7/2 - Nighthawks @ Phoenix

July 2nd - Janesville Nighthawks 26 @ Wilmot Phoenix 20 (Article by Wilmot Phoenix)

The Battle Part 1

Article by Adam Knoll (Wilmot Phoenix)

The Wilmot Phoenix took the field against the Nighthawks this past Friday night, battered and bruised, yet focused as their season hung in the balance. The team played with all the heart and intensity promised in the early season, and one only can wonder what the team would have been like if the Phoenix could have played like this every game. That being said, it was a loss, and a hard one at that. Yet the game was a blast, and it was everything the GFL should, and is starting to be.

For once, the Phoenix defense took the field first and forced an early punt from the Nighthawks unit. Immediately following, the Phoenix drove the field in 3 plays to take the early lead. Dan Mikal, who is hardly an inexperienced player anymore, connected beautifully with Kyle Ritter on the right side for a quick touchdown pass. The score very early was 6-0 Phoenix, and the game has a jet fighter feel to it the rest of the game.

The Nighthawks, with their spread offense and impossibly tall quarterbacks, forced the tempo on the Phoenix, which lead to a quick lead change. This is not to say that the Phoenix turned the ball over or had quick punts, in the first half Wilmot drove within the 20 3 more times, yet if there has been a trend this season it is that Wilmot has trouble in the red-zone. Give credit to the Nighthawk defense, a quick and hard-hitting squad, the Phoenix had Janesville on the ropes, yet failed to land the body blows at the correct time. Before the half was out, the Nighthawks controlled the game, and the momentum was seemingly drained from the Phoenix, as their season hung by a thread.

And then, the second half came.

If the first half was an aerial assault, the second half was much more of a contained brawl. The Nighthawks only pieced the Phoenix 40 yard line once, and that was on their only scoring drive of the half. The rest of the game was fought on Nighthawk's turf, and the Phoenix took the fight the Janesville all the way to the final whistle. Dan Mikal, who made a few poor decisions, also kept the Phoenix in the game with spectacular throws and decision making at crucial times. Kyle Ritter exploded to catch a ball over 3 defenders, and made countless catches over the middle as he cemented his status as the best receiver the Phoenix has.

The game wore down to under 20 minutes, and finally, Wilmot’s defense starting doing something they hadn’t done with regularity all season…they started creating turnovers. Janesville fumbled the ball at least four times during the game, yet not once was the Phoenix able to pounce on it. However, three beautiful Interceptions, two of which came late in the second half, gave the offense great field position and a shot at winning the game. Chris Bella had perhaps the play of the game, reaching incredibly high to grab a Nighthawk pass; the play breathed life back into the team, and again proved why he’s the heart of the defense. A Touchdown run by Trion Brown put the score at 26-20 with barely under 4 minutes left. The din was incredible; the feeling of comeback was in the air…

It just wasn’t meant to be.

The Phoenix Defense, stout for so long underneath the Janesville onslaught, gave up a first down on a third and long with under two minutes left. With only one timeout remaining, the game was essentially put on ice. The Nighthawks would live to even up their record, and put pressure on in the Conference. They made the plays when it mattered, the Phoenix are left to wonder what could have been. Again.

These two clubs return to action against each other in two weeks, this time in Janesville. It’s sure to be another great match.