Go
Dixie Blues!! 
Congratulations to all of the team players this year. I am honored to be coaching such a dedicated and enthusiastic group of fine women.
Watch
for some highlights of the games with pictures of this season's
play soon.
The Team did it again! They hit them hard and persevered to go on to the playoffs. The came away with the victory and became the 2007 WFL National Champions.
EditorialsEditorial
by John Maycumber: May 19th:
I didn’t bring my A-game
tonight, but the Dixie Blues sure did. They clobbered Tennessee,
55-8. Rocky was all over the place, a human bilocation,
running in at least four of the touchdowns and pulling off some stunning
defensive plays. Chelly Hewitt also had a terrific night with a bevy of
carries. Brantley struggled a little with the pass, missing a few
to Farrah Faucet. The defense was a little stodgy at first, but shook
the sleepiness
off late in the first quarter and started squashing everything Tennessee
tried. It didn’t help that the Heat didn’t bring enough players
and were
outgunned, outmanned and outclassed.
Editorial by John Maycumber: June 10th:
The Mississippi Rapids brought only eleven girls and still gave the Dixie
Blues a real game, They were within one point near the end of the
half. Of
course our girls shook off the shock and bore down with some terrific
plays
by Brantley Mack and Rocky, getting us some breathing room by the
4th. It
was a milder replay of last year’s game against these same girls.
Like last
year, they didn’t bring enough players and I remarked to the scorekeeper,
upon seeing the skeletal crew, “This hardly seems like a fair fight.” I
would almost eat those words tonight.
Last year’s game actually took place on June 10 and it seemed like it.
Tonight, they brought even fewer players than last year. The
difference is
the girls didn’t allow themselves to be shocked the way they did
last year.
They didn’t surrender the lead all night. But the Rapids did run
all over
our defense tonight, including some amazing carries by running back
I only
know as #2; a roster wasn’t provided. The ‘Blues scored two
touchdowns, but
them Mississippi came right back and scored, through the two-point
conversion failed. The Dixie Blues would see their potent offense frustrated
a few times before they finally scored again when Brantley would keep it and
run straight up. But the Rapids would score, get the two points and recover
on a botched kickoff. They scored again, but when the PAT failed, we had a
20-21 game. It got interesting.
The Dixie Blues were getting a serious challenge from only eleven
players,
none of whom were getting a break. They were playing four full quarters
of
football. We’ve not seen a defeat since 2005 and I started to worry
a bit.
But Rocky, Isis, Chelly Hewit and Farah Faucett would show why they’re
they
stars of the league and would put together a respectable second half and win
it 34-20.
Editorial by John Maycumber: June 23rd:
I think it was Anna Lee McPhilomy- the woman with the cockatoo that
said to
me, “This was your best, ever.” And at the risk of sounding
conceited, she’s
right. It was. I was up till one am planning it all and I did throw
all the
kids out of the press box, save Tatiana. And I finally did have a
night I
could be proud of. There was a kind of electricity in the air tonight,
going
into this game. Numerous people I knew were going to be there, plus
this was
to be my audition for the team in Hilliard. And I have a result on
that, but
I’ll get into that later.
The Dixie Blues got batted around tonight, turning them from
cocky to
cardiac kids. Clarksville came at us with a rock-solid offensive
line and
ran the option on us all night. They were running slant patterns
and getting
outside for first downs. The Rapids held Jacksonville to a scoreless
tie in
the first quarter, surprising everyone. Then, for the first time
this year,
the Dixie Blues trailed. The Foxes put together a methodical march
downfield
to score in the second. But the Dixie Blues answered right back on
the next
possession, running Rocky on a series of plays. The ‘Blues would
try to
score again, getting all the way to first and goal, but then costly
penalties and a sack would push them back. On fourth and goal at
about the
eight, Rocky tried to smash through Clarksville’s defense, but would
come up
short. The Foxes continued running the girls’ defense ragged all night,
keeping it on the ground and frustrating our offense with those slant
patterns.
Finally, late in the third, the Dixie Blues would score again with an
amazing run from Jamie Maroon, putting them on the five. Rocky would
again
fight her way into the end zone, but would flub the snap on the PAT
and
German couldn’t kick it. So the score stayed stuck at 13-7 with lots
of time
and a very cool Mississippi heading back to offense. They tied it in the
second and then the ‘Blues fumbled it at midfield. I began to seriously
entertain the idea that we might lose tonight.
But as the fourth quarter began, they proved me wrong. Rocky started to
make plays and first down runs. She also got into the defense, making
several key tackles and finally stopping Clarksville on a crucial fourth and
five play. It was there when I felt- and the girls felt- the momentum of the
game shift. Even Brantley Mack started helping out on defense, getting some
tackles of her own. The Dixie Blues would score twice more and correct the
earlier PAT flub with a two-point conversion. Although Clarksville would
score once more, we all breathed a sigh of relief when Rocky nailed that
last TD run. That sigh would become a gasp when she hurt herself late and
had to be helped off the field. She's okay, by the way. And that's another
sigh of relief.
The mood lightened and the game winding down, I played “Work
it” by
Missy
Elliot once last time. The whole team started dancing out there. I could
tell the tension had broken. I announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, the
unofficial theme song of the Dixie Blues!” The girls agreed. I also paid
tribute to G-Man, the waterboy. I told the fans to make some noise for
themselves, thanking them for their support this year. With less than a
minute to go, I told them to “make some noise for the undefeated 2007 Dixie
Blues,” which drew grins and fists and helmets pumped into the air as the
whole team started off the field in one big group. The final horn blew and
the 300+ that showed up cheered loudly. I wished everyone well and urged
them to drive home safely as always. And then I played “Closing Time,” by
Semisonic.
Still more to come!
