Claymores fall out of World Bowl race
Scottish Claymores 24, Frankfurt Galaxy 27 Waldstadion, May 16, 2004. A TRAGEDY of first-half errors cost the Claymores their slim chance of qualifying for World Bowl XII as Jack Bicknell's team crashed out of the NFL Europe League's post-season picture going down 27-24 to Frankfurt Galaxy in the Waldstadion.  |
| Linebacker Jimmy McClain drags down Galaxy QB JT O'Sullivan |
Defending champions Frankfurt are the team most likely to meet Thunder in the June 12 final at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen and are now just one victory away from claiming the second berth.
Small consolation for the Claymores - playing their 99th game during a 10th Season of woe - came only in that they avoided becoming the first team eliminated from World Bowl contention, that dubious honour falling instead to league new boys Cologne Centurions who lost 17-10 on Saturday night to Amsterdam Admirals to quash their hopes in their debut season.
The Claymores only hope left for the season is to avoid finishing at the bottom of the league and they have three games left - away this Friday in Amsterdam following by two home games at Hampden against Berlin and Cologne on May 29 and June 5 - to avoid that fate.
After the game, head coach Bicknell, said: "We may be out of the running for the World Bowl but we're not giving up. I'm very proud of our team and the way we played today and the way we never gave up. They gave tremendous effort and stayed in the game when it would have been easy to give up.
"We still have three games to play and it's important that we stay together as a team. We also have two very important games to play back in Scotland that we want to win for all the people there.
"I don't expect our team to go into the tank. We may be out of it but we are going to keep playing to the end."
Two first half fumbles and a sterling performance from Galaxy's New Orleans Saints allocated quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan ultimately proved the difference between the best and worst placed teams in the league.
However, the Claymores did show occasional flashes of brilliance on a sunny afternoon in Frankfurt with running backs Ahmaad Galloway and Maurice Hicks showing off their running skills to record the Claymores first rushing touchdown of the season - the Scots staying in the contest as they have so many times this season to trailing by just three points in dying seconds.
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| The progress of Claymores QB Curt Anes is halted |
It was not the best of starts for the Scots as J.T. O'Sullivan moved his team efficiently downfield capitalizing on a pass interference call on linebacker Jimmy McClain who impeded wide receiver Drew Haddad in the endzone.
It was an easy touchdown for Frankfurt as their leading rusher Skip Hicks skipped into the endzone from two yards out with Kleinmann adding the extra point to open the Galaxy account. With four minutes gone Frankfurt took a 7-0 lead.
Haygood claimed the Claymores great field position returning the restart kick to Galaxy's 38-yard line. Galloway got them closer on a 10-yard run, but the drive stalled as quarterback Nate Hybl found it difficult to complete a pass. Kicker Rob Hart lined up a 28-yard field goal attempt, but the snap was bad forcing holder Nick Murphy to take off and dive for a first down.
It looked as if Scotland had scored it's first rushing touchdown of the season when Galloway darted past defenders and into the endzone from six yards out, but the play was called back due to a holding penalty setting up Hart with another field goal attempt, this time from 34-yards. The snap was good allowing the barefoot record scorer to convert his attempt to make it 7-3 with five minutes left in the first quarter.
O'Sullivan didn't waste any time re-applying pressure on the Scots, completing a 36-yard pass to Derrick Lewis to set Galaxy up inside the Claymores 10. Two plays later he threaded a nine-yard pass to tight end Chad Hayes at the back of the endzone. Kleinmann hit the extra point to extend the Galaxy's lead to 14-3 at the end of the first quarter.
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| Aaron Golliday [85] and Reese Hicks [77] congratulate Ahmaad Galloway on his score |
It got worse for the Claymores on their first possession of the second quarter when Curt Anes took over at quarterback only to be sacked by Galaxy defensive tackle Jeff Hazuga causing a fumble which was picked up by tackle Clenton Ballard for Frankfurt at Scotland's nine.
On the next play, Skip Hicks took the ball back into the endzone on a nine-yard scamper. Kleinmann was good with the extra point and Galaxy took control 21-3 in front.
Anes tried to get things going on the Claymores next possession completing a big pass to Scott McCready, but Galaxy linebacker Dustin Cohen stripped the ball from his grasp allowing safety Chris Kern to recover possession for Frankfurt at midfield.
Mercifully, the defense held Galaxy allowing Anes to scramble the Scots 20 yards deep into Galaxy territory inside the last two minutes of the half.
The Detroit Loins passer then completed a 33-pass to former Galaxy receiver DeAndrew Rubin to the Frankfurt two yard line setting up Galloway for the Scots first counted rushing touchdown of the season when he swept into the endzone with 34 seconds left in the half. Hart was good with the extra point and the Claymores held on by their fingernails 21-10 behind going into the break.
The Claymores did what they needed to, starting the second half with Hicks taking control to run the Claymores deep into Frankfurt territory before capping an eight-play, 78-yard five-minute drive with a four-yard touchdown run to pull the Scots back into the game. Hart was successful with the extra point and the Claymores were behind 21-17.
Frankfurt's Skip Hicks re-asserted his authority on the Galaxy's next possession breaking open on a 59-yards gallop to the Scots nine. Damian Gregory applied the pressure for the Claymores sacking O'Sullivan for a loss of four forcing Kleinmann to attempt a 33-yard field goal which he converted to move Galaxy a touchdown in front again at 24-17 with eight minutes left in the third quarter.
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| Maurice Hicks scored two touchdowns in Frankfurt |
The Claymores now had to do something offensively if they were to stay in the game, and Anes responded at the start of the fourth quarter linking up with Ron Bellamy on a 32-yard pass. Anes then scrambled to the Galaxy one allowing Hicks to dive into the endzone for the score. Hart's kick brought the Claymores to within three points 27-24 behind with ten minutes left in the game.
Galaxy went back to their ground attack in an attempt to run the Scots defense and the clock down. They got to the Scots six, but fortune briefly smiled on the Claymores as O'Sullivan fumbled the snap and Gregory pounced on the ball to recover possession with five minutes to go.
However, Anes couldn't move the offense past midfield and the Claymores were forced to punt again, allowing Galaxy to run the clock out and move into pole position to claim the second berth for World Bowl XII.
The only way Frankfurt will miss out on a World Bowl showdown with the Berlin Thunder on Saturday June 12 is if they lose their last three games, the Fire wins their last three games and beats the Galaxy by more than 18 points. The only other team that can qualify for World Bowl is the Fire.
16 May, 04 | 9:47 pm