Watchmen squeeze past Prospectors
The Watchmen came away with a 34-30 win over the Prospectors away from home. Takeaways swung it. The Watchmen forced three turnovers and cashed in. The decisive moment came late, and it went the way of the Watchmen.
The Prospectors got on the board first as R.Oyelaran powered in from 3 yards, and the two-point try was good. The reply from the Watchmen came quickly: V.Yardley converted from 28 yards. The Watchmen went in front when O.Thistlewood threaded a 1-yard scoring pass to F.Fairweather. The Watchmen padded their advantage as V.Yardley booted one through from 24 yards.
The Prospectors edged in front when Delacroix lofted a 5-yard touchdown to Galloway. The Watchmen moved ahead: Hargrove scored on a 1-yard reception. The Prospectors grabbed the lead after Montclair made a 7-yard touchdown grab. The lead changed hands when O.Thistlewood and F.Fairweather teamed up for an 8-yard touchdown.
The Prospectors moved ahead: Novak powered in from 1 yard, plus the two-point conversion. With 1:19 to go in the fourth quarter, O.Thistlewood connected with F.Fairweather on a 1-yard scoring strike, and that proved to be the winner. There was one more shot for the Prospectors from their own 33, and Brannick was stopped short. The turning point came in the first quarter, when Ximenez jarred the ball free for Northway to fall on.
Fenton Fairweather ripped off 47 yards on one catch.
On the winning side, Omar Thistlewood threw it 33 times, completing 21 for 221 yards, with four touchdowns. Porter Hargrove found running room all day, 65 yards in all. Fenton Fairweather had 8 receptions for 86 yards and three scores. Ellis Wainwright was the busiest defender, 13 tackles. Even in the loss, Dalton Delacroix put up 213 passing yards, including two touchdowns, completing 18 of 31. Reid Oyelaran averaged 7.5 yards a carry on his way to 60, scoring once. Nash Birchall hauled in 5 balls for 65 yards. Orion Jaramillo anchored the defense, 10 tackles. Omar Thistlewood tipped this one more than anyone: +15% in win chance for the Watchmen.
The win moves the Watchmen to 1-0. They sit first in the Summit West. At 0-1, the Prospectors have work to do. That puts them fourth in their division. The Prospectors meet the Phoenix Thoroughbreds on Sunday, November 8. Up next, the Watchmen host the Denver Wasps on Sunday, November 8.