Sunday Breakers Wrap - June 8, 2008

Last night the Southern California Breakers (3-3) hosted the Las Vegas Showgirlz (3-3) in their last home game of the season.

The Breakers had the ball first and Priscilla Gardner (43) recovered the Showgirlz kickoff, putting the Breakers in good field position near midfield. Vanessa “V” Santillan (28) carried for a first down on this initial possession but the Breakers could not come up with any points. The first play of the Showgirlz' offense was an incomplete pass and they were unable to capitalize as well. Nearly the entire first quarter was a defensive standoff between the teams but the Showgirlz were first to score with 42 seconds left in the 1st quarter. The resulting 2-point try was no good, making the score 6-0. The second quarter was much of the same back-and-forth in possessions. The Breakers were able to break off a long drive but were still held scoreless by a tough Showgirlz defense. When Las Vegas looked like they were going to score, Julie Briggs (10) intercepted them in their red zone to halt the effort. A Breakers miscue turned the ball back over and the Showgirlz managed a score in the waning seconds of the 2nd half. Again the 2-point try was stopped and the score was 12-0 at the half.

The third quarter continued the defensive standoffs between the two teams. One Showgirlz possession was cut short by an interception by Dorothy DeLeon (35). In a later Las Vegas possession Becky “Ocho Cinco” Leetch (85) recovered a fumble to put the Breakers in scoring position. Valerie Correa (21) made a great catch for the Breakers but was stopped short of the goal line, giving the Showgirlz the ball back on downs. In that possession, the Showgirlz ran a play for 80+ yards for a touchdown. This play seemed to take all of the air out of the stadium – until it was negated by a Las Vegas holding penalty. The teams continued to jockey back and forth for position and changed possessions frequently. Late in the 4th when the Showgirlz were threatening another score, Heather Snavely (22) stripped the ball and gave the Breakers another chance. A resulting miscue gave the Showgirlz the ball again and they scored with 4:36 left in the 4th quarter. The 2-point try was no good and the score was 18-0. The visitors capitalized once more and made the score 24-0 with 4:12 left in the 4th quarter. Not to be shut out, Kari Gellar (82) caught a touchdown pass for the Breakers from Jill Cosh (11). Hailey Hernandez (99) kicked the extra point with only 42.8 seconds on the clock for SoCal. Final score of the game was Southern California Breakers 7 and La Vegas Showgirlz 24.

Adding to the difficulties of the Breakers were injuries to Vanessa Santillan (28), Roberta Rincon (2), and Tutu Armstrong (53). The score to this game is a bit misleading as the Breakers played a very admirable game with a tough opponent. Suzanne “Q” Linn (87), Amanda Garcia (97), Lori Schnaider (7), and the entire offensive line of the Breakers made key plays throughout the game. Unfortunately, the Showgirlz were able to capitalize on a few miscues and make the difference for the victory.

Standing on the sideline for the game it did not feel like a losing team at all. If a player had a bad play, her teammates were right there to pick her back up and build her confidence again. There was no demeaning trash talk or criticism; only praise, support, and respect. It’s obvious this group truly cares for each other and the sport of football. Breakers home games have been some of the most exciting experiences for me. I'm truly grateful that the team has allowed me to be in their world for these games. I’m sad that there will be no more home games this year and can’t wait for next season. So I say - THANK YOU BREAKERS! I’ve enjoyed being there so much this season!

Next up: Breakers travel to Arizona on June 14th to face the Monsoon in the final game of the season. I’ll have a season wrap up afterward. Tune in tomorrow right here for an interview with RB Vanessa Santillan.