Woody Cavenaugh

This game has the potential to be a game to be talked about long after it has been played. Two undefeated teams come together, one will leave that way. Two coaches come together, one the student, the other the teacher, one will leave the master. One state comes together, Carolina VS Carolina, no matter what happens here tonight, other teams in other states will know to respect that place in women's football.

There is excitement in the air, not only the excitement of playing the game, but also of seeing old friends, both in the stands as well as on the field. There is also a tension in the air, no matter what happens tonight on the Phoenix home field, there will be a reckoning, in two weeks on the Queens home field, it will either be redemption, or revenge, but it will also be the last game of the regular season. Neither team will want to see the other again until the Championships June 27th in Austin Texas.

Phoenix receive...
One down later a 66 yard touchdown! 2 Point conversion is good, 14:35 in the first quarter Phoenix lead 8 to nothing.

Phoenix kick off, fumble by the Queens, Phoenix recover! 1st and 10 on the 38!
3 Plays later the Queens reduce the Phoenix's front line to Swiss cheese causing a fumble giving it back.
The Phoenix Defense is ON FIRE tonight! The Queens first four downs were all negative yardage.
Both teams are forcing fumbles fairly well.
Phoenix Defense forcing the Swiss cheese front line back on the Queens Offense.
Queens get as close as the ten yard line before they run out of downs. The Phoenix say thank you and take it as far as the other 46 before being forced to punt themselves.

End of first quarter, Phoenix 8, Queens 0.

Cameron Williams is making some big plays tonight!

At the half in a Phoenix Defensive domination game, the Phoenix lead 8 to the Queens 0.

You can tell by the score, the Queens have brought a mighty defense of their own. As a whole however, I'd have to say that the Phoenix Offense are having an easier time of it.

In the second half, Coach Holmes goes to Craig's list for a center. OK, I kid, our center spent halftime vomiting into a storm drain. It is a testament to her dedication that she's even in the game for the third quarter. Fortunately the Phoenix Defense comes to the rescue!

Lets give some love to number 65 of the Queens who is really rocking it tonight on Defense. Number 65 was my number, and my wife's number too. Its lucky like that. You got to be awesome to wear 65.

Suddenly, and for no real reason that I can fathom, the Phoenix Defense try to score a TD for the Queens through a series of personal fouls...WTF... So the Phoenix get the ball on the 13 yard line with 87 yards to the end zone with 3:38 on the clock, ONLY because the Queens can't hold onto the ball.

I had a whole chair at my disposal, but I only ever managed to use the edge! The Phoenix remain undefeated! Two more games, and one of them will be a blood bath as Charlotte is going to get another crack at the mighty mighty Phoenix!!!

You're probably wondering where the action was? Where is the play by play? It is on the game film I took, as the Queens and the Phoenix defenses took turns taking the other side's offense apart. Tackle! Sack! Fumble! Rinse and repeat.

Posted by Woody Cavenaugh at 4:54 PM | Permalink

It is windy and overcast in what I am assured is a normally sunny Palm Beach Florida, the humidity reminds me so much of home, but the palm trees remind me that this is a strange land. At 7pm tonight the Palm Beach Punishers will be hosting a fairly well rested Carolina Phoenix. The last of us arrived in the wee morning hours, but everyone has had all day to sleep the road away and get their game faces on, even me. My game face includes hip new shades by Vuzix. Now I can watch the game as I record it in a view that for me will be like seeing it on the big projection TV screen. Actually this is pretty sweet, laptop for blogging, Blackberry for instant twitter updates, the Cannon camera, and my cool new HUD rounding it all out. I just wish I wasn't hungry an hour and a half before kickoff. On the other hand, the concession stand is making ribs. I could learn to like this town.

I also like Jackson's Seasoned Ribs, definitely worth the drive to get me a plate full of the Punisher's concessions!

Phoenix are receiving. Before the national anthem could even be sung, we have a delay of game. The weather waited until now to break towards the stormy. As long as we play I don't mind a little waiting.

Game on!

The Phoenix practicing a new strategy where the center keeps up a continuous stream of bad snaps. I'm sure this is part of some clever strategy to put the Punishers into a state of over extreme confidence. The Phoenix didn't really want to start the game with possession. Yeah, that's it! That's the ticket. We throw them an interception, nothing but setup. Really. Any second now, they will pull off the dummy masks and come out swinging! Coach Holmes is doing the old razzle dazzle for sure! The Punisher's get an easy wide open pass, five Phoenix giving the receiver plenty of space to make the catch. The Phoenix are going to really turn some heads when they unveil their diabolical master plan. Kick is no good, Punishers up by six with 14:54 in the second quarter.

Do you believe in Magic? I do. Either there was a curse lifted or the Coach decided to unveil his "A" team. Either way, the Phoenix have had a sudden transformation. Now if they could just lick those nasty penalties. 5:19 left in the first half, the Phoenix reveal the team they really are, extra point is good, Phoenix lead 8 to the Punisher's 6.

Maria Rivera and Tara James are fighting to see who is going to be the Phoenix player of the game Yonica Patrick is right on their heals. The second half demonstrates a FULLY ARMED AND OPERATIONAL PHOENIX!!! Muhahahahaaa...

6:31 in the 3rd another bad snap by the Phoenix leads to a fumble recovered by the Punishers which leads to a nail biting near touchdown. On the one yard line the Phoenix D holds them for one, two, three downs, but how do you stop a field goal try from the one yard line? 4:15 in the 3rd, Punishers 9, Phoenix 8.

13:43 in the 4th, the Phoenix get a fumble putting them on the 11th yard line, two plays later, Touch down! 2 Point conversion is no good. Phoenix 14, Punishers 9. And now...the Punishers look punished...broken really. Oh I get it! They are doing what we were doing at the beginning of the game. Why not, it worked for us.

4 Downs aren't enough for the Phoenix? No problem, coach sends in the defense. One quick interception and its four more downs.

12 seconds left in the game, the ball is on the five, the Punishers only need a TD to win by one. What time is it? Its brown trouser's time.

7 seconds, pass is incomplete.

5 seconds, the pass is caught up in traffic, Punishers have to run it, tackled at the buzzer....Phoenix win 14 to 9. Their season is now 5 wins, no losses.

Goooooooo Phoenix!!

In other related news the HUD was awesome, and I think I probably captured some of my tightest shots yet. Even if I did get caught up a little by the architecture of the booth.

Also, Coach Holmes owes me a pair of underwear. That was TOO close!! Stop messing with your fans!!!

Posted by Woody Cavenaugh at 12:11 AM | Permalink

In the Phoenix's first season they only played one game. 12 players and a coach drove all the way to Orlando Florida to play the Mayhem. They had to borrow equipment when they got there and when one of the Phoenix put a helmet on for the first time she discovered that she was claustrophobic. 11 Phoenix took to the field, the game was officially forfit, but as a favor to the Mayhem (plus they drove all that way) the game was played, and the Mayhem won it 48 to 0. The Phoenix have not forgotten this, for three important reasons:
-It was their first loss.
-They have lost only three other times, two regular season, and one playoff game.
-The Mayhem keep a photo highlight of that game set to the song "Let the bodies hit the floor" as the intro to their website.

Tonight's game would be special. Tonight the now 30 strong Phoenix, were on their home turf, and every player was ready, willing, and able to play. There would be a reckoning.

Phoenix receive the kickoff and start strong, the Mayhem don't seem quite ready for the running and passing game the Phoenix have in store for them. The Phoenix's first possession brought them as close as the ten yard line. Mayhem get the ball and are allowed one carry before the Phoenix recover the fumble and bring the offense back to the field. 4:33 in the first quarter Air Phoenix delivers one across the end zone for six. The two point conversion is good and the Phoenix draw first blood with a score of 8 to zero.

Mayhem receive on the 25, four plays later they have to punt it from the 30. Phoenix ball, Phoenix throw an interception, and there is a flag on the play. Mayhem run it anyway, 70 yards across the goal line. At the end of the play the referee says, "Whoops, my bad, never mind about the flag, touchdown Mayhem". The extra point is good and a stung Phoenix find their lead shrunk to one as the Mayhem make the score Phoenix 8, Mayhem 7.

The Phoenix say in one voice "ORLY?!"

With fifty two seconds left in the quarter, the Phoenix receive the ball demanding justice, and nothing says justice like an eighty yard kick off return for a touchdown punctuated by a huge block by "Sanchez"! *BOOM!* The two point conversion is good and the Phoenix expand their lead to 16.

In the second quarter, the Mayhem get their groove on exploiting defensive mistakes by the Phoenix. Its 3rd and ten on the ten yard line, Mayhem's ball, the Phoenix have wiggle room as long as they don't make a mistake, but the mistake was made. Mayhem put another six on the board, making it Phoenix 16, Mayhem 13.

2:25 left in the second quarter, Mayhem's ball deep down on their own 30 after a Phoenix punt. A short Mayhem pass is picked off by the Phoenix and run to the end zone. Going for the conversion, a bad snap cost the play, and the Phoenix have to be satisfied by 6 making it now 22 to the Mayhem's 13.

Now we're at FOUR seconds left in the half, Mayhem blitz, forcing Air Phoenix to fly, the touchdown is made, and so is the conversion, the game goes into halftime with a score of Phoenix 30 to Mayhem's 13.

3:17 into the 3rd quarter, the Phoenix pass again for six, the conversion fails and their lead climbs to 36 to the Mayhem's 13.

It tends to be the coaches who set the tone on the field, a happy coach makes a happy team and a frustrated coach, makes for a frustrated team. A coach who gets a personal foul for behavior leads to more bad behavior fouls on the field. Coach Holmes did an outstanding job keeping the emotions of his team in check as Mayhem's decorum starts to fall apart.

Though temperatures are rising on the field, there is still some great football being played. Phoenix find themselves in possession on their own one yard line after recovering a Mayhem fumble. They try to get it out of there, but the Mayhem try a little harder to keep it there scoring a safety with 8:41 left in the game. The score is now Phoenix 36, Mayhem 15, but the game isn't over yet!

1:53 left in the game the Phoenix Air force is on high alert flying a sortie to into the end zone ending the game with a score of Carolina Phoenix 42, Orlando Mayhem 15.

After the game the Phoenix retired to Pepper's 101 Lounge where they danced the night away and delayed the muscle soreness that the day after always brings.

Posted by Woody Cavenaugh at 10:05 AM | Permalink