An undefeated Lewis team will face the Howard Ducks tonight in their final games of the regular season, at the Riehle west field Thursday night at 7 p.m.
This game is part of the position round, held by the Gold League to determine playoff position, in which the various seeds are pitted against each other. The Ducks are in sixth place, setting them up to play the first-seeded Chicks.
Howard, as is evident by its position, has struggled all season long with putting points on the board. Their focus this year was more about having a good time on the field than playing hardcore competitive football.
They were, in fact, unaware there was another game left in the season until RecSports contacted the captains a few days ago. The Ducks just plan on going out and having fun in their last regular season game.
This year's team, while winless, is a step up from previous years.
"Although our record doesn't really show it, we've improved a lot since last year. I mean, last year we struggled to even complete a play," captain Shannon Trevino said. "This is definitely a rebuilding year for us; hopefully next year we'll have a strong foundation to work with."
Lewis, on the contrary, is having an amazing year. Quarterback Erin Nasrallah, a playmaker with quickness and a strong arm, leads a smooth offense that has seemed to improve with each game.
Their defense serves as the backbone of the team, helping the offense achieve good field position while shutting down the opposing team's offense.
The Chicks hope to carry the motivation from their season into this position round.
McGlinn vs. LyonsMcGlinn and Lyons clash Thursday night for a playoff spot in the Gold League. Lyons is coming into the contest on a two-game winning streak while McGlinn lost its previous game to Badin. McGlinn must win to get into the postseason.
Both teams are trying to stay focused on this game and not look ahead to the playoffs. "We have to focus on this game," McGlinn captain On-Kay Wong said. "We have to get ready for the task at hand which is beating Lyons, and then we'll look ahead."
These two teams faced off the first week of the season. McGlinn won that game 7-0 on a late fourth-quarter touchdown. However, that was a long time ago, and both teams have changed throughout the season.
McGlinn has been very inconsistent this year.
"We have our ups and downs," Wong said. "We do well and then we struggle. That's our problem. We have to be more consistent."
Despite their inconsistency, the Shamrocks have managed to earn a 3-2 record. This success is due in part to their outstanding quarterback Bridget Meacham and running back Raquel Ferrer - the leaders of McGlinn's offense.
On the other side of the ball, Lyons is rolling in with two straight wins, including one against defending champs PE. The Lions have outscored their opponents 32-6 on this streak.
Lyons is lead by quarterback Roxie Trevino who had a hand the Lions' last five touchdowns, passing for four and running for one.
Badin vs. Pasquerilla East
One team is ending a successful regular season and getting ready to "make some noise" in the playoffs. The other is looking ahead to the future after a disappointing season, hoping to end it all on a positive note.
Their stories couldn't be more different, but don't expect Thursday night's Gold League football game between second-seeded Badin and fifth-seeded Pasquerilla East to be lacking the usual intensity or competitiveness that have come to define these two teams.
"We're definitely taking this game seriously," Badin senior Betsey Schroeder said. "We respect PE as a good team and we want to get some momentum going into the playoffs."
"We want to show everybody what's to come for next year. We're going to be really strong," Pasquerilla East senior Stephanie Yahn said.
When the two teams met earlier this season, the Bullfrogs came away with a 19-0 victory.
The Pyros, however, believe they learned from that experience and will be prepared to put up a better fight at tonight's game.
"Now that we know how they play, we can set up better for them defensively. Hopefully our offense can come out strong too," Yahn said.
"They're the defending champions and, sure, people come and go but they're still a good, solid opponent. They're capable of putting points on the board," Schroeder said of her team's opponent.
The Pyros are expecting Kathryn Lent and Leslie Follmer to again shine at offense.
The Bullfrogs are also looking for another strong performance from the players that have been instrumental in their successes all season.
Badin quarterbacks Steph Heath and Erin Zachry have shared the touchdowns nearly equally, often connecting with leading wide receiver Molly Donnely.
Cornerback Jenn Craig and safety Jenn Carter have dominated the other side of the football for Badin, picking off many key interceptions.
