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June 28
Shark Park, Levittown. PA
After suffering their biggest ever loss last weekend the Axemen showed true character in their effort to beat the Sharks 66 to 24. The sharks opened up the scoring with a try against the run of play to go up 6 to 0. The Axemen quickly countered with true first game rookie, Shane Singleton taking a wide ball and going in for his first ever Rugby League touchdown. This opened the gates as the Axemen found top gear and started an assault on the Sharks both in defense and attack. They tackled with 2 and 3 players every time and used the ball with great effect to outplay their opponents. New import Simon Moate and rookie winger Josh Jackson found a hat trick of tries each while New York MVP, Kenny Britt and and import Brent Shorten each grab 2 a piece. Shaun Murray and also cross the line for a easy touch down late in the game. Brent Shorten also added 3 from 3 with the boot on conversions while Rich Alleger also got 6 of his 9.
The game was a great win for the Axemen who now return home with a 2 and 2 record to start their 4 game home stretch.
June 21
Sun Valley High School, Aston. PA
The Axemen, who traveled with only 17 players (of which 2 where making their league debut), started the game matching the Bulls for 20 minutes with neither side scoring. The Bulls then got through the Axemen defense for 2 tough, well executed trys to make it 10 nil at the 30 minute mark. Then the injuries started for the Florida side. Jeff Pinney was taken from the field with a broken nose (He would return later after controlling the bleeding) and was soon followed by Aaron Sane with the same injury (He would not return to the game unable to stop the blood) . Nicholas Shea soon followed after a high tackle sent him to the sidelines to stop the "bell ringing".
This let the flood gates open for the last ten minutes of the half and the Bulls put in 4 trys and the Axemen seemed to have no answer.
The second half was almost a mirror on the first with the Axemen determined to start the scoreboard turning over for them. They started targeting the Bulls out wide and kicking deep late in the tackle count with a lot of success. Only scramble defense by the Bulls and some poor last pass efforts by the Axemen held with short of the line.
Then the injuries began to mount again. Tim Stouder needed some time to get over a nasty head clash, John Turlington left the game to get some attention to a shoulder after a massive hit on a Bulls player, Justin Sphaler also needed attention for a shoulder injury and flew home with his arm in a sling. This again opened up the opportunity for the Bulls and they took advantage and started another scoring route. Jay DeFau was the last of the Axemen injuries when his head hit the ground hard during a tackle and he left the game concussed.
Rookie players Morgan Adams and Matthew Visalli had a solid first game and both perform well even when the game seemed to be fallen around them.
June 14th vs. New York Knights
"The Castle" at Pier 40, Manhattan, NY
Match report coming soon
May 31st vs. Philly Fight
Farrell Stadium, WCU, West Chester. PA
SEE BELOW HERE FOR THE 2006 SEASON MATCH REPORTS AWARDS
The Jacksonville Axemen were defeated by the Glen Mills Bulls 52 to 22
I have not yet received a copy of the game tape so I cannot offer a detailed match report but here are the basics. The Axemen shocked the Bulls by opening the scoring after only 5 minutes of play to take 6 nil lead. The Bulls evened the score 7 minutes later and seemed to make some changes in an effort to take control at that point. The Axemen replied by scoring again in 5 minutes to again take the lead. The remaining part of the second half seen the score go back and forth and the Bulls had not expected such a rough start to their home game. Rumors have it that the Bulls Coach went Ballistic at half time in the lockers rooms.
The Axemen made some changes during the game to try and get their 6 international player some rest and this may have created some confusion in defense as the Bulls got 2 tries early in the second half.
Then an All in, Bench Clearing Brawl, seen Axemen Ben Zelen sent form the field along with a Bulls player. With both teams at 12 men the Bulls started a kick and chase game that they had obviously rehearsed many times and they executed it very well. They took control of the scoreboard and the Axemen had to try and play catch up for the last 20 minutes. Spinner Howland had a try disallowed before Dan Van Dellen went over to ensure the Axemen got their bonus point for scoring 4 tries.
Axemen Try Scorers were Brad Stewart, Dan Van Dellen, Perry Vaught and William Fletcher. Perry Vaught converted 3 of the 4 tries.
The Axemen now know that the Bulls are very beatable at Glen Mills if the game plan can be executed.
Jacksonville Axemen 36 defeat Delaware Mantarays 8
With injuries to Taco Pope (one game), Perry Vaught (one game), Tom Brumfield (season) the Axemen asked their younger players to step up and take charge of this match. Apple Pope was named Captain in Perry's absence and Chris Cassell's made his debut for the Axemen.
Bob Knoepfel opened the day for the Axemen with a smashing hit on the Mantaray runner to set the tone for the day then gathered a loose ball on the very next play to give the Axemen a chance early in the game. They took three quick hits at the line with Aaron Sane, Bob Knoepfel and then went wide only to drop a ball over the line.
The next 6 minutes seen the Axemen concentrate on completing their sets and their defense. The coach had put a lot off work in with the team over the past week in stopping other teams scoring on them. The plan seemed to work with good sets coming in succession and the defense allowed the Axemen to recover the ball again from a Mantaray mistake. Again the Axemen moved within 5 meters of the try line only to have a pass from Craig Howitt to Aaron Peacock ruled forward as he crossed the line.
The Mantarays then put together a good set of their own to move the ball downfield and hot a good kick for field position. Their defense tightened up in the middle to try and slow the Axemen making big gains up the field. This ploy worked until Apple Pope moved himself out into the back line and called for a long pass that allowed him open space to move. He ran straight down the sideline running over the Mantarays fullback on his way to open the score at 4 to nil ten minutes into the game.
Another 5 minutes of solid play from both sides seen the ball move from one end on the field to the other until the Axemen got a scrum feed on their own line. Patrick Cox, who had come in for Spinner Howland had moved out to 5/8 and took a great ball from Rich Allegers to cut under the wide defense and then push past another player to get the ball to halfway with a great run. A quick play the ball set up Will Fletcher to flash out from dummy half and find open space, and he turned on the speed to run around the fullback and put the ball near the posts. With Perry Vaught out for the game, Rich Allegers came in to take the kicks and made easy work of it to put the Axemen up 10 to nil after 16 minutes.
The Axemen then made some changes in the forwards they seen Ricky Brown and the return of Brandon McGillberry thrown into the action with almost immediate effect. Although the Mantarays got good yards by completing sets and a penalty from a high tackle the Axemen defense would not break. The run from the penalty tap seen their ball carrier put back behind the mark after a massive effort from Craig Howitt and Brandon McGillberry. With the defense working well the outside back s got their chances form scrums and it was not long before Brad Stewart broke the line and offloaded to a flying Will Fletcher and then onto Dan Van Dellen to put the Axemen in the Mantarays half again. They pressured the line and then on the first Mantaray possession, Fremont Latimer came up with the huge tackle to force the Mantarays player into touch giving the Axemen a scrum on the 20 yard line. It took only 3 plays to get to within one yard of the line and Spinner run into dummy half and signaled to send the ball wide before turning a hit a flying Apple Pope who went in untouched for his second of the day. Rich Allegers again made the conversion look easy to take the Axemen out to a 16 to nil lead on the 30th minute.
With the focus now on quick play the balls and hard running up the middle before going wide, the Axemen got to within 20 yards of the Mantaray line again and put up a high kick. The Mantarays player was unlucky to have it bounce off his hands only to be re-gathered by the Axemen who quickly run an identical set that put them only 5 meters out after 3 runs and then Spinner again went into dummy half to signaled for the backs to set up wide on the right before turning a offloading to the left to a rampaging Ricky Brown who made easy work scoring in the same place Apple had only 3 minutes before. Rich Allegers was on fire to add the extras to make it 22 to nil at the 35 minute mark.
The following kick off seen a horrible mistake from the Axemen with a drop ball on the catch to give the Rays a chance to score before half time. Then a combination of dropped ball on the first tackle, a touch ball on a close intercept attempt, a penalty for a stripped ball and another drop on the first tackle allowed the Mantarays 18 successive tackles into the Axemen defense. With the forwards, Jeff Pinney and Danny Hanson having just entered the game, the fresh legs helped hold the Rays out to go into the half at 22 to 0.
The second half started with the Mantarays fired up and Dave DeVelario lead the charge in both attack and defense. His players followed his lead and the Axemen became frustrated at not being able to move the ball around as they had in the first half. This lead to a couple of simple errors that seen them defend a lot in the first 10 minutes after the break. Spinner Howland was sent to the blood bin for a ct over his right eye and Patrick Cox came on to fill the half back role. The over eager Mantarays defense was called of side on the next play and a good kick put the Axemen 10 meters form the line. With 3 power runs at the line and then sending the ball wide, Fremont Latimer crossed to open the second half scoring and Rich Alleger again added the points to extend the lead to 28 to 0.
The Axemen used this as a chance to put fresh legs on the field and Ben White, Chris Cassells and Max Davenport went in for some action. The march down the field was instant and they Axemen got to within a meter of the line until a handover gave the Rays the ball. Their prop Josh Barton then to a line break and got down field inside the Axemen 5 yard line and with 3 quick play the balls and moving the ball to the far right side of the line, the Rays finally got on the board with a try out wide to make the score 28 to 4 after 55 minutes.
With a shut out now out of the question the Axemen were determined to add to their lead and it only took three minutes for them to run power plays into the Rays defense and then put hard running Bob Knoepfel out wide to crash over to put them out to a 32 to 4 lead.
Minutes later an incident on the Axemen line between Ben White and Dave DeVelario escalated over the following two plays and resulted in a bit of push and shove from both sides. With the Penalty going the Rays way and the Axemen concentrating too much of putting "extra" effort into each tackle the Rays kept their cool and got a runner over the line to make it 32 to 8 after 65 minutes.
Cool heads should have prevailed but tempers began to flair and inside the next minute Bob Knoepfel took exception to some "special treatment" in a tackle which resulted in him tossing one of the Rays players to the ground. Play continued quickly and as Brandon McGillberry smashed through the line to go 20 yards untouched to put the Axemen out 36 to 8, the offending Rays player took his chance and went in for a few swings on big Bob Knoepfel. The result was the Mantarays player being "sat down" after a short flurry of punches from Bob. Both players were sent from the field.
With both teams at 12 men and pretty fired up the defense form both teams went up a notch. The game closed out with both teams spent and the Axemen were happy to have held the Rays to only 8 points for the day.
Jacksonville 36 defeats Washington DC Slayers 34
The Axemen welcomed the DC Slayers to the UNF Stadium looking to avenge their first game lose in DC and with both teams sitting on the same record, a win for each team was as crucial as ever.
With a crowd of over 600 in the stands and even a few Slayer fans the game got off to a loud start as the crowd got behind the teams to encourage them into action.
With the temperature still in the mid 80's the Axemen were keen to try and use the heat to their advantage over their northern rivals and it seemed to work with hard running center Fremont Latimer crossing in only the 4th minute after Spinner Howland drew the slayer winger off his line and then dumped a short ball for him to cross untouched. The conversion was not successful and the score was 4-0.
Both Teams seemed to want the early dominance and the hits started with frequency and it wasn't long before some blood got flowing. The ever reliable Taco Pope took another shot on the nose and again he had to insert his all too familiar nose plugs.
The Slayers worked the ball down the field with hard runs by their forwards and after three straight hit ups, the Slayers threw the ball wide to Bill Weeks who was able to put the ball down for the try. The conversion was made by Tonga Fanueli and the Slayers were up 6-4.
The Slayers got some momentum form their efforts and the Axemen seemed to concentrate too much on the punishing defense in the middle of the field and allowed an easy try for the Slayers out wide to make the score 10 to 4 after only 12 minutes.
The next few minutes seen some great play from both sides as the runs and the saving tackles got the crowd to their feet on numerous occasions. The Slayers got a good set to get within 15 meters of the Axemen line and put up a high kick. With Slayers players coming in from everywhere the Axemen miss fielded the ball and gave the Slayers a new set of tackles on the five yard line. It was not long before they found a hole and put a player across to extend their lead to 16 to 4.
The Axemen seemed to realize that they had a huge crowd of supporters that were not going to take kindly to the efforts they had displayed in the first 20 minutes and they started to turn things around. They went back to their defensive patterns and with the hits coming with frequency it was not long before they forced the Slayers into a mistake and got good position to start their assault. With interchange prop, Danny Hanson on the field as an impact player, he went in for a charging run that drew in multiple defenders and then offloaded to a flying Fremont Latimer who hammered over for his second of the game to put the Axemen back in the game at 16 to 8.
Again the Axemen took very little time in getting down the field and Brad Stewart took a great run to get within a yard of the try line but was held out by two of the Slayer defenders. The Slayers then got a chance to move the ball down field but the Axemen defense held firm and they kicked from inside their own half to give the Axemen good position. Patrick Cox then had a great run to take advantage of the tiring Slayer forwards and went 30 yards before offloading to Rich Alleger in support, who added 20 more yards before turning the ball back inside to Patrick Cox who got to within a yard of the line. A quick play the ball allowed a short weak side pass the Bob Knoepfel, who was making him home debut, to cross out wide for the try. Perry Vaught made a great kick from the sideline to bring the Axemen within 2 points of the Slayers at 16 to 14.
The Axemen then took a great kick off and made 2 good runs before giving up a silly penalty and the Slayers took over only 20 yards from the Axemen line. A good run by one of their forwards got to within 3 yards of the line and a flying Billy Weeks took a short pass to get across and again extend their lead to 22 to 14.
Reeling over their mistake the Axemen took no time in unleashing relentless defense on the Slayers and again got rewarded with a turnover close to the Slayer line. With a great run to take out 2 of the Slayer defenders and a quick play the ball, Apple Pope darted out from Dummy Half to barge over close to the posts and allow an easy conversion to bring the score back to 22 to 20.
With only a minute left on the clock the Slayers tried a short kick that was recovered by a flying Damon Gayle who was called offside. Neither he nor many of the Axemen heard the referees call and play continued until Ricky Brown pulled off one of the biggest hits of the season on Gayle. The resulting confusion lead to a little altercation between the teams right on halftime with Apple Pope and Spinner Howland leading the charge for the Axemen before Perry Vaughts cool head prevailed and players separated and both teams went into the locker rooms with the Slayers up 22 to 20.
The second half started well for the Axemen with an early error from the Slayers that allowed the Axemen to get close to the line. Spinner Howland darted out from dummy half and forced his way to the line and reached out to place the ball down to put the Axemen ahead on the score board at 24 to 22.
The early score lifted the Axemen and they wasted no time in increasing the score by driving the ball down field with some great runs to get within 5 yards of the try line. The Axemen got a quick play the ball and shot 2 long passes out to Ricky Brown who only had a center to beat and he made no mistake in using his size to charge over the line close enough to allow Perry Vaught to add the extra points to take the Axemen out to an 8 point lead at 30 to 22.
The Axemen could see the momentum going their way and they continued the pressure in defense and the big hits just kept coming. They held the Slayers short of the line and forced them to kick on the 6 tackle. The ball went high on the kick and was miss judged by the Axemen who had to jump and reach to a catch. The ball came out of the hands of Bob Knoepfel and bounced up long enough for one of the Slayers outside backs to get a catch and run around untouched to put the slayers back in the game at 30 to 28 after a good conversion.
With only 20 minutes left in the game it was going to be the side that held the ball and made fewer mistakes that would win. The Axemen got their chance after again getting good field position from a Slayer mistake that allowed some good runs to within 10 meters of the line. Apple Pope took advantage of a quick play the ball that caught the two Slayer markers off side and charged through two more defenders right on the line to add four points and allowed Frank Radosta an easy conversion to take the Slayers out to a 36 to 28 lead.
For the next 10 minutes it was a case of both teams running at each other with everything they had and both teams tackling just as hard to try and find the error that would make or break the game. The Slayers took advantage of a great run to put them close to the line and sent powerhouse prop Maoa Laumoli over the line. As he turned to run under the post to improve field position, Axemen second rower Rob Tribbey slid in feet first to try and stop the grounding of the ball. The referee penalized him for a dangerous play on the try scorer and gave a rarely seen penalty that allows the scoring team to take a kick at goal right in front of the posts. With the try being scored and the conversion being successful the Slayer sat at 34 points. The Axemen stood motionless as the extra kick was struck and bounced off the post and went wide to leave the score at 36 to 34 to the Axemen.
The Axemen kicked deep and went into safe defense mode. Again they got the ball back from a Slayer drop and started a safe play set with very few passes. Spinner Howland then got the ball and went sideways and threw a fake pass to catch the Slayers outside backs, he went inside and around the chasing forwards and was 10 yards from the line with space to move when he dropped the ball. He made no attempt to hide he self disgust at his stupidity.
The resulting scrum seen the Slayer kick just as they had done in game one that resulted in the winning try. Axemen Patrick Cox was on hand this time to cover the kick and make a great return before being tackled. The Axemen used all six of their tackles to get the game clock down to 90 seconds and they had only to make 6 tackles to win the game.
The entire crowd sat on the edge of their seats and on the first play of the set, the Slayers broke the line and got a great pass off that allowed them to get into Axemen territory only to throw a wild pass out wide that sailed over the sideline and gave the Axemen an easy scrum with less than a minute to play. They ran out the clock with 3 slow and safe hit ups to win the game 36 to 34.
Injuries from the game saw Taco Pope get 8 staples in a head wound although he played most of the game with his head covered in bandages before going to get medical attention. Perry Vaught again turned over his ankle and will use the bye week to get rehab and treatment on it and Spinner Howland who lost tooth early in the game had two visits to the Dentist this week to get a new one fitted.
Jacksonville 48 defeats Philadelphia Fight 26
The game against the Philly Fight proved to be a tough affair for both sides with the referee having plenty to watch for as the high shots and stiff arms came frequently form both sides. The Axemen opened the day by completing their first 4 sets, which was a vast improvement over recent weeks. They pressured the Fight almost immediately and forced the home team onto their own try line 3 times in the first five minutes. Then, with a lapse in concentration and a quick break the fight got a good run against play and they made no mistake on making the most of it when they sent a runner charging at the line to open the scoring in the 6th minute. The kick was good and the Axemen were stunned that it was 6 nil after a such a powerful start.
Regrouping at the kick off the Axemen charged down the field and stopped the Fight making much headway in the set and then forced an error that allowed the Axemen great field position. Moving the ball wide early allowed big center Patrick Cox to go over one defender and around another to score and allow Spinner Howland and easy kick to level the score at 6 all. Not wanting to have to fight back from being down as they have done in their past games, the Axemen worked hard in holding the ball and completing sets and making dominant tackles early in the game. The payoff didn't take long when again the ball was swung wide and winger Ben Zelen, who had forced his way onto the starting team with a big game last week, went over near the sideline to give the Axemen the lead. The kick sailed wide and the score was 10 to 6 after only 12 minutes.
The Fight seemed to be snapped into action after their lack in commitment on defense and for the next 10 minutes both teams traded big runs and big hits. Apple and Taco Pope again laid claim to the "dominators" on the Axemen side and big Tom Brumfield also started to lay the shoulder squarely into the ball carriers. Aaron Sane and Aaron Peacock continued their wide running from last week and started to make some good gains away from the play the ball area while Craig Howitt continued his off loading in contact to allow support runners easy yards at the end of plays. The Fight forwards were determined to match it in the middle with the Axemen big men but in doing so they allowed some of their back line to creep in to assist in the tackles. Axemen Five Eight, Perry Vaught soon seen the holes open up out wide and put himself into a gap and crossed untouched to extend the lead. He slotted over the easy kick.
The following kick off seen Axemen flyer, Will Fletcher again show his elusive skills as he stepped and weaved his way around the defense to go the 80 yards for the Axemens second try in 2 minutes. Again Perry Vaught added the extras. Soon after the re-start Axemen half back Spinner Howland was sent in to the blood bin after a head clash opened up a cut under his chin. This put Rich Allegers into the fray and he wasted no time getting involved. He opened up his tackle count by making 3 tackles in the first set that he was apart of and then on the next offensive set he cut a hole for himself to break the defense and off loaded to Will Fletcher who again turned on his speed to get his second try for the day. Perry Vaught made easy work of the kick to extend the lead.
The frustration began to get the fight into full speed and their desire to stop the Axemen increasing lead turned into some big hits and great runs. The Axemen countered with some of their own tackles and the tension soon boiled over with players form both teams involved in a scuffle that gave the Fight a penalty right on the Axemen line. They took full advantage of the situation and sent a player charging over the line to narrow the gap before halftime. The score 28 to 10 at the break.
The second half started where the first left off, with plenty of passion from both teams and again both teams notched up warnings from the Referee about high tackles and stiff arms and again both ended up being penalized in the opening minutes. The Axemen forwards had seen some fresh legs in Rob Tribbey and Danny Hanson continue the crashes into the middle of the field and the back up running from the outside backs like Ben White and Brad Stewart again started to show reward with good gains in the opening sets. Soon after, interchange winger Frank Radosta, put his elusive side step into action after taking a wide ball and crossed to cement the Axemen stamp on the game.
The rot on the field continued and Axemen halfback Spinner Howland, who had already spent time in the blood bin, retaliated to the punch in a tackle form a Fight forward and stood up and started throwing punches himself. He was quickly given 10 minutes in the sin bin and left the field hoping his stupidity would not cost his team the lead. His fears started to materialize as the Fight took advantage of the extra man situation by sending the ball wide and found a hole to add a try and conversion. The fight took the returning kick-off and again ran straight at the hole left by the missing Axemen and went over for their second in 3 minutes to bring the Fight up to 22 points. With the game far from over and Spinner screaming advice from the Sin Bin the Axemen settled down and went back to the basic play sets that seen them take an early lead, and an almost identical play that put him over earlier, allowed center Patrick Cox to go through the defense again to get his second of the day. With Perry Vaught out with his recurring ankle injury, and Spinner sitting in the bin, Frank Radosta added the extras.
Again the Axemen relaxed and again the Fight took advantage. Their forwards just keep coming and their backs kept trying everything they could to break the line. The short handed Axemen allowed another try to let the Fight go up to 26 points with 15 minutes still left to play.
Spinner returned to the field and was still steaming at himself for his lack of control. He gave the team specific instructions to go back to basic plays and to complete their sets. The plan worked and the Axemen completed their next 3 sets and after a Fight mistake close to their own line, Spinner got his chance to make up for his mistake with a short outside run to find a hole and go over to seal the win for the visitors in the 72nd minute. With both teams running close to empty and finally out of aggression, Frank Radosta got a great outside ball from prop forward Craig Howitt to go over for his second of the day with a 60 yard dash to the line and then add his own extras to finish the game at Axemen 48 to the Fight 26.
Jacksonville 40 defeats New Jersey Sharks 24
The New Jersey Sharks were welcomed to Florida with temperatures around 96 degrees and the sun belting down hard. Both teams took short warm up sessions on the field prior to kickoff due to the heat.
The game got underway with the Sharks kick sailing out on the full and the Axemen got an early chance with the penalty on halfway. With Perry Vaught back after spending half of last week’s game on the sideline with an injury, the Axemen gained good ground from the kick.
The Sharks forwards however, would not let the Axemen take advantage of the initial mistake and held firm to regain the ball after the set of tackles. They themselves had a good set that seen them get down to halfway before a good kick went deep into the Axemen end of the field. The Axemen gained some good yards in the first 3 tackles and then Spinner Howland broke the line and got well into sharks territory before drawing the full back and sending a pass to Axemen flyer, Will Fletcher, who went over untouched for the opening points. The kick from Howland bounced off the upright and went wide.
The Sharks again sent the kickoff over the sideline on the full and again the Axemen got to pressure early in the set and again the Sharks defense held. It was on their kick that the Axemen went for the charge down and the sharks re-gathered to reset the tackle count.
With some quick plays they moved the ball out wide and Perry Vaught was forced to make a great tackle to hold the sharks center up over the line. The Axemen defense held for the next 3 tackles to take possession of the ball. They moved down the field well and after the kick, the Sharks knocked on early in the tackle count to give the Axemen another chance to capitalize with a short run to the line. A quick short side play to Will Fletcher off the scrum left him with only one man to beat and as he stepped to go around him for a clear run to the line, he spilled the ball to let the pressure off.
The Sharks took this as their chance to get on the board. They drove down field before putting powerhouse Prop, Justin Zadnik, in a hole that seen him get within inches of the try line and with Sal Raniello there for the quick play the ball, he darted over from dummy half while the Axemen defense were still re-gathering, to level the score at 4 all.
The restarting kickoff went high and deep and was knocked on by the Sharks, which again gave the Axemen the ball only 10 yards form the line. Veteran Spinner Howland would not let another opportunity go to waste and darted from the scrum to throw a fake pass out to the flying Will Fletcher and then turned inside to catch two Shark defenders on the wrong foot and he went over the line and around under the posts for the try. He took a quick kick and added the extras to put the Axemen up ten to four, only 17 minutes into the game.
The kickoff was a disaster for the Axemen, who took a good ball into contact and got a quick play the ball with room to move and again knocked on with open space in front of the runner. The Sharks took full advantage and they went for a short side play that pulled the Axemen defense in too close and their rookie center, Dan, went over for 4 more points on the 20th minute.
The Axemen coach made some changes to see if they could stop the mistakes that were stopping any momentum from building. He put in the two biggest men on the Axemen roster, Tim Stouder and Tom Brumfield and bought rookie Rob “Caveman” Tribbey into the second row. He also added the firecracker pivot player Rich Allegers to the mix.
It seemed to work with the Axemen moving down field on every set and pinning the Sharks deep in their half in defense but again a golden chance went begging when another dropped ball came up on the first tackle of a set. Ben Zelen was sent in at wing to give fullback Will Fletcher a break and big Canadian, Ben White, slid back to cover. It was only minutes after the change that the Axemen frustrations boiled over and some messy stuff in a tackle got them penalized again. After a great kick to field position the Sharks took full advantage and sent a charging Zach Pagett over right on the sideline to have the Sharks go into the break leading 12 points to 10. The Axemen locker room was a pretty stern affair with Coach Spinner Howland asking all the players to tighten up the defense and hold the ball for complete sets. They had turned over the ball 9 times within the first 3 tackles during the first half.
The Axemen started the second half a changed team and seemed to dominate the Sharks until another mistake gave the sharks a scrum 5 meters form the Axemen line and lock, Zach Padgett picked up from the base of the scrum and made easy work to barge over after only five minutes of second half play.
It was time to do or die for the Axemen and every one of them seemed to feel a sense of pride in front of the home crowd. The kick off went high and wide and the Sharks dropped it over the sideline that allowed great position for the Axemen to apply pressure. Spinner again darted out from behind the scrum and got a good line break to go within 10 meters of the Sharks line and Will Fletcher was there to pick up the quick play the ball and ran and then dove “NFL Style” over one of the sharks and threw the arms of another to cross the line right beside the posts for what has to be the most exciting move in the Competition so far this season. Perry Vaught made easy work of the extra points.
A short kickoff from the sharks caught the Axemen flat footed and they re-gathered the ball and within that set had managed to get close enough to the line to allow Justin Zadnik to charge and get the ball right on the try line for a score. Axemen again frustrated at their mistakes, and Danny Hanson went in a little late on a hit, which cost the Axemen a penalty and gave the ball back to the Sharks at the halfway for the restart.
The Sharks got down field with a good kick but a bad pass saw Axemen rookie Aaron Peacock scoop up the ball, then break a tackle to run 20 yards before offloading the center Patrick Cox. Patrick then drew in two defenders before turning the ball back into Peacock, who had followed well, to run 40 more yards to go over untouched. Perry Vaught again put over the extra points.
The Sharks then put in good kick that the Axemen allowed to go out over the dead ball line and were forced to drop out. The Axemen defense run up field and punished the Sharks runners. One big hit from Apple Pope knocked the ball loose and he got a good gain after the re-gather. The Axemen moved the ball a lot and made the Sharks chase in defense and soon had them in their own half. After the kick to end the set the sharks made little progress with their next plays and their early kick in the tackle count sailed out the back of the Axemen try zone. With time to set up a good play set, the Axemen hit a couple close to the center to draw defense and then sent a long pass out to prop Craig Howitt and lock Taco Pope, who had set up in the centers, to draw the remaining defense. Taco threw a short pass to the flying Will Fletcher who ran 70 yards for great try under the posts and made his hat trick of trys for the day. Again Perry Vaught put over the two extra points. It was only minutes that a similar play using two long passes to Perry Vaught out wide allowed him to hit big Ben White, who crashed over near the sideline. Perry’s kick just missed and the score now 32 to 20 for the Axemen with only 15 minutes left to play.
Needing to put the game away, the Axemen made the last of their changes for the day and it was not long before winger Derek “D-rock” Eckerd went up one side and was dragged out into touch by the Sharks hard man, Stephen Thompson. The resulting penalty let the Axemen go right down to apply pressure again. With time ticking down the Sharks tried an interception on a long cut out pass but knocked the ball down and again reset the tackles for the Axemen. With Taco Pope taking his first break form the game with time in the Blood Bin to stop the flow coming out of his nose, Tom Brumfield came back in to replace him. The extra time gave the Axemen time to set a weak side play. With a short pass to Perry Vaught that allowed him time to bring winger, Ben Zelen, across for a fake switch, the defense could not adjust and Perry got over out wide untouched to add 4 more points. With momentum swinging well in the Axemens favor and the cheers of the crowd, most of the players on the field were playing on nothing more than heart in the 96-degree heat and the big runs from Aaron Sane, Rob Tribbey and the solid defense in the backs by Brad Stewart and Mike Connely was relentless. Realizing the heat was taking a toll on the New Jersey players, the next attack form the Axemen again sent a long cutout pass the Craig Howitt, who sent another cut out pass to Ben White to draw the remaining defender and offload to Derek Eckerd who almost ran over the dead ball line before putting the ball down to bring the Axemen total to 40 points with only 7 minutes left. The Sharks however, would not go without some pride and as the Axemen tried to get the ball back to make sure the score board would not change in the last minutes, they sent in two men for a strip and the sharks got a late penalty. Smart play from the Sharks set Zach Padgett up again out wide and with quick ball movement he got over for his third of the day. The game came to a close Axemen 40, Sharks 24, and allowed the Axemen the celebration of their first home win.
Jacksonville 22 defeated by Glen Mills Bulls 36
The Jacksonville Axemen welcomed the Glen Mills Bulls for their first ever home game at UNF Stadium. The weather was an overcast day with the temperature in the 80’s all game.
After some presentations to the Axemen sponsors and the team being introduced to the field, play got under way with the Axemen kicking to the Bulls. The first 5 minutes was nothing short of a bash fest, with both teams running their big men into the center of the field and trying to show some dominance. With both teams having an abundance of big men it was quite the spectacle and the crowd, many who were seeing their first ever Rugby League game, were constantly on their feet.
The ball went all the way down one end and all the way back with both teams completing early sets.
After getting down onto the Bulls line, is was Axemen halfback Spinner Howland who threw a fake pass inside and then turned to hit Patrick Cox out wide to run into a hole and go in untouched for the first score of the day. Perry Vaught converted and the Axemen were up 6 to 0 after only 7 minutes.
It did not take long for the Bulls to reply, with some clever play in the middle of the field to bring the Axemen defense in close, the Bulls sent the ball wide for their fullback to cross the line for a four pointer. The extras missed and it was Axemen 6, Bulls 4.
After the kick off, Axemen second rower Max Schwartz went in hard on the Bulls runner with powerhouse prop Craig Howitt. Max’s arm got caught between the runner and Craigs head and was hyper extended. Max was taken for medical treatment and it was later shown that the elbow had been dislocated and Max will miss the next 4 weeks. Max was replaced with Massive Scotsman, Ricky Brown. The next 10 minutes saw both teams run the ball hard and move the ball out wide with great effect. Both defenses were tested all across the field and both held firm. It wasn’t until the 20th minute that one of the Bulls forwards found some room close to the line to barge over for a their second try of the day. The conversion was easy and the Bulls went up 10 to 6.
Minutes later however the Axemen found themselves at the Bulls line again and 3 rapid passes moved the ball out to the Axemens big Canadian winger, Ben White, to cross out wide to level the score.
Again both sides pounded the ball up the middle and the crowd continued to erupt with every big hit. The Bulls then moved the ball wide to their winger who was left unmarked and he was able to cross out wide to take the lead for the visitors again.
During the next kick off the Axemen got a lucky break form a Glen Mills mistake and re-gathered the ball right on the line. The Axemen looked certain to score when an off target pass seen center Fremont Latimer have to juggle the ball and he got lined up an absolutely smashed in a tackle by one of the Bulls forwards. This was to be the start of the massive hits that seen players struggle to get back up.
The Bulls took advantage of the loose ball and in the short period that the Axemen where down to 12 players while Fremont got on-field treatment, they ran the ball out wide to take advantage of the Axemen undermanned back line, to score. The conversion was good and the Bulls looked sure to go into the break at 20 to 10.
With all the Axemen big men, Brown, Brumfield, Hanson and Howitt on the field the Axemen now had 5 minutes to try and make the score more respectable for the half time break. The hits sent the Bulls Five Eight and Halfback to the Sideline for treatment. With the Axemen right on the Bulls line, Spinner Howland raced into dummy half and threw and fake pass as the Bulls defenders raced from the line to try an interception, he then fired a ball to Ricky Brown who had no trouble taking the 2 remaining visitors over the line with him for a try right on half time. With regular Kicker Perry Vaught off the field with an ankle injury, the conversion was unsuccessful and the half time score was Axemen 14, Bulls 20.
The second half started tough for the Axemen with some poor ball handling allowing the Bulls to get the ball back close to the Axemen line and then some poor defense allowed their fullback to cross untouched under the posts for a try. With the conversion successful the score seemed to pull away from the Axemen.
It was only minutes after that Halfback Spinner Howland left the field after taking a heavy shot in a tackle that split his chin wide open and he was replaced with rookie Mike “Hammer” Connolly. With both Spinner and Perry Vaught now off the field it would be up to Apple Pope, Hammer Connolly and Rich Alleger to fill the key roles. They showed some very determined defense and all the Axemen seemed to lift their game. However some confusion in the play sets allowed the Bulls to retain much of the ball and within the next 10 minutes they crossed for 2 more tries, which took their total to 36 points.
The Axemen then seemed to be jolted into gear and their defense stiffened and with some big runs from Brandon McGilberry, Aaron Sane and interchange Danny Hanson combined with some huge hits from Tom Brumfield and Ricky Brown the tide began to turn. The runs form the Bulls came up short from here on out and the amazing fitness of Taco and Apple Pope in the forwards saw runners getting hit only moments after catching the ball. Both “The Popes” managed to again get their tackle counts into the high twenties. Frustrations started and one of the Bulls players took exception to some “extra effort” put into a tackle and came up swinging. About 12 players soon got involved in a short altercation that saw the crowd go absolutely ballistic. With the Axemen getting the Penalty, this only left them to start completing sets and moving the ball to take advantage of the frustrated Bulls. It was not long before they found a hole out wide and big second rower Aaron Sane stormed over the line to narrow the margin.
With only 15 minutes left to play the Axemen sensed the tiring Bulls and made multiple changes. Fresh wingers Josh Nelkin and Max Devonport went into the game and Spinner Howland, sporting a unique bandage around his head, went in for some more action. Fremont Latimer, who had taken a heavy hit earlier in the game was also given some more game time to get fresh legs back onto the field. The Axemen made multiple line breaks, although one by Spinner Howland was finished with one of the biggest hits of the game that saw him get absolutely smashed by the Bulls Fullback. He did not however leave the field and with all the Axemen know playing for pride it was not long before Fremont Latimer was rewarded with a great pass that saw him go over out wide to make the score 22 to 36. As time wound down, the Axemen raced to make something happen and the Bulls played smart with slow play the balls and some ‘cheeky play”. In the end the time ran out for the Axemen, but they had managed to stay within reach of the side that has won 6 of the last 9 AMNRL Championships. Axemen coach Spinner Howland was disappointed to have got so close and lose but was very excited at the level of play his team put on the field.
He did not however leave the field and with all the Axemen know playing for pride it was not long before Fremont Latimer was rewarded with a great pass that saw him go over out wide to make the score 22 to 36.
As time wound down, the Axemen raced to make something happen and the Bulls played smart with slow play the balls and some ‘cheeky play”. In the end the time ran out for the Axemen, but they had managed to stay within reach of the side that has won 6 of the last 9 AMNRL Championships. Axemen coach Spinner Howland was disappointed to have got so close and lose but was very excited at the level of play his team put on the field.
Jacksonville Axemen 52 defeat Delaware Mantarays 18
The Jacksonville Axemen were welcomed by the Delaware Valley Mantarays for their second match in the AMNRL competition. The weather was a clear and sunny day, the temperature was well into the 80’s all game.
The Axemen kicked off and started their first defensive stand as tough as they had left off last week. The Mantarays came out on a mission. The opening round of tackles was to set the stage of what was to come all day, big men running hard and big men going in for tackles.
After weathering the open onslaught, the Axemen got their chance to test the opposition defense. As expected it was tough going in the middle of the field and the forwards had to “bash” their way for every yard. This did however open up the outside and a quick set of passes got the ball out to rookie winger Frank Radosta, who turned on his blinding speed to run around defense and go in for the opening try in only the forth minute. The conversion missed.
The next 5 or 6 minutes was your typical old school “softening up period” with both teams trying to play safe and using short passes to allow the forwards to charge into the defense. Aaron Sane for the Axemen, who had been moved from the centers into second row was making some big runs early and Brandon McGilberry was putting in some massive tackles. The Mantarays however, would not be dominated and after a strong run up field, which spread the Axemen defense, Dave DiValerio was able to crash his way over the line for 4 points in the tenth minute.
A repeat of what happened last weekend started to again look like a reality but the Axemen were determined to have minimal mistakes and after a week of drills on ball control and play sets they settled down and started a deliberate assault. With some ball handling mistakes from the Mantarays rookie players the Axemen quickly took advantage of a play set close to the try line and sent Aaron Sane through a hole and his size and strength proved enough to carry him over the line for a try. With Perry Vaught out due to injury the Axemen had trouble with the wide conversions and again they were unsuccessful in the attempt to add the extra points.
The kick off seen the Axemen find top gear and after a run by powerhouse forward Craig Howitt and a great offload to Max Schwartz, the Axemen found themselves again in a scoring position. Taking advantage of an under defended weak side, Spinner Howland run a short play from dummy half and threw a fake pass out wide to make a hole and went in for another 4 points. His conversion attempt was again waved wide of the posts.
The Mantarays seemed to be stunned and the next 5 minutes seen the Axemen big men making line breaks often and within five minutes they were again only yards form the line and Spinner Howland took a short pass and stepped inside the defense and went over untouched to place the ball right under the posts for his second try in five minutes. With his first three attempts unsuccessful he handed over the kicking duties to Frank Radosta who made no mistake and added the 2 points. Making it 18 to 4 after 22 minutes. The Mantarays realizing they had to stop the Axemen forwards started a more active defense and the next set seen them come into tackles with aggression and determination. They would not let the ball be taken easily down the field anymore. The Axemen seeing the tough stance being make by the Mantarays in the middle of the field went wide to winger Frank Radosta and he again opened up his speed went in for a try and then slotted the kick over with ease. With replacement players Apple Pope and rookies Tim Stouder and Aaron Peacock now on the field the Axemen had fresh legs to continue the assault on the Mantarays forwards and although they put up a tough stand and some of the tackles could be heard from the side line the continued runs by the big Axemen forwards proved too much and Brandon McGilberry crashed into the defense at top speed and carried 3 players over the line with him to score.
Soon after the kick off the 2 biggest men of the field, Axemen Tim Stouder and Mantaray Joe Keller come out of a scrum with plenty of push and shove going on. Spinner Howland who was filling in a hooker tried to separate the 2 and ended up squaring off with Joe Keller himself. Order was soon restored and the referee sent the Mantaray Hardman to the sin bin to cool off for 10 minutes. This seemed to fire up the Mantarays and again they mounted an assault in defense and again they managed to stop anymore easy yards being gained in the middle of the field, but with only 12 men on the field this left Frank Radosta unmarked again out wide and with Patrick Cox moving the ball well, Frank soon got the ball with open space in front of him and he went over for his hat trick in his rookie game.
The Mantarays seemed to realize it was time to do or die, and they would not lay down. For the next 7 minutes they seemed to be a different team and with better ball control and their players running at speed they made some goods gains up the field. Running out wide, away from the big Axemen forwards seemed to be the better option and it was not long before they got a line break and then a quick play the ball which gave Rich “Irish” McGee ample room to slide in for the Mantarays second try of the day right on the half time bell and the teams went in to the break Axemen 32, Mantarays 8.
The second half saw the Axemen come out fired up after allowing a easy try against them and play started with the prop Craig Howitt catching the ball and running through at least 5 defenders and 40 yards down field with his biggest run of the day. It was only the power and size of Dave DiValerio that eventually brought the run to an end. With the defense still finding itself rookie center Fremont Latimer found more space running form dummy half and put the Axemen within 5 yards of the line. The next play seen Apple Pope take a nice offload and power his way over the line with 3 Mantaray players still on him, to score under the posts. Frank Radosta added to his tally with an easy conversion.
It was only 5 minutes later when utility player Brad Stewart took another ball wide form the play the ball and although he has hit in a solid shoulder charge that seen him land on his side, he was not held in the tackle and quickly regained his feet and went the extra 2 yards to cross for what seemed to be the nail in the Mantarays coffin.
The Mantarays had other plans however and realizing that the only option around the power of the Axemen forwards was to get a good kicking game going and complete their sets of plays. The new game plan seemed to work with the scoring from the Axemen stopped for about 10 minutes. This left the faster Axemen forwards like tackling machine Taco Pope and Max Schwartz and Rich Alleger to chase down ball carriers and rookie center Fremont Latimer and winger Josh Nelkin got plenty of work out wide. With the powerhouse veteran Dave DiVelario putting it all on the line to try and lift his team, he was soon rewarded after a badly fielded kick from the Axemen, and run a great route and put himself in for a try. Brandon King slotted the kick for the extras.
The Axemen seemed to relax and their concentration seemed to go down. This lead to some of the basic mistakes that had hurt them last week and allowed the Mantarays to mount recurring sets of plays. Fullback Alan Chmielewski took full advantage and run straight through the soft defense and scored a great try.
Axemen coach Spinner Howland soon had plenty of “Motivating” words for his players and made some immediate changes to players. With Craig Howitt back on the field and making more great line breaks it was not long before fullback Ben White took a great one handed offload form Howitt and crossed for his first try of the season.
With only minutes left Howitt himself was not going to be denied some glory for his efforts and after a last stand from the tiring Mantrays defense, he soon found enough space to smash in for the final try of the day and Frank Radosta slotted over the easy conversion to take his total to 20 points for the day.
Axemen Man of the match (MVP) was FRANK RADOSTA. See Man of the Match report on the Outback sponsored window or
Washington D.C. Slayers defeat Jacksonville Axemen 26-16.
The opening minutes saw both teams come out with one thing on their minds, to dominate the opposition. After some bruising tackles from both sides, the Slayers got on the board first when the ball was swung out wide and Bill Weeks was able to commit two men and pass to Jesse Lujan for the try in the left side of the try zone. Tonga Fahueli came in and converted the goal to put the Slayers up 6-0. The Axemen coach will have plenty of drills to ensure the outside backs do not creep in during defensive patterns come practice this week.
The Axemen, stunned into reality, hit back within minutes after a penalty allowed some quick plays and their rookie hooker, Apple Pope, ran a great supporting route and crossed the try line for the score. Perry Vaught made easy work of the conversion and tied the game up 6-6. The next 20 minutes of play saw both sides make a lot of first game mistakes with dropped balls and knock-ons from both sides, many in the first two tackles of each set. Both teams also gave away some silly penalties. The strong positive point for the Axemen was their dominant defense with more than half the tackles having the ball carrier being hit by two defenders and all but a few having them securely held on the ground and the Axemen players getting up first. The Axemen offensive mistakes however took their toll late in the first half and allowed the Slayers to regain the ball and regain the lead when Dave Parmiter put down the try. The conversion was missed. With only a few minutes to go in the second half, Perry Vaught took a long ball out wide and then threw one of his great fake passes to step inside the defense and find open space. It was a foot race to the line and Perry found enough speed to stay in front of the chasing defenders to run the ball right under the posts and make and easy conversion for himself right on the half time buzzer. The Axemen went into the break leading 12 points to 10.
The second half started with both teams playing tough and the Axemen defense again punishing the Slayers runners. Every tackle seemed to have more effort in than the last and this seemed to get all the Axemen players lifted into a higher gear. The Axemen had the Slayers pinned in their owns half for most of the second half but again some poor ball handling and penalties let the pressure off each time they threatened to score. In the 67th minute a mistake in the Axemen defense let DC player, Maoa Laumoli in for a try. Craig Webb made the conversion and the Slayers were up 16-12.
The Axemen kept up the pressure on the Slayers side of the field for the next ten minutes. Then in 77th minute another Axemen knock-on handed the Slayers the ball deep in their territory. A quick kick by Bill Weeks caught the Axemen off guard and with five Slayers swarming the one Axemen. The Slayers’ Matt McBay was able to get the ball and put down the try. The Slayers went up 20-12.
Realizing they needed the ball back if they were any chance to win, Axemen Spinner Howland went in fast for a big shoulder charge on the Slayers ball carrier and missed. Slayers’ runner Bill Weeks side- stepped into the hole that had been created and went straight down the field for a 70-meter try. Tonga converted and the Slayers were up 26-12 with less than two minutes to go. With pride on the line the Axemen took a fast kick off and pressured the Slayers into a mistake only 3 yards from their line, giving the Axemen a penalty. Spinner Howland, still retching from his mis-timed tackle threw a fake pass to powerhouse prop Craig Howitt and then turned inside and barged his way over the line for a try right at the final bell. With Perry Vaught off the field due to a leg injury, Howland took the conversion from near the sideline and had the kick sale wide of the posts. The final score was 26 to 16 with big performances from Perry Vaught, Max “Camel” Schwartz, Ben White and power running rookie Brandon McGilberry. Axemen Man of the match (MVP) was shared by APPLE and TACO POPE. See Man of the Match report on the Outback sponsored window.
The Axemen arrived at the fantastic Farrell Stadium at the West Chester University in Pennsylvania with heavy rain falling and a very charged up Philly Fight team. With poor handling from both teams early it took a little time for the Axemen to change the game plan to better control the ball. Once the change had happened success was almost instant with Aussie import Shaun Murray going in for his first of two for the day. The Axemen stayed on target with ball control and held a good lead at halftime.
The second half was much the same but the Fight team seemed to lift at the same time the Axemen defense took a little nap and allowed the home side to get 2 trys in to bring the scores closer. This proved a wake up call that the Axemen answered with more trys going their way to come out of the first game 36 to 8 victors. The 2 imports, Shaun Murray and Brent Shorten along with Axemen regular Rich Alleger lead the way in team control in poor conditions.
Jacksonville Axemen at Philadelphia Fight
Game Date: 5/31/08
Game Time: 12:30 pm
Game Venue: West Chester University-Farrell Stadium
Referee: Robert Irwin
Full Time Score - Jacksonville Axemen 36 def Philadelphia Fight 8
Half Time: Axemen 26 - Fight 0
Fight Try Scorers: Ryan McGough-1, Brad Kielinski-1
Fight Goals: 0
Axemen Try Scorers: Shaun Murray 2, Kenny Britt 2, Rich Alleger 2, Brent Shorten 1, Craig Howitt 1.
Axemen Goals: (Rich Alleger 2 goals)
2007 Season Match Reports
July 28th vs. NY Knights
Hodges Stadium, UNF, Jacksonville
The NY Knights arrived for their first visit to Florida with the hope of keeping their playoff seeding in great shape. They had traveled very well and had ample talent with the maximum allowed 5 imported players to battle the Axemen.
The Axemen however were not about to let them get away with is easily and they really didn't care about the nationalities of the opposition. To them they were all going to be sorry they made the trip. It wasn't long before the battering started and although the Axemen took a couple of penalties for their actions, it was very evident that the NY team was in for a long day on the Field. The lead swung in both directions which shocked the visitors and it was only in the dying minutes that the Knights got a lucky try to end up the victors at 26 to 24 over the Axemen. The Axemen had sent 2 of the NY team for early showers and pretty much bashed the rest of them. For the second week in a row Jeff "Hefa" Witt had been sent off for throwing punches and the Axemen had to play the last 15 minutes of the game with only 12 men on the Field.
July 21st vs. CT Wildcats
Hodges Stadium, UNF, Jacksonville
The current AMNRL Champions came to Jacksonville with their full allotment of 5 imported players and 2 that qualify under the green card rule. With 7 experienced players the Axemen did well to score they 16 points and hold the visitors to only 48. The Axemen did show some signs of brilliant play and they certainly put on a lot more and bigger hits than the Wildcats did. The Axemen also played the final 10 minutes short a player after Jeff Witt "laid the lumber" to the head of one of the Wildcats players that dropped him like a sack. Earlier Max Schwartz sent one of the Wildcats players for an early shower after almost cutting him in half with a solid tackle. The Axemen have improved greatly over the past 2 weeks and look forward to a "no holds barred" shot a the Knights.
July 14th vs. New Haven Warriors
War at the Shore. Seas Isle City, NJ
The annual war at the shore was going to be the biggest ask for the Axemen so far in the season. With the Warriors having the full allowable allotment of 5 imported players, the Axemen knew it would be tough. After 40 minutes of the best Rugby League they had played all year the score line was the Warrior 16 to the Axemen 6. The second half was more of the same and it was only the experience of the imported players in the last 10 minutes that allowed the scoreline to creep away. The final score saw the Warriors get out to a 32 to 6 before the bell rang
June 30th vs. Bucks County Sharks
Shark Park, Levittown, NJ
The Axemen traveled to the sharks looking to put some more beating on them after the win in Florida. The Axemen arrived after a long travel time and it was obvious from the 1st kick off that the tiredness and travel had taken their toll. The Axemen could not seem to hang on to the ball, they missed tackles and their was none of the usual "vinegar" in their play. After the send off of Axemen David Croft the team played with only 12 men and sharks took advantage of the extra man. Finally the score ended at 40 to 18 to the sharks
June 23rd vs. Washington DC Slayers
Hodges Stadium, UNF, Jacksonville
The DC Slayer can to Jacksonville determined to avenge their loss from last year and to show the Axemen that their win early this season was deserved. Both teams opened strongly with the attack and defense being very solid.
The Axemen had an early chance and pressured the Slayer line and then the Slayers got a great ball out wide and a try saving tackle by Ben Catania ensured the score stayed at nil all.
After both teams traded sets of tackles the Axemen put up a high kick that was lost forward by the Slayers and gave the Axemen a great chance with the ball close to the line. The quick wide play by the Axmen should have seen them go into open the scoring but the ball was dropped on the last pass and the slayers took full advantage in scooping it up to run 70 yards before Dan Van Dellen could run them down. With the defense still sorting itself out the slayers run some quick plays to go in to lead 4 nil and then Phil Hill added the extras to put the Axemen down 6 to 0 after 13 minutes of play.
Some choice words from Axemen coach Spinner Howland about having to stop their recent problem of having to be scored on before they kicked into gear seems to have great effect. It only took 3 more minutes before a great set of passes went out wide to winger Frank Radosta to touch down and Rich Alleger kicked a great conversion from the touch line to level things up at 6 all.
After that the Axemen stopped making mistakes and went about completing sets. This soon lead to William Fletcher taking a nice ball out wide and with is signature “Dive” over 22 slayer defenders to score and give Rich Alleger an easy shot to add the extras. Only moments into the next minutes of play, Ben Catania broke free from some defense and ran almost the length of the field to score under the posts and again Rich Alleger slotted over the extras to make it 18 to 8 for the Axemen.
With only a few minutes left in the half powerful running center, Matt Thornton took a great ball and then charged through a nice hole to extend the lead again and Alleger was in great form to take the score up to 24 to 6.
The Axemen then had a lapse in concentration late in the half and some smart play by the Slayers put them over out wide and the teams went in 24 to 10 at halftime.
The second half started well for the Axemen with Akarika Dawn taking a great pass to run around the Slayer back line an go almost the entire length of the field before thrown a prefect pass inside to Will Fletcher who grabbed his second of the pay under the posts to allow Alleger to slot make it 5 from 5 for him for the day on conversions.
Both teams seemed to make adjustments that seen tighter play develop to control the mistakes and some solid tackles came late in the game. After some quick ball movement the Slayers got over close to the posts again and Phil Hill made easy work with the extras to cut the lead to only 8 points.
It wasn’t long before the Slayer were down on the Axmen line again and looked certain to score when Matt Thornton took an intercept to run untouched under the posts only to be called offside by the touch judge. This disruption stopped the Slayer onslaught and allowed the Axmen to regroup and from there on out they pounded their way up field and kicked deep at every set. Time wound down when Akarika Dawn made another charging run to wrong foot a couple of Slayers and he got across with ease under the posts and Frank Radosta made easy work to finish the game with the Axemen 36 to the Slayers 16. The Axemen did not come away easy from the brutality of the Slayer defense with Tim Stouder and Ben Catania out for at least a week with injuries and Will White will also miss a week with a shoulder injury after he had a very productive game and is looking to be one of the Rookie players to watch.
June 16th vs. Bucks County (New Jersey) Sharks
Hodges Stadium, UNF, Jacksonville
After a quick start by the Axemen that seen Matt Thornton take a high kick on the 6th play of a set and go into score, and Rick Alleger add the extras, the Axemen seemed to lose focus on ball handling. Although their defense had improved greatly from the past weeks, the continued problems with handing the ball over early in tackle counts allowed the sharks to tally up the next 4 tries before the Axemen could get more points on the board with David Croft going in after a great side step. He then converted his own try to make it an 18 to 12 game. The Sharks however would not be done before the break and clever play seen them get over again and add the extras to take a 24 to 12 lead into the half time break
The second half was all Axemen. It was almost as if a new team came out to play in the second half. The tackling started to stiffen up and the power running of the Axemen forwards started to wear down the Shark players. It was not long before Rich Alleger took a nice short run in from dummy half, and then add the extras to get the Axemen heading in the right direction. The sharks did manage to get a ball out wide to catch the Axemen short for one more score and this seemed to stress a sense of urgency with the Jacksonville players. With the score now at 28 to 18 and being well into the second half the Axemen players began to run with all passion and complete set after set. Their efforts were rewarded with tries coming from James Brown who took a great run in from dummy half and allowed Rich Alleger an easy kick to slot over the extras and then Ben Catania had an impressive 75 yard run to tie things up at 28 all at full time. With the scores all locked up a 10 minutes overtime began and new replace rookie, former American Football Player, Akarika Dawn took a short pass from a play the ball and ran untouched after wrong footing 3 shark players to put the Axemen up 32 to 28. The game was one of the most exciting in history with the 1000 strong crowd on their feet for the last 20 minutes of play.
June 9th vs. Washington DC Slayers
Wallenburg Park. National Mall, DC.
After allowing the Slayers to get a quick start with some easy tries right on the Axemen line, the Axemen started to stiffen the defense. Some powerful hits started coming from almost all the Axemen players and the tide turned on the scoreboard. With some great efforts made with faster play the ball and some more time holding down tackled players the Axemen came back to go into the break with a 18 to 16 lead at the break. With their spirits high and the feeling that the Slayer were down they open the second half with vengeance. It was not long however that the same mistakes in defense that saw the Bulls punish them last week, creep in. The Slayer turned a couple of quick balls to inside runners and on 2 occasion they ran untouched to score. The Axemen tried to slow the onslaught with some aggressive play but their own silly mistakes with ball handling again gave the ball back to the slayers all too often. In the end the Slayers held on to a 34 to 26 victory in a game that will have many players waking up with wounds to lick for a few days to come. Axemen rookie Matt Henderson took the Man of the Match honors after scoring a great try and making some very sound tackles.
June 2nd, Axemen vs. Aston DSC Bulls
DSC Field, Aston, PA.
After a fast start that seen Frank Radosta take a clean interception, and took the ball under the posts to make it 6-nil, the Axemen held the Bulls to a steady pace and traded points during the first half. Although there were way too many mistakes with ball handling and way too many poor decisions the Axemen seemed to get away with some lucky situations. Going into the half time break they felt very confident that they could continue and break the deadlock early in the second half.
The second half started out a nightmare for the Axemen with mistakes all too frequent from the Rookie players and some poor ball handling from some of the veterans players. The Bull did not return the favor, and made the Axemen pay for mistake. The game was out of reach with about 20 minutes left to play. The first game of the season did show some great raw talent and the Axemen coach will make some changes as needed for next weeks game. Some great individual plays kept the Axemen going until the end but all in all the mistakes added up to be too great a task. Aaron Sane had a very strong mistake free game and was voted Axemen Man of the Match.
The Sharks had come to play with a vengeance after being beaten by the Axemen 2 weeks earlier and had also suffered an embarrassing loss to the Philly Fight only last weekend. The Axemen seemed to suffer from travel tiredness as they could not seem to get their usual aggression into top gear at any stage during the game. The Sharks opened the scoring early but the Axemen bounced right back. The first half was very solid but had not flair from either team but the Sharks had made a mess of the tried Axemen defense and the teams went into the halftime break with the Sharks up 26 to 6.
The second half had more of the same from the Axemen how could only manage 12 more points while the Sharks continued to expand the lead and eventually run out easy winners at 40 to 18.
The second half was more spirited with players from both teams spending time in the sin bin and a player from each team being put on report and will face the chance of suspensions by the judicial board later this week.