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BEWARE... DA DAWGS ARE UNLEASHED
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DAWGS Award Banquet
DAWGS AWARD BANQUET will be at the Ozark House on Friday Jan 8th 7pm
This is great time, rumor has it some of the coaches and players will be roasted so make sure not to miss it.
ALL PLAYERS and their guest must RSVP before Jan 1st. So if you know you are coming then send an email NOW to twincitydawgs@yahoo.com We have to give a total count and will be responsible for that number so make sure you RSVP it is that IMPORTANT. Have questions call 309 275-8354
2009 Midway All Star Team
2009 Midway All Star Team
Twin City DAWGS All Stars that played in the game for the GMFL Midway All Stars...(front row L to R) 5 Donald Brown / 92 Christian Bailey / 62 Chad Ridgeway / 29 Ron Childs / 20 Jeremy Byrd / 2 Marcus Man / 24 James Dilworth / 76 Lewis Donely II (back row L to R) 26 Mike Wiggins / 44 David Holmes / 42 Andrew Smith / 55 Joe Reuter / 77 Zach Langhoff / 91 Jake Langhoff / 18 Tom Shoemaker / 16 Josh Thrasher
2009 GMFL Award Banquet
Pictures of Award WINNERS
ALL STAR GAME
SEPT 13, 2009
just want to say THANKS...
DAWGS one and all I just wanted to say THANKS for a great season this is the email that went out but I don't have everyone email so to anyone that may read this I am so PROUD of the DAWGS and I just want them to know that.
To my DAWGS players, coaches, family, fans (if you are receiving this email , it is because YOU have been an important part of the Twin City DAWGS on and off the field)
I took a day to write this but now I am not sure of my words to expresses my feelings, I have tears in my eyes and pride in my heart...I am so PROUD of you the Twin City DAWGS on and off the field. We practice hard, we play hard and at the end of the day we are family. The score on the board at the end of the game is only a score. I take so much more from the opportunity to give you football at this level. As long as we play the game with the respect it should have and the pride we have in our team, then we know someone will win and someone will not. I don't think any team is a looser in the GMFL each team has fought the fight to get to the championship game and only two can be there on the field. We as Dawgs will host the weekend of champions for the league so I will see you there. We have 12 All Stars playing in the All Star game and several going to New Orleans so we still have plenty of football to play. I know how you feel today but with time football is only a game and we have much more with our football family bond that will overcome the disappointments that we feel at this time. In life many people come and go but family is there forever, if you have been apart of the DAWGS you are family.
When the season began and we lost 20 guys from '08 my thoughts were, hmmmm we still have a core of guys that stand for football on and off the field we will be ok. Then try-outs came and we took on 36 rookies my thoughts were hmmm we will be ok because we have that core of players that will lead and teach these rookies how we do things, always with respect and pride. We practice hard and players show up our average attendance for practice this season was 37 we finished the season with 43 players. Some have come and gone but when they were a part of the DAWGS they knew what it was to be a team player. With all the talent we have, we have no superstar (there is a reason for no #1) we win as one and we loose as one. We will never finger point or blame, we will just prepare for the next game or season. I know our game plan was to win it all this year but that did not happen so lets get ready for 2010. To anyone that will not come back next season I wish you the best. For the ones that are DAWGS for life, let's get busy we still have a game plan and until we reach our goal we will never settle for anything less.
I need to say some Special THANKS for all the great people I have around me... first Lyle for allowing me to live Dawgs football and GMFL 24/7 365 we just celebrated 29 years yesterday of marriage so we have done something right together but he supports my passion for making a difference in someway to you guys and I thank him for that.
My mom without her strength I would not be able to make it to or through a game. She is my co-pilot on the road trips, she is Grandma Dawg to all the players with her bananas and watermelon how could you go wrong, she is the DAWGS biggest fan.
My sons Chad for playing the game for the love of it, Chris for being the Best Grill Master (he cooks a mean pork chop) , Sara for all she does to help and even with miles between us Kelli Jo always checking on her Dawgs (just ask her)
To all the coaching staff (and their families) for the endless hours it takes to keep you DAWGS in line, you have kept tradition of quality football at this level and I really mean without you the DAWGS would not be the same.
To City of Chenoa for giving us a field to call home, it has been wonderful and looking forward to next season.
To all the fans you are unbelievable for your support at home but on the road, most games we have more fans than the home team. I know it is many miles to travel but you do make a difference to our players.
Last but not least my DAWG players you have touch my heart and I am so PROUD each one of you and together we will reach that goal of a ring on your finger.
Not everyone has an email so please share this with all players, fans, coaches I want them to know how Proud I am of each one of them.
Momma DAWG
GMFL AWARD BANQUET TICKETS AVAILABLE N O W !!
GMFL BANQUET
DAWGS MAKE PLAYOFFS
Dawgs finish regular season 9-1, 2nd seed in the Midway Conference. Congrats go out to all teams in the GMFL- the Illinois Firehawks made team history going undeafted this season. The Firehawks hold #1 seed, followed by the Dawgs then the Illinois Pirates(#3). The Beloit Tians (#4 seed) will host the Chicago Cowboys (#5 seed) Sat Aug 15th for the wildcard.
Dawgs will see action on Aug 22nd vs Illinois Pirates (8-2) the winner of the Titans/Cowoys game will play the Firehawks on the 22nd.
The Midway Conference championship game will be played on Aug 29th Dawgs win over the Illinois Pirates 13-12 and will travel to meet the Illinois Firehawks kick off at 4pm Firehawks won over the Beloit Titans 19-2
The address is Palmer University Park 611 Olmstead Ln, Univeristy Park, IL
Dawgs finish the season with a lost to the Illinois Firehawks. To all DAWGS you play the game with respect and pride. There will be 12 players in the GMFL All Star game, come enjoy the 'braggin rights' between the North and South. Congrats to the Illinois Firehawk with there 12-0 season great accomplishment Milton and Hawks. Go represent the Midway Conference
WEEKEND OF CHAMPIONS will be held in Chenoa on Sept 12th and 13th...mark your calendars you don't want to miss the best of the best play for the GMFL 2009 Championship and the best of the best all stars take the field on Sunday at 1:00
Chenoa once again THANKS for allowing the Dawgs to call your field home it has been GREAT!
Dawgs vs Pirates
8-22-09
Headlines from the Pantagraph Sports
8-8-09
Follow the DAWGS from the Daily Leader
Newspaper">7-10-09
Dawgs are ready for the Wolf Pack
7-11-09
Summary Dawgs vs Wolf Pack
7/13/09
Dawgs ready to play the Chargers
Chargers
DAWGS win over Chargers
7-25-09
DAWGS win over Pirates
8-01-09
Dawgs win over St Louis Spirit
8-8-09
2009 DAWGS ALL STARS for the GMFL All Star Game
The votes are in, as every year we go to the players themself and have them vote for the GMFL All Star selections for the Dawgs. The following players were selected by total votes...
#62 Chad Ridgeway-DL
#5 Donald Brown-FS
#54 David Holmes-LB
#2 Marcus Mann-SS
#6 Devin "Pee Wee" Dopson-LB
#43 Kelvin Thomas-RB
#91 Jake Langhoff-OL
#77 Zac Langhoff-OL
#92 Christian Bailey-DL
#18 Tom Shoemaker-FB
selected by the GMFL President for the Midway Conference
#26 Mike Wiggins-K
#42 Andrew Smith-P
Congrats and to the entire Dawgs team you are All Stars with the respect and pride you play the game with. All Star game will be Sept. 13th in Chenoa, IL Midway (North) Conference vs Gateway (South) Conference part of the Weekend of Champions for the Great Midwest Football League
RAIN...RAIN...RAIN...never went away
Chenoa just wanted to say WELCOME to the DAWGS family see you on the 11th of July. A BIG THANKS to the DAWGS for marching in the down pouring RAIN...#3 Gary, #4 LA, #6 Pee Wee, #7 Twitter, #8 Wes, #20 Byrd, #21 Ramone, #23 Trevon, #29 Childs, #43 Kelvin, #55 Reuter, #62 Chad, #69 Cody, #78 Sturgeon. #79 Gipson, #90 Ben, #91 Jake, #99 Zielsdorf and Coach Bobby our Dawg fans...LaDonna, Heidi, Kristen, Sara, Kelli Jo, Carl, Grandma Dawg.
DAWGS FIND NEW HOME
The DAWGS would like to thank the city of Chenoa for allowing us the call Chenoa HOME. We will play under the lights on July 11th, 25th, Aug 1st, 8th and then into the playoffs.
Check out the City of Chenoa on the web City of Chenoa
DAWGS win season opening game
The Twin City Dawgs opened their 2009 season with a 19-18 road win against the Beloit, WI Titans.
The defending Midway Conference Champions got off to a slow start as the Titans scored the first two touchdowns of the game on the last plays of the first and second quarters.
On third down and 20, Beloit connected on a 55 yard bomb as time expired in the first quarter. The extra point kick attempt was blocked, making the score 6-0.
On their final drive of the half, the Titans took advantage of a pass interference call at the Dawgs five yard line. With 5 seconds remaining on third and goal, Beloit cashed in with a sweep around the right side for a touchdown. Fullback Brian Davis was stopped short of the goal line on the extra point attempt, making the score 12-0 at halftime.
The Dawgs came offense alive in the third quarter. Donald Brown ran 56 yards to the south end zone for the first touchdown of the year. The snap for the extra point attempt forced the holder Brown to simply fall on the ball, making the score 12-6.
A three & out by the Dawgs defense gave the offense the football around mid field for their second drive of the half. Brown went to work again with a run over 40 yards that created a first and goal situation. Kelvin Thomas scored his first touchdown of the year to tie the score, and the extra point kick gave the Dawgs their first lead of the season at 13-12.
Beloit returned the following kickoff to the Dawgs 45 yard line and took advantage of the good field position and another pass interference penalty. Their drive ended with a 5 yard quarterback scramble for a touchdown, making the score 18-13 in favor of the Titans. The incomplete pass attempt for the point-after-touchdown kept the Titans lead at 5.
With 8 minutes to go in the game, the Dawgs took the lead on the backs of newcomers. Quarterback Tom Shoemaker threw a 12 yard pass to Eureka College grad Chris Carr on his knees in the front, right corner of the endzone. A pass attempt from Shoemaker to Donald Brown was ruled incomplete, and the Dawgs held on to a 19-18 lead.
The Dawgs defense got their fourth interception of the day to stop the Titans next drive. Don Brown had two, Wesley Robinson and Pigg Dilworth had the others.
Behind a strong offensive line, the Dawgs offense then took valuable minutes off the clock. The Titans got the ball back with only one minute left and could not make anything happen.
The Dawgs are 1-0 while Beloit is 0-1. The Dawgs travel to St. Louis next week .
DAWGS win over the Chargers
GAME 2, 2009 SEASON: DAWGS 22 (2-0) – CHARGERS 0 (1-1);
The Dawgs concluded their season opening two game road trip with a 22-0 win against the Chargers.
The defending Midway Conference Champions received the opening kickoff and moved the ball to mid field before facing fourth down and seven. Head Coach Skip Sutton became a riverboat gambler and went for it on fourth down.
Quarterback Tom Shoemaker made the gamble pay off by hitting Donald Brown for a pass that netted 30 yards. However, on third and 10 from the Chargers 20 yard line, the Dawgs turned the ball over on an interception at the Chargers 3 yard line.
The Dawgs defense dominated the game, and made an early statement by turning the Chargers first offensive play into a Dawgs touchdown. Under a massive rush, the Chargers quarterback fumbled and the Dawgs David Holmes recovered it for a touchdown.
Shoemaker tried a scramble around the left end for the two point conversion, but was just short, making the score 6-0 with 10:21 remaining in the first quarter. There would be no more scoring by either side until the fourth quarter.
The Dawgs offense struggled again early in the game. In their season opening victory in Beloit, WI, the Dawgs were shut out in the first half. In St. Louis, the offense was scoreless until the 4th quarter.
Turnovers were a huge part of the problem. Aside from the early interception in the red zone, the Dawgs running backs fumbled the ball 5 times, losing four of them.
The Chargers threatened on their second possession of the third quarter. As they appeared to convert a third down and 4 with a strong run, the Dawgs James Dilworth stripped the ball to take the possession away from the Chargers.
When the Dawgs offense went three and out, Andrew Smith responded with a 40 yard punt, but it was returned for a touchdown. However, Smith was clipped and the officials flagged the Chargers, nullifying touchdown. The third quarter ended with the score still 6-0.
2nd string quarterback Zac Thrasher and a rejuvenated offensive line gave the Dawgs the offensive firepower they needed to put the game away in the fourth quarter. Thrasher had a 30 yard pass completion to fellow newcomer Chris Carr, along with valuable yardage as a runner.
Thrasher hit tight end Marcus Mann over the middle for a 7 yard touchdown, and then hit Donald Brown with a high arching pass to the left sideline for the two point conversion, making the score 14-0 with 10:21 left in the game.
The Chargers back pedaled on their next offensive series, and a Chargers punt from their end zone only made it to the 20 yard line.
The Dawgs Tobias Starnes converted a 3rd and 7 on a run where he carried half the Chargers defense with him over the first down marker. Thrasher completed the drive successfully with a 3 yard touchdown around the right end. Travon Prude converted the point-after-touchdown with a run up the middle to make the final score 22-0.
The Dawgs put their 2-0 record on the line with a home game against the Chicago Falcons.
DAWGS win over the Falcons
GAME 3 Twin City Dawgs 16 – Chicago Falcons 0
The Dawgs improve to 3-0 with a 16-0 victory over the Chicago Falcons in Bloomington Saturday afternoon. Just like last week’s game in St. Louis, the Dawgs defense led the way.
Both Kyle Donnelly and Don Brown had 3 interceptions for the Dawgs. They were the first picks of the year for Donnelly, and Brown now has 5 on the season.
The Dawgs offense scored in the first half for the first time this season by getting into the end zone on their second possession. Quarterback Tom Shoemaker hit Marcus Mann with a 6 yard touchdown pass to make the score 6-0. The snap for the extra point attempt did not make it back to the holder, so the score stood at 6-0 with 11:41 left in the first quarter.
Marcus Mann followed his touchdown catch with an interception. The Dawgs finished with seven picks on the day. Trevon Prude had a nice 31 yard run for the Dawgs on the ensuing possession, but they could not get any points out of the drive.
The score remained 6-0 through the middle of the third quarter. After a 26 yard pass reception by Tobias Starnes, the Dawgs offense stalled at the Falcons 10 yard line. A 27 yard field goal by Mike Wiggins made the score 9-0.
The Dawgs scored one more touchdown with less than a minute to go, as Starnes ran through the right side of the line to make the score 15-0. The extra point made the final score 16-0.
Dawgs will host the Chicago Cardinals on June 13, 2009
DAWGS 4-0...win over the Cardinals
Game 4 – Twin City Dawgs 17, Chicago Cardinals 12
The Twin City Dawgs improved their record to 4-0 with a victory over their Great Midwest Football League Midway Division rival Chicago Cardinals.
The Dawgs defense once again set the tone for the team, consistently getting turnovers and setting up the offense at midfield or better.
Marcus Mann intercepted a Cardinals pass late in the first quarter to setup a 33 yard field goal by Mike Wiggins on the final play of the quarter.
With 7:03 left in the half, the Cardinals threatened. A 52 yard pass from Cardinals #1 Andre Locke to #6 Larry Ward gave Chicago first and goal from the 2 yard line. The Dawgs goal-line defense came up big with a fumble recovery to turn the Cards away.
With their backs against the wall, the Dawgs offense moved the ball well down the field. Highlighted by a Ron Childs 18 yard run, the Dawgs moved to the Cardinals 40 yard line before the clock ran out for half time with the score 3-0.
A fumble recovery on the Cardinals first possession of the second half setup the Dawgs offense with the ball on Chicago’s 40 yard line. The Dawgs offensive line dominated the next few plays, and Kelvin Thomas finished the series with a 3 yard touchdown run. The extra point kick made the score 10-0 with 7:13 left in the 3rd quarter.
After an Andrew Smith punt gave the Cardinals the ball on their own 13 yard line, Chicago failed to get a first down. A bad snap led to a -2 yard punt and setup the Dawgs with the ball on the Cardinals 18 yard line
Tobias Starnes ended the short drive with a 12 yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter. The extra point kick made the score 17-0 with 14:47 remaining in the contest.
The Dawgs had another short-field opportunity when the Defense recovered a fumble on Chicago’s 18 yard line, but the offense returned the favor and fumbled on Chicago’s 2 yard line to give the ball back.
Donald Brown registered his 6th interception of the season, and the Dawgs had another short field. Starting on the Chicago’s 20 yard line, the Dawgs turned the ball over again with an interception.
David Holmes joined the interception parade, giving the Dawgs offense yet another possession starting in Chicago territory. While the Dawgs couldn’t turn this possession into points, the offensive line did an excellent job and took three minutes off the clock.
What appeared to be an easy victory with 5:20 remaining in the game turned into something a bit more interesting.
The Cardinals QB, #1 Andre Locke hit #31 Rhyan Willis with a high arching pass on the left sidelines for a 40 yard gain, down to the Dawgs 26 yard line. On the next play, Andre Locke threw a perfect pass in the right corner of the end zone resulting in a 26 yard diving touchdown reception by #6 Larry Wards The extra point pass attempt was no good, making the score 17-6.
The ensuing onside kick attempt was covered by the Dawgs, but the offense fumbled the ball back to Chicago. With 2:10 remaining. Chicago’s hurry-up offense moved to the Dawgs 35 yard line, where, #1 Andre Lockec onnected with #6 Larry Ward on a high-arching pass over two Dawgs defenders in the middle of the field for a 35 yard TD. The extra point pass attempt was no good, and the score was 17-12 with 56 seconds left.
The ensuing onside kick went only 5 yards, and the Dawgs offense did two quarterback kneel downs for the victory.
The Dawgs travel to play the always tough Chicago-area Leyden Lions next Saturday.
DAWGS GO 5-0 WITH A WIN OVER LEYDEN LIONS
Game 5 - Leyden Lions 16 Dawgs 20
The Twin City Dawgs used a last minute goal-line stand to preserve a 20-16 victory and avenge last season’s loss to the Leyden Lions. The Lions had four shots inside the five yard line, but the Dawgs defense dug in to secure the victory and a 5-0 record.
The Dawgs scored a touchdown on their opening drive for the first time this season while taking 7:31 off the clock. An 18 yard pass on third down from Tom Shoemaker to Chris Carr kept the Dawgs drive going in Lions territory.
On third and two from the Lions 10, Shoemaker hit Kelvin Thomas with a touchdown pass in the back of the end zone. The extra point kick made the score 7-0 with 7:29 left in the opening quarter.
The ensuing kickoff by Chad Ridgeway rolled down to the Lions 5 yard line and was recovered by Cory Gregg of the Dawgs. The first three downs only netted four yards and Coaches Skip & Bob Sutton decided to roll the dice and go for it on fourth down. The offensive line pushed the Lions into the end zone and Kelvin Thomas followed them in for his 2nd touchdown of the quarter.
The Lions first offensive series was productive, and it appeared that the game would turn into a high-scoring track meet. The team ended the first quarter with a first down on the Dawgs 1 yard line.
On the first play of the 2nd quarter, Lions fullback Carlos Alvarado scored on a dive up the middle. The extra point kick by Andre Wolas make the score 14-7.
The Dawgs next drive was highlighted by a 24 yard Donald Brown run around the left side of the line, but ended on downs in Lions territory.
The Lions then moved to the Dawgs 18 yard line before stalling and settling for a 35 yard Wolas field goal to make the score 14-10.
The Dawgs offense methodically moved the ball down the field on running plays, but the Lions stood firm at their 10 yard line. A 27 yard Wiggins field goal made the score 17-10 with 1:20 remaining in the half.
The Dawgs defense stopped the Lions on their next three offensive plays and forced a punt with 55 seconds left in the half. A 28 yard scramble by quarterback Tom Shoemaker got the ball to mid field. With 9 seconds left, the team tried a Hail Mary pass that resulted in a defensive pass interference call at the Lions 7 yard line.
With one second remaining, Wiggins connected on a 25 yard field goal to give the Dawgs a 20-10 half-time lead.
Both the Lions and Dawgs first possessions of the 2nd half resulted in 3 offensive plays and a punt. Before the Dawgs could punt with 9:32 remaining in the 3rd period, there was a 45 minute weather delay due to lightning.
When play resumed, the Dawgs were unable to execute their punt and the Lions got the ball on the Twin City 8 yard line. Ramone Pippins put an end to the threat by intercepting Lions quarterback Greg Holcomb in the end zone on third down.
The Dawgs offense couldn’t move the ball on the next series, but they were able to get a good punt away. The Lions then drove to the Dawgs 1 yard line and the third quarter came to an end .
On the first play of the 4th quarter, former Twin City Storm fullback Pierre Myers scored on a one yard run for the Lions to make the score 20-16. The extra point was blocked, which took a tying field goal out of the equation for the Leyden, IN squad.
On the next drive, the Dawgs offense took over nine minutes off the clock and moved down to the Lions 20 yard line before stalling. A 37 yard field goal attempt was stopped by a high-snap, and the Lions took over on their own 30 yard line with 4:32 left in the game.
The Lions offense was very effective both passing and running on their last drive. With 1:32 left, they had first and goal from the four yard line, and they chose to run the ball on their final four plays.
First down netted two yards, 2nd down gave them another yard, but they were stone-walled on 3rd and fourth downs, giving the Dawgs a long and hard-fought 20-16 victory.
The Dawgs will go into their 4th of July weekend bye-week with a 5-0 record. After playing their first two home games of the season at White Oaks Park in Bloomington, the Dawgs will host the Great Lakes Wolfpack of Gary, Indiana in their highly anticipated debut in Chenoa, IL.
DAWGS win over Wolf Pack
Twin City Dawgs 23 - Great Lakes (Gary, IN) Wolfpack 0 at Chenoa, IL
Score by quarters 1 2 3 4 Total
Twin City Dawgs 7 10 6 0 23
Great Lakes Wolfpack 0 0 0 0 0
Scoring Summary
1st Qtr
Twin City Dawgs – Jordan Allen 5 yard TD run (Wiggins PAT)
2nd Qtr
Twin City Dawgs – Trevon Prude 14 yard TD run (Wiggins PAT)
Twin City Dawgs – Wiggins 22 yard field goal
3rd Qtr
Twin City Dawgs – Donald Brown 11 yard TD run (PAT pass attempt no good)
4th Qtr
No Score
With great fan support from the town of Chenoa, the Twin City Dawgs christened their new home field with a 23-0 victory over the Great Lakes Wolfpack of Gary, IN.
Donald Brown took a pitch from Chad Ridgeway on the opening kickoff and returned it to the Wolfpack’s 39 yard line to setup the offense with excellent field position.
A Tom Shoemaker pass to Chris Carr on 4th and 8 kept the drive alive, and newcomer Jordan Allen ran it in from the five on first and goal. The extra point kick made the score 7-0, and it would remain that way through the first quarter.
Donald Brown ended the ensuing Great Lakes drive with his 7th interception of the year, and the Dawgs offense was given the ball in Great Lakes territory once again. On 3rd down and 5 from the Wolfpack 14 yard line, Trevon Prude ran it in for the touchdown. The Dawgs were up 14-0 after the extra point.
Mike Wiggins added a 22 yard field goal to make the score 17-0 with :55 remaining in the half. Kyle Donnelley's interception and nice return gave the Dawgs the ball on the Wolfpack 24 yard line with :06 remaining, but WIggins missed from 42 yards as time expired in the first half.
The first drive of the third quarter saw the Dawgs offensive line continue to control the game. Donald Brown had a 25 yard run on the drive that ended with Brown scoring on an 11 yard run around the right side with a convoy of blockers.
The extra point snap was bobbled, and Chris Carr was forced to throw a pass attempt for the PAT conversion, but it was incomplete.
While there was no scoring in the fourth quarter, the Dawgs defense collected two more interceptions. Brown had his 8th of the year, and Marcus Mann collected his third.
The Dawgs moved to 6-0 with the win, and play a tough Chicago Cowboys squad at Melrose Park, IL next
Dawgs 6-1 lost to the Cowboys
Chicago Cowboys 20 Twin City Dawgs 0
Score by quarters 1 2 3 4 Total
Twin City Dawgs 0 0 0 0 0
Chicago Cowboys 0 6 14 0 20
Score by Quarters
1st Qtr – No Score
2nd qtr –
Dana Spraggs to Brian Northington, 8 yard pass, PAT run failed
3rd qtr –
Dana Spraggs to Kenneth Turner, 15 yard pass, PAT run failed
Dana Spraggs to Troy Harding, 16 yard pass, PAT pass good (Spraggs to Harding)
4th Qtr – No Score
The Twin City Dawgs bid for a perfect season came to an end with a road loss to the Chicago Cowboys Saturday evening.
The first quarter saw an exchange of punts and turnovers by downs for both teams. The second quarter started ominously for the Dawgs as Tom Shoemaker had an interception returned for a touchdown. The Dawgs dodged that bullet due to a block in the back penalty on the return.
The contest remained scoreless with only minutes remaining in the first half. The Cowboys completed a 14 yard pass play, and then got an additional 15 yards on a roughing the passer call to put Chicago in Dawgs territory.
Two running plays gave the home team a first and goal at the five yard line. A false start penalty and two run attempts resulted in a 4th and goal from the Dawgs 8 yard line.
With :55 remaining in the first half, Cowboys quarterback Dana Spraggs found receiver Brian Northington in the back, right corner of the end zone for the games’ first touchdown. The extra point run by Spraggs failed, and the halftime score was 6-0.
The Cowboys received the 2nd half kickoff and returned it to their 39. They put together the games’ best drive of the evening with impressive plays on both the ground and in the air. Spraggs capped the 61 yard drive with a 15 yard touchdown pass to Kenneth Turner. Another Spraggs run attempt for the PAT was no good, and the score was 12-0 with 12:28 remaining in the third quarter.
The Dawgs offense was stopped once again and the team was forced to punt. Andrew Smith had his best punting performance of the season, and he pinned the Cowboys returner near the sideline on the 15 yard line. Two Dawgs had a chance to make the tackle at the 15, but Troy Harding escaped and wasn’t stopped until he made it to the Dawgs 16 yard line for a 59 yard return.
On first down, Dana Spraggs threw his third touchdown pass of the evening on a well thrown ball that hit Troy Harding in stride for a 16 yard touchdown. Spraggs hooked up with Harding for the extra point, making the score 20-0 with 7:32 remaining in the quarter, and that would be the final score of the contenst.
The Dawgs offense put together a nice drive with under 5 minutes in the game when they spread went to the shotgun formation. The team got to the Cowboys five yard line and had a 3rd down and 1 before a false start penalty made it 3rd down and 6. The Cowboys sacked Shoemaker to create a fourth and long, and got another sack on fourth down killing the Dawgs best hopes for points in the game.
The Cowboys took a knee on their next possession and ran out the clock to improve their record to 5-2, while the Dawgs dropped to 6-1.
The Dawgs host the Midwest Chargers at 7pm in Chenoa Saturday night. It will be the first of three straight home games for the Dawgs.
DAWGS over the Chargers
Twin City Dawgs 25 (7-1) – Midwest (St. Louis) Chargers (3-5) 21
Score by quarters 1 2 3 4 Total
Twin City Dawgs 8 3 14 0 25
St. Louis Chargers 8 13 0 0 21
Score by Quarters:
1st Quarter
Dawgs: 8-0 Tom Shoemaker to Donald Brown 14 yard TD pass; Donald Brown to Andrew Smith pass for PAT
Chargers: 8-8 Jorlan LaGrant to Michael Clark 44 yard TD Pass; Jamar Hurst PAT run
2nd Quarter
Dawgs: 11-8 Mike Wiggins 40 yard field goal
Chargers: 11-15 Michael Clark 1 yard TD run; PAT kick Michael Clark
Chargers: 11-21 Jorlan Grant 1 yard TD run; PAT kick no good
3rd Quarter
Dawgs: 18-21 Tom Shoemaker to Donald Brown 45 yard TD pass; Mike Wiggins PAT
Dawgs: 25-21 David Holmes 15 yard interception return for TD; Mike Wiggins PAT
4th Quarter
No Score
The Twin City Dawgs had a big goal line stand in the last minute of the game against the Midwest Chargers from St. Louis to secure their 7th victory of the season. The ending brought back memories of the June 27th game in Chicago against the Leyden Lions when the Dawgs stopped the Lions on four downs inside the 5 yard line in the last minute of play.
The game started on a promising note with the Dawgs defense getting a ‘statement hit’ from Andrew Smith on Michael Clark of the Chargers on the first play from scrimmage. Three plays later, the Chargers were forced to punt.
Not to be outdone by the defense, the Dawgs first offensive possession was executed to perfection as well. On 4th & 8 from midfield, quarterback Tom Shoemaker hit Donald Brown with a 15 yard pass to keep the drive alive.
Shoemaker maintained a hot hand when he hit Ronnie Childs for a four yard gain on 3rd & two, then hit Donald Brown with a high-arching pass to the right side of the end zone for the game’s first score.
Donald Brown made the extra point interesting by dropping the perfect snap from Mo Bigham, and then rolling to his right where the left-hander hit tight end Andrew Smith for the two point conversion.
Any thoughts of an easy win were quickly washed away when the Chargers ran a screen to perfection that resulted in a 46 yard touchdown. Chargers quarterback Jorlan LaGrant lofted a soft pass over a pressing Dawgs defensive line, and Michael Clark gathered it in and escaped three Dawgs defenders before racing to the end zone. LaGrant pitched to Jamar Hurst on an option play for the two point conversion to tie the score.
The Dawgs appeared to be heading for a go-ahead touchdown on their next possession when Shoemaker was sacked back on the Chargers 23 yard line. A 40 yard Mike Wiggins field goal made the score 11-8 with 14:01 to go in the 2nd quarter.
LaGrant went back to work and got the Chargers moving again on their next possession. After hitting Karon Flenoid for a 24 yard gain, LaGrant handed the ball to Michael Clark for a one yard touchdown run. Clark then added the PAT kick, making the score 15-11 in favor of the Chargers with 11:41 remaining in the half.
On the ensuing drive for the Dawgs, Trevon Prude fumbled on first down and the Chargers got the ball on the Dawgs 40 yard line.
LaGrant lofted a beautiful pass to Jamar Hurst that he hauled in while getting two feet down inside the right sideline for a 41 yard gain. LaGrant later drove his 290 pound body into the end zone for a one yard gain and a TD. Clark’s extra-point kick was wide right, making the score 21-11 with 7:05 left in the half, and that’s the way the score would stand at halftime.
The Dawgs received the 2nd half kickoff and the offense moved the ball into Chargers territory. Tom Shoemaker hit Donald Brown with a pass about 5 yards off the line of scrimmage, and Brown dodged two tacklers and then exhibited his amazing speed to turn a short pass into a 46 yard scoring strike. The extra-point kick made the score 18-21 in favor of the Chargers with 12:54 left in the 3rd quarter.
The Dawgs defense stood tall on the ensuing drive by keeping the Chargers quarterback LaGrant from getting a first down on a 4th & 1 dive play. While the Dawgs couldn’t come up with points on their drive, the possession was highlighted by a nice 21 yard run by Trevon Prude.
On the Chargers next possession, a penalty took them back to their own 10 yard line where disaster would strike for the visitors. LaGrant was intercepted by the Dawgs talented linebacker David Holmes, who dodged multiple Charger tackle attempts to get into the end zone. The extra-point kick made the score 25-21 with 1:14 left in the 3rd quarter.
The Chargers marched the ball down the field on their next possession, and faced 4th and 8 on the Dawgs 31. An incomplete pass had the Dawgs fans cheering, but they got quiet in a hurry when they saw a penalty flag in the Chargers backfield. A roughing the quarterback call kept the fourth quarter drive alive for the Chargers.
Donald Brown came to the rescue by registering his 10th interception of the year, this one in the Dawgs end zone. With visions of a long return in his head, Brown headed out of the end zone, but he was cut down at the one yard line.
The Dawgs offense moved the ball out to the 31 yard line before having to punt. The Chargers turned the ball back over to the Dawgs on downs on their next possession, but the Dawgs were forced to punt again with 2:20 remaining in the contest.
On a fourth and 16 for the Chargers, new quarterback Lavelle May hit Jamar Hurst for a first down at the Dawgs 29 yard line. A face mask penalty moved the ball to the Dawgs 14 yard line with 1:16 left.
The Chargers offensive line opened a gaping hole on the right side and Jamar Hunt carried the ball to the five yard line with :31 remaining. The Chargers took their last time out and had 2nd down with 1 yard to go.
The Chargers picked up a first down on another run, and the clock was stopped by a Dawgs offsides penalty.
With the clock stopped at :04, the Chargers appeared to be set for the last play of the game on the Dawgs one yard line. The Dawgs stopped the Chargers and the clock ran out… if only it could have been that simple.
The Dawgs defense was flagged once again for lining up in the neutral zone, and since a half can’t end on a defensive penalty, the Chargers would get another chance for the winning score on an un-timed down. On a beautiful, star-filled evening, lightning struck twice – The Dawgs stopped the Chargers, but lined up in the neutral zone again. On the next ‘last play’, the Dawgs once again lined up in the neutral zone while the Chargers moved early for offsetting penalties.
On the games’ true final play, the Dawgs appeared to have the Chargers quarterback LaGrant stopped, but a Chargers running back pushed his quarterback in the back and moved him into the end zone. A flag was thrown, and an illegal assist was called on the running back. Since the flag was on the offense, the touchdown was not allowed and the game ended.
The Dawgs escaped for their seventh win of the season and a sweep of their home & home games with the Chargers. The Dawgs will host the 7-1 Illinois Pirates in Chenoa next Saturday at 7pm.
The Pirates came and so did the fog but DAWGS WIN
Twin City Dawgs 21 (8-1) – Illinois (Chicago) Pirates 18 (7-2)
Score by quarters 1 2 3 4 Total
Twin City Dawgs 0 14 7 0 21
Illinois Pirates 6 6 0 6 18
Score by Quarters
1st Quarter
Pirates: (0-6) Tomorrio Anderson 1 yard QB sneak; PAT run no good
2nd Quarter
Dawgs: (7-6) Zac Thrasher 3 yard run; PAT kick Mike Wiggins
Pirates: (7-12) Tomorrio Anderson to Gerad McKinnis, III 67 yard TD pass; PAT run no good
Dawgs: (14-12) Zac Thrasher 14 yard run; PAT kick Mike Wiggins
3rd Quarter
Dawgs: (21-12) Tom Shoemaker 1 yard run; PAT kick Mike Wiggins
4th Quarter
Pirates: (21-18) Chris Findley 2 yard run; PAT pass no good
The Great Midwest Football League ‘Game of the Week’ lived up to the pre-game hype, and the Twin City Dawgs rode the strength of their offensive line to run their record to 8-1.
On their second possession, the Pirates converted one fourth down on a 5 yard run and another on a 15 yard pass completion. The Pirates completed the drive when Quarterback Tomorrio Anderson dove in from one yard out for the game’s first touchdown. The run attempt for the Point-After-Touchdown was no good.
The Dawgs only first down in the first quarter came on two consecutive offside penalties by the Pirates. Shortly afterward, the Dawgs turned the ball over on an interception.
The Dawgs defense held firm and forced a punt early in the second quarter. The long-snap was well over the punters’ head, and the Dawgs were in business with a first and goal from the Pirates 5 yard line. On second and goal from the three, new quarterback Zac Thrasher went around the right end for the Dawgs touchdown. The extra point kick made the score 7-6 in favor of the orange & blue.
The Pirates would re-take the lead on what had to be one of the strangest drives in the league this season. After a first down pass completion and a face mask call, the Pirates had first and ten from the Dawgs 35 yard line. A high-snap over the quarterback in shotgun formation ended in a 20 yard sack by the Dawgs versatile Kelvin Thomas, who also saw some action as a defensive back later in the game.
On the next play, Joe Reuter recorded a sack that created a 4th down and 42 yards to go. Instead of punting from their 33 yard line, Tomorrio Anderson hit Gerad McKinnis, III for a 67 bomb on the left sidelines that completely changed the momentum of the game. The extra point run was no good, but the Pirates had the lead and the Dawgs and their fans were absolutely stunned.
Instead of going into a shell, the Dawgs offense responded. Faced with a fourth and inches near mid field, Head Coach Skip Sutton once again went for it and the offensive line provided enough room for Jordan Allen to get a new set of downs. Ronnie Childs followed with a 25 yard run to advance the ball to the 14 yard line.
Zac Thrasher faked a hand-off and ran around the left end for the go-ahead touchdown. The extra-point kick made it 14-12 with 7:47 remaining in the half.
After the teams exchanged punts, the Pirates threatened to score again before halftime. A facemask penalty with :31 seconds remaining gave the Pirates the ball on the Dawgs 27 yard line. After two holding penalties moved the Pirates back to mid field, a pass interference call on the Dawgs gave them a first down at the 20 yard line.
A defensive holding penalty was called as time expired, and the Pirates got one un-timed down before halftime. Veteran defensive back Dennis ‘Mo’ Bigham came up big as he deflected an Anderson pass away from the intended receiver to keep the score 14-12 at halftime.
The Pirates got the ball right back after halftime and put together a great drive until Donald Brown recorded his 11th interception of the season at the Dawgs 10 yard line. The Dawgs took advantage of the turnover as the offensive line provided excellent lanes for running backs Tom Shoemaker and Trevon Prude. Shoemaker completed the drive with a one yard touchdown run. The extra point kick made the score 21-12, but the Pirates wouldn’t go away.
A Tomorrio Anderson pass to running back Fred Caldwell in the left flat resulted in a 39 yard gain. Anderson later hit Chris Finley on 3rd down and 12 to get the first down and setup first and goal from the Dawgs eight yard line.
Finley finished the drive with a two yard touchdown run, making the score 21-18. Tomorrio Anderson ran the ball in for the two point conversion, but an illegal formation penalty forced them to try the extra-point again from the 7 yard line. The pass was juggled by the receiver and intercepted by Donald Brown, keeping the score 21-18 with 11:31 left in the contest.
The Dawgs fumbled and lost possession on their first offensive play of the next drive, but Dawgs linebacker David Holmes came up big on the Pirates ensuing drive. On 4th and 5 in Dawgs territory with 7:51 remaining, Holmes stood up the Pirates power runner Fred Cladwell and kept him inches from the first down.
That’s the last time the Pirates would cross the fifty, and the Dawgs secured their 8th win of the season, along with a first round playoff (August 15th) bye week. The Dawgs will host the 4-4 St. Louis Spirit in the regular season finale, and await word of who they’ll host in their August 22nd home playoff game.
DAWGS finish regular season 9-1
Twin City Dawgs (9-1) vs. St. Louis Spirit (5-5)
Score by quarters 1 2 3 4 Total
Twin City Dawgs 0 7 7 23 37
St. Louis Spirit 7 0 7 0 14
Score by Quarters
1st Quarter
0-7 (1:10) Spirit QB Eric Bailey to Ronnell Banks, 8 yard Touchdown Pass, Derek Jones PAT Kick
2nd Quarter
7-7 (12:35) Dawgs QB Zac Thrasher 6 yard run, Mike Wiggins PAT kick
3rd Quarter
7-14 (12:35) Spirit QB Eric Bailey to Sergio Kahn, 65 yard Touchdown Pass, Derek Jones PAT Kick
14-14 (7:08) Dawgs QB Zac Thrasher 37 yard run, Mike Wiggins PAT kick
4th Quarter
21-14 (12:40) Dawgs QB Zac Thrasher 2 yard run, Mike Wiggins PAT kick
23-14 (12:10) Dawgs Jeremy Byrd tackle for Safety
30-14 Dawgs Ronnie Childs 7 yard run, Mike Wiggins PAT kick
37-14 Dawgs David Holmes 38 yard interception return, Mike Wiggins PAT kick
The Twin City Dawgs finished the Great Midwest Football League’s regular season 9-1 as they ran away from a pesky St. Louis Spirit squad 37-14. The 23 points scored in the fourth quarter were a season high for a quarter for the Dawgs.
The Dawgs were down a touchdown twice in this contest, and the game was tied at the end of the third quarter, but the Dawgs depth led to three touchdowns in the final period to finally put the game away.
The Spirit threatened to score first after quarterback Eric Bailey hit Derek Jones on a short pass that turned into a 64 yard gain. The Dawgs defense held firm and forced the Spirit to try a 29 yard field goal that was wide left.
Ronnie Childs got the Dawgs moving with a 24 yard run, but the team would end up turning the ball over. Quarterback Zac Thrasher was blindsided and had the ball stripped, and the Spirit’s Sean Rogers was heading for the end zone. After traveling 45 yards, Ronnie Childs caught up to Rogers at the Dawgs 5 yard line.
On third and goal from the 8, quarterback Eric Bailey escaped two Dawg defenders and found Ronnell Banks in the endzone on the left sideline for the game’s first score.
On the Dawgs next offensive possession, the offensive line opened the way for Kelvin Thomas to rack up serious yards. On third and goal from the 5, quarterback Zac Thrasher rolled right and appeared to be trapped by two Spirit defenders, but he sliced through them and got into the end zone for the tying score.
The Dawgs defense forced the Spirit to go three & out, and Ronnie Childs got the ball moving again with a 41 yard run. However, the offense couldn’t move any further, and the Dawgs were forced to punt.
The Dawgs Donald Brown had a forty one yard punt return that put the offense in Spirit territory with 34 seconds remaining in the half. Time ran out as Thrasher hit wide-receiver Chris Carr with a high-arching 42 yard pass on the left sideline, but was tackled on the one.
On the Spirit’s first possession of the second half, quarterback Eric Bailey burned the Dawgs defensive backfield with a 64 yard touchdown pass to Sergio Kahn to make the score 14-7
The Dawgs started the next drive on their 9 yard line, and the offensive line would pave the way for a season long 91 yard touchdown drive. Kelvin Thomas and Tom Shoemaker had runs that moved the team across midfield, and setup the defense for a fake that worked to perfection.
Zac Thrasher faked a handoff to Tom Shoemaker who was met by the multiple Spirit defenders with a thunderous impact. While the Spirit players on the field and on the sideline where celebrating the hit on Shoemaker, Thrasher sprinted around the left side of the line untouched to tie the score with 7:08 remaining in the third quarter.
The Dawgs defense clamped down from that point on and didn’t let the Spirit into Dawgs territory for the remainder of the evening.
As the third quarter ended and the fourth began, the Dawgs were driving. Ronnie Childs, Tom Shoemaker and Kelvin Thomas had nice runs to put the Dawgs in a goal-to-go situation. Zac Thrasher registered his third touchdown run of the evening on a two yard dash around the right side to give the Dawgs their first lead of the game with 12:40 left.
Penalties on the kickoff return and the first play from scrimmage put the Spirit back on their own 5 yard line. On first down, Eric Bailey pitched to running back Jerry Coleman who appeared to be setting up for a pass downfield. The Dawgs Jeremy Byrd tackled Coleman in the end zone to give the home team a 23-14 lead.
The Dawgs offense couldn’t move the ball on the possession following the Spirit’s free kick, and Andrew Smith executed a coffin-corner punt to perfection as he pinned the Spirit on their two yard line. The Spirit couldn’t move the ball and were forced to punt. David Holmes of the Dawgs touched the ball when it traveled only 15 yards, and the Spirit recovered for a new set of downs.
Donald Brown got the ball back for the Dawgs when he recorded his 12th interception of the season. Ronnie Childs had a 31 yard run to the Spirit’s 6 yard line, and he ran it in for the touchdown on the following play.
On the Spirit’s next possession with less than two minutes remaining, David Holmes atoned for his fumble with an interception that he returned for a touchdown. After the extra point kick, the score was 37-14.
That was Holmes second interception return for a touchdown on the season, and third touchdown of the year since the linebacker also recovered a fumble in the end zone.
The Dawgs will host the Illinois Pirates on Saturday August 8th at 8pm in Chenoa. The Dawgs defeated the Pirates 21-18 on August 1st. The Dawgs are the 2nd seed in the North Division, following the 10-0 Illinois Firehawks.
Dawgs WIN - next Firehawks
Twin City Dawgs (10-1) vs. Illinois Pirates (8-3) – 2nd round of the Playoffs, Conference Semi-Finals (The Dawgs had a bye week last week)
Score by quarters 1 2 3 4 Total
Twin City Dawgs 0 7 6 0 13
Illinois Pirates 0 6 6 0 12
Score by Quarters
1st Qtr
No Score
2nd Qtr.
Dawgs (7-0) – Zac Thrasher to Marcus Mann, 22 yard touchdown pass & Mike Wiggins PAT
Pirates (7-6) - Tomorrio Anderson to Gerad Mc Kinnis III 46 yard TD pass; Anderson run for PAT no good
3rd Qtr.
Dawgs (13-6) – Ronnie Childs 11 yard TD run, PAT kick no good
Pirates (13-12) – Chris Finley 3 yard TD run; Finley run for PAT no good
4th Qtr.
No Score
The Twin City Dawgs won by the slimmest of margins to give themselves the opportunity to defend their North Division title in the Great Midwest Football League.
The Dawgs defeated the Illinois Pirates 13-12 in a back and forth battle that was reminiscent of a heavyweight boxing match.
The Dawgs caught the first break of the game when they recovered a Pirates fumble on their 30 yard line following an option play. Dawgs quarterback Zac Thrasher hit Marcus Mann with a nice 15 yard pass to get a first down, but the offense stalled from there.
The Dawgs failed to score on the drive when they misfired on a 37 yard field goal attempt.
Donald Brown secured another turnover for the Dawgs in the 2nd quarter by getting his 13th interception of the season on the Dawgs 10 yard line. Seeing an opportunity, Brown sprinted along the right sideline and wasn’t stopped until he made it all the way to the Pirates 22.
On 2nd down and 11 for the Dawgs, Thrasher connected with Mann on a 23 yard touchdown pass for the first score of the game. After the extra point kick, the Dawgs led 7-0.
On the Pirates next possession, they gambled with a fake punt on 4th and 5. Quarterback and punter Tomorrio Anderson hit Tyree Hudson for a 12 yard gain. They converted another fourth down on an Anderson scramble.
The Pirates then went for the big play and got it when Anderson lofted a high-arching pass along the left sidelines to a wide open Gerad Mc Kinnis III for a 46 yard touchdown with :31 remaining in the half. It was a scene all too familiar, since Anderson and Mc Kinnis hooked up on a 67 yard bomb during their August 1st regular season game that the Dawgs won 21-18.
Kelvin Thomas and Christian Bailey came up big for the defense on the Pirates point-after-touchdown attempt and stopped Anderson’s option run, making the score at halftime 7-6 in favor of the Dawgs.
The Dawgs first play from scrimmage of the second half resulted in a 41 yard gain. Quarterback Zac Thrasher lobbed it down the middle of the field toward Marcus Mann and his defender. The ball was tipped and ended up in the hands of Donald Brown for a first down near mid field.
The Dawgs continued their best drive of the night as they moved to the Pirates 11 yard line with a solid running game. Ronnie Childs ran around the left side for a touchdown that put the Dawgs ahead 13-6.
The Dawgs special teams missed their first extra-point of the year as the snap and hold delayed the attempt and it was blocked.
As they did after the first Dawgs score, the Pirates came back to answer quickly. Speedster Chris Finley took the kickoff all the way down to the Dawgs 3 yard line, and scored on a 1st and goal run through the right side of the line.
David Holmes stopped Finley on the extra-point run, preserving the Dawgs 13-12 lead with over 9 minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter. No team would get instead their opponents 30 yard line for the remainder of the evening.
Converted wide-receiver Chris Carr, a Eureka College grad got his first interception of the year with 7:28 to go in the game after the Pirates got into Dawgs territory.
On their next drive, the Pirates Tomorrio Anderson hit Gerad Mc Kinnis III in stride over the middle for a first down catch, but Mc Kinnis lost the ball as he started to accelerate. Marcus Mann recovered the fumble for the Dawgs with 3:38 remaining.
The Dawgs gave the ball back to the Pirates after going for a 4th and 3 but only getting 2 yards at midfield. With :58 remaining and no time outs, the Pirates took a sack on first down and watched the clock tick precious seconds away as their players had to run back to the line of scrimmage for a spike to kill the clock.
After an incomplete pass on third down, the Pirates had fourth and 15 with :19 seconds to go. Kelvin Thomas ran down the fleet quarterback Anderson and tipped the ball as Anderson was preparing to launch a pass downfield. The ball fluttered and landed harmlessly un-touched.
The Dawgs took a knee on first down and ended the contest with a hard-fought and exciting 13-12 victory. The 10-1 Dawgs will travel to University Park, IL for a 4pm contest on Saturday the 29th against the North Division’s number one seed Illinois Firehawks who have an 11-0 record.
DAWGS end season 10-2
Twin City Dawgs (10-2) vs. Illinois Firehawks (12-0) –3rd round of the Playoffs, Conference Finals
Score by quarters 1 2 3 4 Total
Twin City Dawgs 3 0 0 0 3
Illinois Firehawks 0 6 6 14 26
Score by Quarters
1st Qtr
Dawgs (3-0) – 22 yard Mike Wiggins field goal
2nd Qtr.
Firehawks (3-6) - Michael Parks to Philip Sole 10 yard pass; PAT run no good
3rd Qtr.
Firehawks (3-12) - Michael Parks to Vincent Bland 84 yard pass; PAT run no good
4th Qtr.
Firehawks (3-18) - Michael Parks to Brian Miles 7 yard pass; PAT run no good
Firehawks (3-26) - Philip Sole 2 yard run; PAT run good.
The Twin City Dawgs bid for back-to-back GMFL North Division titles came to an abrupt halt as the Illinois Firehawks broke open a close game to win 26-3 in Chicago.
The game was a matchup of two teams with the same wing-T offense, but the Firehawks appeared to have a distinct size advantage as they took their 11-0 record against the Dawgs 10-1 mark.
The Dawgs started strong with points on their first drive of the game. Quarterback Zac Thrasher lofted a pass to Marcus Mann that caught the Firehawks off guard, and resulted in a 49 yard gain to the Hawks 11 yard line. The Dawgs couldn’t find the end zone and settled for a 22 yard field goal.
The Firehawks used a variety of running plays to move the ball down the field on their first possession, but they stalled in the red zone. On 2nd and 9 from the Dawgs 11 yard line, Donald Brown intercepted his 14th pass of the season to end the Firehawks threat.
Thrasher hit Mann on the Dawgs next drive to convert a 3rd & 12, but the Dawgs couldn’t keep the drive going. On the Hawks ensuing possession, they used a variety of runs and passes to move the ball efficiently into the Dawgs red zone.
The Dawgs looked like they might keep the Hawks out of the end zone again, as the Hawks faced 4th and 8 at the 10 yard line. However, quarterback Michael Parks hit Philip Sole in the left flat, and Sole did the work to get into the end zone. Parks run attempt for the P.A.T. was no good, and the score stood 6-3 in favor of the Hawks.
The Dawgs and Hawks couldn’t get anything going on the following possessions, but the Hawks won the field position battle when they pinned the Dawgs down at their one yard line with a perfectly placed punt.
The Dawgs did a great job of escaping from the shadow of their goal posts by running for one first down, and Thrasher later connected with Mann on a 24 yard play to convert a 3rd and 9.
The Dawgs got to the Hawks 28 yard line and then lined up for a 45 yard field goal attempt. Holder Chris Carr rolled right and tried to hit David Holmes with a pass on the fake field goal, but the pass was incomplete and the Hawks dodged a bullet.
The Dawgs would start in Hawks territory on the first possession of the third quarter. On 4th and 5 from the Hawks 41, Zac Thrasher lofted a high pass that Donald Brown pulled in for a first down on the Hawks 22 yard line.
Faced with 4th down and 3 from the 15, the Dawgs elected to try to keep the drive alive as they sought the go-ahead touchdown. The luck on 4th down conversions ran out on the Dawgs, as Tom Shoemaker made a strong run up the middle, but only gained a yard and a half.
After the turnover on downs, the Hawks faced 3rd and 9 from their 16 yard line. Michael Parks hit Vincent Bland on a post and Bland didn’t stop. The 84 yard play put the Hawks up 12-3 with 5:31 remaining in the 3rd quarter. The Dawgs defense stopped the two point attempt, leaving their deficit at 9 points.
The score remained the same until the Hawks mounted an efficient drive in the fourth quarter. Faced with 4th and goal from the 7, Michael Parks hit Brian Miles with a pass and he weaved his way into the end zone for the score. Another failed two point conversion left the score 18-3 with 4:28 left in the contest.
The Dawgs fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and after the defense stopped the Hawks, the Dawgs fumbled the punt on the two yard line. The Hawks Philip Sole ran it in for the game’s final touchdown, and Marcus Gates ran the ball in for the two point conversion to make the final score was 26-3.
The 12-0 North (Midway) champ Firehawks will play the 12-0 South (Gateway) champ Northeast Missouri Cyclones in Chenoa on Saturday, September 12th at 8pm for the Great Midwest Football League Championship. The North and South All Stars will play against each other on Sunday the 13th at 2pm in Chenoa.
2009 TWIN CITY DAWGS SCHEDULE
May 30 @ Beloit Titans 4pm * Titans 18 DAWGS 19
PLAYERS OF THE GAME... Offense-#5 Donald Brown <> Defense-#5 Donald Brown <> Special Teams-#33 Ricky James
June 6 @ Midwest Chargers 6:30pm * Chargers 0 DAWGS 22
PLAYERS OF THE GAME...Offense-#9 Zac Thrasher <> Defense-#6 Devin "Pee Wee" Dopson <> Special Teams-#62 Chad Ridgeway
June 13 vs CHICAGO FALCONS * Falcons 0 DAWGS 16
PLAYERS OF THE GAME...Offense-#93 Tobias Starnes <> Defense-#12 Kyle Donnelly <> Special Teams-#99 Matt Zielsdorf
June 20 vs CHICAGO CARDINALS * Cardinals 12 DAWGS 17
PLAYER OF THE GAME...Offense-#99 Matt Zielsdorf <> Defense-#62 Chad Ridgeway <> Special Teams-#42 Adrew Smith
June 27 @ *Leyden Lions * Lions 16 DAWGS 20
PLAYER OF THE GAME...Offense-#43 Kelvin Thomas <> Defense-#44 David "Boom" Holmes <> Co-Special Teams-#26 Mike Wiggins & #7 Cory Gegg
July 4 LEAGUE BYE WEEK
July 11 vs GREAT LAKES WOLF PACK Wolf Pack 0 DAWGS 23
PLAYER OF THE GAME...Co-Offense-#5 Donald Brown & #23-Trevon Prude <> Co-Defense-#2 Marcus Man & #54 David Holmes <> Special Teams-#62 Chad Ridgeway
July 18 @ Chicago Cowboys COWBOYS 20 Dawgs 0
PLAYER OF THE GAME...Co-Offense-#18 Tom Shoemaker & #29 Ron Childs <> Co-Defense-#5 Donald Brown & #6 Devin "Pee Wee" Dopson <> Special Teams-#24 James "Pigg" Dilworth
July 25 vs MIDWEST CHARGERS Chargers 21 DAWGS 25
PLAYERS OF THE GAME...Offense-#5 Donald Brown <> Defense -#54 David Holmes <> Special Temas-#26 Mike Wiggins
Aug 1 vs CHICAGO PIRATES Pirates 18 DAWGS 21
PLAYERS OF THE GAME...Offense-#9 Zac Thrasher <> Co-Defense-#43 Kelvin Thomas $ #92 Christain Bailey <> Special Teams-#98 Marvin Johnson
Aug 8 vs ST LOUIS SPIRIT Spirit 14 DAWGS 37
PLAYERS OF THE GAME...Co-Offense-#29 Ron Childs & #9 Zac Thrasher <> Defense-#20 Jeremy Byrd <> Special Teams-#42 Andrew Smith
Aug 15 PLAYOFFS (Wild Card) Dawgs Bye week
Aug 22 PLAYOFFS vs Illinois Pirates Pirates 12 DAWGS 13
PLAYERS OF THE GAME...Offense #2 Marcus Mann <> Defense-#80 Chris Carr <> Special Teams-#5 Donald Brown
Aug 29 PLAYOFFS @ Illinois Firehawks FIREHAWKS 26 Dawgs 3
PLAYERS OF THE GAME...Offense-#5 Donald Brown <> Defense-#54 David Holmes
Sept 5 LEAGUE BYE WEEK
Weekend of Champions...
Sept 12 GMFL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME Illinois Firehawks 6 NORTHEAST MISOURI CYCLONES 18
Sept 13 GMFL ALL STAR GAME MIDWAY 20 Gateway 16
**PLAYER OF THE GAME is voted on by the players after each game for Offense and Defense. Special Team is names by the coaching staff
Attention Potiental Sponsors!
Planning for the 2009 season...become a DAWGS sponsor.
TWIN CITY DAWGS --- semi-pro football at its BEST!!!!
If you have interest in sponsoring the Twin City Bull Dawgs,Inc NFP send an email www.twincitydawgs@yahoo.com or give us a call (309) 275-8354
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