Northwest Raiders Athletic Assoc.: History
THE UGLY: A DAY FILLED WITH FOOTBALLS AND RAIN EQUALLED MUDDY CLEATS, UNIFORMS AND MOMS WHO HAD TO CLEAN THEM. SATURDAY NOVEMBER 16TH, 2002 WAS A DAY THAT BEGAN WITH ALL FIVE OF OUR TEAMS QUALIFYING FOR THE PLAYOFFS FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR IN A ROW. BUT BECAUSE OF POOR WEATHER CONDITIONS, RAIN, WIND, AND COLD WEATHER, ONLY TWO WILL ADVANCE TO THE SECOND ROUND.
THE BAD: THE 85LB V THE CHARGERS WAS A BATTLE FROM THE OPENING KICKOFF. PLAYERS AND COACHES SEEM TO NEVER GET ANY WARMTH IN THE COLD, DAMP AND MUDDY CONDITIONS AT MARGARET & DITMAN STS. THEY PLAYED AGAINST A HEATED CHARGERS ATTACK THAT FLODDED THE FIELD WITH 32 POINTS. IT SEEMED LIKE WHEN IT RAINED IT POURED EVEN MORE FOR THE RAIDERS.
IN OTHER ACTION ON THE SAME FIELD, OUR 95LB AFTER SLOWING DOWN THE CHARGERS TO A SCORE OF 18-6 AT HALF TIME, IT SEEMED LIKE THEY OPENED THE SEPTIC TANK AND FLOODED THE SCOREBOARD WITH MORE POINTS THE A DOCTOR PRACTICING ACUPUNTURE. SOMEONE PLEASE CHECK THE FIELD FOR ILLEGAL ACTIONS AND WRONG DOINGS.
BACK AT THE RANCH (HOMEFILED) THE 125LB TEAM WENT UP AGAINST THE GATORS OUR CROSS BROAD STREET RIVALS AND IN A DAY FULL OF RAIN MUD AND FUMBLES CAME OUT ON THE LOSING END BY A SCORE OF 8-0. THIS GAME WAS A HIGHLIGHT FILM FOR WHAT NOT TO DO'S. THE BALL WAS UNGRIPPABLE, PLAYER HAD NO TRACTION, AND FIELD POSITION MEANT NOTHING. OUR TEAM WAS WITHIN 15 YARDS OF A SCORE WHEN PENALTIES A FUMBLE AND A COUPLE OF SLIPS AND FALLS TUREND THEM BACK TO THE 30 YARD LINE WITH ONLY A MINUTE LEFT TO PLAY. THE DEFENDING 125LB LYAA CHAMPIONS WERE FINALLY STOPPED NOT BY A BIG BAD AN BOLD TEAM, BUT JUST A SIMPLE FLURRY OF RAIN DROPS THAT MADE FOR A DAY OF REAL FOOTBALL. HATS OFF TO THE OUR PLAYERS FOR A SEASON WELL DONE. WE KNOW ALL TEAMS CAN'T HAVE THE CLAIM OF CHAMPIONS, BUT YOU WILL ALWAYS BE CHAMPIONS IN THE MINDS OF OUR PARENTS, COACHES AND FRIENDS.
THE GOOD: 145LB TEAM(5-3) WENT INTO AZTEC COUNTRY AND AFTER OBSERVING THE AZTECS (LIKE THE CHARGERS) RUN THROUGH THEIR PRE-WARM-UP SESSION, THE PLAYERS DECIDED THAT THEY WOULD BE PLAYING NEXT WEEK FOR THE RIGHT TO BE IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. WITH SOILED CONDITIONS BY A STREAM OF STEADY RAIN, THE RAIDERS BROUGHT THEIR THUNDER AND LIGHTING DEFENSE AND IF EDISON HIMSELF WERE THEIR HE WOULD HAVE SURELY DISCOVERED THAT THE RAIDERS CAME TO PLAY. IN THE FIRST HALF THE AZTECS WENT UP 6-0 AFTER A PAS TO THE END ZONE NETTED A SCORE, BUT FINALLY IN THE FOURTH QUARTER ERIC "NECKBONE" WILLIAMS WENT CHARGING DOWN THE FIELD AS IF THE RAIN NO LONGER AFFECTED HIS PLAY. HE BROKE A 25 YARD RUN THROUGH THE MIDDLE TO SCORE AND FINISHED IT OFF BY DRAGGING THREE PLAYERS INTO THE END ZONE FOR THE EXTRA POINT.
AT CENTRAL ERIC JONES AND HIS STAFF AGAIN WRESTLED UP SOME VITTLES, SLAPPED ON THE SPONSOR PATCH AND WENT TO WORK ON THE GATORS. I KNOW IT WAS A PROUD DAY AT KIDFASHIONS WHEN HE OBSERVED THE DEFENSIVE STRUCTURE OF THE RAIDERS AND THE OFFENSIVE POWER COME TOGETHER AS ONE ON A DAY FILLED WITH MORE PUDDLES THEN IRAQI LAND MINE TEST SITE. THE RAIDERS OUTSOURED THE GATORS 37-0, "THEY NEVER HAD A CHANCE" ONE PARENT SAID WHILE WALKING TO THE CAR. THEY NOW AWAIT THE WINNER OF THE CHARGERS/STARS GAME. WOULDN'T IT BE LOVELY TO SEE A RE-MATCH OF THE 110LB RAIDERS ONLY LOST THIS SEASON? BOY I WOULD PAY TO SEE THAT ONE........
BE THERE!!!!
UNDEFEATED CHAMPIONS !!!!
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2002 NORTHWEST RAIDERS 70LB TEAM FOR THEIR REMARKABLE SEASON. THE TEAM FINISHED AS THE 2002 LIBERTY FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS WITH A RECORD OF 8-0-0. HATS OFF TO COACH WAYNE AND HIS HARD WORKING STAFF FOR A JOB WELL DONE. ITS BEEN ONLY 3 YEARS SINCE WAYNE TOOK OVER AS HEAD COACH OF THIS TEAM AND WITH THE TREMENDOUS SUPPORT OF HIS PARENTS FRIENDS AND OTHER COACHES, HE HAS BROUGHT OUR DEVELOPMENTAL TEAM TO THE FOREFRONT. HELP CELEBRATE THEIR ACHIEVEMENT ON FRIDAY NOVEMBER 22, 2002 AT PASTORIUS MIDDLE SCHOOL WHERE WE WILL SHOW THESE FUTURE PLAYERS HOW MUCH THEIR EFFORTS THIS YEAR REALLY MEANT.
CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO CLIP OF THEIR WIN AGAINST THE CYA GATORS!!
