WEEK 4 REVIEW

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Category: The TSC

Created: Tuesday, 12 September 2023 20:10

Published: Tuesday, 12 September 2023 20:10

Written by Jeff Krol

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Week 4 has come and gone, we are now halfway through the TSL season, but don’t let that bum you out! We have so much more season to go. The weather cooperated for us, with cooler temps and a bit of overcast to protect you non-sunscreen wearers from yourselves. We had rematches galore, gender team battles, and new teams out to make a point which makes the mid-point of the season that much more interesting. Let’s take a look!

D1:

Eyes Downtown 40, Sticky Bandits 26

It would appear the Sticky receivers adopted the Kansas City Chiefs catching drills, because they just couldn’t avoid costly drops! ED carved up the Sticky defense (it would appear they weren’t so sticky on defense), utilizing Derek Bongiovanni’s size and speed, Nick Angelos glorious hair, and the athleticism of Kayla, Amber and Katie. The ED defense was playing on turbo time as they earned two sacks by lead rusher Blase, a pick by Amber Hay and a game-ending toe-tap pick by Cody Stumpf who exclaimed “you’re done!” as he caught it.

Legends 39, Eyes Downtown 38

ED recruited a foreign exchange athlete swapping out Johnny Yioulos for mustached Italian athlete named Mario. This Mario Man was jumping all over the field, bouncing on his opponents, eating mushrooms, and trying to use flowers to throw fireballs. Bobby McConnell aired out a deep ball to Mario, who jumped up in the air, catching the football, screaming “wah-hooooo!” as he landed in the end zone. ED and Legends went back and forth in their second bout in three consecutive weeks. After some controversial calls, Legends came out on top to hold on to their undefeated season. 

D2:

Can’t Touch This 36, Scared Hitless 23

The girls of SH are drastically underrated as they have incredible hands and speed. The SH defense was able to sack Ryan Dougherty 5 times. Despite the sacks, CTT was able to get the ball in the end zone multiple times with deep shots, back line routes and toe taps. The receivers showed their great chemistry with him, finding openings in the defense all game long. 

D3:

The Malones 50, Bullet Club 37

The Malones are extremely skilled, and their record was not indicative of the talent they possess. TM has a QB with a good arm and he put it on display, completing quite a few deep passes over the BC defense. The ladies for TM have skill, and they showed what they were about with catch after catch. BC was abandoned once again by their QB Langley, but Tommy Hughes led the charge well. After getting down early, Tommy did what all wily vets do, and led the comeback to take a late lead. A controversial touchdown call marred this a bit, but in the end, TM came out on top for their first win. 

Let’s Get Reccked 57, Wanderers 14

The surprise of the day, Wanderers were playing with three girls and three guys the whole game. LGR was playing with four guys and four girls, so seemingly a mismatch, and it was. The availability of subs and consistency allowed for Buchilis’ team to have a massacre win over the wanderers. LGR scored a bunch with no struggle at all, and the whole team was celebrating after the game. 

D4:

Cunning Stunts 53, Father Baker 44

This game was the highlight of the day and proved exactly why we need to have gender teams. These two teams showed the perfect example of what happens when all the best girls in the league play against one another; they score a bunch of points, draw a crowd, and play exciting football. Father Baker was missing their Father Baker, as he was doing missionary work in Chicago. He was replaced with Father McConnell who had the holy ghost in all of his throws. Touchdowns were had by all, whether they were deep routes, a Katie Salisbury Juke, or a 6 play drive. The game came down to who could capitalize on their extra points and the final drive. Joey Batts intercepted the ball on fourth down of the final drive to seal the victory. 

D5:

Come From Behind 38, GUCCI 23

GUCCI is the total package with the TSL's greatest female QB and a slew of athletic, physical receivers for Kelly to work with.  They might still be the favorites to win D5, but if they lose (again) in the playoffs, we wouldn't be shocked if Come From Behind was the team to do it.  Paul Lovullo was his usual lethal self on Saturday, and GUCCI just didn't have an answer for his connection with Rob.  Athletes were diving over each other to make plays and it was obvious both teams wanted this one, but only Come From Behind could come out on top.

D6:

Pit Harade 34, Back That Pass Up 14

Nick Stutzman from Two Tuddies was subbing as QB for Pit Harade, but you'd never know it was his first game throwing for this team.  His chemistry with Mike Malicki in the end zone was unstoppable, and Back That Pass Up had no answer for Mike's height or Sam Pezzino's speed.  Buddy Lee calls a great game for both of his teams, but his receivers dropped a number of passes that might have given Back That Pass Up a chance to keep up on the scoreboard.

WEEK 2 REVIEW

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Category: The TSC

Created: Tuesday, 29 August 2023 15:45

Published: Tuesday, 29 August 2023 15:45

Written by Jeff Krol

Hits: 2999

Hello TSLers, the Sentinel is BACK after a hiatus last week. Saturday the sun was shining and the weather could not have been better. It is so early in the season, so it is difficult to get a good gauge on who’s truly the contenders, and who’s the pretenders, but it is fun to imagine! Teams that have started off hot must believe this is their year, while those that aren’t may be wondering why they are in the division they are in. Nonetheless, let check out the action!

Breakfast Club

The Dirty Dozen 48, Blach-Ur-Anus 39

The first BC game of the year was a high-scoring affair! Garrett Beesing was back there throwing for BUA and he found instant success! It appeared to be the Garrett and Langley show as the two connected time after time moving the ball down the field, making people wonder what those two did together in the offseason. Dirty Dozen was led by Micah at QB, who moved the ball at will. Defense was purely optional, and Micah took advantage. He throws a beautiful deep ball, and likes taking risks, which we can all appreciate! In the end, DD made enough plays and utilized their girls for scores and took home the win.

D1

Sticky Bandits 37, Frodo Swaggins 28

There was quite a height disparity here and Frodo took advantage early, as Garrett threw a beauty of a jump ball to Blake Fisher for the early score. Katie Swanson also joined the action, throwing the ball up to CJ Coatsworth, who used his height to high-point the ball over his defender. Despite playing the entire game with three girls, Sticky was able to carve up the Frodo defense, as Mike Thomas played strategic ball and found his open receivers. Brandy Clarke continued to be a beast on both sides of the ball, notching a TD on offense and a well-timed pick on defense!

D2

Can’t Touch This 19, Practice Squad 6

CTT is adapting well to D2, and continues to make a case to be the favorite as Ryan and his crew continue to build on the success they have had. Known for his electric arm, Ryan found his open receivers down the field, but the team had a case of the drops multiple times in the endzone on a few occasions. PS was down to a sub QB with B being MIA, and while the defense held tough all game, the offense just couldn’t get it going until the end. 

D3

Vaspian 24, Let’s get Reccked 16

This was a very fun back-and-forth game, with both defense making big time plays. LGR didn’t have Alex back at QB, but who they had was rock solid, and delivered some tight passes all game long and Dave Baker was all over the field. With Vaspian Driving, Baker picked off Brian O and returned it. Nina K ran behind him and took the pitch to walk in for a girl score. Vaspian battled back though, as Drew Colisimo notched a big pick of his own. With the game on the line, Brian o found his guy on a deep ball over Baker that ultimately was the decider. Heck of a game!

D4

Travis Henry’s Kids 38, Father Baker 26

Father Baker is another iteration of the all-star girls teams, and they have talent! With it being week one for them, it took some time to work out the kinks but as the game went on, they got stronger. Baker was smart and decisive and kept taking advantage of the crossers THK gave them. THK was without Pistol Pete, but it looks like they added Money Mike Burke to the squad, talk about an addition! Langley threw a couple picks (shocker) but stayed poised and made enough plays. At the end leading by 2, THK put Jenna B at QB and she found tall Aaron for 8 points. QB controversy anyone?

D5

Gucci 46, Goatsack 32

Gucci continues their revenge tour in smoking fashion, as Kelly Kane has that look in her eye that she is ready to destroy D5. Gucci moved the ball at will, and had open receivers all day. This game was a one-two score game the whole way, and with Gucci driving, Kelly threw a pretty ill-timed interception. Goatsack made a change at qb towards the end and it seemed to work as they moved the ball well! In the end, Big Chris Wolcott and Kelly were too much for them and the dominance continues. 

D6

Just get open 52, BTPU 8

Just get open looks like a new team for the league, but they certainly are NOT a new team playing together! I will have to learn their names after seeing the dominance they put out there, but they made this game look easy, moving the ball at will and stifling BTPU. BTPU is a team Alex D brought in and while they are still learning the ropes, I am sure some wins will be coming at some point. Not too much to say, this looked like a mismatch from the opening snap. 

That is it for this week, I promise the Sentinel will cover more next week!

WEEK 3 REVIEW

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Category: The TSC

Created: Wednesday, 06 September 2023 19:23

Published: Wednesday, 06 September 2023 19:23

Written by Jeff Krol

Hits: 12283

Hello friends! I can’t believe we are already through three weeks of the season! It always feels like the weeks between sessions drag on but once we get back to football, it just flies on by! There were a lot of interesting games out there, some teams looking to make a statement, while others fell back a little bit. Who starred, and who flopped? Let’s take a look!

Breakfast Club

BDD 40, The Dirty Dozen 18

This one was a bloodbath. BDD basically has multiple QB’s who can all play, and they used them. TDD was led by Micah, who continued to try to hit his girls deep downfield but seemed to hit on none of them. It would appear Becca put together the winning roster, again, which is pretty boring. We will see how the rest of the BC league does.

D1

Sticky Bandits 37, Losing Streak 18

Was this a game that showed how good Sticky is, or, how LS struggles when they do not have Chris and Kai? Sticky was missing most of their weapons too, but as long as they have Mike Thomas it doesn't seem to matter. Adrian Cannon continuously made plays down the field, with great runs after catch while Drew Colosimo made a nice catch on a fade route into the endzone early on. Jordan Lawson had some struggles, but was not as far off as he may think he was, with some deep balls being just out of reach. LS had a chance to make this a close game at half, but Ralph Finney made his way out of the field, causing a “too many men on the field” penalty, nullifying a touchdown at the end of the half. From there, Sticky did what they do and cruised on, playing mistake free. 

Legends 48, Eyes Downtown 43

What a game this was, and the QB controversy was born for Legends! Sean was out there slinging the ball all over, finding his girls and guys for big chunks at a time. ED got behind early, but came clawing back as Bobby McConnell found use in Ben Stack and his ladies countless times. This was a “defense optional” type of game, but in the end, the early deficit was just a little too much for ED to overcome. I do come away from this believing that ED may have the unit this year to take the title, even in a loss. Not having a few key pieces I think impacted this one. 

D2

Mavericks 47, Thread 20

As talented as the Mavericks are, I am not sure many saw this one coming. Thread was coming off a grueling win over untouchaballs, so that may have played an impact as they appeared a little gassed throughout the game. Jordan rebounded from his LS loss with vengeance in his eyes, repeatedly finding his ladies all over the field. Money Mike Burke could be heard from fields away with his enthusiastic positivity, which we all love to see! Manny Batcho was communicating at a high level on defense, and rallied the troops to stifle Thread. 

Can’t Touch This 47, untouchaballs 41

CTT continues to show they are the favorite in D2, taking care of business against a tough untouchaballs team. Burr was short girls, so he called in Maddie Norton who was all over the field making plays. QB Ryan for CTT was electric again, finding open guys and girls at will, and was unstoppable. CTT has much of the same guys, minus a couple and the chemistry was obvious from the jump. Neither defense played strong, but CTT made enough plays on defense to seal with win. 

D3

Bullet Club 42, 716 39

The new-look 716 may not have a win yet, but they seem to have the pieces to make some noise. B has assumed the QB role, so that brought some stability. They still have Derek pew, although not throwing, James Cellato, and both made a ton of plays. James notched a few picks and touchdowns, and was all over the field. BC is now led by Langley at QB, and we can’t figure out if that is an upgrade over Jeff Easton or not. BC moved the ball at will on offense, and new addition George Lombardo was a monster with a ton of receptions. Back and forth the whole way, BC went down the field and Nick Buzek notched what proved to be the game-winner. 

The Family 68, Malone’s 46

Defense was clearly not a priority in this one, when you see over 100 points combined put up! The Family is in the running for best jersey’s in the TSL, and they have a ton of fun while playing. Family loves to take deep shots, led by Terrell Bolden at QB and has the speed and athleticism to do so. Whoever is number X on the team has caught a lot of attention for his noteworthy catches. There is some chatter that there may have been collusion to try to break the single-game points record scored in TSL history. 

D4

ILF 42, TMA 22

With the addition of Boccio, the expectation was he would single-handedly turn this game into a blood bath. Early returns were not as good, as Ryan Henry overthrew Boccio a handful of times, but the overall thought is give this team a few more games, and they will be cooking with oil. ILF was carried once again by their girls who continually found open spots in the defense. Highlight of the day was Jason Neth’s pick-6 to give the Falcons a sizeable lead to cruise with. 

Puckett All-Stars 40, THK 20

PAS stayed in D4 after winning the spring championship, and they look poised for another run. Returning a lot of the same team, with a new QB (looks like TJ is back out there), while making a couple additions, they still have the speed and athleticism to make a run. PAS got out to a big early lead, and never looked. Back. Langley has struggled against PAS and continued to do so again, throwing some errant passes that stalled multiple drives. There was an ejection in this one, we will not get into but it added a bit of flare!

D5

The BAADies 57, Spinelli’s 52

Okay, so we love to pick on Garrett in this program, but I have to say, he made some crazy plays on defense in this one! Garrett tormented Nick Hawes with by my count three interceptions that really swung the game. Spinelli’s did what they do best; not calling plays but still lighting up the scoreboard. In the end, Garrett and his girls made too many plays. Talia is a cheat code with his mix of size and hands, making a few nice grabs, especially one in the back corner of the endzone to help seal things. 

Come From Behind 20, Gucci 17

Well after so many games with no defense, we get a big change with not much offense in this one! Gucci was without Kelly Kane, and that absolutely matters. Gucci was undefeated with her, and dropped two games without her. CFB is a staple in this league, with Paul Lovullo slinging the rock like he’s 22 again. CFB has some tall guys at receiver, and dependable girls. Not sure the name of who filled in at QB for Gucci but I have to assume he will bow to Kelly Kane upon her return and tell her to never miss a week again!

D6

Balls Deep 26, Blitzkrieg 7

Will the real Blitzkrieg please stand up? I still can’t figure this team out. Light Red hoody guy is throwing, but the offense was just inconsistent and unable to generate much. Balls Deep seems to be the Graves Bros incarnate, so they know how to play this game at that level and get wins. They will be a factor in the end. Some nice deep passes from their QB (I will need to learn his name, he throws a solid ball) and in the end, their defense held Blitzkrieg down to get the win. 

Back That Pass up 21, Two Tuddies 18

BTPU wins! BTPU wins! Remember last week when I told you they were poised to break through at some point? Man, am I good! Alex and his crew have ben taking one on the chin for a while and continued to learn, and they pulled off perhaps the upset of the season, beating what many assume to be the D6 favorite in two tuddies. It should be noted that Chris Wolcott was playing with Gucci at this time, but don’t let that take anything away from BTPU. They played tight defense and made enough plays to win on offense. I need to learn more about the players, they seem like a fun group!

PLAYOFF REVIEW

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Category: The TSC

Created: Tuesday, 20 June 2023 16:29

Published: Tuesday, 20 June 2023 16:29

Written by Jeff Krol

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Boy was Saturday fun! The fields were hopping with intensity as the greatest playoffs in co-ed touch football in WNY began, and you can bet the games delivered! The weather was beautiful, and after some much-needed rain throughout the week, the ground wasn’t concrete! First things first, great job for the most part not yelling at refs too badly Saturday. We have to remember that these refs volunteer to do this, and while we do pay them, they don’t deserve the get screamed at, insulted, or any other forms of abuse. So let’s keep that energy! Okay, enough of that, let’s recap these games!

Breakfast Club:

BDSM 31, The ASS 14

This was a lot closer and competitive than the final score might suggest, but BDSM is rolling and may have always been Steph Infections biggest competition. Sean was slinging it, and routinely found Talia all over the field and for a couple scores. Langley slung it for the ASS, and in what was a common theme all year, they were short-handed. They moved the ball down the field well, highlighted by Terrell Bolden who makes a lot of plays. In the end, BDSM and Sean converted on more scoring drives. 

D1:

Eyes Downtown 33, TEIM 32

Game of the day alert! At least in D1 that is. TEIM looked poised and ready to go, with Andy Smigiera finding open receivers all day. Katie Salisbury was a monster, as always, and tough to defend. ED got down early, and Bobby McConnell threw an uncharacteristic pick as ED got down two scores. Then the second half happened, and ED moved the ball at will and got right back into things. TEIM picked Bobby off towards the end, and had a chance to stop short of the goalline, and run time, but instead pitched to Margo for the gender TD. After not converting, ED moved the ball down the field and had Emily throw for a TD, and converted the 2-point conversion. What a win!

Legends 44, Grey Hair 29

The score is a little misleading, as GH was in pole position for a while in this game. Amber Hay had a nice long TD and George Lombardo sealed a pick to take all momentum. Then, Joey and his crew woke up and just kept scoring. Mel was tough to cover, to no ones surprise and Sean and Shbend were all over the field on both sides of the ball. This was expected to get chippy a bit, and while it did, things calmed down and Legends dominated in the end. 

D2:

Practice Squad 39, Freeballers 0

What the heck is with Practice Squad and not winning much (at all this session) in the regular season, but coming through in the playoffs? B, I see you, I guess you just like the bright lights of the playoffs more! PS dominated this game, and Freeballers had no answers. The offense really struggled to finish off drives, while B moved his team up and down the field at will. When you have girls as good as B does, it makes life so much easier. Not much to say here, this was a beat down. 

D3:

Bullet Club 29, LGR 22

Jeff Easton started this game, but John Langley ended up finishing it, so we all thought we would know how that would turn out! After the game was tied early, BC asserted themselves and went down to score the next few drives consecutively. Man coverage against Pistol Pete and Deak was a bit of a bold strategy, but the story was Nick Buzek turning back the clock and dominating all over the field. Alex Buchlis and his crew mounted a late comeback, but it was too late as all BC needed to do the last drive was dirt a few balls and take the win. 

Can’t Tough This 47, Degeneration SeXy 20

It is well known by now CTT QB Ryan Dougherty has the best arm in the league hands down, and that has Travis thinking “how can I replace Joey’s arm with his to make Legends even better?” DGSexy threw way too many deep picks and they got behind from the jump. CTT was putting up points on every drive, despite their receivers stepping out of bounds all the time. You know they are good seeing as how they had to score a touchdown twice on multiple drives. In the end, DGSexy just couldn’t get it going early enough, and fell too far behind. 

D4:

Puckett All-Stars 40, THK 34

This was the game of the day in D4, and was back and forth the entire way. Vince Taverna took advantage of his athleticism and bought a lot of time scrambling to make plays down the field. It goes without saying, it is incredibly difficult to match PAS speed and athleticism. THK had Pete out there, and the question was who could stay with him. The answer was nobody, as he made play after play. THK got a pick late by Pete and he returned it to about the 5 with 1 second left, the PAS stood tall and made the play to move on to the semis. 

Buffalo Vice 50, Creekers 30

We all know BV is a force in D4, and Andy Clark has an embarrassment of riches on his team. They are filled with athletes, and Caitlyn Mason may be one of the best girls in the league. She was routinely getting open and making plays. However, I want to give the Creekers some love here. They competed the entire game, and their QB looks like a promising find. For a new team that got thrown into a tough D4, they competed the whole game and found the endzone the most they had all season. Not a bad time to start finding your stride and maybe with a bump down in division, they can be a force. 

D5: 

ILF 45, Goatsack! 35

This was an offensive battle, as the score can clearly tell you, as both teams utilized their ladies to perfection, scoring multiple touchdowns. Defense was purely optional, as both offenses just chewed up chunks of yards at will. Jason Neth stepped up and swatted three passes away as Goatsack! Attempted to get a last ditch female touchdown to close the gap. 

NSS 33, CFB14

I’d call NSS the sandbaggers of the century, but that title belongs to B and practice squad. All jokes aside, NSS is talented and imposed their will for an upset special in the first round. An early pick set the tone and the already shorthanded Come From Behind defense was no match for the veteran play calling of Not So Sticky who kept finding blown coverages to move the ball down the field.  Rags deserves lots of credit for keeping his team believing despite being heavy underdogs.

D6:

Sausage McMuffins 22, Blitzkrieg 6

Offense optional anyone? A tight low-scoring affair as neither team looked interested in scoring until hero Alex of SM decided he was ready to win. Alex threw to his girls early and often while SM’s defense wanted the style points of grabbing a one-handed interception off of Blitzkrieg. SM seemed happy to be there, while the crowd was chanting for a Blitzkrieg win, but left disappointed as SM stakes their claim. 

Two Tuddies 34, Pit Harade 14

Pit Harade ends a disappointing first season scrambling for a QB again, as Nick Hawes goes ghost and Dave Walter steps up and says “I can lead this team!” Dave was awesome, and was finding his receivers open, but just couldn’t cash in. Tall guy with glasses for Pit Harade looks like a hidden gem. Two Tuddies used their experience and chemistry and moved the ball down the field, and the defense stepped up for a couple picks. Will be watching how the Tud Squad does next week!