Lightning wins CFL championship

The Shell Lightning took an early lead and held on late to defeat the Express Electronics Eagles, 16-8, in the Commonwealth Football League championship game on Saturday at the CPA Airport Field.

Quarterback Clas Ngeskebei made the right calls at the right time to lead the Lightning to its first championship in its inaugural season while Shell’s menacing defense tightened up when necessary to keep Dane Lizama and the Eagles from tying the game.

Despite only completing 4-of-14 passes for 45 yards and a touchdown, Ngeskebei worked the clock and his running backs to direct his team to two first half scores while Lizama completed 8-of-31 passes for 165 yards, a touchdown, and five interceptions.

Roger “the Boulder” Tudela led all rushers with eight carries for 31 hard-nosed yards, while Jeff Boyer was right behind with 30 yards and a touchdown on eight carries.

“I’m proud of you guys. You guy did it. When everybody else thought we couldn’t do it we did it,” said player-coach John Blanco to his team after the game.

The Lightning made their statement early by scoring on their first drive of the game. After all-purpose playmaker George Lieto ran back the opening kick off 60 yards to the Eagles 20-yard line, the Lightning ran twice before giving the ball to Boyer for a two-yard touchdown.

Ngeskebei called Boyer’s number again for the point after attempt as he handed off to the bowling ball who sprinted off to the right for the two-point conversion that gave Shell an 8-0 lead.

From there on out the Lightning defense took over by holding the Eagles to a three-and-out on the ensuing drive, but the Green Machine got the ball back on a punt return gone wrong.

The thrill didn’t last long as Lizama was picked off by cornerback Dominic Reyes on the next play from scrimmage. After that the defense allowed nothing as the next two Eagles drives were halted by a failed fourth down conversion and another interception.

The Lightning got their second score of the game in the second quarter as a result of the second interception as Ngeskebei bought enough time by scrambling in the backfield to find Lieto in the corner of the end zone from 20 yards out.

Lieto made a great catch on the play, but many took their eyes off of Ngeskebei as he launched the ball. Had they not looked down field they would have seen the lick that Eagles’ linebacker Paul “Commando” Camacho put on him. The QB stayed cool in the face of pressure, Lieto reeled in the ball, and Boyer powered in to get the two-point conversion to put the Lightning ahead, 16-0.

The Eagles were unable to put anything together before the end of the half as their last two drives ended with a punt and Lizama’s third interception. Head coach Pete Le’au must have given his boys a good halftime talk ala-Marv Levy as the Eagles came out firing on all cylinders in the third quarter.

Lizama’s first play of the second half was a 36-yard pass to wide receiver Dean Camacho that brought the Eagles down to the 14-yard line, and two plays later he found Charleston Aiken in the end zone on a seven-yard pass that cut the Lightning lead to 10 points. Semisi Paongo made his first major contribution to the effort by plunging into the end zone for the two-point conversion that made the championship a one-touchdown contest at 16-8.

The good news continued for the Express Electronics crew as they recovered Boyer’s fumble on the next possession, but after driving to the Lightning 16-yard line, Lizama was picked off for the fourth time of the game when Jared Ada took the ball 67 yards the other way before Iakopo chased him down at the Eagles 27-yard line.

Tragedy was averted as the Eagles defense held, and the Green special teams came up huge when a bad snap forced the Lightning to kick the ball out of bounds illegally to give the Eagles in terrific field position.

Lizama got his next opportunity in the red zone from the 18, but the drive stalled when the Eagles failed to convert a fourth and goal from the eight-yard line. When the defense held the Shell squad to a three and out, punter Chris Nelson ripped off a 68-yard punt that pushed the Eagles back to their own 12-yard line. Three plays later, Lizama threw his fifth interception, and the Lightning were back in business at the 23-yard line.

Neither team was able to turn their final possessions into points and Ngeskebei called three kneel downs to run out the clock to end the game.