The rebuilding process continues when Farley (0-2) and Pasquerilla West (1-1-1) square off Sunday at 3 p.m. on West Quad. Despite the fact that both teams occupied the bottom of the Blue League last season with a combined 1-11 mark - the Purple Weasels recorded the sole victory - hope springs eternal, and both squads have their sights set on righting the ship.
Through three games, Pasquerilla West has managed to equal last season's win total, and thanks to a game-tying fourth quarter drive Tuesday, rides a considerable wave of momentum into Sunday's contest.
Trailing 6-0 with only a few minutes left, quarterback Leslie Schmidt orchestrated a long drive that culminated in the equalizing score.
"By making play after play, we proved that we could do it," Schmidt said. "It really helps your confidence to know that you can mount a 75-yard drive."
The Finest enter Sunday's game coming off a 21-6 loss at the hands of perennial powerhouse Welsh Family. Despite two tough losses in which Farley has been outscored 56-19, captain Angelina Zehrbach remains optimistic that the team can use the drubbings as both a learning experience and a kick start to better results.
"Welsh Family and Breen-Phillips are two of the best teams in the league," Zehrbach said.
After experimenting with position changes and different defensive formations during their first two games, Zahrbach believes Farley is ready to move forward.
"We've been rotating girls in and out over the past two games," Zehrbach. "Now we have a good picture of what we're able to do and can make a better game plan."
While Farley anticipates that success will lie in an improved plan of attack, Pasquerilla West hopes to reverse a disturbing turnover trend that has plagued the team thus far. Schmidt believes that more patience on her part should help eliminate the problem.
"Interceptions really wreck momentum and your mentality," Schmidt said.
Cavanaugh vs. Walsh
This Sunday's game between Cavanaugh and Walsh has all the makings of a grudge match. The Chaos and the Wild Women have played an aggressive style of football throughout the season and look to match up well against each other.
The stingy defenses of both teams have been a major factor. Most notably, the Wild Women have relied on their defensive backs to make critical plays. They've made many key interceptions in past games.
For the Chaos, look for quarterback Lisa Ruffer to be a major threat as a passer and a rusher. In Cavanaugh's 27-14 win over Pangborn, Ruffer rallied the offense and helped the team come back for a decisive win.
For the Wild Women, Amanda Borys can hurt opposing teams both on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.
With two strong defenses facing off, Sunday's matchup could very well be a low scoring, hard fought game. However, neither team wants to see this happen.
Cavanaugh captain Jessica Leibowitz hopes that its offense will continue to improve and take control of games. For Walsh, the Wild Women are expecting their aggressive defense to set up plays for their offense, which has been steadily improving this season.
The game will be played Sunday at 2 p.m. at the West Quad Field.
