Tournament one of the 2017 season for the Manchester Titans Flag Team was short trip to Crewe where the Cheshire Cavaliers hosted the MEC Central divisional match ups. This was an opportunity for the Titans to take an early advantage against this year’s divisional competition.

To kick off the day the Cheshire Cavaliers took on the Titans. This game showed how well drilled the Titans had been over the off season. The offense scored regularly and the defense held the Cavaliers to 12 as well contributing a Leigh Kerrigan pick six and two safeties from Jordan Parker and Richard McEwen. It was great to see more of the Titans ladies team joining in the flagging fun with Jessica Elliott capturing a TD and Sian Perry a TD and XP. Alan Mead orchestrating the offence and throwing for eight TD’s in the game and hitting six different receivers showing why #onemoreyear may not go away any time soon.

MANCHESTER TITANS 63 CHESHIRE CAVALIERS 12

The Titans second match up of the day was against the Wigan Warhawks. When the Titans played Wigan last year it was a loss and they wanted to earn the win now Wigan are in the same division. The second storyline was Danny Caballero playing against the Titans, the team in which he played for last year (there was talk that Danny had never lost when playing against the Titans.) This game was a close affair and at half time it was Titans 20 – Wigan 19. David McInally, a new recruit to the Titans this year, scored four TD’s and Jay Pitchford completing the scoring with another two. The defense managed to slow the Wigan’s fast paced offense in the second half by only allowing 12 points as well as keeping Wigan out of the endzone while time expired to stop the game from being tied with a TD and potential game winning XP, this being made possible by Danny intercepting an XP for two points.

MANCHESTER TITANS 40 WIGAN WARHAWKS 34

In the most highly anticipated matchup of the day, the Manchester derby, for the Titans. What made this match so important was the fact that the Crows had won all games since there rebranding in 2015. It was a straight up shoot-out, both teams struggling to get stops and trading scores throughout the game. The Crows captured an interception in the first half straight after the Titans had forced the turnover on downs, seemingly giving the Crows the upper hand. In the second half neither offense showed signs of slowing. A crucial mazy midfield run from Richard McEwen for the score highlighted the danger he had shown from early. Alan Mead completed the game with 7 TD throws: three for Jay Pitchford, two for David McInally and one each for Jordan Parker and Richard McEwen. With the game coming into the final stages Julie Gilmour, transfer from EKP ladies, and Tom Brook were able to target three sacks, two for Julie. With the Titans up by two scores, late in the game, after the Titans defence forced a turnover allowed the Titans to control the clock for the important divisional win.

MANCHESTER TITANS 45 MANCHESTER CROWS 40