Amsterdam Admirals 13 Scottish Claymores 16
Amsterdam Admirals 13 Scottish Claymores 16Claymores quarterback Scott Dreisbach threw his side right back into World Bowl contention on Saturday night with a mammoth 41-yard pass that ended their eight match losing streak on the road and might just transform their season.
 QB Scott Dreisbach attempts to evade the Admirals pass rush |
This was Scotland the brave with an offense, so often criticised this season, that dug deep when the Claymores needed them most to deliver the victory that takes them to 2:3 with everything still to play for and two home games in the next fortnight against Rhein Fire, who won 24-20 against Frankfurt Galaxy, and a return against Amsterdam.
It was Scotland the brave with a defense that played with only five men in the D-Line when Tom Tovo was ruled out with an ankle injury before the game and DeVonte Peterson broke his collarbone on the very first drive.
And it was Scotland the brave on special teams, with kickers Lawerence Tynes and Rob Hart in particular contributing nerveless performances that allowed the Claymores to claim their first road victory under head coach gene Dahlquist.
Mind you, they had to sweat in the closing seconds when Joe O’Donnell attempted a 54 yard, four point field goal that would have given his side victory.
 Whisper Goodman adds to his total for rushing yards. He finished with 105. |
Amsterdam kicked off to JJ Moses who, with the help of a five yard penalty for holding of the face mask, took the ball to the Claymores 38-yard line.
The Claymores could do little with their first series, failing again to make first down, a problem their opponents did not suffer as they moved the ball purposefully down the field.
However, just as the Admirals looked in danger of advancing into the red zone linebacker Tony Ortiz, the defensive captain, played a skipper’s role and came to the rescue with a brilliant interception.
Former Claymores quarterback Kevin Daft tried to pick out wide receiver Reggie Allen but threw the ball fractionally too high and although Allen got his fingertips to the ball Ortiz reacted quickest.
He pounced to snatch the ball on his own 22 yard line, returning it 40 yards to the Admirals 38.
Unfortunately, the Claymores were unable to make further significant yardage, but they at least put the first points on the board when Lawrence Tynes came on to maintain his 100 per cent record on field goals, this time finding the mark from 43 yards.
The Claymores have suffered some wretched luck in recent weeks, but they seemed to be particularly hard done by on the next series when they lost out on a disputed call.
At first, the line judges decided – rightly, it appeared on subsequent examination of a video replay – that wide receiver Marcus Knight did not have two feet in play when he caught an 11 yard pass from Daft, which would have ruled it incomplete.
To the dismay of the Claymores the decision was overturned and the Admirals worked the ball towards first and goal.
 Rob Hart's field goals proved vital |
The Claymores would not have been too disheartened by their performance in the first quarter, but the second started badly from such a promising second down position in midfield.
Dreisbach dropped out of the pocket and tried to pick out Scott McCready, but was well short and this time it was the Admirals’ turn to claim an interception, with Brandon Godesy picking off the pass.
The Claymores defense again worked stoutly to prevent the Admirals, with running back Rafael Cooper looking dangerous, from advancing too far down field and they were forced to turn again to their kickers.
Thankfully for the Claymores, O’Donnell was wide and right from 46 yards and it seemed to inspire Scotland who began to play with a confidence that has been lacking in much of their play since week one.
Suddenly, Dreisbach and Whisper Goodman began to click with the running back darting menacingly for 34 yards on six carries – he rushed for 105 in total - to give the Claymores their first red zone action of the match.
They were unable to reach home, but trusty kicker Rob Hart made no mistake from 28 yards as Scotland regained the lead, 6-3.
The Claymores’ very next drive saw them extend their lead still further, but satisfaction was also laced with frustration that they did not record the first touchdown of the game.
Dreisbach, his confidence restored and growing with every play, found McCready with a 27 yard pass to take the Claymores to the Admirals 11.
Two plays later, the quarterback handed the ball off to Goodman, who twisted and turned his way to the Admirals two-yard line before he was brought thumping to the ground.
Scotland were third and goal, but they shot themselves in the foot when Goodman dashed into the end zone, only to see a flag on the field.
Tight end Elliott Carson was the culprit, his false start incurring a five-yard penalty that moved Scotland back top the seven-yard line.
Dreisbach’s next pass to Dondre Gilliam was incomplete it was left to kicker Hart to return to the field and extend his side’s lead to 9-3, this time from 24 yards, which was how it stayed until half-time.
Amsterdam responded on their very first series of the second half, reducing the deficit to three points with a 44-yard field goal from O’Donnell.
 RB Goodman cuts a path through the Admirals defense |
It was the turn of the Admirals defense to show their strength on the next drive, aided and abetted by indiscipline on the Claymores offense which cost them a staggering 35 yards in the fourth quarter alone.
Dreisbach’s arm was good and Whisper Goodman’s rushing was as incisive as it has been since the start of the season, yet still the Claymores were forced to yield possession and punt from their 40 yard line when they had been on the fringes of the Admirals’ 20 minutes earlier.
Worse was to follow on the next series when Cooper broke from Amsterdam’s 35 yard line and, for once, found a gaping hole in the Claymores defense, finally being tackled on the Claymores’ 20 for a gain of 45 yards.
The Admirals made the Claymores pay still further moments later when Daft picked out receiver Kenyon Hambrick, who leapt acrobatically into the endzone to connect with the 13 yard pass to make it 13-9.
Such a setback could have shattered the morale of the Claymores, but instead they responded with a series that just might make their season – and, oh, what a response.
The Claymores moved the ball sharply down the field but still had work to do on third and 12 at the Admirals 41-yard line.
Dreisbach could have played conservatively, but instead looked up and spotted Dondre Gilliam sprinting clear of the Amsterdam cornerback wide on the right.
Dreisbach’s pass arced perfectly into the outstretched arms of the wide receiver, diving at full stretch into the Amsterdam endzone and the Claymores bench exploded with delight as Gilliam landed with the ball safely in his hands.
Hart’s PAT was also good to make it 16-13 to the Claymores with little more than five minutes on the clock.
The Admirals tried desperately to respond and there was anguish on the Claymores bench when they failed to reach first down with less than two minutes on the clock that would almost inevitably have given them the game.
Instead, they were forced to yield possession but the closest they could get to the Claymores end zone in the dying seconds was 37 yards.
That left O’Donnell with that 54-yard effort to win the game and for once the ArenA fell quiet as it landed short of the posts.
12 May, 02 | 8:26 am
This article was printed from Claymores.com on Saturday 04 September 2010, 01:38
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