MATCH REPORT: BAFA DIVISION 2 EAST. GAME 6. NORWICH DEVILS VS IPSWICH CARDINALS

 

The Ipswich Cardinals made the trip to Norwich for the first of two scheduled regular season visits in this week 6 clash. They stood resplendent in their white and scarlet away colours with gold helmets. Norwich were in their home blues. Ipswich would be keen to respond to a 32-13 loss at home and the Devils could clinch the division with a 7^th consecutive 2022 campaign win.

The Cardinals received the ball to start the first half and immediately went to work.

A highlight of the drive was a hook and ladder play where #17 threw a quick pass left to 87 who then pitched it out to #18. The Devils reacted quickly but #18 passed the first down marker and moved the chains. The drive was ended soon after though when #17 was sacked, on 3^rd down, by Mason Hodds for an 8 yard loss. Ipswich punted.

The Devils took over on their own 20 but promptly went 3 and out after a strong solo tackle by Ipswich #43 on Devils FB Rich Gray.

It was the same story for the Cardinals as their drive was swiftly halted after the consecutive tackles for a loss by Liam Lane, Daniel Hewitt, and Ricky Darrall. 

Daniel Hewitt tackles Tyler Corn for a loss.

Ipswich punted again and pinned the Devils deep in their own half. A 1^st down run from Francisco Santana was stopped for a 4 yard loss after a huge tackle from Tyler Corn and a 2^nd down run was stopped for another loss by #43. This backed the Devils up at the 2 yard line and they faced a tough 3^rd down and long.

Jaw Crawl was given his play and he stepped out and assessed the coverage. He spotted press on the left side and took a one step drop before launching the ball over the Cardinal cornerback’s head. The ball sailed into the arms of Devils’ WR Javaris Samuels and he sprinted, untouched, to the end zone. The pass play was a whopping 98 yards and is arguably the Norwich Devils’ longest play from scrimmage. It’s definitely worth a discussion on the alumni pages.

The 2 point conversion was good and the Devils led 8-0.

A strong return from Cards’ #87 took the ball to around midfield but they couldn’t put a drive together and punted on 4^th down. The punt took a bounce and fell straight into the hands of a buoyed up Javaris Samuels on the Devils’ 26. He ran it 74 yards back for the TD but the play was brought back for an illegal block in the back around the Cards’ 36.

The Devils went to the ground game and fed FB Rich Gray with inside runs until a dubious fumble gave the ball back to Ipswich on the 32. They’d dodged the bullet big time but couldn’t capitalise from their good fortune and punted again.

FB Rich Gray still in possesion of the ball as he hits the ground.

The Devils sputtered through another drive, aided by an Ipswich penalty until Jay Crawl was intercepted in the Ipswich half by MLB Tyler Corn. The Cardinals failed to move the ball again and punted but the Devils promptly turned the ball over, yet again, with another intercepted pass from Jay Crawl by Tyler Corn.

One final drive before the half saw a big gain by Javaris Samuel but time expired.

The second half started with Ipswich kicking to the Devils. The ball went right down the middle and Tay Green took it and sprinted for his second kick return TD in two games. A key block was made  by TE Charlie Keohane as he took out two Cardinal players. The 2 point attempt failed.

Both teams exchanged possessions, with another turnover halting the Devils as Francisco Santana and Jay Crawl muffed the QB RB exchange, until the Devils set up on their own 20 late in the 2^nd quarter. Francisco Santana took the hand-off and ran left. He banged the run up inside the guard and broke into the secondary. A key block was thrown by Aaron Wheatley and Santana outpaced the safety on his way to an 80 yard TD run. The 2 point attempt was no good.

Ipswich continued to struggle to move the ball but got another quick opportunity after another fumble. This time, Santana tried to make something happen out left but the ball was punched free by a rampant Tyler Corn.

Turnovers were the story of the day.

The Cardinals still could not make anything from their good defensive play and the Devils took over and marched downfield on the back of a huge 72 yard catch and run by TE Charlie Keohane. The drive stalled soon after and the Cards took over on their own 16.

Their next drive took them into the 4^th quarter before they too had an exchange issue and fumbled the ball on the Devils’ 45. James Sambandan jumped on the ball and the Devils got it back.

The next drive saw the Devils move down the field, seemingly on the way to another score, but disaster struck when QB Jaw Crawl got tackled by #50 and his studs caught in the hard ground as both players twisted. The studs gripped hard and Jay Crawl’s foot gave way. He limped off and was replaced by back-up El Foley. Foley passed 4 times but the Cardinals’ defenced held fast and the Devils came away with nothing. It was a stout and solid goal-line stand that led on to a strong offensive drive that unfortunately ended 70 yards later on a 4^th down attempt.

QB Jay Crawl left the game early with an ankle injury.

The devils then drove downfield, helped by a big run from FB Rich Gray, but the drive failed on yet another turnover. This time, Tim Johnson had the ball stripped by #88 and the Cardinals took over on their own 30. By now through, the writing was on the wall and they had one final possession before punting. The Devils toom over and ran the clock down. Time expired and the Devils walked away with a 20-0 win.

The second of three East Anglian derby games was in the books and it had been a story of turnovers, big plays, and strong defences. Both teams would have a lot to think about for the final game at Norwich in August.

Pictures courtesy of NeartheCoast

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