An inexperienced Norwich Devils team got a rude awakening
in their opening game of the 2011 season with an emphatic home
loss to Milton Keynes at Hewett School.
The Pathfinders wasted no time in exposing the Devils short-comings.
From the first possession of the game they put together a quick-fire
six-play drive ending when quarterback Michael Keogh fired a
pass in for a 15 yard touchdown. Andy Plant missed the extra
point to leave the Devils trailing by six.
On the next Pathfinders possession, the Devils made a stand
and forced them to punt. But the inexperience of the home side
started to show when the punt was batted away, leaving the visitors
a chance to recover their own kick.
Two plays later the Pathfinders increased their lead on a 15
yard touchdown run from running back Ben Williams, who then
ran in the extra point attempt for a two-point conversion.
In the second quarter the Devils continued to struggle, and
Quarterback Sam Webb was intercepted by Milton Keynes' defensive
back Charles Gillum, who then returned it 55 yards for the touchdown.
Plant kicked the extra point to open up a 21-point lead.
Shortly before half time Norwich fell further behind, when Williams
got his second touchdown of the day, running to the right hand
side to score from 49 yards out. Plant's extra point kick was
again good to give Milton Keynes a 28-0 lead at the break.
Things didn't get any better going into the third quarter when
Keogh got a second TD pass, this time from 11 yards out. The
Pathfinders then had the chance to go further ahead following
a 45-yard run by Williams down to the Norwich seven-yard line,
but Charles Adams came up with the interception in the end zone
for Norwich.
In the fourth quarter, Milton Keynes added two further scores,
firstly an 18-yard run from Adams, following a Norwich fumble
deep in their own half, and a 6-yard TD pass to Ashley Mayo.
Inside the two minute warning Norwich at last got a consolation
TD when Daniel Sutliff, in at Quarterback, threw an eight-yard
strike to Sam Eastwell.
The same combination tried to connect for the extra point attempt
but the ball was ruled to have touched the ground.
The Devils now have three away games, starting on Sunday at
the Essex Spartans, with their next home game scheduled on Sunday,
June 5, also against the Spartans
Quarterback Sam Webb looks to pass down field.
Photo courtesy of Chris Bainbridge
