Two teams coming off very similar triumphs will match up this weekend with a clear path toward the playoffs on the line, when undefeated Pangborn and Howard both attempt to avoid their first loss this Sunday at 5 p.m. on West Quad.
Pangborn (1-0) beat Farley 6-0 in a defensive struggle last Sunday. The lone score of the game was provided by a Meghan Bescher reception in the back of the end zone. But despite the victory, captain Katie Riemersma knows the team still has much work to do.
"The defense played very well, but the offense struggled," she said. "We put enough points on the board to win but we need to play better."
Howard (1-0) also has strides to make on offense. Sheena Ketchum's pass to receiver Megan Savage was the difference in a 6-0 win over Lewis last weekend.
"We played well but could have done more offensively," team captain Catherine Krug said. "We would have liked to score more points."
This week in practice, both teams worked on their offenses, making sure they could put more than enough points on the board to win this weekend.
"(This week) we worked on better passing routes and just wanted our receivers to establish a better relationship with the quarterback," Riemersma said. "We just want a more polished offense."
Badin vs. Welsh Family
Badin has a lot on its plate this week as it faces off against Welsh Family Sunday at 2 p.m. on West Quad, attempting to make up for a sloppy 13-0 loss to Cavanaugh Tuesday.
"Tuesday night was tough, especially since the weather and slippery field gave us a few injuries, but we are excited to move ahead to the next game," Bullfrogs captain Meghan Charlebois said. "[Welsh Family] sounds like a solid team so I am sure it will be good competition and we are excited for the chance to have to step up our game."
The Bullfrogs (1-1) have confidence in their team - especially with their offense - which pulled off a 30-yard reverse for a touchdown in their first game. Badin's defense was also strong against Cavanaugh Tuesday, stopping red zone drives as well as picking off Chaos passes.
Welsh Family (2-0) has outscored its opponents 29-6 in its first two games - a tight 8-6 victory over Walsh and a 21-0 shutout of Lyons Tuesday.
Cavanaugh vs. Lyons
Lyons will look to gain its first win of the season Sunday when it takes on the Cavanaugh Chaos Sunday at 1 p.m. on West Quad after falling 21-0 to Welsh Family in its first game earlier this week.
"I think we had first game jitters," Lyons captain Cheron Wilson said of her team's performance against the Whirlwinds. "We have a lot of freshmen on the team and we were a little anxious."
This week, the Lions will practice staying in their zone on defense. Wilson said the team plans to adjust its game to Cavanaugh's on both sides of the ball. To do so, the Lions will try to show more patience against a Chaos squad who is capable of running the option.
"Last game there were some tough weather conditions which worked in our favor. We were able to exploit the run and run the option," Cavanaugh middle linebacker Kerri Bergen said. "We just work with what we're given. We try to be as diverse as possible in both the passing and running games."
Pasquerilla West vs. Farley
Pasquerilla West will look to add another win to its total Sunday in a Gold League contest with Farley at 4 p.m. at McGlinn Fields. The Finest already dropped a heartbreaking 6-0 game to last year's runner-up Pangborn on Sunday. This Sunday, they are seeking the upset of the other half of last season's title game.
The Purple Weasels come in having dominated Breen-Phillips last week 20-0 and will be fresh off a championship rematch with Pangborn. As the defending champs, Pasquerilla West expects to see the best possible effort from its opponents week in and week out. Team captain Maureen Spring acknowledged the difference when playing with a target on her back.
"We definitely know that people are out to get us," she said. "We actually talked about the similarities between our team and Notre Dame, how we have to keep our egos in check, and not let what people say get to our heads."
The star receiver, who reeled in two receiving touchdowns in last Sunday's action, deflected praise for the team's offense, focusing rather on the defense as the team's mainstay.
"Our defense is our rock," Spring said, referring to a unit that did not yield a point in its opener. "They come to play every week, and we know that we can count on them."
"We all love coming out and playing everyday, so I think that not having a game Thursday would be more of a problem for us."
McGlinn vs. Breen-Phillips
The Shamrocks will look to earn a win against the pink-clad Babes of Breen-Phillips Sunday in a Gold League match up at 3 p.m. on McGlinn Field.
The Babes will be playing their third game of the season, while McGlinn will enter the game having played only a Thursday contest against Lewis. McGlinn captain Madeline Boyer said the extra time before the team's first two contests could work in its favor.
"It's good that we have extra time to prepare," she said. "We have a lot of freshmen, so we can use this time to teach them the rules and get them used to the game's style."
Meanwhile, Breen-Phillips will try to rebound from a 20-0 shutout loss at the hands of defending champion Pasquerilla West.
"We were definitely disappointed in the result," Breen-Phillips captain Melissa Meagher said. "We saw a lot of improvement from last year."
Meagher noted that the team focused on running tight routes during practice this week in an effort to improve an offense that failed to find the end zone.
"I tried to improve my movement in the pocket, and try and roll out a bit so that I could find my open receivers," Meagher said.
Breen-Phillips also focused on improving its pass defense, more specifically defending long passes. "We also have experienced coaches, and a lot of enthusiastic girls who are eager to play," Boyer said.
The pass-catching combo of Tara Johnson and Tara McCarron will test the freshman-laden Shamrocks.
Boyer hoped Breen-Phillips' struggles would continue - at least for another game.
"They're probably down after that loss," she said. "Hopefully, we'll be able to keep them down."
