Woody Cavenaugh

"Once I was the learner, now I am the master"

This was the kind of game that make football fans. Tonight the Carolina Phoenix hosted the Carolina Queens at Durham Stadium. Players from the teams knew one another. The coaches knew one another. The Phoenix coach refers to the Queens coach as a mentor, and one awesome mentor he was.

The Phoenix came into the game 2 and 0, the Queens entered the fray 1 and 1. The Queens needed a win, the Phoenix had a streak they did not want to break. Both teams brought their "A" game tonight, but only one came away a winner.

It all started with the toss, the Queens won it and chose to kick off. The coin toss was the last time that luck made an appearance in this game. Both teams had a very different make up, the Queens had a more uniform roster while the Phoenix have a player for every occasion. The end result was that the teams themselves were pretty evenly matched. Where you saw the real magic was from the strategies the coaches laid out play after play.

8:55 in the first quarter the Phoenix break out for a 24 yard run and the first touch down of the game. The extra point was good and the game is on. 7:00 left in the fist quarter the Queens go for the long bomb 65 yards and a touch down of their own. They go for the extra point, which is blocked to the ground, there is a scramble to make the sudden improvised conversion, and that is stopped inches from the goal.

After that the Queen's defense adapts and makes things rough for the Phoenix offense. Its a back and forth battle of move and counter move. The quarter ends Phoenix 7 Queens 6. As a fencing coach, this started to make sense to me. We have a saying in fencing, "if it works keep doing it until it stops working". We would see a play work once, twice, but seldom three times. 8:38 in the second the Queens receive a punt at seventeen yard line. On the first play they go for the short pass but the Phoenix intercept and run it for a touch down, the extra point is good, and the Phoenix lead 14-6.

Later in the second quarter the Phoenix can't seem to get their passing game together, pass after pass to the grass. The Queens try out a passing game of their own, and it is found lacking also. The Queens did make one completion though, to the Phoenix, who fumble it back two plays later.

The score is 14-6 at the half. The halftime show was brought to us by the Triad Rattlers' Venom dance team. Many thanks to the ladies of the Venom. Each home game this season there is a drawing for a chance to kick a 40 yard field goal into the bed of a truck courtesy of Michael Jordan Nissan. The lucky winner of the drawing made an outstanding effort, but too low, and too short to drive the Titan home.

Just as the Phoenix are returning from the locker room I watched a lone white dove fly across the field. I took it as a good omen for the Phoenix.

9:37 in the 3rd quarter the Queens make a touch down using their running game, the extra point was no good and a hush filled the stands as the Phoenix lead drew to within two point.

This would not do for the Phoenix, however. 5:31 in the 3rd the Phoenix find a weakness in the Queens defense and exploit it for another touchdown, extra point is good, score is now Phoenix 21 Queens 12.

2:35 in the 3rd the Phoenix intercept a pass and make a run to the 50 yard line. Could the Queens spirits be broken? Nope, as if in reply the Queens start exploiting a weakness in the Phoenix, and the momentum swings once again in the Queen's direction.

3:14 left in the 4th Phoenix around the 30 yard line. 4th and 8, the Phoenix decide to go for it. The Queens decide to go for it too, they strip the ball and make a thrilling run for it. But no one in the IWFL is as fast as what the Phoenix brings. In the words of Mark Tebault it was like watching a nature show. The Queens gazelle is ruthlessly rundown by the Phoenix cheetah. Nom Nom Nom. They get as far as the 45 yard line.

1:37 left in the game the Queens are on the 5 yard line and it looks like nothing in the world can stop them from the inevitable touch down. Nothing in the world that is except the Phoenix defense! 4 carries later the ball is on the seven and it belongs to the Phoenix.

Game ends Carolina Phoenix 21 Carolina Queens 12.

Afterwards both teams went to the Blue sports bar and grill at the Durham Hilton where there had been an agreement made in advance to keep the kitchen open for the two hungry teams. I don't know who dropped the ball at the Hilton, but my dinner consisted of a single slice of Papa Johns. It is my own humble opinion that no matter how perfect a place might be, if they can't fulfill your needs, you need to move on.

Ah crap. I'm in Durham. Its 12:29am and I have a fencing tournament to run in Greensboro in seven and a half hours. Congratulations Phoenix, but I've gotta get this, and me, to bed.