Titans Women and U19 Weekend Match Reports
By Timothy Foster
Small but mighty, Kemmi Crosby (WR, #11) taken down by two Warriors. Photo by @galagepics.
On Saturday 4th July Titans Women hosted the London Warriors (NWFL Premiership) and the following day the Titans U19s hosted Edinburgh Napier Knights (Division One Scotland & North). Both games kicked off at 12:00 with volunteers from the Mixed Adult Contact Team (Saturday and Sunday) and the Women’s Contact Team (Sunday) as ball-persons and chain crew" and the Merch stand in demand on both days. Both games were live-streamed on our YouTube channel and can be watched back online in full if you missed the games.
The London Warriors are a seasoned team who have competed in the National Finals multiple times and exactly a year ago they won a 0-52 victory in Manchester. This year they came up against a resurgent and very different Titans team full of tough tackling and hard running. Although the result was the same this year the scoreline of 8-19 showed huge progress for our Titans Women - the game was hard-fought and the teams were of equal determination and quality.
Erika Patao (LB/RB, #14) and Maryann Alozie (QB, #9) powering up the Titans run game. Photo by @galagepics.
It’s always nice to face ex-Titan, now-Warrior, and friend Kenya Peters (WR, #12) and she felt the full force of the Titans’ defensive effort, but her perseverance prevailed with a run-in TD in the final quarter. Titans’ TD was a great pick-six by Katie Sykes (DB, #33) whose pace saw her score from the halfway line in the second quarter. Emily Rodrigues (RB, #19) ran in the two-point conversion to make it 8-13 at the half, after two Warriors TDs in the first quarter had given them a 0-13 lead. The game saw standout performances from all players putting their bodies on the line, and a good first start for rookie Maryann Alozie (QB, #9).
Ready for kick off vs Edinburgh Napier Knights. Photo by @shotsby.lozz
On Sunday 5th July two packed rosters of U19s players took to the field in what was an even game to-ing and fro-ing on the scoreline and field position. Titans took the initiative in the first quarter after early strong defending from LB #18 and a swarming defence, and then a great punt and turnover put the Titans on the front foot. A QB (#2) keeper, scrambling and then with dancing feet taking him over the line, with an extra point success. A pick-six from DB (#23) made the score 13-0.
The second quarter saw a momentum swing; Knights scored with a QB ‘keeper’ and then a brilliant pass from their own half was caught downfield for another touchdown. Two extra point conversions made the score 13-14 as play neared the half. Knights however went for it on 4th down in their own half with the clock ticking and the QB was nailed by the edge-rushing Titans #11. The final play of the half saw Titans QB roll out and find #8 by the pylon with a fantastic grab. A two-point conversion was good from the same combination and at the half the score was 21-14.
Titans U19 in the huddle. Photo by @shotsby.lozz.
A Titans fumble and Knights recovery lead to the first score of the second half, bringing Knights to within one point, but the Titans took control with tight defensive lines. The Titans QB with a throw down the middle found #10 with a great catch and run, an extra point in the 3rd quarter and then a brilliant run from #88, reversing the field and outpacing the defence down the Knights sideline in the 4th quarter brought an entertaining game to a close – final score 35-20.
Thanks to Tyler Browne for commentating Saturday’s live stream and entertaining the crowd on the PA on Sunday. Thanks also to the London Warriors and the Edinburgh Napier Knights for two excellent games.
Our next home games are the Titans U16s home tournament on Saturday July 25, the Titans U19s vs Lancashire Buccaneers on Sunday July 26, and the Manchester Titans vs the Merseyside Nighthawks on Saturday 1 August.