MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- The IYAOYAS took their fourth 2010 Intramural Flag Football Season win 18-13 over the VMFA(AW)-242 Bats at the Penny Lake football field here Oct. 27.
After conquering the Bats, the IYAOYAS currently stand at 4-1 for the season.
“We try to bring intensity throughout the whole game,” said Benjamin A. Armijo, IYAOYAS safety, receiver and coach. “That’s what I stress to them, discipline and intensity.”
Discipline and intensity showed from the start of the first half. In their second possession, the IYAOYAS chalked up the first touchdown of the game.
After scoring, the IYAOYAS focused its strength on its defensive line and prevented the Bats from gaining yards.
“Our defense is pretty much unstoppable. We try to hold the team’s offense down and overall keep their points down,” said Keon Beccles, IYAOYAS running back.
Their tough defense was effective, but the Bats retaliated with a similar defensive strategy and both teams were forced to run the ball.
The constant drives and short passing from both teams caused a sequence of forth down turnovers on both sides that eventually ended the first half with no additional scores for either side.
“After the first half we felt we should have been more ahead,” said Armijo. “We kind of let them dictate how we were playing our offense.”
The score was 6-0 at the start of the second half, the IYAOYAS had possession and the Bats were determined to break the IYAOYAS’s defensive line.
The Bats started to look for openings and risk longer passes, which threw off the IYAOYAS one-runner-back defensive line.
With 15:12 on the clock, the Bats made a touchdown pass and completed a one-point attempt bringing the score to 7-6 and putting the Bats in the lead.
Taking possession, the IYAOYAS took less runs, threw short passes and, with 7:15 on the clock, the Bats left its defensive line open and the IYAOYAS was able to make a 40- yard rushing touchdown.
“Out here in these conditions with the wind blowing, we want to put them in a position where they’re going to throw a bad pass and all we have to do, just like they did, is run (the ball) all the way back every time,” said Beccles.
IYAOYAS took advantage of the Bats’ play delays, and Beccles made his second blitz with 4:12 on the clock.
With 3:39 on the clock, the Bats were on fourth down. The Bats quarterback threw an incomplete pass and the IYAOYAS took over. “Our QB shook off the cobwebs and he came through in the second half,” said Armijo.
With the game clock running short, the IYAOYAS began risking and completing longer passes and eventually made it first and goal with 2:14 on the clock.
At third and goal, the IYAOYAS made another touchdown pass and took a commanding lead with a score of 18-7.
Although the IYAOYAS was ahead two touchdowns, the Bats gave it their all with less than one minute on the clock.
The Bats called for a timeout with 30 seconds on the clock, and with their last burst of speed, the Bats completed a long touchdown pass with 14 seconds on the clock bringing the score to 18-13.
The IYAOYAS maintained possession until the end of the game and chalked up their fourth win of the season.