Sunday will bring a meeting of two teams with only losses on their record and players ready to add wins when Pangborn faces Lyons.
Pangborn (0-2) is ready to come back after a close game with Pasquerilla West ended in a 6-0 loss after opening the season with an 18-12 loss to Walsh. After graduating multiple outstanding seniors last year, the team has yet to fill the voids, but with weeks of practicing and two games under their belts, the Phoxes are ready to take on Lyons.
Pangborn's offense is led by junior quarterback and co-captain Gabby Tate and sophomore wide receiver and co-captain Liz Pawlak. Senior co-captain Megan Bescher also takes the lead, playing pretty much wherever she is needed on the field.
"We are a mainly throwing team," sophomore captain Julie Cooney said. "We have a talented quarterback and many strong options on the receiving end."
Defensively, the ladies rely on senior linebacker, center and co-captain Annie Kotz and senior safety Kaitlin Fuerry. Many freshmen are also looking promising on both sides of the game, namely Colleen Bailey on the offensive line and Kristin Rukert at wide receiver.
"We really enjoy our time together and do our best to maximize all our strengths," Cooney said.
After a tough 18-0 loss to Ryan, Lyons is ready to come back for its second game.
They look to senior captain and quarterback Claire Connell to lead the offense, along with wide receivers senior Maria Petnuch and sophomore Caroline Maroney. This triple threat has proved itself in the past, and hopes to do so again this season.
Their defense is held together by sophomores Kat Rodriguez and Caroline Maroney, who are working together to lead the freshmen new to the game.
"We got the first game jitters out," Connell said. "Now we need to work on stopping the run game and being more in sync on offense."
Pangborn and Lyons will face each other Sunday at LaBar Fields at 4 p.m.
Badin vs. Walsh
Badin will try to hand Walsh its first regular-season defeat in more than a year Sunday.
The Wild Women were tested last week, escaping with a close victory over Pangborn. "Last week we had a come-from-behind victory over Pangborn," senior captain Meghan Hadley said. "It was a good reminder that this season is going to be a lot of work. But the team handled it marvelously and we came out on top."
The team is committed to making up for a disappointing showing in the postseason last year. They have eyed the Stadium since the season started.
"Our goal for the season is the Stadium," Hadley said. "Last year, we went undefeated in the regular season and then had a disappointing tournament result. But that's the past. This year is this year, and that is where our focus is."
Badin, on the other hand, caught the short side of a close game last Sunday. The Bullfrogs lost to Cavanaugh 14-7 in their first game of the season.
"It was a tough loss versus Cavanaugh," senior captain Kelley Daniel said. "Our defense was awesome. It was just two big plays that broke away."
The Bullfrogs have been working hard in practice to tighten up any loose areas from their loss.
"We've worked a lot on flag pulling, to avoid giving up the big play," Daniel said. "We've also made our offense more interesting."
Bain is relying on these adjustments to carry them through the regular season towards their goals in the postseason.
"The goal isn't just to make it to the Stadium, but to win in the Stadium," Daniel said.
Walsh takes on Badin Sunday at 5 p.m. at LaBar Field.
Breen Phillips vs. Lewis
Both Breen Phillips and Lewis are "rebuilding" this week, as both teams began the 2009 season with a tough loss.
The Babes lost their first game against Pasquerilla East 20-0.
"The game looked like it went terribly to outsiders," senior captain Stephanie Wuerdeman said. "But we were able to learn a lot."
The Babes are working with a lot of inexperienced players as a result of many players being abroad last season and many of the team's starters graduating in the spring. Wuerdeman herself made a move to the position of safety to replace a graduated senior, and even the Babes quarterback, sophomore Stefani Santeramo, is new to the position.
In light of this the Babes have a lot of confidence that they will be able to get comfortable with their new team and turn their dedication into wins.
"We've had a lot of good attendance in practice this week," Wuerdeman said. "[Last week] left all of us even more hungry for the a win, and this week we plan to come out on top."
Against the Chicks, the Babes plan to play aggressive offense and impenetrable defense led by their senior captain and safety.
In a similar situation to the Babes, Lewis is hoping to prove that its 0-2 record represents a lot of opportunities to learn and build on past mistakes.
"Our last two weeks have been tough losses," senior captain Tara Gilbride said. "But we've been showing great potential and improvement."
Although the Chicks have so far been scoreless except for a drive at the end of their second game suggests that they are definitely melding as a team and working their way toward scoring points.
"From our first game to our second, and throughout each of our practices, we have been steadily improving," sophomore linebacker Brandy Cerne said. "Hopefully we will score this weekend."
The Chicks not only hope to score a few touchdowns in their match against the Babes but to contain their opponents defensively in the same way they were held scoreless for the entire second half of Tuesday's game.
Lewis and Breen Philips will face each other at 2 p.m. at LaBar Field.
Cavanaugh vs. Pasquerilla West
Pasquerilla West and Cavanaugh will face each other Sunday hoping to hand the other their first loss of the season.
"We have all the athleticism necessary to win against any opponent this year," Purple Weasel senior captain Cynthia Curley said.
The Weasels mainly rely on a strong running game this year, so any ugly weather Sunday will not hinder their game. In any passing situation, junior quarterback Simone Bigi will have to do an outstanding job coming up with plays, considering the team does not even have a playbook.
"Our playbook is different this year," Curley said. "It doesn't exist. It is extremely flexible and fluid and allows our coaches to craft new plays for every down based on what's going on in the game."
The ambiguous playbook allows receivers Curley and senior Alyssa Moya the ability to move across the field without being confined to the playbook.
Trying to stop the free-roaming receivers, Cavanaugh's defense will follow the lead of senior captain Sara Cline.
"I'm very proud of our team, especially the defense," Cline said.
The Chaos have an impressive offense as well. Sophomore quarterback Megan Robertson is a dual threat with the ball in her hands, and sophomore running back Brittni Alexander joins Robertson in the backfield.
The Weasels will have to respond to Cavanaugh's fast offense with an equally quick defense.
"We have some great athletes on defense who love chasing down wayward passes for interceptions," Curley said.
Pasquerilla West and Cavanaugh will kick off Sunday at 6 p.m. at LaBar Field.
McGlinn vs. Farley
The defending champions of McGlinn will look to bounce back from a 33-0 thrashing at the hands of Howard when they square off against Farley Sunday.
The Shamrocks surprised everybody last year by winning the championship, and after their season-opening loss they are determined to prove to everyone that last season was not a fluke.
"This year we look to prove that we're not a one-trick pony," senior captain and defensive lineman Emily Dore said. "In fact, we have a few new tricks up our sleeve this year."
McGlinn is still in the process of adjusting to a new quarterback in sophomore Lauren Miller, as well as numerous impact freshmen. However, the nucleus of the team is banking on their chemistry taking them back to the championship.
"Many of us have been playing together for a few years and it shows in our practices and games," Dore said. "We go out there, get the job done and enjoy doing it."
Just like any other team trying to repeat as champions, McGlinn will likely face competition that is eager and motivated to beat them.
"We know the other teams are out for us but we feed on the challenge," Dore said. "We plan to go out there and show everyone who is the best of the best in this league."
The upstart team from Farley will try to sour McGlinn's playoff hopes en route to a 3-0 start. Farley started off the season with wins against Lewis and Welsh Family.
The team has done a nice job adjusting to some new players in key roles.
"We are still adjusting to a new quarterback," junior captain and cornerback Emma Klosterman said. "But the offense shows steady improvement with each game."
The Finest will be inspired by the return of senior captain and cornerback Caity Sheperd, who will join ball-hound sophomore Katie Smith in the defensive secondary. With their leader back and the wins rolling in, Farley appears supremely confident as the season moves forward.
"We've had a great start to what looks to be a promising season," Klosterman said. "This year we want to take it all the way to the Stadium."
The confident surprise team from Farley will take on the struggling defending champs when the two teams face off at LaBar Field at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Pasquerilla East vs. Welsh Family
The Pasquerilla East Pyros (2-0) are looking to remain undefeated in their upcoming game against the Welsh Family Whirlwind (0-2) Sunday.
"This is our best start in a long time," Pyros senior captain Tara Pillai said.
Pillai cited the importance of offensive intensity and perseverance against a tough Whirlwind squad.
