Sack Sack Goose.

The scrimmage in LA went really for our rookie-filled, rag tag squad. We took around 17 players; less than half had played before and we almost none of our starters. We did luck out and manage to get our starting wide reciever and starting defensive tackle replace two of other vets at the last minute. They didn't really add experience to the squad, but they did add size, which we desperately needed.

I didn't get to play receiver at all and was having a terrible time with warmups before the game. On defense though, I got to play a lot of defensive end, especially in the first and third scrimmages.

The first game against Tucson went well. We scored 3TD and held them to none. On the last play, the defensive line broke through at the last second and leapt at the quarterback who threw the ball away before we all collided on her at once.

The second game didn't go as well, as the team we were playing had just finished a game and were already in a rhythm and we had just taken a short rest and lost all of ours. We managed to hold it together and tie them 1 TD to 1 TD.

The third game was against the other Tier 1 team at the tournament, the California Quake. They were the team hosting the tournament and had their entire large squad there. We ended up winning 2 TD to 1 TD and feeliing really great about ourselves. They had a reverse they liked to run that managed to bite me in the ass the first time near the goal line. I overpursued and when they brought it back in me, I wasn't in a position to do anything about it. Later in the game, they were near the goal line again and I thought myself "watch for the goddamn reverse." The quarterback was calling the plays at the line, yelling things like "TOKYO SPAIN FOLLOW TODD." I'm listening to her when I hear her yell something and my brain just KNEW it was going to be that reverse. The ball snaps, running back takes the hand off and runs away from the side of the field. I stay where I'm at just working at getting off my block because sure enough, that running back hands the ball off and it's coming back my way. She goes to run outside me and I'm right there waiting. She tries to turn it back inside and there's Maddox waiting right for her. BAM tackled.

A few plays later it's 3rd and goal for what seems like the 3rd or 4th play in a row. I think those refs were drunk. But we're still holding strong and no way are we going to let them score. We line up, ball gets snapped and I'm shoving my way to the quarterback. Suddenly she sees me, almost in a position to sack her, and takes off running. I dive for her and manage to grab...her towel. I am on the ground. Pulling on her towel. Thinking "Someone come and hit this woman, goddammit." Mere seconds later, a teammate was there hitting her. I wish I'd had gotten the sack myself, but I felt pretty good about how close I got.



Afterwards, my arms were covered in bruises, my feet were sore from getting stepped on and my thumb had been bent and smashed in the wrong ways multiple times. But it felt good to win.

On practice the next Monday, I got to play tackling dummy against the first defense and got even more bruises on my arms. And Saturday we played Duck Duck Goose at practice! I ran down Cole after she uh...goosed me? and maybe a little to aggressively shoved her to the ground when I caught her. What can I say, I was upset and Coach yelling "GET HER FOR DOING THAT TO YOU!" got me a little fired up.

Practice last night was exhausting and involved way too much running. We're getting our uniforms and helmet decals soon. Pictures once I do!