SCAB Report

Championship

Galactic Soup Bowl

Sharks Bite, Hold On

A year after losing the Galactic Soup Bowl by the biggest margin, The University of Puerto Rico in New York won by the smallest. The Sharks claimed their first SCAB championship, but in a rugged battle with nine-time final contestant and three-time champion Kootsville Tech.

The one-point margin matches the 1986 Galactic Soup Bowl, generally thought to be one of the greatest match-ups, when Whooperville A&M usurped Northwestsoutheastern, 22-21, for what would be the first of three straight championships, a feat preserved this year when UPRNY beat Northwestsoutheastern in the semifinals.

The win came thanks to a failed two-point play by the Spitters. Kootsville scored what could have been the tying or go-ahead touchdown midway through the 4th quarter, itself a gutsy call on 4th and goal from the 9-yard line. Kootsville freshman quarterback Zack Lee Wright threw to running back Dave Gonnen-Dunnett for the score. The Spitters chose to go for 2 points, perhaps because of time enough left in the game for another opportunity to score. The Sharks were glad for the opportunity to stuff Gonnen-Dunnett for a 2-yard loss on the conversion play and preserve their lead.

The staunch Spitter defense, which took control of the game in the second half, yielded no first downs to the Sharks on two possessions after that, but the Sharks were nearly as stingy. When the Spitters got the ball on their own 29 with less than a minute remaining in the game, a 21-yard pass from Wright to tight end Fess Upp to the 50 was the biggest blow by either team in the second half, and looked like it might be the turn for the Spitters. But after an incompletion, Spitter wide receiver Noah Fence caught a pass short of coverage, but could get no more than eight yards and took the rest of time doing so.

Kootsville Tech. got to the championship by upsetting Brimstone with a great defensive effort. They forced Brimstone to try field goals five times, allowing no touchdowns. But Brimstone outgained Kootsville. In this game, The Spitters played even better defense statistically against three of the league's most potent offensive stars in Spahn, RB Milo Rider and WR Hugo Gurl. Wright passed for 193 yards to Spahn's 174, Spitter RB Tupelo Paar had 64 yards rushing to just 34 for Rider, and the SCAB's leader in receptions, Kootsville WR Everett Auerhaus, led all receivers in the game (see box above left), with Gurl getting just 58 yards and a TD on 8 receptions.

But the tables were turned. The Sharks were just potent enough in the 2nd and 3rd quarters to withstand the Spitters. The teams seemed to alternate domination in the first two quarters, Kootsville using both defense and offense to shut down the Shark attack, a 13-play drive to a field goal consuming most of the 1st quarter. The Sharks on the next drive made their own brassy call on a 4th and 2 at midfield, showing the Spitters their swagger. Kootsville held RB Mel Ding-Pott to just a yard and took over. But the Sharks' backed up their gamble by holding the Spitters, who then failed on a 50-yard field goal attempt by kicker Donny Brook

After two plays on the ensuing Shark possession, on the first play of the second quarter, Spahn connected with Rider for 42-yard play. Rider showed just why he was a threat after catching the pass about 15 yards over the middle, then rambling to the Kootsville 3-yard line. Spahn threw to WR Mustafa Djab for the TD on the next play.

The Sharks held Kootsville to three and out, then drove straight to the end zone again, 10 plays and 75 yards. Spahn was brilliant on the drive, with a 17-yard run and 5 completions of 6 attempts, including the 13-yard TD pass to Gurl. At that point, it looked as though the Sharks were making the kill.

But the Spitters responded with a 12-play, 62-yard drive of their own, with Wright completing first-down passes to all his receivers: 18 and 13 yards to Fence, 15 to Auerhaus, 14 to Upp. UPRNY stalled the Spitters with goal to go from the 3, even forcing them back to the 5. It looked as if the Spitters might have to settle for another field goal. But they went for it on 4th and goal, and Wright threw to Auerhaus for the score, making a game of it again just before the half.

The Sharks appeared to take up where they left off, with their offense churning. They had two big drives in the 3rd quarter, but punted, then got only a field goal on the second. The Spitters followed with a big drive to a failed field goal attempt, a penalty backing Brook up for a 47-yarder instead of a 32.

After that is when Kootsville's defense rose up. The Sharks got only one first down in the final quarter. But the Spitters fell short again, the most agonizing yet of their just missed championships. In 1995, their last one, it was 23-21 to Our Lady. In 1994, it was 20-14 to Northwestsoutheastern. And they lost the 1985 and 1984 championship games to Puke and South Paw, respectively, the latter one the famous 21-0 lead at half over South Paw which rallied to win 27-21.

But the Sharks wouldn't let a four-loss team, even a Kootsville one, completely foil them. They crowned a remarkable season of their own, a 14-1 record, a share of the Non-Conference title, and a revenge victory over of the Fighting Pacifists to return to the championship game.

10 Clan:
HP 8 1 0 10 2 0
UF 7 2 0 9 3 0
MV 7 2 0 9 3 0
Bf 6 2 1 8 3 1
Ca 5 3 1 7 4 1
Fl 4 5 0 4 8 0
Gr 3 6 0 4 8 0
LB 2 7 0 3 9 0
IO 1 8 0 1 11 0
Bu 0 9 0 1 11 0

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

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

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