Tag: Zach Wodaege

Eagles season ends in defeat against the Bulls

04 Aug
Michael Dilley All News, Reports, Senior Football , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Eagles’ 2016 season came to a disappointing end with a 41-28 defeat away to the Birmingham Bulls on Sunday, thanks in no small part to a disastrous third quarter.

The Bulls received the opening kick off and after a strong drive that included successfully converting a 4th and 6 attempt on the Eagles 15-yard line, opened the scoring following a complete pass from one-yard out.

On the Eagles’ first possession a big pass completion and gain from Ross Hubbard took the offense to the Bulls 37 but the drive stalled, and the hosts were backed up inside their five-yard line following the punt.

Birmingham managed to drive to around halfway before being forced to punt, and it was the Eagles’ turn to start inside their own five.

Strong running from Kase Chibwe and a catch from Alex Smith took the Eagles to up to their 41 at the end of the first quarter, and another catch from Hubbard to start the second period moved the ball into Bulls territory.

Another completed pass to Smith took the Eagles to the 36 but a fumble on the next play was recovered by the Bulls and returned to the Eagles 28, where only a last-ditch tackle from QB Zach Wodaege prevented the lead being extended.

The Bulls got as far as the 14 before having to settle for a field goal attempt, but after the snap was fumbled the Eagles regained possession on halfway thanks to Mal Stevenson.

More strong running eventually resulted in first and goal on the four, and Chibwe crossed the line to reduce the deficit to 7-6 after the unsuccessful PAT attempt.

Andy Larwill’s fumble recovery got the Eagles the ball back quickly just inside the Bulls half, and when Wodaege connected with Smith from 36 yards out – running backwards – the Eagles had the lead.

The Bulls drove to halfway at the two-minute warning and down to the 18-yard line soon after, but Tony Ledger’s interception killed the momentum and the Eagles were unable to capitalise before the half, despite several quick first downs.

Half-Time: Bulls 7 Eagles 12

The Eagles received the kick off to start the second half but the drive stalled in the Bulls half and they regained possession on their ten-yard line after Ross Hubbard’s punt.

A 23-yard run and 14-yard pass took the Bulls to midfield, and a 53-yard pass over the top unlocked the Eagles secondary to regain the lead, the PAT attempt making the score 14-12.

The Bulls forced a fumble on the kick return and returned it for a touchdown, converted a two-point attempt to extend their lead to 22-12, and capitalised on another fumble on fourth and short on the Eagles’ next possession to take the score to 28-12 after an unsuccessful two-point attempt.

When the Eagles fumbled another kick off return to hand the ball back to the Bulls they wasted no time in punching the ball in again to make it 27 unanswered points in a horrific third period from an Eagles perspective.

The fourth quarter started with a strong offensive drive from the Eagles that was ended by a five-yard touchdown run by Chibwe and two-point conversion to cut the score to 34-20, but any chances of an unlikely comeback were put to bed on the Bulls’ next possession (41-20).

The final touchdown of the game came from departing QB Wodaege who ran the ball in for the Eagles from inside the five, and Gareth “Tish” Pullen trundled across the line for the two-point conversion to make the final score 41-28 to the Bulls.

After the game Interim Head Coach Darren Hill informed the team that he would not be putting himself forward for the position on a regular basis. Further details will be announced in due course.

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Eagles bounce back with a bang

14 Jun
Michael Dilley All News, Reports, Senior Football , , , , , , , , ,

The Eagles bounced back from last weekend’s close defeat in the best way possible with a convincing 40-19 victory away to the Nottingham Caesars at Harvey Hadden Stadium on Sunday.

Nottingham returned the opening kick-off to their 30-yard line but a holding penalty backed them up, and when Mikey Davies intercepted the ball on second and 15 the Eagles had possession in excellent field position.

A pass completed to Kevin Vasquez gave the Eagles first and goal on the 5-yard line and Richard Thompson powered over the line to open the scoring, Ross Hubbard successfully converting the PAT.

On the Caesars’ next possession they drove the ball to the Eagles 33-yard line, but after deciding to go for it on 4th and 3 were again picked off, this time by Byron Chowles.

Neither side could do anything of note on their next possessions, but the Caesars’ Kieran Matthews recovered a muffed punt return by Eagles Special Teams unit to get the ball back on the Eagles 24-yard line.

They went four and out to give the ball back to the Eagles, who in turn went three and out as the first quarter came to a close.

Both sides continued to trade possessions at the start of the second quarter before the visitors managed to get a toehold in the game.

Strong running and successful short passes took the Eagles to first and goal on the two-yard line, and although the Caesars defence initially held firm they were undone on third and goal after Zach Wodaege’s pass intended for Hubbard was tipped into the grateful hands of Alex “my name isn’t Cross” Smith.

The PAT attempt was blocked but the Eagles lead 13-0.

On their next possession the Caesars were picked off by Nate Ashby, but after the Eagles went three and out got the ball back on their own six after a muffed punt return.

A few players later the deficit was reduced following an eighty-yard pass play. The Caesars QB connected with his receiver across the middle, who burst through the Eagles secondary.

The Eagles started again on the 30-yard line following the punt return, and a short run and pass completed to Hubbard took them to around halfway as we reached the two-minute warning.

Wodaege’s long pass to Smith later and the Eagles had another TD and a lead of 19-6 following the blocked PAT attempt.

After the kick off the Caesars had the ball on their own 26-yard line, and after moving to the 42 thought they had scored only to see another massive pass play called back for a flag.

Ross Cousins sacked the Caesars QB on the very next play, and after being forced to punt on fourth down the Eagles had the ball back on their own 20 with 27 seconds left to play in the half.

Two impressive runs by Richard Thompson took the ball to the halfway line with eleven seconds to play as the Eagles took their third and final timeout of the half.

Wodaege connected with another bomb to Smith which took the ball all the way to the three-yard line, and although time expired as the Eagles tried to spike it, a defensive penalty meant there was an opportunity for one more un-timed play.

It was an opportunity the Eagles offense wasn’t going to waste, and when Wodaege again found Smith in the end zone the lead was further extended to end the half.

Half-Time: Caesars 6 Eagles 25

The second half started as positively for the Eagles as the first had ended.

Excellent blocking by the offensive line and determined running by Thompson – assisted by two face cage penalties against the Nottingham defence – put the Eagles back within striking distance, and it was Thompson who finished the drive by powering across the line.

Wodaege found Hubbard in the back of the end zone with the two-point attempt, and the Eagles had extended their lead again, this time to 33-6.

Both sides traded possession for most of the third quarter before the game sprung to life thanks to another Mikey Davies interception.

Wodaege threw a pick of his own to give possession back to the Caesars, and this time they were able to capitalise and cut the lead to 33-12 after an unsuccessful two-point attempt.

The third quarter ended with the Eagles driving but after going for it on fourth and long on the 30 the Caesars regained possession – only to quickly lose it again thanks to yet another interception by Mikey Davies.

Four plays later Wodaege found Smith again for his fourth touchdown of the day, with Hubbard’s PAT taking the score to 40-12.

The Caesars weren’t finished yet though. They returned the kick-off all the way for a touchdown and the PAT brought them back to within three scores, but once the Eagles successfully recovered their onside kick attempt any remote possibility of a comeback was extinguished.

The Eagles were able to comfortably see out the rest of the game and seal an excellent victory to move to 4-4 for the season with two games left to play.

Picture courtesy of Steve Guy.

In case you missed it, the game was broadcasted in full by our friends at CaesarsTV, and you can check it out in full here:

The Eagles are next in BAFANL action on Sunday 17th July against the Doncaster Mustangs at Bedford International Athletics Stadium.

Kick-off is midday, with admission £2 each for adults (for which you receive a free programme) or free for under-18s.

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Bulls hold on to deny Eagles last-gasp win

06 Jun
Michael Dilley All News, Reports, Senior Football , , , , , , , ,

The Eagles went down swinging 13-12 in a thrilling encounter with the Birmingham Bulls at Bedford International Athletics Stadium yesterday.

Birmingham returned the opening kick-off to their 45-yard line and eventually opened the scoring with a pass from 17-yards out on a drive that used up almost half of the opening quarter.

The Eagles drove into opposition territory but a fumble by running back Richard Thompson gave the ball back to the Bulls on around halfway.

Despite a number of penalties the Bull’s next possession looked threatening until line backer Bryan Mullally forced and recovered a fumble to regain possession, and that gave the Eagles offense the impetus it needed to spark into life.

Completions to Ross Hubbard and Ryan Bowtell gave the Eagles first and goal on the five, and on second and goal Zach Wodaege ran the ball into the end zone to reduce the deficit although the extra point attempt was blocked – a missed opportunity that would prove very costly come the end of the game.

More offensive penalties delayed the Bulls on their next possession to open up the second quarter although they eventually made it into the red zone, but when Mullally sacked the QB on third and long the Bulls were forced to punt from the Eagles 39.

Dom Taylor’s interception for Birmingham gave them the ball back on the 21 soon afterwards and after yet more penalties gave them fourth and very long once again the hosts had another chance to try and strike back before the end of the half, only for Taylor to make another, very impressive interception deep in Eagles territory.

Birmingham soon had first and goal at the two-yard line which became second and goal on the three after the run attempt was stopped in the back field at the two-minute warning, and when Joey Foggan picked off the pass on third down the Eagles had gotten away with one.

The offense was able to drive to halfway before going four and out, and the half finished with Birmingham unable to capitalise.

Half-Time: Eagles 6 Bulls 7

The third quarter was a cagey affair as both teams exchanged possession, the only real action of note being Oliver Latimer’s fumble recovery for the Eagles and the Bulls missing a 35-yard field goal attempt, but the game sprang into life at the start of the fourth quarter.

Latimer forced another fumble which was recovered by Foggan to give the Eagles the ball back on their own 30-yard line, and a completed pass to Vasquez took them into Birmingham territory before the drive stalled, and the Bulls took over on downs.

The Bulls were also unable to make the most of their next possession and following a flag on the play during the punt the Eagles started again on their 7.

A twenty-yard completion to Alex Smith followed but the drive again stalled, but possession was regained following a huge hit by Kevin Vasquez on the punt returner.

The Eagles went four and out and the Bulls responded in the perfect way, driving down the field and extending their lead with a 20-yard run. Importantly for the hosts the PAT was blocked, keeping it a one-score game with three minutes to play.

Starting again on the 20 following the kick off, Wodaege connected with a bomb to Smith to take offense all the way to the Bulls 32-yard line, and had second and short at the two-minute warning.

Another big pass completed to Smith gave the Eagles first and goal on the one-yard line, and after an incomplete pass Wodaege ran it in himself to take it to 13-12 with 50 seconds to play.

The coaches had a big decision to make – a successful PAT would tie the game and most-likely lead to overtime or a successful two-point attempt would most-likely win it, whereas if either were to fail the Bulls would almost certainly take the win.

They decided to go for two but as Wodaege rolled out to his right his deflected pass fell incomplete, and after successfully fielding an onside kick attempt Birmingham took a knee to seal their first win of the season and deny the Eagles what would have been a remarkable victory.

The Eagles are back in BAFANL action this Sunday (12th June) away to the Nottingham Caesars.

Picture courtesy of Steve Guy.

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Eagles slip to third defeat of the season

24 May
Michael Dilley All News, Reports, Senior Football , , , , , , , , , ,

The Eagles dropped to 3-3 for the season following a disappointing 14-0 defeat at home to Sandwell Steelers on Sunday at Bedford International Athletic Stadium.

The Steelers returned the opening kick-off to their 29-yard line but were forced to punt on their opening possession, Zach Wodaege and the Eagles offense taking over possession on the 45.

Quick passes completed to Ross Hubbard and Cody Hausenbuiller gave the hosts a first down but possession was turned over just two plays later thanks to an interception by the Sandwell secondary.

A big run through the middle took Sandwell to the edge of the red zone, and more good running gave them first and goal, on the five, where another run opened the scoring. The extra point attempt was successful, and gave the visitors a 7-0 lead.

Byron Chowles’ impressive kick-off return again gave the Eagles good starting field position, and this time around they looked more likely to capitalise.

They drove the ball into the Sandwell red zone and up to the 15-yard line and went for it on fourth and four, but the Steeler defensive line held strong to force a turnover on downs on their own 7-yard line.

Sandwell’s next possession got off to a shaky start as a result of a fumble which they managed to recover on their own 4-yard line, but as the first quarter ended had been able to drive the ball to around halfway.

Their impressive drive continued with a combination of short passes and strong running, and after converting a 4th and 3 on the five-yard line had a first and goal on the Eagles 2.

Excellent defensive play lead by defensive tackle Andy Larwill soon turned first and goal at the 2 to third and goal at the 15, and when a Steelers pass was incomplete on 4th and goal the Eagles took over on downs on their own 5.

Running Back Jamahl Watson broke a run through to the 37 but the drive stalled, and a muffed fake punt handed the Steelers the ball back on the Eagles 38-yard line.

Sandwell’s drive progressed as far as the 22 before going for it on 4th down and coming up short, but they had the ball back just a couple of plays later when Eagles QB Zach Wodaege was adjudged to have fumbled the ball.image

They were unable to capitalise however, and had a field goal attempt blocked shortly before the end of the half.

HALF-TIME: EAGLES 0 STEELERS 7

The Eagles received the ball to start the second half and started on their own 27-yard line following a holding penalty, and thought they were back in the game early on.

Wodaege’s bomb was spectacularly caught by Alex Smith who duly took the ball to the house, only to see the score chalked off for a penalty against the offensive line.

It was a body blow for an offense struggling to get a toehold on the game, who were then forced to punt.

Sandwell were unable to capitalise on their next possession but backed the Eagles up inside their 5-yard line thanks to a booming punt.

Wodaege’s pass was picked off by the Sandwell secondary to give them the ball back on the 14, and further strong running resulted in the second and final score of the game.

Both sides exchanged possessions in the fourth quarter, and although the Eagles defence forced fumbles via Julian Ikeme and Andy Larwill the game finished 14-0 to the visitors.

The Eagles are back in BAFANL action on Sunday 5th June at home to Birmingham Bulls.

Kick-off is midday at BIAS, with admission priced at £2 each for adults (for which you receive a free programme) or free for those under-18.

Pictures courtesy of Steve Guy.

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