Chiefs and Barbarians to do battle

After sitting idle in the two weeks since their match up with the Verizon Nitro, the Barbarians are returning to the CPA Airport field on Sunday to pull out some tricks and treats upon the undefeated Shell Chiefs when they meet upon the gridiron in continuation of the Commonwealth Football League.

The two CFL of the heavy weights will be playing for little more than bragging rights this week, as the final rankings are set in stone, but nothing would please the Miller squad more than to mar the Chiefs’ perfect record.

On Sunday, Oct. 10, the Shell Chiefs managed to knock off the mighty Miller Barbarians 22-0, but it was clear that these two teams were not as far apart as the score would indicate.

After rebounding against the Verizon Nitro 22-12 in the following week, the Barbarians have had two weeks to rest up and prepare for the rematch with player/coach Danny Punimata and the Shell Chiefs.

Following the game with the Nitro, the Barbarians watched as the red and white knocked Chief’s quarterback Clasley Ngeskebei out of last week’s game. Though no injury report has been released, Ngeskebei didn’t look as if he would be returning to the field anytime soon. At 1pm on Sunday, Oct. 31, the Barbarians will see what they’re up against.

On the other side of the ball, the Chiefs are coming off a win against the Nitro in which they struggled early. Two weeks ago they managed to score 22 points on the Miller defense, but the Nitro and Barbarians squads are not the same.

The Chiefs would certainly like to forget the first half of that battle, especially after scoring only one touchdown, but that’s exactly the kind of defensive game that the Barbarians would like play against the red and yellow.

The keys to this week’s contest revolve around the offensive and defensive lines of the Barbarians. The Nitro defense might not have done the Miller “D” any favors by knocking out Ngeskebei, as Punimata has a strong arm, and is a load to tackle. They will also have to deal with a resurgent Shell running attack. If they can hold the Chiefs early and the offense can keep Tagabuel free from harm, then the black and gold could have an easy day.

This Sunday will feature an NFL style schedule combined with a CFL style setting, as the two juggernauts meet on upon the CPA Airport football field in front of their friends and family beneath the Saipan sun.