McWill takes down Martel for Powderpuff crown
Also be sure to check out the Rice Powderpuff 2009 slideshow.In a season filled with overtimes, upsets and spectacular finishes, it was only appropriate that the championship game between Martel College and Will Rice College-McMurtry College would come down to the final play.
After dismissing their semifinal opponents in a pair of close contests, the two teams met with a title on the line in Rice Stadium on Monday night. Boasting two explosive offenses and a few of the best players in the league, the championship match-up was primed to be a memorable contest.
What resulted was an instant classic, a game of great coaching and stellar individual performances in front of a strong crowd. In the end, McWill came out on top, dethroning defending champion Martel for the 2009 crown.
McWill 13, Martel 7
Entering the game, McWill knew it would have to play its best football to come out with a win, according to junior running back Alex Espinoza.
"We thought that we had a good chance [to win], but we definitely knew we needed to come out and play our best because we knew Martel was a strong team," Espinoza said. "That being said, we definitely thought we had a chance at winning."
Before they could claim victory, McWill would have to contend with Martel's balance of running and passing, as the Martel offense took the field first. Martel's offense orchestrated a strong drive downfield with a number of short passing plays. The team moved into the red zone but faced a fourth-down from the 11-yard line.
After an incompletion on a halfback pass on the previous play, Martel went right back to the air. Senior quarterback Aubrey Sansing (10/18, 145 yards, TD) found senior receiver Devin McCauley (seven catches, 89 yards, TD) in the endzone for the game's first score. Devin McCauley made a diving catch on the extra-point attempt, giving Martel the early 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
McWill responded to the touchdown with a 14-play, 65-yard drive fueled by a strong running game. Facing a fourth-and-eight from Martel's 32-yard line, McWill junior quarterback Jessi Scully (15/20, 179 total yards, two TDs) scrambled to the right and picked up 12 yards. A penalty on Martel added 10 yards to the end of the run, giving McWill a first-and-goal from the 10.
A pair of short passes and an incompletion put McWill on the three-yard line facing a fourth-and-goal. McWill put four receivers to the right and dropped back to pass, and Scully threw a strike to junior Alli Scully (two TDs) in the middle of the endzone for the touchdown. McWill converted the extra point on a pass out of the same formation, tying the game at seven apiece.
Each team punted on their next possession, and the first half came to a close with a 7-7 deadlock.
Starting on offense to open the second half, McWill moved the ball downfield with creative play-calling, most notably a 25-yard gain on a hook-and-ladder to junior running back Alex Espinoza (14 touches, 96 yards) that brought the ball into the red zone.
Following an Espinoza reception, McWill had the first-and-goal from the five-yard line. Scully ran a sneak for three yards, but a pair of incompletions set up a fourth-and-goal from the two. With her sister lined up as a tight end, Jessi Scully dropped back to pass and again connected with Alli for the touchdown. Following a failed extra point attempt, McWill took a 13-7 lead as the third quarter continued.
With a six-point deficit, Martel's offense went to the air on their next drive. Sansing found sophomore Jaclyn Youngblood on a 28-yard passing play that, following a penalty on McWill for illegal contact, brought the Violent Femmes to McWill's 11-yard line. With the third quarter coming to a close, Martel threatened to tie the game or potentially take the lead. However, the drive stalled at the 11, with the McWill secondary deflecting a few pass attempts and forcing a fourth-and-11.
On the play, a Sansing pass attempt fell incomplete and the ball was turned over on downs to McWill.
With the ball and a slim lead in the fourth quarter, McWill led yet another impressive drive downfield, running 13 plays and converting on multiple third downs. A shuffle pass from Scully to Espinoza brought McWill down to Martel's 22-yard line as McWill looked to put the game away. But a pair of incompletions followed, and Scully was sacked on a fourth-down attempt, bringing the drive to an abrupt end. Martel would have one last chance to tie the game or take the lead, but would have to cover 78 yards with just 1:45 remaining on the clock.
After an incompletion, Sansing found Devin McCauley on a slant pattern 10 yards downfield. McCauley ran around a pair of defenders and sprinted down the sideline, covering 43 yards on the play and bringing the ball to the McWill 45 with 1:30 left. Sansing's next pass attempt was tipped high into the air and hauled in by a Martel receiver, spanning 12 yards on the fortuitous bounce. Martel spiked the ball to stop the clock with under a minute left, and, following two incompletions, they faced a fourth-and-10 with 0:44 left and their season on the line.
Sansing dropped back and again found Devin McCauley, covering 11 yards to earn the first down and bring the ball to the 11-yard line with 30 seconds left. After a spiked ball and a Devin McCauley catch for nine yards, Martel called its final timeout with 14 seconds left, facing a third-and-one from the three. On third down, Sansing rolled out to the right and lofted a pass to the endzone, but the ball fell incomplete and set up one play for the championship.
With under 10 seconds left, Martel was out of timeouts and stood three yards from the tying score. Sansing broke the huddle and lined up in the backfield with senior Lauren McCauley, awaiting the snap on the season's biggest play. McCauley took the snap and rolled out to the right, but Alli Scully brought pressure up the middle and forced a throw. The rushed pass fell short of a receiver, ending the drive and clinching the championship for McWill in thrilling fashion.
According to Espinoza, it was fitting that a defensive stop brought McWill the championship.
"We were excellent on defense this year," Espinoza said. "They carried us this season - our defense really stepped up and created opportunities for our offense."
The McWill squad stormed the sidelines in celebration and shook hands with Martel, bringing an end to an always-exciting season of powderpuff football. However, even though McWill was elated with the win, the team needed some time to digest their championship.
"[The win] didn't sink in for a while because the game was so close at the end," Espinoza said. "Martel could have scored at the end and possibly won. ... Everyone played really hard together all season, so I think we definitely deserved the win."
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