A blocked field goal on the final play of the game sealed another victory for the tenacious Tyrants who battled back from the brink of elimination to continue their postseason run. Down 21-8 in the third quarter, the game was nearly out of sight. Back came the Tyrants with two late touchdowns to win 33-30.
It had all the hallmarks of a playoff upset. The Tyrants had been woeful for much of the first half. No atmosphere on the home sideline, mistakes, and missed tackles, you’d be forgiven for writing them off at the break. On comes Joe Dodd.
The backup quarterback, Dodd, has been confined to the sidelines for most of the year, only coming on to see games out once the result was already settled. With his first play, Dodd looped the ball to receiver Max Simmons on the left sideline, Simmons out-jumped the defender, came down with the ball, accelerated past the cornerback and beat another defender to run straight down the middle of the field for the touchdown. It gave the team the kick up the backside it needed and narrowed the Wolves’ lead to 21-14.
A lapse in concentration put the Tyrants further behind again. Warwick’s trick play, a cross between a rugby maul and the tush push, put the away team 28-14 up. Wolves running back Tom Bell, was being pushed up the field by his offensive line before he spun out to the right and sprinted 40 yards for the touchdown.
Back came the Tyrant’s offence through the Dodd and Simmons connection. The game plan became rather simple for the offensive coaches: throw the ball to Simmons. Warwick knew where the ball was going every play but just couldn’t stop it. A catch for 10 yards. Another for 30 yards. Then a penalty on the defence for holding Simmons. And another. And finally, the two-yard touchdown catch. Inevitable. Unstoppable. 28-20.
The Wolves had barely put a foot wrong all game, but the maul/tush push play that had worked so well for them on previous drives became their undoing. They tried it again on their 37-yard line but it squirted out of the back’s hands, was scooped up by a defender (find name) and taken to the house for another touchdown to cut the Wolves lead to 28-26. It was a gut punch to the away team, who saw their lead cut from 14 to 2 in the space of a few minutes.
You could sense the tide had turned. The Tyrants’ sideline roared back into life – the desperation that clung to the team for the previous three quarters had been shaken off. And it was down to the revitalised defence to get the ball back again. Warwick went back to the run game, which had destroyed the Tyrants in the first half, but nothing was doing. The holes in the defensive line were bunged and nothing was getting through. The Wolves punted.
Any playoff run needs an element of luck. On this occasion, it came when Dodd rifled the ball in Simmons’ direction. Slightly underthrown, the ball bounced off a defender’s outstretched arm and bobbled perfectly in the air for Simmons to make the grab. Undoubtedly lucky, but it demonstrated his incredible awareness and reactions to make the adjustment, secure the ball and sprint downfield. He was stopped shy of the goal line, but Joshua Welsh would be there to punch it in on the next play with a helpful shove from his offensive linemen to give the Tyrants their first lead of the game deep into the fourth quarter. In a first for Coach Mike Ripley and the Tyrants, they decided to kick an extra point – which took their lead to 33 – 28.
Simmons has made some ridiculous plays this season. A catch against Leeds in double coverage. A one-handed grab in Hull. And the catch he made with the ball clasped to his helmet against Stirling. These plays happen too frequently to be considered flukes – he is drawn to the spectacular.
The heroics of Simmons would have been for nothing if not for the defence. In the first half, they contained the damage to just three scores and kept the home team in the game. In the second half, they took over. Rico Hall and James Hunt were crucial in the closing stages of the game, with big tackles for losses to stall the Wolves’ drive and prevent a winning touchdown.
Leaders often emerge when things look bleak, and centre Toby Squire and defensive back Pierce Lüthi stepped up for the team when they were dejected on the sideline. A vocal barrage from both of them at the half pulled the Tyrants from their malaise. Squire and Lüthi aren’t just hot air though, they back it up on the pitch with Squire pancaking a defender and Lüthi consistently making plays on defence.
Warwick will feel hard done by but should feel no shame in this defeat. They played outstanding football for three quarters and lost by the barest of margins. Running back Edward Kyere carved through the Tyrants in the first half. If not for Manchester’s comeback, he easily would have been the player of the game. Defenders bounced off of him while he was picking up yards at will. Quarterback Luka Jojic made two outstanding touchdown throws, the first to Matt Dutton who broke away from his man down the right sideline and the second, a lofted throw to the back corner of the endzone for Pedro Rosselli.
Coach Mike Ripley has an incredibly difficult decision to make for who starts at quarterback next Sunday. Starting quarterback Leendert van Dalsen has been key to the Tyrant’s success all year, but this game was one to forget. He started brightly on the opening drive, finding Joshua Welsh in stride with a beautiful throw down the left sideline for a huge chunk of yards that set them up for their opening score – a touchdown run by Welsh from the ten-yard line. Dalsen just didn’t look settled all day. Holding onto the ball for too long and not trusting his receivers enough to make a play on the ball. Dodd’s introduction fixed all these problems.
‘Do you dance with the one that brought you’ in Dalsen or switch to Dodd who pulled the team back from the brink of elimination? Good luck with that Coach.
An away game at the undefeated and high-scoring Nottingham Trent University Renegades awaits the Tyrants in the next round. Promotion to the BUCS Premier League and a national championship final is at stake. One thing is for sure with the Tyrants, it won’t be boring.
