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  • #16
    WEEK 9 - WASHINGTON 35, ANCHORAGE 28

    Perhaps the greatest comeback in Bombers history, and one of the all-time best for sure. Nori & co. were absolutely destroying us in the first half, and we couldn't move the chains at all.

    Campana was 2/12 for TWO passing yards in the first half. Nori was 10/15 for 205 and a TD.

    But things shifted in a hurry right at the end of the half. Anchorage lined up for a long field goal (55 yards), and missed - but Washington was flagged for a penalty, giving the Gladiators another shot at making it 24-0. But they missed that one too. 21-0 Anchorage at the half.

    Starting the 3rd quarter, things did not get any better for Anchorage's kicker, as he line-drived one to Tito Webb, who then took it to the house for an 83-yard TD. 21-7 Anchorage.

    Anchorage comes right back on the next sequence, where Emmitt Hall grabs a 10-yard pass for a first down on 3rd and 9, then takes it another 48 yards to Washington's 21 - and fumbles. The Bombers finally pull their heads out of their asses and march down the field for their first offensive score of the day. 21-14 Anchorage.

    The Glads aren't done yet though, as they answer right back and drain the 3rd quarter with a 13-play, 68 yard TD drive. 28-14 Anchorage.

    Tito Webb strikes again with a 36-yard kickoff return to start the Bombers at mid-field. As expected, weather really did come into play today. Didn't faze Nori, but the kicking game suffered. Washington is able to take advantage, and boom, 28-21 Anchorage.

    Washington then manages a critical 3 and out, followed by their third straight scoring drive. 28 all.

    Anchorage came up short one more time, and then it was A.J. McGee's time. The final scoring drive of the day was a 76-yarder, and McGee was responsible for 65 of it, along with the clinching score. 35-28 Washington.

    Brandon Sponable put the icing on the cake, as he hurried Nori twice on the last series, and tackled WR Marcus Melnik a yard shy of converting on the 4th down.

    One for the ages. As I said, Washington-Anchorage never disappoints the fans.

    THIS WEEK -

    Better be getting over that emotional win now, boys, because here comes Portland again. The Phantoms are almost our entire focus this season, and it will be a huge disappointment to drop this one. A win, and we're *finally* tied up for the division, with the tiebreaker on Anchorage. A loss, and we're two games back and tied with... PORTLAND. Blech. Absolutely cannot let up here, not with the division so within reach and the wildcard race so tight.

    Portland's OL looks to be a sieve right now with Bob Benton doubtful. That does not bode well for the Phantoms against the 6th-rated pass rush.

    Offensively, the Bombers need to just keep doing what they're doing. Balanced attack, ride McGee, and don't shoot themselves in the foot. That is where Campana is making a difference this year. He has a modest 10 TDs, but only 5 INTs. Eisenbart never had a positive ratio here. Campana also showed some running skills against Anchorage. A poor man's Skeen, I'm hoping.

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    • #17
      My weekly's been wunning a wittle wate. Quick wundown...

      Three games, three wins, and some staggeringly good defense therein. Yards allowed - 220, 151, 140; points allowed - 12, 14, 3

      Hardy Campana numbers -

      17/22, 156, 3 TDs, 0 INTs
      20/28, 188, 1 TD, 0 INTs
      30/38, 327, 4 TDs, 2 INTs, 1 rushing TD

      A.J. McGee numbers - 109, 149, 193, 2 TDs. He seems to be doing well in the 'extended handoff' offense. His yards per carry is up, yards per catch is down, but 50 catches already, and third in yards from scrimmage overall.

      Defensively, the big surprise continues to be Levon Broemer. He is the DB's answer to Cris Carter - all he does is catch INTs. 8 so far, and he's been in on 50 fewer plays than Nate Graham. Which is a great thing, because Graham is having an awful year.

      The defense still needs to put up a good game against a strong offense, but they are clicking pretty well overall.

      THIS WEEK - NEW ORLEANS

      Week 2 of a month-long road trip. On paper, this is ours to lose - but we've proven that we can do just that on occasion. Can't afford a slip-up here with this line-up coming - @Dakota, @Anchorage, North Liberty. Ouch.

      Everyone's healthy and playing confidently, so expecting a positive result. Here's hoping. Who knows, Campana may reach 26/27 this week.

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      • #18
        WEEK 14 - DAKOTA

        Man, was this a tough one. Classic back & forth, real entertaining. In the end, Campana pulled a rare (semi-)rookie mistake and was intercepted on the Dakota 28 yard line. We should've just taken a shot at the 50-yard FG with Bauer, or I dunno... RUN THE BALL. As mentioned, was a good showing on a strong enemy turf, but we have to tighten that stuff up for the playoffs.

        WEEK 15 - ANCHORAGE

        BradZ should start charging for the Washington-Anchorage matchups. Always amazing. This one wasn't a shootout like last time, but again, it was back and forth and tough as hell. Neither team really did much to stop the run, and neither team could get much going through the air. Jay Nori ended up with his worst game of the year - 16/35 for 143, 0 TDs, 1 INT. Sacked five times, hurried or knocked down another dozen.

        Special congrats to A.J. McGee. He had 143 yards on the day, and that puts him past long-time Bomber Randy Richardson as the franchise's all-time leading rusher.

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        • #19
          oh yeah - and we won the division! :D Second time only. Last time we did was the last time we made the playoffs, 3 seasons ago. We have lots of work to do, but

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          • #20
            WEEK 16 - WASHINGTON 14, NORTH LIBERTY 6

            Snowy, cold, and ugly. The Bombers overcame three turnovers to take their last home game in the regular season. The 7-1 home record matches their best, back in 2018, their last playoff appearance.

            WEEK 17 - KALISPELL

            In the regular season finale, a few things to watch -

            - Washington doesn't *need* this game, as they're already assured a bye - but they still want the #1 spot for homefield advantage. There have only been two playoff games in Washington, both in 2018.

            - Because of this, Junior Bullock will be sitting again to fully heal. Brandon Sponable has a pretty nasty injury, but should be ready for the first playoff game. Some rookies will be given more time, but it's not a full-on 'rest the starters' game.

            - Barring Kalispell hanging 37 points on the Bombers, Washington will set a franchise record for points allowed.

            - Another reason for Washington to try and win this one - they've never swept the division. Too good an opportunity to pass up.

            - Donovan Mark only needs 2 KRBs to seal off the best performance by a Washington Bombers OL. With that, he'd take the record for KRBs and Opportunities, and he's already smashed the Pancakes record.

            - Hardy Campana is also having a franchise year. He's already topped the record for TDs, QB Rating, and Completion %, and will possibly take the Completions one as well. Not bad for basically a rookie season.

            - Other records - Brandon Sponable has already topped the list for sacks in a season. Hunter Bauer needs one more FG to beat his own record. Rondell Corbett needs 26 yards to set the Punt Return Yardage record. As a long shot, Tito Webb needs 154 yards for the receiving record.

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            • #21
              WEGULAR... er... REGULAR SEASON WRAP-UP

              2021 was very much a success, insomuch as we're back in the playoffs, and the #1 seed for the first time. Statistically it was one of our best seasons ever.

              - Hardy Campana set season records for QB Rating, completion percentage, and touchdowns.

              - Brandon Sponable set a Bomber record with 14.5 sacks in, oddly enough, 14.5 games.

              - Donovan Mark swept up the offensive line records - Key Run Blocks, Opportunities, and Pancakes.

              - Hunter Bauer eclipsed A.J. McGee by one point for most points in a season.

              - The team set new marks in Points Scored, Points Allowed, Passing & Total Yards Allowed.

              A.J. McGee 'returned to form' (even though last season was still pretty good). Brandon Sponable made a stellar transition from inside to outside LB. Hardy Campana proved the coach's trust right, and J.T. Eisenbart's 2 INTs in 6 attempts really iced it.

              The downsides were small... Nate Graham had an abysmal year by his standard, waivering between 'pedestrian' and 'liability' for most of it. Levon Broemer made up for it with his 9 INTs, but still, Graham has to show up NOW.

              None of the receivers really stepped up this season. They were all adequate, with Webb being slightly above so, but the passing game still feels like an afterthought. Webb-Wooden-Rogers is a very solid group, but Campana is still too inexperienced to take advantage.

              Lost in the shuffle is the development of rookie LB J.T. Bromell. Sponable got all the pub, rightfully so, but on the other side, Bromell went from 48/75 to 68/75 during the season.

              Very little to complain about here. Even created a meme. Wow.

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              • #22
                Wow.

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                • #23
                  heh... more like WHOOPS. Or WTF? I was sure I uploaded the file. One of the oh-so-many things I hate about this game.

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