In the season opener for two teams most expect to make deep playoff runs, this game was a hard hitting defensive slugfest punctuated with (too many) turnovers. The game saw eight fumbles combined (four lost) and five INTs, with four of the five scores in the game a direct result of turnovers.
PAT received the opening KO and was pinned at their own 10 yard line, punting when they reached their own 44 yard line. WF began their first drive at their 37 yard line and went three and out but a good punt pinned PAT at their nine yard line. WF's Flamer quickly intercepted PAT's Howells on the PAT 30 yard line and returned it for a pick six and WF led 7-0 (Batchala XP) about four minutes into the game. Good coverage on the WF KO pinned PAT again, this time at their 14 yard line and PT punted from their own 22 yard line. WF took over on their on 46 yard line but went three and out. PAT started their possession on their own 21 yard line, but a bad snap cost them 15 yards all the way back to their own 11 yard line where they faced 3rd and 20. On the 3rd down play PAT fumbled but recovered the ball and then punted from their own 12 yard line. WF's Cardenas returned the ball to the PAT 27 yard line and WF looked set to extend their lead, but PAT's defense stiffened and an incomplete WF pass on 4th and three from the PAT 19 yard line gave PAT the ball back. PAT again punted, and WF started on their own 38 yard line. On this drive WF's Carlson attempted a long pass down the left sideline but PAT's #3 (I could not find a roster) leapt to intercept the ball. PAT ran three plays then faced a 4th and two at the WF 43 yard line but the run was stuffed at the line. WF failed to move the ball and punted to pin PAT again, this time at their own two yard line with 2:56 remaining in the half. PAT took their time with no real sense of urgency on offense and chose to run out the clock. WF went into halftime with a 7-0 lead.
WF received the second half KO and saw a 32 yard KOR by Webster nullified by a penalty so WF started at their own 26 yard line. After a 33 yard Carlson to Merritt-Allen pass, two plays later the QB/FB handoff was muffed and PAT's #9 recovered on the PAT 48 yard line. PAT again could not move the ball and went three and out, followed by WF's three and out. PAT started their next possession on their own 49 yard line and reached the WF 13 yard line on a 26 yard Howells pass to #1, but a PAT fumble pushed PAT back to their 30 yard line. In no man's land, PAT went for it on 4th and 27 but the pass was incomplete. WF took over but went three and out again, giving PAT the ball on the PAT 32 yard line. Wasting no time, the PAT offense used the first play for a 68 yard Howells to #1 pass over the middle to tie the game at 7-7 (#35 XP) with 1:12 remaining in the third quarter. WF started their next possession at their own 27 after another Cardenas KOR was nullified by penalty and Carlson threw his second INT, again intercepted by PAT's #3, at the PAT 44 yard line. PAT's Howells then returned the favor with WF's Cardenas getting an INT at the PAT 42 yard line, but WF's Sutherland fumbled on the first play and PAT had good field position at midfield. PAT only gained three yards on this possession so they punted but WF's Lee fumbled the catch and PAT recovered on the WF 21 yard line. PAT did not waste this chance and behind the running of Brown scored on a 9 yard Brown run to go out in front 14-7 (#35 XP) with 8:55 remaining in the game. On their next drive WF's offense finally moved the ball and WF scored on a 58 yard Carlson to Lee pass to tie the game at 14-14 (Batchala XP) with 5:16 remaining in the game. More great WF KO coverage gave PAT the ball on their own nine yard line after the WF KO. After three plays gained only nine yards, PAT lined up to punt. However, PAT somehow decided to run a fake. The punter ran to the right side looking to pass but was quickly corralled by the WF defense and run out of bounds at the 19 yard line for no gain. With 2:50 left and the ball on the PAT 19 yard line, WF ran as much time off the clock as they could before a 27 yard Batchala FG gave WF a 17-14 lead with 56 seconds to play. On the ensuing KO PAT's #8 fumbled the ball on the return and WF's Kiley pounced on it at the PAT 20 yard line to give WF a chance to run out the clock.
PAT received the opening KO and was pinned at their own 10 yard line, punting when they reached their own 44 yard line. WF began their first drive at their 37 yard line and went three and out but a good punt pinned PAT at their nine yard line. WF's Flamer quickly intercepted PAT's Howells on the PAT 30 yard line and returned it for a pick six and WF led 7-0 (Batchala XP) about four minutes into the game. Good coverage on the WF KO pinned PAT again, this time at their 14 yard line and PT punted from their own 22 yard line. WF took over on their on 46 yard line but went three and out. PAT started their possession on their own 21 yard line, but a bad snap cost them 15 yards all the way back to their own 11 yard line where they faced 3rd and 20. On the 3rd down play PAT fumbled but recovered the ball and then punted from their own 12 yard line. WF's Cardenas returned the ball to the PAT 27 yard line and WF looked set to extend their lead, but PAT's defense stiffened and an incomplete WF pass on 4th and three from the PAT 19 yard line gave PAT the ball back. PAT again punted, and WF started on their own 38 yard line. On this drive WF's Carlson attempted a long pass down the left sideline but PAT's #3 (I could not find a roster) leapt to intercept the ball. PAT ran three plays then faced a 4th and two at the WF 43 yard line but the run was stuffed at the line. WF failed to move the ball and punted to pin PAT again, this time at their own two yard line with 2:56 remaining in the half. PAT took their time with no real sense of urgency on offense and chose to run out the clock. WF went into halftime with a 7-0 lead.
WF received the second half KO and saw a 32 yard KOR by Webster nullified by a penalty so WF started at their own 26 yard line. After a 33 yard Carlson to Merritt-Allen pass, two plays later the QB/FB handoff was muffed and PAT's #9 recovered on the PAT 48 yard line. PAT again could not move the ball and went three and out, followed by WF's three and out. PAT started their next possession on their own 49 yard line and reached the WF 13 yard line on a 26 yard Howells pass to #1, but a PAT fumble pushed PAT back to their 30 yard line. In no man's land, PAT went for it on 4th and 27 but the pass was incomplete. WF took over but went three and out again, giving PAT the ball on the PAT 32 yard line. Wasting no time, the PAT offense used the first play for a 68 yard Howells to #1 pass over the middle to tie the game at 7-7 (#35 XP) with 1:12 remaining in the third quarter. WF started their next possession at their own 27 after another Cardenas KOR was nullified by penalty and Carlson threw his second INT, again intercepted by PAT's #3, at the PAT 44 yard line. PAT's Howells then returned the favor with WF's Cardenas getting an INT at the PAT 42 yard line, but WF's Sutherland fumbled on the first play and PAT had good field position at midfield. PAT only gained three yards on this possession so they punted but WF's Lee fumbled the catch and PAT recovered on the WF 21 yard line. PAT did not waste this chance and behind the running of Brown scored on a 9 yard Brown run to go out in front 14-7 (#35 XP) with 8:55 remaining in the game. On their next drive WF's offense finally moved the ball and WF scored on a 58 yard Carlson to Lee pass to tie the game at 14-14 (Batchala XP) with 5:16 remaining in the game. More great WF KO coverage gave PAT the ball on their own nine yard line after the WF KO. After three plays gained only nine yards, PAT lined up to punt. However, PAT somehow decided to run a fake. The punter ran to the right side looking to pass but was quickly corralled by the WF defense and run out of bounds at the 19 yard line for no gain. With 2:50 left and the ball on the PAT 19 yard line, WF ran as much time off the clock as they could before a 27 yard Batchala FG gave WF a 17-14 lead with 56 seconds to play. On the ensuing KO PAT's #8 fumbled the ball on the return and WF's Kiley pounced on it at the PAT 20 yard line to give WF a chance to run out the clock.
