Got Kicker?

How bout those Barons! You know, it looks like the AFL Bluefield Barons could very well play in, and win, the EFA National Championship! They have to win a couple more very big games, but hey, hats of to the players, coaches, and staff for nothing less than a perfect season so far. Even more remarkable, is the fact that 2005 is the Barons' very first year as a team. We all know that in 2004 the Knights went deep into the EFA Playoffs, and now the Barons are doing their thing, representing the AFL. I think maybe, the EFA, just might begin to respect our little "renegade league" for the powerful, quality teams that the AFL produces. What is exciting, is that within the AFL, each of us know that we gave each other a tough battle. Often the difference between a win or a loss, really was all about who could kick a field goal and who couldn't. A great example, of the fierce competition in this league, is our last home game against the Barons on September 24th. By mid game, we know and the Barons would have to admit, that we had them on the ropes. Defensively, we had shut them down and we were moving the ball efficiently. A big punt return by Chez, set us up for an opportunity to go up on the Barons and maybe, just maybe get in their heads enough to dominate the rest of the game. Unfortunately, a few bad play calls (trying to run up the middle, on the Barons), a defended fade to the corner of the end zone, and finally, no kicker and a missed 2 point conversion, swung the momentum back in favor of the Barons, and we really didn't recover from there. Of course those that were there that night, will also have to admit that, that evening the Raptors were the victims of the worst officiated game in the history of minor league football. Consider the 2nd game against the Knights in Knoxville. We were in the Red Zone at least 6 times, 2 of those times, we scored touchdowns, but no kicker meant no extra points and no field goals. If we had, had the ability to kick field goals, we would have very likely won that game. And finally, and perhaps most ironically, the AFL Championship Game came down to the Knights inability to kick a 15 yard field goal to win...
posted by Randy Ferrell on 11/7/05 at 10:45 PM