Championship

Galactic Soup Bowl

DeSade Shocks Convicts

DeSade S&M beat State Pen.

The stunning upset is two dramatic effects in one: DeSade S&M finally won a championship, and State Pen did not win another. The two teams met for the third time in the Galactic Soup Bowl, the second time in a row, and a different result than State Pen's previous dominance was only a cautionary speculation, something of a prayer for DeSade and fans. The 2003 season was considered a parade of reigning champion State Pen to a presumptive title after their rise above the league, emphatically demonstrated in their 2002 conquest which included the most lopsided victory in SCAB tournament history. The Convicts wiped out the top 3 competitors of last season and this, including DeSade S&M, in the first 3 games this year, and slated 5 shutouts in the first 7 games. Unlike 2002, when they were upset once in the regular season, they did not lose, and plowed through their tournament opponents again, while DeSade S&M had the dubious fortune of returning to the championship, ostensively State Pen's victim for a third time. Then in this game, the fortunes turned upside down.

It was also the crowning achievement for Payne Indiass. The quarterback had already become DeSade's favorite son. Three weeks ago he became the second player to win the Demetrius Award twice. But as for all Leathermen, the championship had eluded him. Despite leading the league in passing for 3 years, including the phenomenal feat of going an entire season, 2001, without an interception, Indiass was to no avail against State Pen, neither in last year's final nor in their meeting in this regular season, and it seemed his fame would not include a championship. You didn't have to be a sports analyst to know that for the Leathermen to have a chance to beat State Pen, Indiass would have to have a big game. He did. To punctuate the climax, there was his 46 yard run on 3rd down on the game-winning drive, capped by his 30-yard TD pass, also on 3rd down.

Two other Leathermen helped him significantly. WR Bernie Payne, a freshman, after an MVP performance in the semifinal against Our Lady, caught 10 passes for 161 yards and a TD, that 30-yard game-winner, and RB Lou Netique caught 7 passes for 123 yards, and rushed for the other DeSade TD. The combination of these two, over and under the coverage, plus Indiass' own running, was DeSade's formula for cracking the Convict defense. Although it produced only 2 TDs, it paid off more with K Howard Ulaikit's 4 field goals, including a 45-yarder, on 4 attempts. But to all the Leathermen go the credit for holding off the State Pen offense, something DeSade had not been able to do previously.

In last season's final, WR Hollis Assaway, then a freshman, controlled the game for State Pen. DeSade had no answer for him. This time, Assaway had 5 catches for 64 yards, and DeSade yielded more to Hill, State Pen's other dangerous WR. But it was turnabout that Payne, DeSade's prize recruit of this season, burned State Pen. The Leathermen also gave up 84 yards rushing to State Pen RB Moe Lester, but allowed equally explosive RB Eubie Dedd only 24 yards, and QB Lou Skannon only 3 yards rushing. They intercepted Skannon twice and caused a crucial fumble by Dedd, after a 30-yard pass from Skannon to Assaway had set the Convicts up at the DeSade 30-yard line. State Pen would never get the ball back.

There seemed promise for DeSade through the first half, when they held a narrow edge in possession and field position, and eked out 3 field goals while holding State Pen scoreless. It was an unlikely scenario, since either team was a threat with the big play, the TD strike. But Indiass was controlling the pace of the game.

At the end of the 2nd quarter came the strike. And it was State Pen. In an 80-yard drive following DeSade's 3rd field goal, there was a 26-yard run by Lester, a 12-yard pass from Skannon to Assaway, and a 40-yard pass to Hill to the DeSade 1-yard line. Skannon carried in from there. In the 2nd half, the Convicts picked up right where they left off, beginning with the return on the kickoff: 53 yards by Assaway to the DeSade 46. It took the Convicts 5 plays to cover the distance, scoring on a 16-yard pass to Hill. Just like that, in two straight possessions, they had the lead, 14-9.

While almost every team State Pen had played in the last 2 years, including DeSade, had crumbled, this time the Leathermen returned fire, and then again, turning the 3rd quarter into the barnstormer the Galactic Soup Bowl hasn't seen in a while. DeSade drove from their 20 to a 4th field goal, this one of 42 yards by Ulaikit. Indiass was sharp on the drive, completing 6 of 8 passes including 5 in a row. Then on State Pen's first play after the kickoff, Skannon was picked off, setting the DeSade offense up at the State Pen 24. After netting -1 yards in 2 plays with a penalty, a 23-yard pass to Payne put DeSade at the 2. Netique ran it in, and DeSade led again, 19-14.

The Convict machine was still rolling. They went 80 yards again. Lester had carries for 14 and 26 yards, Dedd one for 7. A 12-yard pass to Assaway went to the DeSade 20. From there, Skannon threw a perfect timing pass to Hill in the corner of the end zone. State Pen, 21-19.

The next drive, the Convict defense seemed to finally put a stop to the Leathermen. They forced 2 incomplete passes by Indiass and DeSade faced 3rd down from their own 19. This is when Indiass put the finishing touch on his entire college career. He had showed his ability to run rather late in that career when he stunned Our Lady in last year's semifinal with a 62-yard TD. His running had also helped DeSade escape with a one-point win over Northwestsoutheastern this year. Everyone now knew he was capable. State Pen had just not gotten to see it. Indiass dropped back to pass, but throwing never seemed to be considered. He looked, and then ran. There was no one on the right side and by the time he was along the sideline, he was in full stride. He stepped out of bounds to avoid a hit from the closing safety -- 46 yards later. DeSade was a the State Pen 35, and now a field goal was as much a threat. Again the Convicts seemed to put their foot down. After an incomplete pass, Netique was hit at the line and the ball was knocked forward. It was recovered by DeSade TE Ruud van Nastibooy on the 30, but DeSade had 3rd down. Indiass threw to Payne in the end zone.

That was the first play of the 4th quarter. The Leathermen defense rose again in the 4th and derailed the State Pen juggernaut. They intercepted Skannon a 2nd time, again on the first play of a drive, and then took the ball away from State Pen for good on the fumble by Dedd. DeSade had the ball for nearly 11 minutes of the final quarter.

10 Clan:
HP 7 2 0 10 4 0
Fl 7 2 0 9 5 0
Bu 6 3 0 7 5 0
Bf 5 4 0 7 4 1
Ca 5 4 0 7 5 0
IO 4 5 0 6 6 0
MV 4 5 0 4 8 0
Gr 4 5 0 5 7 0
LB 3 6 0 6 6 0
UF 0 9 0 0 12 0

Little 10:
SP 9 0 0 14 1 0
Br 7 2 0 11 3 0
PU 6 3 0 9 4 0
CU 5 4 0 6 6 0
MS 5 4 0 6 6 0
SS 4 5 0 6 6 0
KT 4 5 0 5 7 0
GJ 2 7 0 3 9 0
Bd 2 7 0 3 9 0
Wh 1 8 0 3 9 0

10 Pack:
DS 8 0 1 12 2 1
Nw 8 1 0 10 4 0
Cr 7 2 0 10 3 0
Pb 6 2 1 8 4 1
MO 4 5 0 5 7 0
DG 4 5 0 5 7 0
HG 3 6 0 3 9 0
AT 2 7 0 4 8 0
Fm 1 8 0 4 8 0
Sb 1 8 0 2 10 0

Non-Conference:
OL 9 0 0 11 3 0
Ox 7 2 0 10 4 0
Pk 6 3 0 6 6 0
So 5 4 0 8 5 0
LW 5 4 0 8 4 0
UP 5 4 0 7 5 0
BH 5 4 0 5 7 0
St 1 8 0 2 10 0
Pe 1 8 0 1 10 1
OD 1 8 0 1 11 0