The Titans defence sacked West Coast QB Gary McNey three times, whilst Manchester QB Alan Mead threw 2 TDs to Adam Simms and Running Backs Nick Copley and Niall Sweeney added touchdowns on the ground.

West Coast scored first but the Titans answered back with a 56 yard drive, capped by Copley’s 2 yard run to tie the scores at 6-6. Then the Trojans added another score to take a 14-6 lead with just 2 minutes left in the first half. Mead then threw a 44 yard bomb to Simms for a TD with Ross Profit adding the 2 point conversion to make the half-time score 14-14.

In the second half, Manchester marched 74 yards for Simms’ 2nd TD catch, this time from 6 yards out with Profit again converting for a 22-14 Titans lead. Matt McCormack’s fumble recovery gave the Titans the ball back and they drove 65 yards to score – this time Copley from a yard out.

The Titans defense again stopped the West Coast offense thanks to 2 sacks by Andy Burridge. Mead then found Chris Heap on passes of 21 and 24 yards, before Sweeney ran in from 3 yards out to effectively end the contest. The Trojans added a late consolation TD to make the final score 34-22.

Manchester now host the Shropshire Revolution at Broughton Park on Sunday 12th September, 2.30pm kickoff, with the winners qualifying for the BritBowl final in Worcester on September 19th.

Pictures available here: http://bit.ly/bS4nRs

Photos courtesy of Ian JD Andrews

The Manchester Titans Youth team made the long journey up to Scotland to complete their first season in the BAFA Youth League. Unfortunately, once again the Titans were forced to field an under-strength team of just 19 players with many having to play both offense and defense. Despite this the players performed admirably in what would be their last game of season, and for many their last game in Youth Football.

The Longhorns received the opening kickoff and despite a sack by Jamie Kenyon, drove 61 yards to score but a high snap allowed the Titan’s defense to swarm the kicker and prevent the conversion.

6-0 to the home side.

Titans Kick Returner Toby Kane slipped on the ensuing kick-off, forcing Manchester to start from their 7 yard line. But a 13 yard scramble by QB Matt Blinkhorn and a 6 yard catch by Kane on 3rd down got the Titans offense moving. An 8 yard run by Alex Reilly picked up another Manchester first down but Blinkhorn was sacked and fumbled but the ball was alertly recovered by Mike Ainscow. However a pass to TE Matt Nelan on 3rd & 14 was overthrown and the Titans were forced to punt.

Manchester’s defense forced Lanarkshire to punt on their next possession to end the 1st Quarter.

Blinkhorn’s 16 yard run moved the ball into Longhorn territory, but an intentional grounding penalty and an incomplete pass meant the Titans had to punt again. But the Manchester defense stepped up again and a 3rd down sack by Reilly led to a Longhorns punt.

Both teams punted on their next possession and at the 2 minute warning a penalty gave the Titans the ball on the Longhorns 47 yard line. However, Blinkhorn’s pitch was behind RB Tom Higham and Lanarkshire recovered.

With CB Marcus Cobb shutting down the Longhorns top receiver, #86, Lanarkshire were forced to find another target, which they did finding their TE with a 19 yard pass on 3rd and 17 and a 12 yard catch over the middle for a TD. The XP was good and the score was 14-0.

The 2nd half started with an 11 yard run by Higham that would have picked up a first down only to be called back for penalty and the Titans were forced to punt. Both teams exchanged punts to end the 3rd quarter.

On their first drive of the 4th Quarter the Longhorns QB was sacked again by Reilly who forced a fumble that Lee Bailey recovered to give Manchester possession on their 36 yard line. Down by 2 scores in the fourth quarter, the Titans gambled on 4th down but Blinkhorn’s pass was tipped and fell incomplete.

Two plays later the Titans defense stepped up again and Ainscow forced a fumble that Adam Carter recovered to give the Titans another chance. But the Longhorn’s Middle Linebacker made a leaping catch of Blinkhorn’s pass to Nelan. The Longhorn’s made the Titans pay for the mistake with their TD catching his 2nd TD pass of the game. Nelan made an excellent individual effort to block the extra point leaving the score at 20-0.

At the two minute warning Manchester’s offense had one last chance for a consolation score but a dropped pass by Kane on 4th down gave the ball back to Lanarkshire.

The Longhorn’s then added a final score as time expired to finish up 26-0 winners.

Defensive Co-ordinator Allan Murdoch set 3 goals for the team at the beginning of the season – to win a game, get a defensive shut-out and to complete the season by playing in all games. Goal one was achieved against Gateshead at the beginning of the season. Goal 2 was achieved in the Pre-Season Spring Bowl Tournament and Goal 3 was completed by playing against Lanarkshire.

So despite a record of 1-7, the Titans completed a successful first season of Youth football and look forward on building for next season. With rookie-camps planned for October, the Titans will be looking at recruiting some new players for next season.

Photo by JD (Ian Andrews)

Manchester Titans at Lancashire Wolverines 15/8/10

The Manchester Titans have matched last season’s amazing accomplishment of going undefeated in the regular season. The Titans have again won all 10 of their games to propel themselves into the play-offs as favourites in the Northern section of the BAFA Division 2.

To achieve the feat this time the Titans had to travel to their local rivals the Lancashire Wolverines who needed a win to qualify for the playoffs. The first game between the two teams was a closely fought affair with the Titans holding out for a 26-20 win.

Manchester received the opening kick-off and behind the running of RB Nick Copley drove 70 yards before QB Rik Lowthion hit WR Will Kinghorn with a 24 yard TD pass. Dave Barnett’s extra point hit the post but the Titans had a 6-0 lead they would not relinquish.

The Wolverines put together a 62 yard drive aided by a couple of penalties but they faced a 3rd and 7 from the Titans 9 yard line when Safety Jon Homer broke up a key pass. On 4th Down Lancashire decided against a sure field goal and went for the game-tying touchdown but the pass fell incomplete handing the ball back to Manchester. The Titans picked up a couple of First Downs on runs by RBs Niall Sweeney and Ryan Farrell but Lowthion’s 3rd Down pass was intercepted on the Lancashire 36 yard line.

The Wolverines again moved the ball into the Titans half but again they faced a 4th down, this time from the Manchester 25 yard line. Wolverines QB launched a pass deep into the endzone but it was knocked away at the last second by the Titans Free Safety Dave Barnett to end the first quarter.

Manchester’s next possession also ended in a Lowthion interception but the Titans defense forced the Wolverines into a 3 and out and they were forced to punt the ball back to Manchester. However an excellent kick meant the Titans would be forced to start on their own 2 yard line. But Lowthion led the offense on a 12 play, 88 yard drive that featured 2 rushes for 24 yards by RB Kenny Harrison, a key 5 yard run on 3rd & 5 by RB Ross Profit plus a 29 yard catch by Kinghorn. The drive was finished off by a 9 yard TD catch by WR Adam Simms, his 12th TD of the season. Sweeney added the 2 point conversion and the Titans took at 14-0 lead.

With just 4 minutes remaining in the 1st half the Wolverines tried desperately to get themselves back into the game but 2 sacks by DE Andy “Gigantor” Burridge forced them into a 4th and 18. They then attempted a fake punt which was snuffed out by LB Michael Smith and Jon Homer. With less than a minute remaining the Titans were unable to add to their score, and the half ended with Manchester ahead 14-0.

Lancashire received the 2nd half kick off and immediately drove 49 yards to the Titans 8 yard line but again a great defensive effort kept the Wolverines out of the endzone and on 4th & 4 a sack by DE Matt McCormack held Lancashire scoreless. The Titans Offense drove the ball into Wolverine territory but Lowthion was sacked on 3rd down and they were forced to punt.

The Wolverine’s next possession was ended by CB Martin Fitzpatrick’s shoestring interception at the Titans 17 yard line. But the Titans were unable to capitalise and on 4th and 10 attempted to punt. However a low snap gave punter Kinghorn no chance to get the kick away and he was tackled short of the first down marker.

Despite the good field position, Lancashire failed to pick up a first down and turned the ball over to the Titans when a simple chance was dropped on 4th down. A 23 yard run by Copley moved the ball into the Lancashire half when the 3rd quarter ended with the Titans driving. TE Chris Heap then collected 2 passes from Lowthion, the latter a diving catch in the endzone for a 17 yard TD, Lowthion’s 3rd TD of the day. Sweeney again added the 2PAT and the Titans stretched the lead to 22-0.

With the Wolverines trying desperately to get back into the game, the Titans defense stepped up again with Burridge and DE Phil Cowey combining on a 4 yard loss on a screen play and two excellent plays from CBs Colin Boyle and Fitzpatrick. Firstly a great solo tackle by Boyle stopped the Lancashire QB when he had broken containment and was scrambling for a 18 yard gain. Then Fitzpatrick stepped up and stopped a sweep play for a 3 yard loss. On 3rd & 13 McCormack recorded his 2nd sack which forced the Wolverine’s to punt again.

Three runs by Profit and a 7 yard catch by rookie receiver Ben Barker on 3rd an 2 moved the ball into Lancashire territory. But the drive stalled when Lowthion’s 4th down pass fell incomplete.

The Wolverine’s caught the Titans defense napping with a misdirection run that went 49 yards to score. But the 2 point attempt was intercepted by Boyle leaving the score 22-6 in favour of Manchester.

Lancashire’s onside kick attempt was recovered by LB Rob Bainbridge and the Titans forced the Wolverines to use their all time-outs as they attempted to get the ball back from Manchester. The Titans eventually were forced to punt but with only enough time for Lancashire to run a couple of plays before the final whistle blew leaving the Titan victorious 22-6.

Manchester end their season undefeated with 10 wins for the 2nd season running but this time they will be focussing solely on winning their play-off games for the right to play in the Division 2 final at Worcester on September 19th.

The Titans next game should be against the West Coast Trojans at Broughton Park on Sunday 5th September in the first round of the play-offs. Victory will see them play in the semi-finals on the following weekend.

An under-strength Titans youth team travelled up to Blackburn to take part in a double-header with the Lancashire Wolverines. With the Titans missing several players due to holidays, they would need to raise their game to defeat the division leading Wolverines.

Head Coach Alan Mead tried to do this by calling for an onside kick on the game’s opening kick-off and although the Titans failed to recover it, it seemed to inspire the team, with the defense forcing the Wolverines to go 3 and out on both their first two possessions.

Manchester’s 2nd possession produced an 11 play 51 yard drive, featuring 22 yards rushing by Wildcat QB George Warren. But a high snap on the 4th down field goal attempt forced Kicker Matt Nelan into throwing an incomplete pass to end the drive.

Lancashire’s next drive started on their own 18 yard line and despite 2 passes broken up by CB Marcus Cobb, they drove all the way down to the Titans 8 yard line. However the Manchester’s defense stepped up, firstly with Shane Mageean recording a sack and then Nathan Beaumont pressuring the Lancs QB into an incompletion. On 3rd Down Jamie Kenyon picked off a tipped pass in the endzone and returned it to the Titans 24 yard line.

The Titans offense drove to their own 41 yard line when QB Matt Blinkhorn’s pass was dropped on 3rd down by WR Andy Mwailu. Nelan’s punt was downed on the Lancashire 16 yard line. Back to back sacks by LB Cameron Linnell and Mageean forced the Wolverines to punt the ball back to the Titans. But once again, the Titans offense were unable to pick up a first down and had to punt.

For most of the first half the Titans had matched their rivals and looked to be ending into half-time deadlocked at 0-0. But with just 7 seconds left in the first half, the Wolverines caught the Titans defense napping and completed a 58 yard TD pass which they converted for a fortunate 8-0 half-time lead.

Things didn’t get much better for Manchester at the beginning of the 2nd half, although after a dropped pass by Warren, the Wolverines were penalised for having 12 men on the field giving the Titans a first down. But despite 2 catches by Nelan, an incomplete pass by Blinkhorn on 4th & 2 on the Lancashire 30 yard-line gave the ball back to the Wolverines.

From here, Lancashire drove 60 yards to score and the successful extra point made it 16-0 to the division leaders. Manchester’s next drive saw another Blinkhorn pass dropped – this time WR Dom Hayhurst got behind the Wolverines secondary but couldn’t haul in the ball. Nelan’s punt was returned 49 yards to the Titans 16 and 2 plays later, Lancashire extended their lead to 22-0. LB Gordon Cheung blocked the extra point to end the 3rd quarter.

On the Titans next possession, Centre turned Fullback Adam Barnett carried the ball 3 times for 13 yards to help spark a drive that moved from the Titans 15 yard line to the Wolverines 27 but incompletions on 3rd and 4th down ended the drive. Again Lancashire punished the now tiring Titans defense by driving 73 yards to score their 4th TD of the game making the score 28-0.

With under a minute to play Blinkhorn completed passes of 19 yards to WR Christian Beaumont and 32 yards to Warren to move the Titans into scoring range. But Hayhurst and Beaumont dropped sure TD passes to leave the Titans scoreless. The game ended with the final score on 28-0 in favour of the Wolverines.

Whilst the offense struggled, the linebackers performed admirably with big performances from Mike Ainscow (8 tackles), Gordon Cheung (6 tackles) and Cameron Linnell (5 tackles and a sack).

The Titans final game is away to Lanarkshire Longhorns on Sunday 22nd August.

MVPs

Offence: Matt Blinkhorn, great passing under pressure but not helped by his receivers.
Defence: Jamie Kenyon, 6 tackles and an endzone interception.
Special Teams: Matt Nelan, good punting all game long.

The Titans Youth team played the first game of the double-header with Lanarkshire Longhorns at 12 noon, with the Senior team playing the Clyde Valley Blackhawks later in the day.

Manchester received the opening kick-off and on the first play from scrimmage QB Matt Blinkhorn hit GB trialist TE Matt Nelan with a 11 pass for a first down. A 12 yard scramble by Blinkhorn moved the ball into Longhorn territory but on 4th & 2, FB Ste McGrath was stopped short of the first down.

The Longhorns first play was tackled for a loss by DT Adam Barnett and then a 9 yard sack by DE Luke Kershaw on 3rd down forced a Lanarkshire punt.

On the Titans next possession, they were forced into a 3rd & 12 but Blinkhorn hit WR Christian Beaumont deep behind the Longhorn secondary but with Beaumont on his way to a 76 yard TD, he inexplicably fumbled the ball out of bounds. Things got even worse on the next play when Blinkhorn’s pass to Nelan was intercepted and the ball returned to the Lanarkshire 42.

A holding penalty on Lanarkshire combined with LB Tom Hargreaves tackle for loss left the Longhorns with a 2nd and 21. Here the Titans were the victims of a bad call by the officials with a pass that should have been called incomplete due the receiver not having control of the ball. Instead they ruled it a 13 yard completion and on 3rd down the pass fell incomplete but Barnett was called for Roughing the Passer gifting the Lanarkshire a first down. On the next play the Longhorns RB broke 2 tackles and scored from 32 yards out. A high snap meant the extra point attempt was snuffed out by LB Gordon Cheung.

The Titans next possession resulted in another Blinkhorn interception to end the first quarter.

The Longhorns capitalised by driving 51 yards to score on a QB sneak from 3 yards out. A successful extra point made the score 14-0.

The Titans started their next drive from their 39 yard line. A 14 yard Nelan catch, 9 yard Blinkhorn scramble and 13 yard sweep by RB Tom Higham moved the ball to the Longhorns 19 yard line where Blinkhorn rolled to his left and threw a pass into the endzone that WR Dom Hayhurst out-jumped 3 Longhorn defenders to score the Titans first TD. Nelan kicked the extra point to make the score 14-8.

Lanarkshire started their next drive on their 19 yard line and gained 35 yards in 2 plays before LB Cameron Linnell stepped in front of a Longhorn pass and ran it back 10 yards to the Titans 40 yard line. Unfortunately Blinkhorn’s next pass was picked off and the Longhorns scored 2 plays later. A converted extra point made the score 22-8 in the Scots’ favour.

The Titans then unveiled their new Beast formation and behind the running of Wildcat QB George Warren they moved into the Lanarkshire 40 yard line. Unfortunately a couple of penalties forced Manchester backwards and Nelan’s punt was downed on the Longhorns 18 yard line.

Lanarkshire then drove 72 yards to score right before the end of the half but the extra point attempt was thwarted by a fantastic tackle by the referee. Half-time score was 28-8 to Lanarkshire.

The Longhorns first drive was ended by another interception by Linnell and the Titans took over the ball on the Lanarkshire 42. A scramble by Blinkhorn and 3 rushes by RB Tom Higham netted 26 yards but Blinkhorn’s pass was intercepted at the Lanarkshire 6 yard line.

A 6 yard sack by LB Tom Hargreaves left the Longhorns with a 3rd and 16 when DL Nathan Beaumont picked off a Lanarkshire pass and he returned it to the their 7 yard line. On 4th & Goal from the 1 yard a great push by the Titans Offensive Line allowed Blinkhorn to sneak in to score. Again Nelan converted the PAT and the score was 28-16.

The Longhorns went 3 and out on their next drive to end the 3rd Quarter. A 19 yard Blinkhorn scramble got the ball into Lanarkshire’s half but a false start penalty and a sack forced another Titans punt.

However with the Longhorns driving again, Cheung grabbed a pass to make the Titans 4th interception of the day. With time running out the Titans were forced to pass and a 12 yard reception by Hayhurst got the Titans moving but then 3 straight incompletions turned the ball over on downs to Lanarkshire with just 4 minutes to play.

Lanarkshire, starting from the Titans 25 yard line soon found themselves with a 1st & Goal at the Manchester 7 yard line but the Titans defense again raised their game and forced a 22 yard field goal attempt which Nathan Beaumont blocked.

Hargreaves replaced Blinkhorn at QB in a last ditch attempt to generate a score for the Titans but all 4 of his pass attempts fell incomplete allowing the Longhorns to run the clock out for the win.

The Titans next game is away to local rivals Lancashire Wolverine Colts on Sunday 15th August.

MVPs

Offence: Dom Hayhurst – 2 catches for 31 yards and a TD.
Defence: Cameron Linnell – 2 Interceptions.
Special Teams: Nathan Beaumont – Field Goal Block.

The Clyde Valley Blackhawks made the long coach ride down to Manchester knowing that only a win would keep them in the hunt for a playoff spot. Meanwhile the Titans could clinch the division and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with their 9th victory of the season.

Clyde Valley won the toss and elected to receive. Manchester’s defense held the Blackhawks to zero yards on 1 rush and 2 incomplete passes to force a punt and WR Adam Simms took a fair catch to start the Titans on their own 33 yard line. But disaster struck on the first play as RB Nick Copley swept left on a 6 yard gain before fumbling which the Blackhawks recovered.

The Blackhawks offense then drove 39 yards in 10 plays, led by former Titans QB Jim Keogh who went 4 for 4 passing on the drive, before a one yard run TD by RB Darran Sharp gave the Blackhawks a 6-0 led. Titans DL/LB Rick Hurst blocked the attempted extra point.

With the Titans trailing for one of the few times this season, they refused to panic and went back to work. A good return on the ensuing kick-off by Copley gave the Titans the ball on the Clyde Valley 40 yard line. From there Titans QB Alan Mead led them down-field with passes of 9 yards to WR James Dean and a 26 yard TD pass to TE Chris Heap to tie the scores. Copley added the 2 point conversion for a 8-6 Titans lead.

Despite the Blackhawks early score the The Titans defense stiffened on the Blackhawks next series and continued to hold Clyde Valley’s Offense in check for much of the rest of the contest. Despite picking up 2 First Downs, a sack of Keogh by LB John Flynn forced a Blackhawks punt to end the first quarter.

A promising Titans drive that featured a 28 yard catch & run by Simms ended prematurely on an over-thrown Mead pass that was intercepted by Blackhawks Safety Gordon Lockwood.

Again the Manchester Defense forced a punt but it was tipped and then muffed by DL Paul Welsh giving the Blackhawks the ball back. But they were unable to capitalize and a tipped Keogh pass was intercepted by LB Rob Bainbridge and returned 27 yards to the Manchester 40 yard line.

The Titans drove to the Blackhawks 29 yard line but the drive stalled and Mead’s 4th down pass intended for Simms was batted down. Clyde Valley’s offense went 3 and out and Manchester drove down to the Blackhawks 7 yard line behind the running of Copley and RB Tim Barton. But a penalty and dropped pass left the Titans with a 3rd & Goal from the Blackhawks 6 and 2 straight Mead passes to Heap fell incomplete allowing the Blackhawks to run out the clock trailing by 2 points at half-time.

The Titans began the 2nd half on their own 25 yard line and picked up 3 first downs whilst driving 50 yards through an 11 yard Simms reception plus runs of 9 and 11 yards yards by Barton, 15 by RB Niall Sweeney before Sweeney took the ball down to the Clyde Valley 2 yard line only for it to be called back for a penalty. The Titans continued to go backwards through foolish penalties and a sack on Mead, eventually forcing a punt on a once-promising drive.

However DE Phil Cowey’s sack of Keogh on the next series put the QB out of the game and a disastrous punt gave the Titans excellent field position on the Blackhawks 20 yard line. 2 plays later, Copley scored from 9 yards out. Dave Barnett’s extra point attempt was blocked and the score was 14-6 Manchester.

Things got worse for Clyde Valley on their next series when their back-up QB was intercepted by Veteran LB Chris Harwood and he returned the ball 24 yards to the Blackhawks 4 yard line. Copley ran the ball in on the next play for his second TD in as many touches. The 2 Point Attempt was no good giving Manchester a 20-6 lead to end the 3rd Quarter.

A pass deflection on 3rd down by Titans DE Andy Burridge forced another Clyde Valley punt. The Titans followed that up with a 50 yard drive that moved the ball from their 18 yard line to the Blackhawks 22 yard line and featured some good running by RB Ross Profit and a key 13 yard reception by WR Rik Lowthion on 3rd & 8. However an errant snap was picked up by Blackhawks Darren Darroch and he ran 68 yards to score. The extra point attempt failed leaving the score at 20-12 in favour of the home-team.

The Titans went 3 and out on there next drive giving the Blackhawks the opportunity to tie the game but they were unable to do so and there final chance was snuffed out when they were tackled short of the marker on 4th down allowing the Titans to run out the clock.

For the Titans offensively Nick Copley (71 yards rushing, 2TDs), Adam Simms (5 catches for 62 yards) stood out. Meanwhile defensively Phil Cowey and Rob Bainbridge led the team with 8 tackles each.

The 9-0 Manchester Titans’ final game of the season is the return match against the Lancashire Wolverines in Blackburn on Sunday 15th August with the Wolverines needing to win to clinch a playoff spot.

Photo by JD (Ian Andrews)

Manchester Titans at Staffordshire Surge 25/7/10

Manchester Titans 34-0 Staffordshire Surge. The Manchester Titans continued to dominate the BAFA Division 2 Central with a convincing 34-0 win over the Staffordshire Surge. An unforgiving Defense and an unstoppable running attack that produced over 300 yards led the way to the Titans 7th victory of the season.

Playing at the Surge’s new home ground in Stoke, the Titans elected to receive the opening kickoff and on the first play from scrimmage, QB Alan Mead hit star WR Adam Simms with a 50 yard TD pass. The extra point was blocked but Manchester had a 6-0 led that they would not relinquish.

The Surge’s first series lasted only 3 plays when LB Rob Bainbridge forced a fumble that DL Keith “Beefy” Lees recovered and the Titans had the ball in Staffordshire territory. However, Mead was having an off-day and threw the first of 4 interceptions just 2 plays later.

Amazingly, the ever-alert Lees recovered another fumble after strong tackling by LB Hugh English and DE Phil Cowey. Two 7 yard runs by RB Ross Profit moved the ball to the Surge 29 yard line but a Mead pass intended to WR Will Kinghorn was tipped to a Staffordshire DB for another interception at their 26 yard line.

This time the Surge started to move the ball, but faced a 3rd & 11 at midfield. From here, DB Martin Fitzpatrick knocked down a Surge pass to force a punt. After 4 running plays had moved the ball to the Staffordshire 36 yard line, Mead again looked long to Simms but the pass was just tipped away at the last second. Then on 4th & 9 the Surge pass rush hit Mead as he was throwing leading to the 3rd interception to end the mistake-ridden 1st Quarter.

Staffordshire’s Offense continued to move the ball with a 10 play 51 yard drive. But on 3rd and Goal from the Manchester 8 yard line, the Surge TE dropped a sure TD pass and on 4th Down the pass was incomplete turning the ball over to the Titans.

Manchester then drove 82 yards in 12 plays to score, mainly through the running of RBs Tim Barton and Nick Copley before Profit scored from 2 yards out. Barton added the 2PAT for a 14-0 lead.

A devastating tackle by OL Ashley Dewing on the ensuring kick-off forced the Surge to start on their own 26 yard line and they were pushed back to their 23 after a DE Andy Burridge tackled the runner for a 3 yard loss. Burridge then applied pressure to the Surge QB, forcing him to throw early to his RB who foolishly let his knee touch the ground as he made the reception for a loss of 4. A woeful 13 yard punt gave the Titans great field position on the Staffordshire 32 yard line.

An 18 yard Copley run moved the ball into the Surge redzone and from here, two Mead to Kinghorn completions gained 13 yards, with the latter a 5 yard TD for a 20-0 lead. Profit fumbled the hand-off on the two point conversion and the attempt was snuffed out.

The Titans defense held firm on the Surge’s last drive of the 1st half and the quarter ended with the score 20-0 to Manchester.

The Surge’s opening drive of the 2nd half was a 3 & out and the Titans took over after the punt on their 19 yard line and immediately drove into Surge territory behind the running of Nick Copley. But two holding penalties on Simms and Barton pushed the Titans backwards and on 3rd and 12, Mead again turned the ball over the Surge on his 4th Interception.

The Titans defense again rose the occasion and on 3rd and 13, DL Paul Welsh sacked the Surge QB to force another punt which was downed on the Titans 12 yard line.

From here the Manchester offense produced an 11 play, 78 yards drive, starting with two Ross Profit runs netting 21 yards. The drive also included receptions of 11 yards by WR Rik Lowtion and 5 yards by Simms and four rushes for 35 yards by Copley, the final one from 2 yards out to increase the Titans lead to 26. Profit’s 2PAT attempt was stopped just short of the goal-line.

The 4th began like many of the previous Staffordshire drives with a 3 and Out and a poor punt – this one of just 9 yards. But the Titans were unable to move the ball thanks to 2 dropped passes and the Surge took over on their 40 yard line. A 23 yard run plus a late hit penalty on Titans DB Jonathan Homer moved the ball to the Manchester 14 yard line. But once again the Titans defense repelled the Surge with key tackles from Burridge, McCormack, Welsh and LB John Flynn. A 4th down pass fell incomplete ending Staffordshire’s best opportunity of scoring.

Again the Titans starting from deep in their own half, produced a long march down the field with good running from Profit, Barton and Copley. A false start penalty on Lowthion left the Titans with a 3rd and 14 but a reception by WR James Dean was 4 yards short of the First Down and Mead’s pass to Simms was batted down on 4th Down at the Surge 20 yard line.

However, Lees recovered his 3rd fumble of the day on the next play and following an offside penalty on Staffordshire, Copley ran in his 2nd TD from 15 yards out, giving him 168 yards rushing on the day. Mead’s bullet throw to RB Niall Sweeney gave Manchester the 2PAT and a 34-0 final scoreline.

The Titans next play the Clyde Valley Blackhawks at 3:30pm at Broughton Park on Sunday 8th August as part of a double-header fixture with the Titans Youth Team playing Lanarkshire Longhorns at 12noon.

Photo by David Paterson - www.davidpaterson.photoreflect.com

Manchester Titans at Sheffield Predators 18/7/10

The BAFA CL Division 2 Central Leaders, Manchester Titans defeated the Sheffield Predators 43-6 through some tough defense plus some big plays from WR Adam Simms (7 catches for 120 yards) and RB Nick Copley (104 yards rushing and 3 TDs).

Manchester held Sheffield’s offense to 7 yards for the first half and just 58 yards for the entire game with LB John Flynn and SS Graham Roberts leading the team with 9 tackles each.

Meanwhile the Titan’s prolific offense racked up 357 yards and 43 points as they moved to 6 & 0.

Unusually the Titans lost the coin toss and Sheffield elect to receive but GB international Roberts intercepted a Predators pass on just the 3rd play from scrimmage. This gave Manchester excellent field position, starting from the Sheffield 16 yard line, but 2 rushes and an incomplete pass had left the Titans with a difficult 4th and 8. But QB Alan Mead hit TE Chris Heap with a 14 yard TD pass which was converted by Dave Barnett for a 7-0 lead.

Things didn’t get any better for the rookie Predators on their next series. Starting from their own 11 yard line, a false start penalty pushed them back even further and their QB was pressured by DE Andy Burridge into a intentional grounding penalty in the endzone which resulted in a safety.

The Titans offense then took over after the ensuing kick and drove down to the Predators 4 yard line but a fumbled pitch on 3rd down forced a 32 yard field goal which was missed.

Sheffield took over on their 20 yard line. Roberts knocked down another Predators pass but DT Kyle Kilroy sustained a knee ligament injury on the play that will put him out for the next 6 weeks. The Titans defense continued to put pressure on the Sheffield QB and on 3rd & 10 Flynn and DE Neil Cash combined for a sack forcing a Sheffield punt.

With Mead suffering from blurred vision, backup QB Rik Lowthion stepped in and led the Titans offense on a 52 yard drive which featured 3 receptions by Simms including one on 4th down and culminated in a 10 yard Copley TD run. Barnett kicked the extra point as time expired in the quarter with the Titans up 16-0.

On the very next play DB Martin Fitzpatrick forced a fumble by the Predators kick returner, which was recovered by LB Hugh English. The drive seemed to have stalled on 4th and 7 but Mead returned to hit Simms with a 22 yard pass to set up 1st and Goal from the Sheffield 9 yard line. 2 plays later Copley ran the ball in from 9 yards out and a 22-0 lead.

A good return on the ensuing kick off meant the Predators would start from their 35 yard line and on 3rd and 4 from their 41 a blown coverage resulted in a 49 yard TD pass. The extra point was no good and the score was 22-6.

However Manchester came right back with a 5 play, 72 yard drive, the highlights being a 35 yard catch & run by Simms and a 19 yard TD run by Copley for his hat-trick. RB Ross Profit ran in the 2 point attempt to extend the Titans’ lead to 30-6.

Sheffield’s next possession ended in a punt following a sack by DE Matt McCormack and with Manchester taking over on their 24 yard line, Mead was sacked for the first time all season. A 2nd sack followed shortly afterwards and the Titans were forced to punt.

The Predators picked up their first First Down of the game with just seconds to go in the 1st half before back-to-back sacks by Andrew Burridge left the Predators with a 4th & 41 which forced them to punt. Manchester then ran out the clock to end the half.

Manchester’s offense opened the 2nd half with a 67 yard drive with passes from Mead to Simms (22 yards), Heap (24 yards) and finally Lowthion for a 20 yard TD which Barnett converted for a 37-6 lead.

The Predators picked up their 2nd First Down when they converted a 4th & 2 on their next possession but a sack and a forced fumble by Burridge plus some solid tackling by LBs Flynn and Sandy Kyriacou eventually forced another punt.

The Titans then started a drive from their 36 yard line with a 9 yard reception by WR James Dean and a 18 yard run by Copley. FB Niall Sweeney got in on the action with a 17 yard run before RB Tim Barton scored his first TD of the season from 2 yards out. The PAT was missed leaving the score at 43-6.

A promising Sheffield drive was snuffed out by DT Paul Welsh & DE McCormack combining for a sack on 4th and 8 from the Titans 42 yard line. Titans Rookie receiver Ben Barker made his first ever reception on the Titans next drive but pressure from the Predators forced a tipped Mead pass to be intercepted with the Titans driving for another score.

By now the Titans pass rush were pinning their ears back and going all out on the Sheffield QB, opening up some rushing lanes but they only managed to pick up 9 yards on their next drive and were again forced to punt. With the game safely in hand the Titans attempted to run out the clock but a key missed block meant that Barton was tackled for a loss and forced the Titans into their just their 2nd punt of the game.

Once again Manchester’s defense were too much for the Predators offense and their pass on 4th & 4 fell incomplete allowing the Titans to take a knee to end the game.

With the Titans still awaiting official league notification of the postponed Hull fixture, the 6 & 0 Titans travel to Stoke next Sunday to play their 3rd consecutive away game against the 3 & 3 Staffordshire Surge. A victory plus confirmation of Hull’s forfeit could see the Titans qualify for the playoffs.

Photo by David Paterson – www.davidpaterson.photoreflect.com

Photo by JD (Ian Andrews)

Manchester Titans @ Chester Romans 11-7-10

Titans march on.

The undefeated Manchester Titans visited Chester for the rematch against the Romans. Despite a 34-6 win, the Titans felt they had under-performed and Chester, who had been missing several players, felt they could still pull off the upset of the Division Leaders.

Once again, the Titans won the toss and elected to receive. A 33 yard kick return by WR Will Kinghorn put the ball on the Titans 44 yard line. From there the Titans moved the ball behind some good running from RB Nick Copley all the way down to the Romans 3 yard line. On 2nd & Goal QB Alan Mead’s pass was tipped by Romans LB Dave Goodall and intercepted.

Chester’s first offensive possession picked up a first down on a 16 yard run but then the Titans Defense stiffened with a DB Martin Fitzpatrick and LB Rob Bainbridge combining to tackle the Romans RB for a 3 yard loss on 4th & 3.

The Titans took over the ball on their 26 yard line and drove the ball down to the Chester 30 yard line where they faced their own 4th & 3. With some excellent pass protection, Mead had plenty of time to find TE Chris Heap from 30 yards out for the go-ahead Touchdown. A bad snap on the PAT left the score at 6-0.

The two teams then exchanged punts to bring the 1st Quarter to an end.

On the Romans next possession Bainbridge again made the key stop on 4th down turning the ball over to Manchester. The Titans wasted no time, with Mead throwing long to Kinghorn for a 56 yard TD pass on their first play of the drive. Mead then hit WR Adam Simms who made a great individual effort to score the 2PAT making the score 14-0.

The Chester Offense produced their best drive of the game next with a 60 yard drive culminating in a 27 yard TD reception by WR Michael Banks. The 2PAT attempt was stopped leaving the score 14-6.

The Romans forced the Titans to punt on the next possession but Kinghorn’s 42 yard punt rolled out of bounds at the Chester 6 yard line. Despite the field position, the Romans drove to their own 39 yard line when DE Matt McCormack recovered a Romans fumble.

Manchester drove the ball down to the Romans 5 yard line where RB Tim Barton ran the ball in for what would have been his first TD of the season but the score was over-turned due to a penalty.

Another penalty pushed the Titans back to the Chester 25 yard line where Mead hit Simms on a post pattern for 6 points with just 20 seconds to play in the 1st half. Dave Barnett kicked the extra point for a 21-6 half-time score-line.

Manchester kicked off the 2nd half and immediately forced a Romans punt, thanks to a 3rd down pass deflection by DB Stewart Hay. The Titans drove 59 yards to score their fourth TD of the game with a 2 yard run by RB Nick Copley. Copley had set up his score with a 34 yard pass reception. Another bad snap left the score at 27-6.

On the Romans second possession of the half, they moved the ball more effectively, picking up 2 first downs before LB Hugh English picked off a Romans pass for the 2nd game running and returned it 25 yards. An unnecessary roughness penalty on Chester gave the Titans great field position on the Chester 30 yard line. However the Titans found themselves with a 4th & 14 but Mead found WR James Dean who broke 2 tackles and picked up a first down with a 19 yard reception. 4 plays later Mead hit Heap with his 2nd TD of the day from 3 yards out. Profit added the 2PAT making the score 35-6.

Chester’s offense put together a 16 play drive moving from their own 28 yard line down to the Titans 4 yard line. But a touchdown was called back due to an illegal block and a sack by LB John Flynn pushed the Romans back until once again Bainbridge and Fitzpatrick tackled the Romans receiver short of the endzone on 4th down.

Manchester produced a 75 yard drive, started by a 36 yard Profit run which was eventually finished by Mead’s 5th TD pass of the game and Simms’ 2nd, this time from 13 yards out. Barnett’s kick made the score 42-6 to Manchester.

The Romans next possession ended in a fumble forced by DB Jeremy Walker and recovered by LB Sandy Kyriacou. The enabled the Titans to run out the clock and finish the game worthy winners by the final score of 42-6.

The Manchester Titans improve their record to 5 & 0 and their next game is away to the Sheffield Predators on July 18th.

Photo by JD (Ian Andrews)

The Manchester Titans are pleased to announce the inclusion of SS/LB Graham Roberts as part of the Great Britain Lions team that will compete in this year’s European Championships.

In earning selection for the tournament, which begins in Germany on July 24th, Graham competed against an elite crop of players scouted from top performing teams across the UK. Possessing a rare mix of speed and power he will be involved in games against European powerhouses such as Sweden and France and will look to reproduce the dynamic performances that his Titans teammates have grown accustomed to.

Head Coach Olando Holman commenting on Graham’s international call up said -

“It’s an honour to have a member of the Titans family competing at an international level and flying the flag for his country. Only a select number of players get the opportunity to experience how the rest of Europe plays this great game of ours. Hopefully Graham will absorb what he can, enjoy the moment, and come back to us ready to rock and roll!”

The whole Titans organisation would like to congratulate Graham on his achievements thus far and wish him and the traveling squad the best of luck in their mission to return home as European champions.