Messy win for Predators in CFL

By Chris Belanger

For the Saipan Tribune

It was a messy Commonwealth Football League game this past Saturday at Hopwood Junior High Field.

Yes the rain fell on-and-off during the contest between the Verizon Blaze and the Budweiser Predators. The water also did make the football slippery as the teams combined for 10 fumbles. But it wasn’t so much the weather as the overall play that made this CFL contest a truly muddled up affair.

To start with, how about 3 official interceptions by Verizon and 3 interceptions by Budweiser that were all negated by penalties. Oh yeah and the flag… the yellow flag was thrown 25 times, 12 for 70 yards against the Blaze and 13 for 110 yards against the Predators.

And sacks? Quarterback Jeff Callahan of Bud was sacked 3 times for minus 23 yards, while Verizon’s quarterbacks—Joshua Stein and Alvin Atalig—met the ground 8 times for a loss of 77 yards.

The first time these two teams met it was Bud winning in a 41-0 shutout. But lightning does not strike twice as the Blaze were the team that appeared all fired up on Saturday and gave a valiant effort but remained winless in three outings this season as the Budweiser Predators took the win in a final of 12-0.

Chavo Palacios ran the ball in from 1-yard out in the first quarter as Bud led 6-0 and Mark Smith would catch a 2-yd touchdown pass from Callahan in the third quarter to round out the scoring.

The usually tough Budweiser defense did play a tough and stingy game as always except in this game, untimely penalties thwarted defensive heroics by the Predators like 2 interceptions by Dominic Reyes which were called back due to penalties.

The Predators did what they had to get the victory and remain unbeaten in the 2002 season as well as the whole history of the CFL.

As for the Blaze, their defense showed-up to play as in all 3 of their games, however, it’s the offense that has yet to put together the scoring drive to break the goose egg in the scoring column for Verizon.

Both teams have one final game to play—both against the Miller Lite Barbarians. The Budweiser Predators will definitely have to be pumped up and play an almost error-free game to defeat the Barbarians this coming Saturday or else watch out as Miller Lite could upset the defending champions for it is the Barbarians who are starving for a win against the Predators.

As for Verizon, they meet the Barbarians in two weeks. A little bit more practice and then play the way they did against Bud and the Blaze could score and possibly take home a victory against the Barbarians. But first, up next, this Saturday 10am at Hopwood Junior High Field… it’s the Beer War… Miller Lite Barbarians tangling with the Budweiser Predators.

Team Standings

Budweiser Predators, W-3, W-0

Miller Lite Barbarians, W-1, W-1

Verizon Blaze, W-0, W-3