@sas.edu.sg for
details. fourth down plays. QB Bas Sock found his favorite receiver Ryan Pond for the
TD to push the Charger advantage to 22-0 with 7:42 to go in the game.

Cornerback Sean Yoo—another Cougar playing well at a new position—made his

mark on Special Teams this time by adroitly covering Jack Devins’ dangerously
well-placed kickoff. The Cougars took over at their own 36-yard line.

Cole Derksen came out firing, hitting Tom Kim on a beautiful 24-yard pass play.
Yet on the next play Charger Jack Devins intercepted the ball on his own 27-
yard line. On the very next play Cole Derksen forced Ryan Pond to cough up
the ball, and an alert Jack Ward recovered at his own 25-yard line for the
Cougars. Yet on the Cougars’ next series, the Charger defense led by Stuart
Baker (the difference maker), Jack Devins, Sean Farris, Bas Sock, and Thomas
Hewitt made sure the Cougars stayed in their cage. Some wobbly looping snaps
contributed to the Cougars’ troubles.

Now it was the Cougar defense’s turn to rise to the challenge. Logan Chaudhry,
Jack Hogan, Brett Bertamini, and Cole Derksen made big plays to stop Charger
advances and turn the ball back over to the Cougar offense. On first and 10
from the Charger 35-yard line QB Chris Jackson, facing a wave of hungry
Chargers, hit #32 Pierce Kotarski for 8 yards, who made a fine catch in traffic.
Yet Jackson again had no time to throw the ball, and his fourth down completion
to Kotarski actually lost 2 yards to turn the ball over to the Chargers.

The Cougar defense pushed the Chargers back 11 yards over the next four
plays, with strong efforts again registered by Chris Ragsdale, Justin Hunt, Shiv
Lal, and Cole Derksen. This fine effort set up the Cougars’ only score of the
day. On first down Derksen found #32 Pierce Kotarski on a well-executed 15-
yard pass play. With 2 seconds left in the contest, Derksen scampered around
left end to make the final score Chargers 22-Cougars 6.
Raiders 14 –Cougars 0: Saturday, 25 September 2010

Raider Eliot Sperling started things off with a nice boot down to the 15-yard line,
where Cougar carrier Cole Derksen returned the ball 20 yards to his own 35-
yard line.

The Raider defense—led by Daniel Brundage, Kam Hardy, and Daniel

McConaghy—forced the Cougars to punt on fourth and 13. After Sperling
opened up the Raider offense with a nice 7-yard run it was all Jack Albanese,
who clipped off runs of 3, 15, 11, and 20 yards in succession to put the Raiders
on the board 6-0. Brundage took a pitch and ran around the left side to make
the score 8-0 with 6:08 remaining in the opening quarter.

Cole Derksen took Sperling’s next boot back 40 yards to put the Cougars in
strong field position on the Raider 44-yard line. On third and 9, Cole Derksen
showed great concentration by hauling in a tipped pass from QB Chris Jackson
to give the Cougars just enough for a first down. Sean Mouton made a nice
tackle on the dangerous Derksen.

The Cougars kept it simple, churning the ball down to the Raider 19-yard line
behind the running of Brett Bertamini, Derksen, and Tom Kim. On the next
play, however, Jack Albanese stripped the ballcarrier—along with the Cougars’
momentum—and raced 81 yards the other way to increase his team’s lead to
14-0 with 1:26 to play in the quarter. On the Cougars’ next possession, Raider
Tristan Lee intercepted a pass on fourth down and 2 to finish the opening
quarter with the Raiders in charge 14-0.

Although things did not go their way in the first quarter, and they had just
tasted defeat at the hands of the Chargers in the first game, Coach Craig
Derksen’s team never had any quit in them in the final quarter of this contest.

On the Raiders’ opening drive, runs of 13 and 11 yards by scatback Sean

Mouton had the Raiders thinking score. Cougar defenders Tom Kim, Teddy
Russell, Justin Hunt, Cole Derksen, and Logan Chaudhry soon put those
thoughts to bed, pushing the Raiders back 19 yards, where the Cougar offense
took over on downs at their own 42-yard line.

The Cougars’ next series produced four incomplete passes, due largely to errant
snaps from the shotgun formation forcing whoever was meant to be on the
receiving end to run for cover. After taking over on downs, the Raiders’ Jack
Albanese quickly coughed up the ball on second down and the ever-ready Justin
Hunt recovered for the Cougars.

Taking over on their own 32-yard line, the Cougars were able to move the
chains once; but fierce and consistent tackling by linebacker Daniel McConaghy,
with assists by Robert Picard along the way, ended the Cougars’ drive on their
own 44-yard line. On the Raiders’ first play from scrimmage, Cougar CB Sean
Yoo wrapped up Eliot Sperling in the backfield for a 6-yard loss. On second and
16 from midfield, Jack Albanese burst up the middle before cutting outside en
route to a 34-yard run before a hustling Brett Bertamini forced him out of
bounds. Eliot Sperling’s runs of 4 and 10 yards ran out the clock, with the
game’s final score Raiders 14-Cougars 0.

Chargers 20 Raiders 6: Saturday, 25 September 2010

The game’s first play just sort of grabbed you by the collar and told you to sit
down. Raider Eliot Sperling’s onside kick was grabbed in stride by teammate
Jack Albanese, who galloped another 15 yards before being brought down.
Although the rule book negated Albanese’s run, the crowd’s collective jaw
remained open for several more plays. Super Bowl trophies have been claimed
with lesser plays.

Charger Cameron Creasman did his bit to shake the crowd from its stupor by
dumping the elusive Daniel McConaghy in the backfield on first down for a 4-
yard loss. On third and 6 it was Thomas Hewitt’s turn—he tackled Jack
Albanese after only a yard. Bas Sock recovered a fumble on fourth and 5 to put
the Chargers in gear at their on 46.

Ahh, but the Lord giveth and He taketh.

On first down for the Chargers, Raider Jack Albanese forced the fumble by Bas
Sock, who turned the ball over to the Raiders. Albanese then rumbled through
the right side on first down and after an effective stiff-arm burst into the
Charger secondary before being pulled down on the 8-yard line. QB Daniel
McConaghy then hit Sean Mouton with a 1-yard toss on third and goal, and after
Jack Albanese tacked on the 2-point conversion the Raiders led 8-0 after 6:59 in
the first quarter.

The Chargers’ next set of downs produced a loss of 7 yards courtesy of Josh
Haensly, Sean (and you thought I just played offense) Mouton, and Daniel
Brundage. The Raiders took over at the Charger 43-yard line, and after facing
third and 3 the Chargers appeared to get a break when Jack Albanese fumbled.
But an alert Albanese scooped up his own fumble and ran 6 yards for another
Raider first down.

The Charger defense pushed the Raiders back 6 yards over the next four plays
thanks to two fine tackles by #70 Thomas Hewitt and strong plays by Bas Sock
and Alex Robinson, Sean Farris and big hitter Stuart Baker. The Chargers’
offense began to kick in on a second down pass play to Jack Devins good for 20
yards. On the next play Ethan Shaw showed what moving your feet can do, by
breaking three tackles before Robert Picard finally brought him down after 9
yards. Eliot Sperling and Henry Manachi made tackles 2 yards deep into the
Charger backfield on successive plays to end the quarter with the Raiders up 8-
0 over the Chargers.

With the Chargers facing fourth and 8 from the Raider 25-yard line, Jack
Albanese picked off a Bas Sock pass along the ride sideline—with one hand—and
made a brilliant 85-yard TD return to increase the Raider margin to 14-0 with
8:51 to go in the game.

All those Raider onside kicks set the Chargers up for a long one, and Eliot
Sperling obliged with a boomer down to the 3-yard line, where a hustling Daniel
McConaghy blanketed Bas Sock on his own 9-yard line.

On second down Charger Ethan Shaw kicked into high gear through the middle
of the Raider defense for 18 yards, with Tristan Lee saving a sure touchdown
with a fine tackle from behind. After pass interference brought the ball to
midfield, the Bas Sock-Ryan Pond show took to the stage. Act One was a 14-
yarder, and after a brief diversion by Raiders Brundage and McConaghy
threatened to close the show on opening night, The Show unfolded beautifully
on fourth and 18. Sock hit Pond in the left flat. Pond made a great inside move
to evade the first tackler and then ran it outside to complete a 43-yard catch
and run TD to make the score 14-6 with 5:49 to go.

The Chargers appeared to have the Raiders bottled up on the next series after
fine defensive stops by Jack Devins, Cameron Creasman, Sean Farris, and
Thomas Hewitt. But on fourth and 2 from the Charger 42-yard line Jack
Albanese threw an absolute missile on the halfback option pass to a wide-open
Sean (I’m back on offense) Mouton for a 42-yard touchdown. The Raiders led
20-6 over the Chargers.
On the Chargers’ next series Bas Sock hit Ryan Pond on a 34-yard pass play
that would have gone for 6 points had Daniel Brundage not tackled Pond.

But excellent pass defense on successive plays by Tristan Lee and Daniel
McConaghy helped hand the ball back to the Raiders on their own 27-yard line
with 2:28 to go. After getting the ball back near midfield the Chargers were
fighting to put something together, but #44 Daniel McConaghy’s interception
sealed the win for the Raiders, with the final score Raiders 20-Chargers 6.

- Thanks to Roy & Micheal Connors, for providing the NL game write-ups.
Game Highlights – American League

Gators 14–Rams 0: Saturday, 25 September 2010

This week, the first game of the American League had the Gators kicking off to
the Rams. Kyle Froemke’s 32-yard kickoff was returned 14 yards by Robert
Moritz, who avoided a few tacklers and was brought down at the Rams’ 32-yard
line by Thomas Samuels. On the first play, Nick Cione took the ball up the
middle on a quarterback keeper.

He gained 3 yards before being tackled by William DiBiagio. Then, on third

down, in what was one of the Rams’ first plays in the air, Nick Cione connected
with Nils Berggren, who nicely caught the ball in a crowded field for a gain of a
couple of yards.
The Rams went for it on fourth down with a sweep up the right side to Robert
Moritz, who ran for about 5 yards, but the Rams were just inches short of a first
down.

After the Gators lost 5 yards on their first play for a foul, Kyle Froemke ran up
the left side to gain 9 yards before being tackled and pushed out of bounds by
Nick Cione. A fumble on the next play for a couple-yard loss brought third down
and 5. Finn Sykes then took the ball a few yards up the right side before being
tackled by Jay You and Collin Pond. On fourth down, the Gators were unable to
make a first down as Carter Ware was brought down by Joe Brick a few yards
short.

The Rams lost 10 yards on their first play of their next drive on a fumble. So
the Rams started second down on their 20-yard line. Wesley Dimond ran the
ball twice up the middle for a few yards each time. On fourth down, Nick Cione
punted to Sterling Kassela and the Gators started their next drive on the Rams’
38-yard line.
The Gators gave the ball to Gavin Hall for a yard up the middle. He was tackled
by Bryce Yoder and Jack Teerlinck.

Then, Gavin Hall connected on a dramatic pass to the right side, nearly
intercepted by Garrett Chambers, but was caught by Sterling Kassela as he
dove for the ball for a 4-yard gain. Gavin Hall then took the ball up 10 yards for
a first down on the Rams’ 22-yard line before being tackled by Brian Yan and
Ryan Thomas. Gavin Hall kept the ball again for a run up the right side to the
Rams’ 10-yard line and another first down. Matt Jones then tried running up
the middle but was stopped by Bryce Yoder and Ramon Neira. On the next
play, Gavin Hall ran around the left sideline for a 12-yard touchdown for the
Gators. The two-point conversion was good with a pass completion to Julian
Padgett. Gators 8, Rams 0.

After the kickoff, the Rams started their drive on their 20-yard line. A couple of
running plays by Nick Cione and Jay You brought third and 6 on the 24. The
ball was loose on the next play, and the Rams punted from their 11-yard line.
The 30-yard punt by Nick Cione was returned to the Rams’ 28-yard line by
William DiBiagio.

On the Gators’ next drive, they got a first down from a run by Kyle Froemke up
the middle and were on the Rams’ 8-yard line. Finn Sykes took the ball on the
left side for a few yards, and then on the next play Kyle Froemke snuck left for a
touchdown. The kick was no good. Gators 14, Rams 0.

Matt Jones’s kickoff was stopped by Joe Brick at midfield. The Rams started
their drive on their 39-yard line. Garret Chamber ran the sweep for a yard, but
a penalty on the next play brought the ball to the 34-yard line. On the next
play, the ball was intercepted by Gavin Hall and the Gators got the ball.
The Gators were unable to move the ball far enough on the next few plays, and
the game ended 14–0.

Longhorns 8–Rams 0: Saturday, 25 September 2010

The Rams started their drive on their 30-yard line after a kickoff reception by
Jay You. The Rams ran the ball on successive plays by Jay You, Nick Cione,
Robert Moritz, and then Joe Brick but weren’t quite able make a first down, and
the Longhorns got the ball on the Rams’ 36-yard line.

The Longhorns started their drive with a hand-off to Daelen Dennenberg for 5
yards on the left and then, on the next play, 4 yards up the right side for third
and 1 on the 26-yard line. Bradley Park took the snap and ran up the middle
for 3 yards and a first down on the Rams’ 22. The Rams stopped Daelen to
bring up third and long on the 23. Bradley Park tried to then connect with Jacob
Vore, but the ball was batted away by Robert Moritz. On fourth, Daelen was
brought down by Garrett Jenkins, Nils Berggren, and Joe Brick for a 10-yard
loss. The Rams got the ball on their 33-yard line.

But the next play was a fumble, and the Longhorns got the ball back. William
Hewitt ran up the right side for 9 yards, just short of a first down. Miller
Williams then took the ball for a first down on the Rams’ 25-yard line. He was
stopped by Garrett Chambers and Ramon Neira. A couple of runs later by Harri
Starr and William Hewitt up the middle and the quarter ended on third and 9.

The first play of the quarter was beautiful pass by Harri Starr to William Hewitt
for 10 yards and a first down on the Rams’ 12-yard line. But the Rams held
tough. On fourth down, Ryan Thomas made a nice tackle to stop the Longhorns
from scoring.
The Rams were unable to make much progress on their next possession. Nick
Cione connected nicely with Robert Moritz on a screen pass to the right side on
third down, but the Rams couldn’t quite make a first down. On the subsequent
punt, Daelen caught the punt on the Rams’ 30 and ran up the left sideline for a
touchdown. Bradley Park made the conversion. Longhorns 8, Rams 0.

The Rams were unable to make progress on their next drive, so they punted to
the Longhorns, who started their next drive on the Rams’ 32-yard line. The
Longhorns almost turned over the ball on the next two plays. First via a fumble,
which they recovered, and then on a long pass by Bradley Park down the right
side that was nearly intercepted by Robert Moritz. The Longhorns then decided
to run the ball via Daelen Dennenberg and Bradley Park for a first down, but the
game ended there. Score: Longhorns 8, Rams 0.

Gators 14–Longhorns 6: Saturday, 25 September 2010

The third game of the week started off with a bang. Daelen Dennenberg picked
up the kickoff on the 15-yard line and ran the ball past a number of Gator
tacklers to return the kickoff for a dramatic touchdown. Longhorns 6, Gators 0.

On the next play, the Gators almost returned the favor. William DiBiagio picked
up the kickoff on the 15-yard line and broke a number of tackles to run 39 yards
and make it all the way to the Longhorns’ 26-yard line. Jacob Vore saved the
touchdown with a stretching tackle. But the Gators were unable to make
progress on their next drive and ended up fumbling the ball to the Longhorns at
midfield.

The Longhorns made a first down from a pass from Bradley Park to Harri Starr.
But no, it was short by a yard. Bradley Park then tried to punch through for a
first down but was stopped, and the Gators got the ball back on their 30-yard
line.
Gavin Hall made a nice run up the right sideline to gain 20 yards to the
Longhorns’ 28-yard line and then, a few plays later, kept the ball for a
touchdown run up the left side. The conversion was good, and the score was
Gators 8, Longhorns 6.

Nate Bernard picked up the kickoff return and was tackled by Gavin Hall. So the
Longhorns got to start their drive on their 28-yard line. Unable to make much
progress, the Longhorns punted to the Gators, who returned the ball to midfield
but fumbled the ball. The Longhorns recovered the fumble and took possession
on their 35-yard line at the end of the first quarter.

Daelen started the Longhorns’ drive with a 9-yard run, and then Bradley Park
ran up the middle for a first down on the Gator 33-yard line. Matt Meehan
blitzed on the next play and took down Bradley Park for a couple-yard loss.
Despite a nice run by Daelen, the Longhorns were unable to make a first down
and the Gators got the ball back on their 29-yard line.
William DiBiagio got the Gators’ offense going with a number of runs to get a
first down at midfield and another first down at the Longhorns’ 30-yard line.
Then DiBiagio took the ball up the middle for a touchdown, breaking a couple of
tackles along the way. Gators 14, Longhorns 6.

Longhorns fans held their breath as Bradley Park evaded a number of tackles
looking for the long pass and then unloaded a 30-yarder to Daelen
Dennenberg—but it slipped out of his hands incomplete. This was their best
chance to try and tie up the game. Shortly thereafter, Carter Ware intercepted
another Park pass to seal the game. Gators 14, Longhorns 6.
League Standings

2010 WORLD LEAGUE STANDINGS

W L T PCT PF PA STK

OILERS 2 1 0.667 102 12 Lost 1

VIKINGS 2 1 0.667 42 30 Won 2
STEELERS 2 1 0.667 32 56 Won 1
BULLDOGS 3 0.000 0 78 Lost 3
2010 NATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
W L T PCT PF PA STK

CHARGERS 5 1 0.833 118 54 Lost 1

RAIDERS 3 3 0.500 98 68 Won 2
COUGARS 5 1 0.000 36 130 Lost 3
2010 AMERICAN LEAGUE STANDINGS
W L T PCT PF PA STK

GATORS 6 1.000 98 32 Won 6

LONGHORNS 3 3 0.500 72 56 Lost 1
RAMS 6 0.000 32 114 Lost 6

Commissioner’s Corner

We had some great games this past weekend, as your young men learn the
game, teamwork and sportsmanship. It always intrigues me how these teams -
of all ages - come together this time of the season under the watchful eyes of
our amazing coaches and volunteers.

Please note the slight changes to the schedule this week. Please also note the
following schedule changes for this coming weekend, due to conflicting school
activities.

1. The Friday night Vikings-Steelers WL game will start at 8 p.m.

2. The Saturday afternoon Raiders-Cougars NL game will start at 2 p.m.

All games will be played at SAS Turf Field this week.

Come out and support the teams!

-Jeff Woodard, SAFL Commissioner

SACAC Announcement

SACAC INVITES YOU:

On Wednesday, October 27th at 7:00pm SACAC will join Lotto Carpets

Gallery at Blk 26 #01-04 Dempsey Road for our first SACAC fundraiser!

Mr. Abid Mir and his family have generously agreed to donate 50% of the
evening’s proceeds to support SACAC programs. Look forward to an evening
filled with drinks, dinner, and a wealth of carpet knowledge. Ladies will also
receive a beautiful Kashmir shawl.

(No ticket purchase or entry fee for this event. Come show your support for
SACAC programs.)

***

Online Winter Sport Registration 29 September - 8 October at www.sacac.com

Thank you for your patience and assistance with our transition!

***

Tomo’s Tips: Concussion

Concussion - It’s better to miss one game than the whole season

Due to the nature of the sports, over 300,000 concussions are reported in high
school, collegiate and professional levels during football season in the United
States. Involved in football, it is critical to for you to understand about
concussion and to manage it appropriately.

What is a concussion?

A concussion is a serious brain injury that

- Is caused by a bump or a blow to the head

- Can change the way your brain normally works
- Can occur during practices or games
- Can happen even if you haven’t been knocked out or lost consciousness
- Can be serious even if you’ve just been ―dinged‖ or ―getting your bell rung‖
 What are the symptoms of a concussion?

- Headache or pressure in head - Feeling sluggish, hazy, foggy, or

- Nauseas or vomiting groggy
- Balance problems or dizziness - Difficulty paying attention
- Double or blurry vision - Memory problems
- Bothered by light or noise - Confusion
- Does not ―feel right‖

What to do when you think you have a concussion?

- Tell your coaches and your parents

 NEVER ignore a bump or blow to the head even if you feel fine.
 NEVER play with concussion. It can lead to long-term problems and
even life threatening.

- Seek medical care immediately

 Let the doctor or health care professionals determine if you had a

concussion and when you are OK to return to play.
 No practice until cleared by a doctor

- Give yourself time to get better

 After concussion, your brain needs time to heal. While your brain is still
healing, you are much more likely to have a second concussion. Second
or later concussions can cause damage to your brain.

For more information on concussion,

visit www.cdc.gov/ConcussionInYouthSports
or
contact Tomo at ttanabe@sas.edu.sg

- Contributed by Tomo Tanabe

The Next Step in Athletics… Guidance from NCSA

(National Collegiate Scouting Association)

It is a fact that most of our student-athletes playing football in Singapore go on

NCSA Athletic to 4 or more years of college, many in the United States and Canada. In
Recruiting: The addition to being good students, these young men are accomplished athletes.
Recruiting The SAFL Newsletter Staff would like to offer our readers some insight into the
Network that
athletic scholarship process, which can be long and complex. No one
connects more
than 35,000 understands the college recruiting and scholarship process better than NCSA,
college coaches at the National Collegiate Scouting Association. We are pleased to offer you the
over 1,700 following article for your consideration.
Universities with
qualified student The Winners Path to an Athletic Scholarship
athletes through
education,
In the increasingly competitive chase for college athletic scholarships, there is
technology and
no such thing as preparing too early or too much. For better or worse, the
relationships
recruiting process now begins as soon as a student-athlete begins high school –
and occasionally earlier - and awaiting a call from a coach during one’s junior or
senior year will now leave a recruit behind the curve. As the demand for
scholarships continues to grow, even the most talented athletes must
proactively reach out to coaches and programs to express interest and cultivate
relationships. Contrary to popular belief, one's high school coach typically plays
only a minor role in the pursuit of a scholarship; the bulk of this responsibility
rests with a student-athlete and his or her family.

Another common misconception about recruiting is that coaches scout and

identify talent by attending games, tournaments, combines and camps around
the country, or by watching highlight videos produced and distributed by
athletes themselves. The reality, though, is that most coaches lack the time and
resources necessary to do this sort of preliminary legwork, and instead much
prefer to rely on comprehensive and verified information provided to them by
third-parties with whom the coaches have worked successfully in the past. As
such, it’s important that reliable sources be made aware of student-athletes’
athletic and academic abilities, to ensure that this information ends up in the
hands of college coaches.

Although coaches do attend tournaments and camps, it is not to

discover new talent, but is rather to follow-up on leads from recruiting services
and other sources. Likewise, a coach is far more likely to view a video if it is
delivered to them, by request or suggestion, from a trustworthy third-party. It’s
very important that an edited video be available online, so that a coach can
quickly and easily access it to determine whether a student-athlete deserves an
in-person evaluation.

Successfully navigating the recruiting process can be complicated, frustrating

and time-consuming, but given the degree to which a college scholarship can
impact the rest of one’s life, few things seem more worth the energy and
preparation.

To take the first steps towards your athletic scholarship, plug into the NCSA
Athletic Recruiting Network by clicking:

https://recruit-
match.ncsasports.org/fasttrack/lead/preSAEF.do?pg=v2&lnkSrc=SAEF-SACAC

I BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW THIS ABOUT FOOTBALL….

The SAFL Newsletter Staff would like to bring you interesting and relevant
football stories on a weekly basis. We believe that football goes well beyond the
contest between two teams – it is, in fact, a way of life which tests and develops
character in our young men. Provided below is one such inspiring story….

George Blanda dies at 83; football career spanned four decades

Blanda almost single-handedly won five consecutive games for the Oakland
Raiders. He also played for the Chicago Bears, Baltimore Colts and Houston
Oilers.

Hall of Famer and former Oakland Raiders quarterback George Blanda, shown in
1987, died at age 83.

George Blanda, the Hall of Fame quarterback and kicker who played a record 26
seasons of professional football and once almost single-handedly won five
consecutive games for the Oakland Raiders, has died. He was 83.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame said Blanda died Monday after a brief illness, and
the Raiders issued a statement calling him "a brave Raider and a close personal
friend of Raiders owner Al Davis."

Blanda, whose career dated to an era when players routinely manned two
positions, scored a then-record 2,002 points. He scored those by throwing for
236 touchdowns and running for nine, as well as kicking 335 field goals and 943
extra points. He retired before the 1976 season, a month shy of his 49th
birthday, having spent 10 seasons with the Chicago Bears, part of one with the
Baltimore Colts, seven with the Houston Oilers and his last nine with the
Raiders.

"If you put him in a group of most-competitive, biggest-clutch players, I think

he'd have to be the guy who would win it all," his Raiders coach, John Madden,
said in a phone interview Monday. "He was the most competitive guy that I ever
knew."

Never was that more evident than during a five-game stretch in 1970 when the
43-year-old Blanda, his chiseled jaw framed by salt-and-pepper sideburns, led
the Raiders to four victories and one tie with late touchdown throws or field
goals.
"It got to the point where when he'd come in [the game], the whole team would
go, 'Here comes George. We're going to do it now,'" Madden said. "Then pretty
soon all the fans started believing, and they'd all go nuts. And then the topper is
when the opponents knew it. It was like, 'Oh no, here he comes.'"

That remarkable stretch began Oct. 25, 1970, when Blanda replaced an injured
Daryle Lamonica and threw three touchdown passes in a 31-14 victory over
Pittsburgh.

In the four games that followed, he:

- Kicked a 48-yard field goal in the final seconds to forge a 17-17 tie at
Kansas City.

- Threw a tying touchdown pass with one minute, 34 seconds remaining, then
kicked the game-winning 52-yard field goal in the final seconds of a 23-20
victory over Cleveland.

- Threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Fred Biletnikoff in a 24-19 victory over

Denver.

- Kicked a 16-yard field goal in the final seconds for a 20-17 victory over San
Diego.

Said Davis in an interview with NFL Films: "Whenever we were in trouble, John
just went to the bullpen, waved his hand, and George came in and started
throwing those miraculous touchdown passes and kicking those miraculous field
goals."

In looking at that incredible streak, NFL Films called Blanda "football's King Tut
exhibit," noting that even though people initially thought the quarterback was
too old to be a player, "he was just the right age to become a legend."

Blanda was born Sept. 17, 1927, in Youngwood, Pa., one of 11 children of a coal
miner and his homemaker wife.

When Blanda entered the NFL as a 12th-round draft pick out of the University of
Kentucky in 1949, he showed even more versatility by playing linebacker for
George Halas' Bears. That was out of necessity, considering he was the third
quarterback behind Johnny Lujack and future Hall of Famer Sid Luckman.
Blanda won the starting quarterback job in 1953 but lost it the next season
because of injury. His playing time dwindled after that, and he retired in 1959
when it became clear that the Bears wanted him as a full-time kicker.

But he didn't sit around long. In 1960, he joined the Oilers of the new American
Football League, and wound up playing a total of 16 more seasons in Houston
and Oakland before calling it quits after the 1975 season. Among his many NFL
records, he's in the books as the only player whose career spanned four
decades.

Blanda made an immediate splash in the upstart AFL, earning player-of-the-

year honors in 1961 after throwing for 3,330 yards and setting a pro football
record with 36 touchdown passes. That stood until 1986, when it was broken by
Miami's Dan Marino.

Also in 1961, Blanda tied a pro football record with seven touchdown passes in a
game, a mark he now shares with Joe Kapp, Y.A. Tittle, Adrian Burk and
Luckman.

"What people don't know is when we look at the film, Blanda probably could
have topped that number," said Steve Sabol, president of NFL Films. "They were
routing the [New York] Titans, and Blanda came out of the game early in the
second half. He had seven touchdown passes midway through the third quarter
when they took him out."

sam.farmer@latimes.com Copyright © 2010, Los Angeles Times

Picture of the week

SO, FOOTBALL IS A "STATISTICS" GAME....FOR EXAMPLE:

SEVEN Girls Full of Cheer!!

FIVE Water Girls Having Fun!!

 THREE Happy Coaches!!

TWO Players Full of Good Sportsmanship!!

 And...ONE Ultimate Fan!!

WON'T YOU JOIN US AND BECOME AN SAFL STATISTIC?? COME ON OUT

AND CHEER ON YOUR FAVORITE TEAM!!!

Useful links

Visit the Singapore American Community Action Council (SACAC) web site at:
http://www.sacac.com/

Singapore American Football League

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Nick Littrell at SACAC - sacac@sas.edu.sg
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