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Lawdawgs crush Panthers in Frozen Bowl I Team climbs to 13-2-1
Lawdawgs to host Panthers in 1st Annual "Frozen Bowl"
Lawdawgs ousted by Titans
Lawdawgs will host Midwest Titans!
For the Third time this season the Lawdawgs will square off with Division Rival Midwest Titans. The two teams are perhaps mirror images which might explain the 0-0 Tie through 3 quarters in the 1st match up this season and the 10-10 tie after 5 quarters this last time around. The Lawdawgs offense exploded for 10 minutes in each game, however the teams struggled against the tough Titans defense for the remainder of each contest. The Midwest Titans have posted almost identical scores vs. all the Lawdawgs common foes as well this season.
DAWGS FINISH REGULAR SEASON WITH A ANOTHER WIN! FINISH SEASON WITH 12-1-1
September 22nd, Salem, South Dakota - Fourteen weeks have come and gone and the Lawdawgs finished up the regular season with a win at home vs. the Cedar Valley Vikings, winning 32-12. The two teams found themselves finishing up and a perfect night for football and a perfect night to salute the troops as the weather was outstanding. The Lawdawgs opened the game with a 67 yard drive capped off by a Chuck Wright 25 yard TD pass to Matt Gorter. The Lawdawgs team leader in interceptions, Chris Reid, would intercept Vikings QB, Willie Staple, on the next possession. A good return and the Lawdawgs were set up for Chuck Wright to hit Ray Wilson on an 11 yard touchdown pass putting the Lawdawgs up 13-0. Ray Wilson lead the Lawdawgs team in rushing with 107 yards on 15 carries. Ben Kruse and Brooks Hendriks each had eight carries on the night, Kruse with 45 yards and Hendriks with 52. The Lawdawgs set at team record on the night with 75 offensive plays. Fifty three rushes for 248 yards punching it in 3 times, while the passing attack mustered another 22 plays for 187 and 2 touchdowns. Wright hit 7 different receivers in route for his best night with the Lawdawgs going 15 for 21 for 187 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. The Vikings came out determined to make a game of it and opened the 2nd half with a spectacular kickoff return to cut the lead to 20 to 6. The Vikings would stuff the Lawdawgs on the next driving pushing them to three and out, however the Lawdawgs would take thier next drive in to go up 26-6 when Joel Gruis scored one more for the Lawdawgs. The defense stiffened again with a Brandon Thompson interception, however the Lawdawgs would fumble the next snap giving the Vikings the ball on the Lawdawgs 3, one play later the score was 26 to 12. Ben Kruse would punch it in from 9 yards out to finish off the night and the score, pushing the final to 32-12, late in the 4th quarter. The Lawdawgs will host a 1st round playoff game on Saturday, October 6th, the game will be at 7:05pm in Garretson,SD. The opponent will be announced later this week. Stay tuned to the Lawdawgs website for more details. www.lawdawgs.net
DAWGS NIP KAOS WIN 13-12
Salem, South Dakota September 15th, 2007 – The Lawdawgs jumped out to a 13-0 lead and then let the defense hang on as the offense made the night interesting before winning 13-12. The Kaos, with nothing to lose and momentum to gain, gave the Lawdawgs all the fight they could handle. They now gear up for their final league game vs. the Titans next week. The coaching staff locked horns again tonight with a few of the players. They agreed to bench 14 players for the 1st quarter for disciplinary reasons. Chris Reid took advantage of that with 9 carries for 62 yards. Chris lead the way on the 1st drive busting tackles on the way to a 38 yard run, before Chuck Wright hit Matt Gorter on an 18 yard touchdown pass. Ben Kruse capped the Lawdawgs scoring on the night with a 1 yard TD plunge to put the Dawgs up 13 to 0. Although the Kaos offense had limited success throughout the night, the Kansas team returned two Lawdawgs turnovers for touchdowns. The first came early in the 2nd and the final score came early in the 4th. Despite having good field position from Lawdawgs miscues, the Kaos could not muster an offensive score with the outstanding play by the Lawdawgs defense. Despite having a loss and I tie, the defense over the past 5 games has only given up 17 points during that streak and 14 of those points came on short fields vs the Central Minnesota Maulers. Josh Spielman's crown jewel came during the game last night when he blocked the extra point that sealed the Lawdawgs victory. In addition to that blocked attempt, Spielman had 3 and a half sacks as well as 9 tackles. Brandon Thompson continues to tear through opponents adding 11 tackles and two sacks of his own while forcing 2 fumbles. Ken Cullison added 7 tackles and a half sack as the defense made sure the victory was in hand with all four of the aforementioned players tackling the receiver on the Kaos final play of the game. The Lawdawgs will host the Cedar Valley Vikings, winners of two straight games, this Saturday night in Salem, SD. Kickoff is 7:05pm with tons of events planned for the evening. This will be our Salute to the Troops night with the focus on the local National Guard Unit from Salem, as they are being deployed to Iraq in October. The US Army will bring their rock wall and other braches of the military will have great giveaways for all the fans! Rachel Merrill will be singing the National Anthem and the US Army will be providing the color guard as well. The Lawdawgs will host the 1st round of the playoffs the following week in Garretson with the opponent to be announced.
Minor League Football News Player of the Week - Central Region
DEFENSIVE TACKLE-Marc Phillips, Dakota Lawdawgs (NAFL). Marc recorded 9 tackles, 1 sack, a fumble recovery for 25-yards and a touchdown, and blocked a field goal in the 10-10 tie with the Midwest Titans. This is Marc's 4th time being player of the week - a new record for a Lawdawg Player!
DIVISION CHAMPIONS 2007
The game had an ominous start, as the two teams headed to the end zone for introductions, the skies opened up with 15 minutes of torrid rain and occasional hail accompanied by heavy winds. With the weather doing it’s best to hamper both teams that night, it saw that both teams combine for 9 turnovers and muster only a defensive score a piece and a field goal. The overtime period had it’s exciting moments but in the end the two NAFL title chasers finished in a 10-10 deadlock. The tie would give the Lawdawgs the outright Division Title, however the Lawdawgs began the night in what seemed to be an easy trip pushing the Titans down field inside the Titans 5 after starting on their own 30 before fumbling on 2nd and goal. On the next drive the quick three and out involved two fumbled snaps and an incompletion. The Lawdawgs defense was up to the challenge as usual and would force a fumble that was scooped up by Marc Phillips and run back 35 yards for the go ahead score. Lawdawgs 7-0 with the extra point by Pete Peterson. The defense did their job all night however in the 1st half the stingy Lawmen held the Titans to just 25 yards on 22 plays. On the night the Lawdawgs defense forced 10 plays that compiled negative 54 yards and the Titans finished the night with 131 yards of total offense on 54 plays. The pride of the Lawdawgs defense is its rush stopping ability holding the Titans to 28 yards on 23 carries. Ray Wilson started at half back and rushed for 130 yards on 21 carries for the lone bright spot offensively. The Titans tough defense and the weather helped the Lawdawgs turn the ball over too many times to keep drives alive and muster an offensive touchdown. The Titans would tie the score midway through the 2nd quarter returning an interception 25 yards to pay dirt. The two teams battled away until the Titans score with a short field goal to go up 10-7. As the 4th quarter ticked away the Lawdawgs drive grinded to a halt and Pete Peterson clinched the Division Title with a game tying field goal from 25 yards out. With the tie the Lawdawgs go to 10-1-1 on the season with two remaining non-league games. Should all the teams win out the Lawdawgs wrapped up the #1 seed in the Mid American region by virtue of the point system edging out the undefeated St.Louis Bulldogs 19 to 18. Should St. Louis win it’s remaining one game they will finish with 18 points. The point system set up by the NAFL gives each team 2 points for a League win, one point for a tie and a half point for a loss. Although both teams have played more then the required 10 games, the Lawdawgs have 10 league games where as the St. Louis Bulldogs have only 9. The final two regular season games will not be easy ones as the Kansas Kaos come in this next weekend with an over all record of 5-4, however winning 2 of their last three, the Kaos are still in the hunt for the #4 seed in the Mid American South sub region. They will need to bounce the Lawdawgs and the Titans in their final two games to pull it off. The final regular season game will be vs. the Cedar Valley Vikings, despite blowing out the Vikings earlier this season the Vikings have put together back to back impressive wins and will have a week to rest up and prepare for the Lawdawgs who will be facing a tough Kaos team in the meanwhile. Both games will be held at McCook Centrals high school stadium and will start at 7:05 pm. September 15th against the Kansas Kaos is Camp Appreciation night. While the game on September 22nd vs. the Cedar Valley Vikings game is Salute to the Troops night as the Lawdawgs pay tribute to the Salem National Guard Unit as the prepare to be deployed to Iraq in October. Despite the tie the Lawdawgs are pushing to make this the 2nd season in a row of undefeated “league” play. The Lawdawgs 13-2 record from last year and its current 10-1-1 record over all this season has them one of the hottest teams in the country. Come check out your Dakota Lawdawgs this coming Saturday as they face the Kansas Kaos.
Lawdawgs Pounce Panthers...48-0
Salem, SD Aug. 25th 2007 - How do you rebound from a big game loss decided in the final minutes? With a resounding win vs. a Division foe. With echoes of, “the Lawdawgs schedule is soft…” floating in the wind, the team came together to defeat the Kansas City Panthers 48-0. Pushing the Lawdawgs overall record to 10-1 on the season, and they are 9-0 in the NAFL, 7-0 in their division. They are heading into what will be a war vs. the Midwest Titans who are 8-3 on the year themselves. The offense wasted little time, :21 seconds to be exact, posting a 38 yard touchdown pass from Chuck Wright to Bobby Ruffin after an outstanding return by Ray Wilson that set up the Lawdawgs in Panther territory. Chuck Wright would pace the Lawdawgs passing game that was pushed off the field only by the running attack that seems to be searching to recapture last year’s success. Wright finished the night 9 for 15 for 117 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. Wright connected with Brian Elle on a 2 yard pass to put the team up 13-0 at the end of the 1st quarter. The final pass attempt for Wright was the 1st play of the 4th quarter, with 8 Panthers in the box rushing hard, he connected with Will Walker on a 18 yard strike, making the score 34 to 0 in favor of the home team. Perhaps the most impressive stat was the spreading around of the ball as 7 different receivers caught passes. Bobby Ruffin not only led the way with the first score through the air, he led the way on the ground as well compiling 153 of the Lawdawgs 316 yards rushing (38 attempts) on the night. He also punched in 2 rushing touchdowns in the 2nd half. Willie Farris also broke the century mark on Saturday night rushing for 104 yards on 11 carries and capped the Lawdawgs scoring with a 12 yard run late in the 4th. Johnny Bentley scored on an electrifying run to end the 1st half and added 47 yards on 5 carries, while Ben Kruse added 14 yards on 4 attempts. The Defense continued its good play forcing 8 sacks. Kyle VanEmmerik led the team with 2 and 8 other Lawdawgs were involved in compiling that total, Thompson, Phillips, Stahl, Regis, Spielman, Solko, Schuldt, and Bentley. The Lawdawgs linebackers and secondary forced 2 interceptions and batted down countless attempts. In fact after giving up a 40 yard pass to the Panthers on the 1st play of the game, the Dawgs would force the Panthers quarterbacks to go 4 for 17, intercepting 2 passes. In the mean time the defensive unit harassed and pushed Panther ball carriers and quarterbacks to 9 plays for negative yards holding the visitors to just 30 yards on 24 attempts. On the night, the Lawdawgs allowed only 104 yards on 41 plays. Brandon Thompson led the team in tackles with 9 while Chris Reid came in second with 7 tackles to go along with his 2 interceptions. Starting defensive linemen Austin Solko was rushed into action as the Lawdawgs place kicker and did an outstanding job punching in 6 of 7 extra point tries, missing the 1stone. “We realize we let a great opportunity slip away last week, and with that some respect across the country. What we do know is that the CM Thunderbirds are a good team, and we need to get better. Our focus in on doing that.” said Coach Taylor. The Central Minnesota Thunderbirds went to 5-1 last week after adding another win. Some wonder why the Lawdawgs dropped so far after losing to a good team. Coach Taylor comments, “We can’t be worried about that. The Titans are our focus, capturing the division crown and defending our home turf is our only focus.” The Midwest Titans are 8-3 having lost to the Lawdawgs in a nail biter and two undefeated teams, the St. Louis Bulldogs and the NE Missouri Wildcats, in the MLFA. The Lawdawgs and Titans will play on September 8th at McCook Central, in Salem, SD at 7:05pm. For obvious reasons the team staff is encouraging all Lawdawgs fans, booster club members and supporters to come out and root on the home team as the chase their 2nd straight 10-0 NAFL regular season and 2nd straight Division Title. This game won’t be easy as the two teams went into the 4th quarter 0-0 before the Lawdawgs squeaked out a 14-6 wild finish.
MLFN "TOP 50" RANKINGS
These ranking are for games
played through the August 18th weekend. Minimum of 5 games to
qualify. National Football Events Poll
LAWDAWGS AMBUSHED BY THUNDERBIRDS!Collegeville, MN August 19th – There will be no overall undefeated season this year as the Lawdawgs were unable to hold off a dominate Central Minnesota team Sunday afternoon falling to 9-1 after the 22 to 14 loss. The Lawdawgs took the opening kickoff and made a one drive 65 yard to the end zone on the legs of Bobby Ruffin. Jerry Lakin booted in the extra point and the Lawdawgs were up 7-0. Unfortunately the rest of the game was not quite as easy as the Thunderbirds answered back with a long kickoff return and promptly punched in their own touchdown cutting the lead to 7-6 after the missed extra point. The two teams traded punches until Chuck Wright hit Johnny Bentley over the middle for a 15 yard touchdown pass to put the Lawdawgs up 14-6. The remaining portion of the 2nd quarter saw the Lawdawgs play deteriorate. The Lawdawgs would turn the ball over with 3 fumbles in the 1st half, miss a field goal and throw and interception. No doubt aided by the tenacious Thunderbird defense. “I’m not one to claim we played poorly by ourselves. The Thunderbirds are a tough opponent and forced many of our mistakes.” Commented Coach Taylor. One such mistake was a muffed long snap that was recovered by the Lawdawgs but for a safety none the less. This came on the drive after the Thunderbirds defense recovered a fumble and their offense quickly made the Lawdawgs pay by scoring on a 35 yard pass and tying the score after the 2 point conversion was good. The Lawdawgs stiffened and held the Thunderbirds out on a goal line stand and the half time score was the Thunderbirds 16, Lawdawgs 14. The Lawdawgs continued to battle in the second half however the turnovers and mistakes continued as the team found itself facing a team that continued to come at them without pause. The Lawdawgs defense would not be out done though, forcing numerous punts and a few turnovers themselves keeping the Thunderbirds offense out of the end zone the 2nd half. “We played extremely well defensively for the most part, Coach Taylor said, but we gave up scores on two short field drives and they did what they had to do.” Unfortunately the offense could not muster a second half scoring attempt due in most part to the Thunderbirds tough defense, aided by a few turnovers and mistakes. The biggest was what might have been the dagger when the Thunderbirds forced a fumble that was picked up and returned 20 yards then pitched back for the remaining 10 to put the Central Minnesota Team up by 8 to ends it with a score of 22 to 14. The Lawdawgs final drive was the next one ending in another turnover and the Thunderbirds took the victory formation the next play and ran out the final minute and change. The Lawdawgs watched the formation they had gotten used to themselves with disappointment. The team can take heart however in the fact that their NAFL season is still unblemished and their destiny is in their own hands at 8-0. The Lawdawgs will attempt to get back on track at home this weekend vs. the Kansas City Panthers. Game time is 7:05pm in Salem, South Dakota. The Lawdawgs are 8-0 in the NAFL and 9-1 overall. DAWGS BREAK AWAY FROM VIKINGS TO GO 9-0!Cedar Falls, Iowa August 11th – A sluggish start on offense would not do justice to the 37-0 over the Vikings. The Lawdawgs jump started the 2nd quarter with a 70 yard punt return for a touchdown by Ricardo Sorrell. With the score 7 to 0 the Lawdawgs would get the ball right back and march 53 yards to another touchdown adding only 6 more with a missed extra point. Up 13-0 the Lawdawgs found themselves in similar territory as last weeks game vs. the Maulers. This time the defense would force a different outcome, with time running out a long pass put the Vikings in scoring territory before the Lawdawgs stiffened on 4 plays with the Vikings starting out 1st and goal on the 4. Cedar Valley came out of the locker room determined to shut down the Lawdawgs opening drive and get back into the game. They accomplished the 1st task sending the Lawdawgs offense packing after just 3 plays holding the Dawgs to -10 yards. The Lawdawgs moved down the next drive after another defensive stand and Jerry Larkin kicked a 30 yard field goal putting the Lawdawgs up 16 to 0. The 4th quarter saw a Lawdawgs offensive line wear down the Vikings and muster two rushing touchdowns, a 3 yard plunge for Bobby Ruffin followed by a 33 yard run by Ruffin. These two runs pushed the lead to 30 to 0. The defense capped off a stellar night when Brandon Thompson had a 70 yard interception return for a touchdown ending the nights scoring at 37-0. The defense again played outstanding for most of the game, making it hard for the Vikings to muster any other serious threats than the drive to start the game and the drive to end the 1st half. The defense intercepted 2 passes, the 2nd by Robert Walker. Brooks Hendricks, Kyle Van Emmerik and Austin Solko also recovered 3 fumbles. Brandon Thompson posted 8 tackles as well as two sacks and Kyle Van Emmerik had a sack and a half to go along with 6 tackles. The Lawdawgs will not have an easy task this week as they head to St. Cloud, MN to take on the 2-1 Central Minnesota Thunderbirds this Sunday at 2:00pm. The Thunderbirds will be ready and willing to knock down the 9-0 Lawdawgs having never lost to the South Dakota squad in their history. The two teams used to play twice a year before the 2003 season, most were lopsided Central Minnesota victories. The Lawdawgs hope to change that fact as they bring in a few rankings with them this season. The team is ranked #5 in the NAFL power Poll, #10 in the NFE poll, #10 in the Minor League Football News Poll, and # 13 in the American Top 25 Poll, which is from the league the Thunderbirds play in. The team has never been ranked higher in any of the polls and has never been ranked in all the polls in team history. “That’s just a paper number for us.” points out Coach Taylor. “We have a little growing up to do if we are going to live up to these rankings. These rankings are paved by the players that have come before this season and the hard work put forth by our team this season. We are not as focused on football and the team as I’d like us to be at this point.” http://www.mid-americafootball.com/info/top25.php 1 Dallas Diesel (NAFL) 7-0 2 West Michigan Force (MCFL) 6-1 3 Prince William Monarchs (MDFL) 6-0 4 Cen Penn Piranha(NAFL) 7-0 5 Brooklyn Mariners 4-1 6 Kane County Eagles (NAFL) 5-0 7 Albany Metro Mallers (EFL) 6-0 8 DC Explosion (NAFL) 6-0 9 Nashville Storm (NAFL) 6-0 10 Detroit Seminoles (MCFL) 6-0 11 Pittsburg (PA) Colts (NAFL) 8-0 12 San Diego Thunder (SW) 6-0 13 Dakota Lawdawgs (NAFL) 9-0 14 Carolina Eagles (CCFL) 5-0 15 King County Jaguars (NAFL) 9-0 16 Twin Cities Lumberjacks (MFL/NAFL) 7-0 17 NE MO. Wildcats (MLFA) 10-0 18 S. Jersey Linxs (NAFL) 8-0 19 Boston Panthers (NAFL) 8-0 20 Inglewood Blackhawks La Belle 11-1 21 Virginia Ravens (MDFL) 5-0 22 Middleboro Cobras (EFL) 5-0 23 Vermont Ice Storm (Empire) 8-0 24 Iredell(NC) Warriors (CCFL) 4-0 25 Conn. Giants (EFA) 4-0 LAWDAWGS RANKED 10TH IN FIRST NFE POLL OF SEASON!Darien, IL, August 10th – For the first time in team history the Lawdawgs have cracked the NFE (National Football Events) national rankings entering the poll at #10 with an 8-0 record thus far this season. Although the Lawdawgs remaining schedule is what the team considers to be a very tough one, none of the teams remaining are currently ranked by the NFE.“That just makes the bull’s-eye bigger, commented Coach Taylor. This weekend’s foe will be a tough one. Cedar Valley has always played us tough and pushed us to the limit each time we have played them.” Last season the Lawdawgs squeaked out a tough win at home vs. the Vikings, 25-10, and Cedar Valley has played well against common foes this season. Last month the Vikings beat the Maulers 20 to 18 and tied the Manson Eagles 20 to 20 in overtime. The Lawdawgs held on to beat the Maulers 24-19 last weekend and beat the Manson Eagles 21 to 6. The Lawdawgs travel to take on the Cedar Valley Vikings this Saturday night at 7:30pm in the UNI Dome, in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Looming in the distance is the tough 2-0 Central Minnesota Thunderbirds on Sunday the 19th of August at 3pm, before the Lawdawgs come home to play in Salem, SD vs. the Kansas City Panthers who pushed the Lawdawgs to a 19-14 game earlier this season. “One game at a time for us.” warned Coach Taylor. “We are not good enough to be looking past anyone. We need to maintain our focus, every week is a playoff game for us in our minds. None are bigger then the next one.” Cedar Valley totes a tough defense and an explosive offense that can strike at any time behind veteran quarterback Willie Staple. The Vikings have big and talented offensive and defensive linemen and very good skill positions to compliment them. This will be a tough test for the surging Lawdawgs. MLFN Player of the Week July 28th @ Midwest Titans game: MIDDLE BACKER-Deric Stahl, Dakota Lawdawgs (NAFL). Stahl had 10 tackles and 2 sacks to keep the Dawgs win streak alive with a 14-6 win over the Midwest Titans. Aug 4th vs. Minnesota Maulers game: RECEIVER-Josh Robinson, Dakota Lawdawgs (NAFL). Josh had 6 catches for 87-yards and a touchdown in the hard fought win over the Minnesota Maulers. LAWDAWGS WIN 8TH STRAIGHT BEAT MAULERS!Sioux Falls, SD August 4th – The Lawdawgs moved ahead of the Maulers 14-0 and looked to have the game in hand before a long touchdown pass by the Maulers right before the half that cut the lead to 14-6. The Lawdawgs pushed ahead going up 21 to 6 and added a field goal late before holding on to win 24 to 19.
The offense posted a rushing touchdown punched in by Phil Wilson early into the 2nd quarter on a 5 yard run after both teams battled to a 0-0 tie in the 1st quarter. Up 7-0 the Lawdawgs defense continued to be outstanding in their 1st half performances dominating the Maulers every attempt to make head way. Chuck Wright continued to gel with the offense in particular with Josh Robinson when he completed a 16 yard touchdown pass to him right before the half pushing the team up 14-0.
The 2nd half was a little more back and forth as the two teams exchanged touchdowns in the 3rd quarter. The Lawdawgs opened the 2nd half with a 73 yard kickoff return, followed by a 4 yard touchdown run by Bobby Ruffin to push the lead back to 21 to 6. The Maulers would score with 4 minutes left in the 3rd quarter to cut the lead to 21 to 12. The Lawdawgs struggled to maintain their composure and focus for the remainder of the 3rd quarter after their initial score. Fumbled snaps and a fumble recovered by the Maulers along with 2 personal fouls, seemed to have the team crumbling. The Maulers continued push to win the game became close when the Maulers scored again with 12:10 remaining in the game (Lawdawgs 21 Maulers 19). With the game being in balance the Lawdawgs managed to put together a drive that came to a conclusion on a 3rd and goal from the 2 after some confusion on the 3rd down attempt. The team settled for a Jery Lakin field goal putting the team up by the final score 24 to 19.
The defense ended the Maulers night in the 4th quarter by harassing the quarterback into throwing an interception to Dawgs, James Augustus, and 9 incompletions. The regained composure by the Lawdawgs was not entirely matched by the Maulers. Ray Wilson had an interception in the 2nd half to accompany the one by Augustus, both players had interceptions called back on penalties. The defensive unit held the Maulers to negative 8 yards on 10 attempts. Johnny Bentley led the team with 7 tackles, while Deric Stahl chipped in another 6.
The Lawdawgs travel to take on a tough Cedar Valley Vikings team who beat the Maulers 20-18 earlier this season and tied the common foe Manson Eagles 20-20 in overtime. Veteran quarterback Willie Staple who has played well for various minor league teams is expected to lead the charge for the Vikings this Saturday in the UNI Dome at 7:30pm. The Lawdawgs are 8-0 on the season and 6-0 in the division and hold a slim one game lead on the Midwest Titans.
LAWDAWGS WIN 7TH
STRAIGHT
Harrisonville, Missouri, July, 28th, 2007 – After 3 quarters the two teams that had only one loss between them, found each other staring at the scoreboard that read 0-0. Danny Cannon contemplated out loud to his teammates, “whoever scores first, wins boys!” True enough the Lawdawgs broke the goose egg first, when the prophet himself caught a 22 yard touchdown pass from Chuck Wright with 9:30 left on the clock. Pete Peterson’s extra point would be the difference maker as the Lawdawgs took a 7-0 lead, and eventually held on to win 14-6.
The Titans would answer back with a score of their own using a punt return deep into Lawdawgs territory at the 15 to set it up. A third and ten pass play went for 15 and the Titans would find themselves within one. As if scripted in a movie the kick would bounce off the upright and the Lawdawgs maintained a 1 point lead. With 2:40 left in the game the Titans choose to go for the onside kick, recovered by Will Walker and the Lawdawgs added yards by a personal foul on the Titans inching closer to the victory. Phil Wilson broke free on a 22 yard run to take the Lawdawgs to the Titans 4 and Willie Farris put up the final points of the night on a 4 yard run putting the Lawdawgs up 13-6. Pete Peterson again would make the extra point. There was plenty of time for the Titans to march back and tie the score and spirits were lifted when the 2nd line of the return team made a great play to recover the Lawdawgs squib. Hopes were dashed a play latter when the Lawdawgs defense rose up one more time, this time Brandon Thompson did the honors intercepting the Eric Hoskins pass. The Lawdawgs quickly knelt in the victory formation to run out the game clock and escape with their 7th victory of the season. “Now that’s two teams slugging it out till the end.” Coach Taylor said with a sigh of relief. “Each of us had our chances tonight, we were just lucky enough to come out on top.” The Lawdawgs defense would again lead the way as the Titans attempted to knock them from the ranks of the unbeaten. Teamwork and team pride propelled the Lawdawgs to victory Saturday night as defenders used each other to set up success. Johnny Bentley patrolled the middle and piled up tackles and made big plays. Middle linebacker, Deric Stahl, intercepted a pass, recovered 2 fumbles and racked in the hits. The 2nd fumble recovery was forced by Brandon Thompson who responded with a hammer shot to Coach Taylor’s urging to “crack skulls” in the end of the 3rd quarter. The secondary lead by Ricardo Sorrell, James Augustus and Robert Walker played outstanding, starving off countless Titans attempts to open up the throwing lanes. The Defensive line led by Marc Phillips, Kyle Van Emmerik and Austin Solko made running difficult with the participation of Anthony Flute and Ty Larson both playing injured. Terrance McAbee put together another impressive night, both in effort and results, as well as stoking his teammates to build the fire. The Offensive line continued to mold together and managed to eek out just over 200 yards of offense against a stingy tough Titans defense that made every yard, punishing ball carriers on the way. The line pushed open holes enough for Phil Wilson and Bobby Ruffin to muster most of the Lawdawgs ground game and hold the pocket open for Chuck Wrights pass to Cannon to break the deadlock. The team is developing a potent one two punch with the explosive Wilson going back to his true position joining the lethal Ruffin who leads the team in rushing and TD’s. Wright connected with 5 different receivers, including 3 of which he hit multiple times. The offense showed true balance and potential for the tough drive.
LAWDAWGS MAKETHE WRIGHT CHOICE!
Sioux Falls, SD – The Lawdawgs announced the signing of Chuck Wright for the remainder of the 2007 season. The Sioux Falls based minor league football team has jumped out to a 6-0 start, however Coach Taylor felt as though the team needed a little something more. “We have had success this year with Phil and Trever, however Chuck brings that additional leadership and experience to our team that we all know we need.” explained Coach Taylor. “Everyone is excited about the possibilities this brings to our offense and our team.” Wright joined the team for practice this week, right before the NAFL deadline and will be the starter for the Lawdawgs this Saturday when the team travels to face the 5-1 Midwest Titans RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Wright has just come off his best season as an indoor quarterback for the Iowa Black Hawks helping lead them to the team’s record win total and a birth in the APFL championship game. During his career with the Iowa Black Hawks indoor team the 26 year old Tampa, Florida native threw for over 6,000 yards, 70 touchdowns, is the all-time leader in all passing statistics and was the 2005 team MVP. PAST HIGH LIGHTS: Area fans may recall that Chuck Wright was the starting QB for the Omaha Beef for 8 games during the 2006 UIF season. During the 2006 season Chuck passed for over 900 yards and 20 TD’s while setting the team’s longest pass record at 48 yards. Wright’s time with the Beef had its lows and highs vs. the UIF’s local team the Sioux Falls Storm. One of those highs had to have been his 3rd touchdown pass of the night to put the Omaha Beef up 24-22 with just two minutes left. During this meeting between the two teams, in which the Beef lost 34-24, Wright was 18 for 34 with 3 touchdowns and one interception on the evening. 2007 PASSING Stats GP Rating Att-Cmp-Int Pct Yds TD Lng Avg/G (BEEF) Chuck Wright 8 74.13 162-79-10 48.8 901 22 47 112.6
At 6’2, 215 pounds, Wright is the prototypical size quarterback the Lawdawgs have been in search for this season. The team is hopeful that his passing talent and experience will allow the team to flex its passing desires while continuing its rushing dominance. “I’m excited! We wanted to keep the passing game more in the fore front this season and we just were not able to do that as of yet.” pointed out Coach Taylor. “Besides it will be nice to have him on our sidelines for a change.” No doubt thinking of the pain in the neck that Wright would give the Lawdawgs as a member of the Cass County Renegades during the 2006 season, despite beating Cass County all three times, Wright made 2 of the 3 interesting very interesting for them. Or perhaps most notably was Chuck Wright’s contribution to the 9 straight losses handed out by the Nebraska Bears. Both the team and Mr. Wright are looking to make the most of the opportunity ahead.
LAWDAWGS HANDLE ADVERSITY SQUEAK OUT WIN VS PANTHERS!
Blue Springs, MO July 21st – Not the way you want to start out the day, however the Lawdawgs handled numerous player issues prior to the game on Saturday vs. the Kansas City Panthers before finally pulling out a 19 to 14 win at the Kansas City Panthers. Brandon Thompson had his 5th and biggest sack on the Panthers final drive of the game in which he sacked the Panther QB for a loss of 15 yards basically taking the Panthers fangs out as they had three straight incompletions to end the game. The Defense had it’s issues controlling the Panther passing game late however, they held the Panthers to just 5 yards on 24 plays over the Panthers six 1st half possessions. During that stretch the Lawdawgs intercepted a pass, recovered 2 fumbles and sacked the quarterback 5 times. Then playing under back-up quarterback, Trever Coxworth, they had their hands full and managed just 47 yards of offense vs. a tough Panther Defense that was up for the task. Bobby Ruffin did cap off a drive in the 1st quarter right after the Lawdawgs forced a fumble to put the Lawdawgs up with the only 1st half score by either team, 7-0.
The Panthers opened up the 2nd half with an impressive drive marching 70 yards to pay dirt and when the extra point snap was high they managed to scramble in for a 2pt conversion going up 8 to 7 right away in the 3rd quarter. Phil Wilson came off the bench to hit Matt Gorter on the 1st play of the next drive with a 36 yard touchdown pass after a great kickoff return by Ray Wilson. The Lawdawgs botched the extra point to go up 13 to 8. The Panthers would attempt to pick up where they left off, however back to back drives ending interceptions hurt them as the Lawdawgs made the most of the 2nd interception. With Lawdawgs defenders hanging all over him the Panthers QB made an ill advised attempt to get off a pass and Marshell Byrd stepped in and ran the interception back for 80 yards and a touchdown. The Lawdawgs attempt to go for 2 and failed putting them up 19 to 8.
With the Lawdawgs offense unable to generate any head way the defense then forced a three and out. Again the Lawdawgs offense failed to generate anything vs. the tough Panther defense. False starts and other penalties stood in the way of any real progress, that coupled with the Panthers attack left the Lawdawgs short most of the night. The Panthers took advantage putting together 5 straight passes against a worn out Lawdawgs defensive unit to cut the lead to 19-14 when the Panthers 2pt conversion fell short. The Lawdawgs managed to burn some clock on their next possession; however a short punt gave the Panthers excellent field position for their final drive of the game.
The Lawdawgs were off all night obviously distracted by that day’s earlier event, however they did manage to hold on for which Coach Taylor was proud of, and felt fortunate to escape with the win. “We just had to get the train back on the tracks” commented Coach Taylor. “We’ve had a few issues the past few weeks with players just doing the basic things and they came to a head this morning. Very distracting and we are very fortunate to have starters sitting out and still get the win. A few key starters and stat leaders sat and watched either the 1st quarter or the 1st half while the Lawdawgs built a 7-0 lead and hung on. Coach Taylor wouldn’t go into who, what and why, however it was obvious by watching each side of the ball that the plays on the field were effected greatly. “I’m proud of the way we responded,” Coach Taylor added, “We feel we lost to a great team in the playoffs last year, in part because we couldn’t come together as a team, we need to make sure we are all together this year, especially this next week.” The Lawdawgs will travel to face the upstart Midwest Titans (5-1) on the season, next week on Saturday, July 28th at 6:30pm. The Lawdawgs are 6-0 on the season.
Players of the Week July 14th Minor League Football News
DEFENSIVE TACKLE- Marc Phillips,
Dakota Lawdawgs. A repeat winner, Marc had 6 tackles, 1 forced fumble,
and 2 fumble recoveries.
LAWDAWGS RIP RENEGADES….. AGAIN!
Salem, SD – For the 4th time in the last 5 home games vs. the Renegades the Lawdawgs waited around for their opponent to get ready after arriving late. Then like clockwork the Lawdawgs proceeded to dismantle the Cass County squad 47 to 8. Using every trick play they could and multiple fake punts and 4th down attempts, they would not stop the Lawdawgs offensive and defensive onslaught. The Lawdawgs forced a fumble recovered by Austin Solko and then quickly turned that turnover into 7 points when Willie Farris scampered 5 yards for a touchdown. Boss Regis would stuff a fake punt attempt on the Renegades next drive and Bobby Ruffin would then run 20 yards on the next Lawdawgs play to put the team up 13-0. The Renegades would block the extra point attempt. The next Renegade possession would end with an interception by Ray Wilson and then on the ensuing Lawdawgs possession Phil Wilson would hit Josh Robinson on a 38 yard touchdown strike to put the Lawdawgs up 20 to 0. The defense was not done, sacking the Renegades QB on the next Renegades play and forcing a fumble recovered by Marc Phillips the 1st recovery of his 2 of the night. The Lawdawgs would then march 70 yards to pay dirt capping off the drive with a 21 yard touchdown run by Bobby Ruffin. At half time the Lawdawgs led 28-0.
The passing game got into the swing of things this week as Phil Wilson connected on 3 touchdown strikes. One was the previous mentioned pass to Robinson as well as touchdown passes to Will Walker and Danny Cannon. Wilson was 6-11 for 164 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. Ruffin rushed for 104 yards and 2 touchdowns on 10 carries and Willie Farris chipped in 72 yards and 2 touchdowns on 7 carries. The Defense played outstanding again as Brandon Thompson stole the show and recorded 12 tackles and two sacks as well as 4 QB pressures. Ray Wilson patrolled the secondary recording 10 tackles picking off a pass and recovering a fumble. Marc Phillips recorded 7 tackles and had a forced fumble and recovered 2 fumbles to lead the defensive line. Other defensive standouts were Boss Regis, Austin Solko, Sean Dougherty and Johnny Bentley.
The Lawdawgs will travel to face the long time rival, Kansas City Panthers, on Saturday, July 21st at 6:00pm. The Lawdawgs are 5-0 on the season.
Lawdawgs survive stiff test!
Salem, South Dakota July 7th 2007 – After three straight games that the Lawdawgs seemed to control, the Dawgs had a stiffer test on their hands against the Manson Eagles. Jumping out 13-0, the Lawdawgs seemed to relax a bit allowing the Eagles to cut the lead to 13-6. They put the Eagles away in the 4th quarter when Ray Wilson was led into the end zone by crushing blocks from the left side of the offensive line and fullback Johnny Bentley. That score would put the Lawdawgs up 21-6. The Lawdawgs defense spent a little more time on the field vs. the Eagles as the Manson team compiled 233 yards on 51 plays. The bulk of the yards came on 3 plays that all resulted in scoring threats. The 1st was a 57 yard QB sneak by Alonzo Clayton. The Lawdawgs defense got caught during a shift as well as a little gap confusion which Clayton took advantage of on a 3rd and 2. Clayton also hooked up on two deep passes one during the final minutes of the 1st half and another in the final minutes of the game. Each resulted in the Lawdawgs defense stifling the drive a few plays later by forcing a turnover. The Lawdawgs offense punched in two rushing touchdowns, Johnny Bentley on a 6 yard run and Willie Farris on a 15 yard run, both in the first half. However, the staunch Eagle defense frustrated the Dawgs running attack for the 1st time this year. “It was an eye opener for our offense, and we’ll regain our focus and get the offensive unit back on track.” commented Coach Taylor. The Eagles are big and aggressive and will be tough this season as they grow together. Manson is 0-3-1, keeping each of their losses close till the 4th quarter. The Lawdawgs defense perhaps shined the brightest while the offense struggled at times. Marc Phillips continues to impress compiling 5 tackles, 2 sacks and a fumble recovery. Fellow defensive linemen Sean Dougherty chipping in 6 tackles and linebackers Johnny Bentley added 9 tackles and Deric Stahl had 7. “The most important thing is getting the win,” pointed out Coach Taylor. “We’ve played well as a team but we’re banged up and need to get healthy as we lack depth here and there.” The Dawgs will have to get healed up on the fly as Cass County comes into Salem this week to show that the Lawdawgs 68-8 win earlier this season was a fluke. The Dawgs then have back to back trips to Kansas City to play the Panthers and then the Titans, who just battled each other to a 14-12 game with the Titans winning. The Midwest Titans battled the Manson Eagles to a 21-0 score. The next few weeks will be tough ones no doubt for the Dawgs as they attempt to go 5-0 and beyond for the 1st time in franchise history. This will be no easy task as the Renegades seek revenge and the Midwest Titans and Panthers both want the Lawdawgs Division crown for their own. The next home game will be played in Salem, SD at 7:05pm on Saturday July 14th, with better weather in the forecast than the 103 degrees a couple nights ago. For more information on the team please visit the team website at www.lawdawgs.net .
LAWDAWGS WIN PLAYER OF WEEK HONORS
For the first time this season two Lawdawgs win “Central” Players of the week honors, the awards were given by the Minor League Football News.
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER- Marshell Byrd, Dakota Lawdawgs (NAFL). For the second straight week Byrd landed 4 sacks, this time he threw in 3 fumble recoveries as well as forcing a fumble in the blow out of the Cass County Renegades 69-8.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE-Marc Phillips, Dakota Lawdawgs (NAFL). Marc had 4 tackles, forced a fumble and recovered another which he ran in for a 25-yard touchdown.
The Lawdawgs will host the Manson Eagles this week (July 7th) in Salem, South Dakota game time 7:05pm. The Manson Eagles are 0-2-1 and coming off a stinging loss where they amassed over 400 yards of offense but were unable to break on to the scoreboard losing 21-0.
Two Manson Eagles were also on this past weeks awards list.
DEFENSIVE BACK-Walt Gilbert, Manson Eagles (MFL).
Gilbert had 4 interceptions, one returned 68-yards for a TD in the win
over the Cedar Valley Vikings. The Eagles have a tough defense and will be no doubt hungry to show that the Lawdawgs offense bark is much worse than their bite. Only time will tell, as the Lawdawgs look to go 4-0 and the Eagles look to break into the winning column.
For more information on the team email them at dakotalawdawgs@hotmail.com or call the team office at 605-528-3099. You can visit the team website at www.lawdawgs.net. LAWDAWGS WIN 8TH STRAIGHTVS NE NEBRASKA
For the 8th straight time the Lawdawgs got the upper hand on the NE Nebraska Thunderbirds. Earning their 2nd shut out of the season the Lawdawgs pushed their way to 3-0 beating the Thunderbirds 35-0. The defense was stiff again this week, posting their 3rd shutout (Cass County scored on a kick return) while holding Norfolk to a combined total of 26 yards on 37 plays. Meanwhile the offense continued pace on this season’s success gaining over 400 yards for the 3rd straight week this time posting 432 yards. Johnny Bentley opened the scoring for the Lawdawgs on a 2 yard run to cap off a 9 play / 70 yard drive to put the Lawdawgs up 7-0. The Thunderbirds would then put together their only drive of the game, 10 plays 38 yards, pushing to the Lawdawgs 20 before Cedric Hall stripped the T-Birds running back Josh Davis. Johnny Bentley recovered the fumble. On the ensuing play great blocks by Jeff Kosters, Bobby Ruffin and Josh Robinson opened up a running lane for Bentley to scoot 80 yards to put the Lawdawgs ahead 14-0. The Lawdawgs sputtered on their other 3 drives of the half turning the ball over on downs, an interception in the end and a punt. NE Nebraska gave all they had holding the halftime score to an identical 14-0 lead for the Dawgs the same score as the 1st game of the year. The second half was a bit different as far as the overall effort and play of the Lawdawgs compared to the 2nd half of the 1st meeting between the teams. The defense held NE Nebraska to negative 3 yards on 15 plays over their 5 second half possessions. Meanwhile Bobby Ruffin punched in three touchdowns in the second half taking his game leading rushing totals to 19 carries for 172 yards. During the 2nd half Ruffin amazed fans with two “Barry Sanders” type runs stopping and cutting on a dime, making opponents miss tackles and reversing field. His final carry of the night was a 24 yard touchdown run in which Ruffin swept left and then cut back jitterbugging up field all the way across the far sidelines leaving 7 tacklers in his wake. The Thunderbirds were able to stifle the pass rushers of the Lawdawgs by mixing in mostly running and scrambling throws that led to 0 completions. However, the Dawgs leading sack man, Marshell Byrd, did post a sack and a half, while adding 4 hurries. Julian Carter avoided Byrd’s normal 4 sacks like he has the last 3 games straight, by throwing the ball away 3 times with Byrd draped all over him. Boss Regis, Marc Phillips and Sean Dougherty all had half sacks. In addition, the Lawdawgs continue to swarm to the ball led by Defensive Tackle Austin Solko’s 7 tackles and a fumble recovery. The defensive line had their way Saturday night as Marc Phillips (5 tackles) and Sean Dougherty and Cedric Hall both chipping in 4. Ray Wilson and Marshell Byrd also added fumble recoveries as the Lawdawgs forced 4 turnovers. Quarterbacks Phil Wilson and Trever Coxworth made the most of their limited passing participation Saturday night combining for 81 yards on 5 for 7 passing. Tough to squeeze in passing attempts when the Lawdawgs offense continues to move the ball at over 350 rushing yards per game. The Lawdawgs posted 365 yards on the ground on 41 carries punching it in 5 times. Bentley was the second leading rusher on the night rushing 6 times for 115 yards and had 2 touchdowns, to go along with Ruffins 3. Over the 1st 3 games the Lawdawgs offensive unit has averaged 358 yards on 46 carries a game. “It was an overall great team effort, everyone chipping in to do their part. Coach Taylor commented. I know we are focused on the upcoming Eagles game. They will be our 1st test this year.” The Manson Eagles are a newly formed franchise, arising from the ashes of the Iowa Bruisers. The roster is dotted with former Bruisers and has added some new talent. Holding the Midwest Titans to just 21 points in their last game, the Midwest Titans are favored to replace the Lawdawgs at the top of the Division this year, was a good showing of this teams potential. The Eagles are hungry to prove they are a better team then last year’s Bruisers. They want to show they are better organized and operated than when current Lawdawgs backup quarterback Trever Coxworth owned and operated their team. This one looks to be a season barn burner and put a stamp on what the season holds for the Dakota Lawdawgs. For more information on the team email them at dakotalawdawgs@hotmail.com or call the team office at 605-528-3099. You can visit the team website at www.lawdawgs.net.
FAST START PROPELS LAWDAWGSTO SECOND WIN!
Weeping Water, NE -- June 23rd. The Lawdawgs took their opening drive on Saturday night and marched 65 yards into the end zone capping the drive off with a 15 yard pass from Phil Wilson to Will Walker to go up 7-0. On the ensuing drive Marc Phillips recovered a fumble and rumbled 25 yards to pay dirt and the almost botched extra point would be converted by a scrambling Ray Wilson when he hit tight end Ben Kruse for the two point conversion putting the Lawdawgs up 15-0. This all ended with a 69-8 victory over the Cass County Renegades. Despite compiling it’s 2nd straight game of over 400 yards of offense the Lawdawgs defense lead the way forcing 8 turnovers (1 interception and 8 sacks) while adding 7 sacks lead by Marshell Byrd who added 4 more to his now 8 total season sacks. Team tackling was again the theme of the night as the defense stifled the Renegade attempts all night holding the Cass County squad to just 49 yards on 54 plays. The only points for the Renegades was on an 80 yard score right away in the 2nd quarter which cut the lead to 27-8. Rushing was again the theme this game, as always, and Bobby Ruffin rushed for 151 yards on 16 carries punching the ball in the end zone 3 times. Willie Farris added a touchdown and 75 yards, while Johnny Bentley, Danny Cannon and Phil Wilson also struck pay dirt. Phil Wilson and Trever Coxworth combined for 5-7 passing compiling 130 yards and 2 TD’s both thrown by Wilson. The 2nd being a 69 yard strike to Danny Cannon. With a half time score of 48 to 8 the Lawdawgs alternated running backs as well as quarterbacks scoring 2 times in the 3rd quarter and once in the 4th. Meanwhile the defense kept up the relentless pressure forcing the Renegades quarterback to go 4-24 on the night. “We played well tonight.” Coach Taylor pointed out. “However we have much to do to improve!” The team is focused on getting better each week with a large number of rookies and veterans needing to work together. Not expected to be at full roster strength for a few weeks, the team is keeping a watchful eye on the upcoming schedule. The Lawdawgs will host the NE Nebraska Thunderbirds this Saturday night in Salem, South Dakota at 7:05pm. There will be a pre-game flag football event planned for area youth to attend. Children are invited to attend pre-game festivities. The Lawdawg players will take a team photo in thier new uniforms, sponsored by Orthopedic Institute and Viereck Real Estate, to be presented this week. Children will be treated to playing catch and tag football game with Lawdawgs team members prior to and around the team photo set up. Area children are invited to show up at 4:30pm and hang out with the team until 5:45pm. Minor League Football News: Weekend of Play Award Winners
CENTRAL REGION: LAWDAWGS MANAGE SEASON OPENING WIN
Crofton, NE – June 16th, 2007 For the 7th straight time the Lawdawgs managed to beat the Norfolk Thunderbirds 28-0. Kickoff found both teams battling the almost suffocating conditions of the Crofton, NE high school stadium. The heat and humidity kept things sluggish, as the two teams embraced for battle on the opening kickoff surrounded by a grove of trees in this majestic setting that is the new home of the NE Nebraska Thunderbirds.
“The air was certainly thick tonight,” said Jordan Taylor, Head Coach for the Dakota Lawdawgs. “I bet the men were appreciative of our conditioning habits.” Adding a smirk to go along with his comment.
The Lawdawgs coasted into half time with a 14-0 score which were two rushing scores. The 1st by Willie Farris on a 6 yard run and the 2nd on a 1 yard run by Bobby Ruffin. The teams only other 1st half drive was stuffed on downs on the T-Birds 38. The Lawdawgs offense put up and road the defense in the 3rd but one Lawdawgs drive was stopped by an interception and forced the Lawdawgs only punt of the night, on the next play. However when the Lawdawgs regained the ball they stretched another long time consuming drive into the 4th quarter pushing the lead to 21-0.
The Lawdawgs defense took the field first and showed that they hope to follow in last year’s defensive footsteps. They forced a 3 and out. In fact, the defense would only give up three first downs all night in route to a season opening shut out performance. Overall the T-Birds mustered just 32 plays compiling a tough 36 yards. Thunderbirds quarterback, Julian Thomas, was the only firing piston as the he was involved with the two completed passes (2-10-29-1-0), while his scrambles produced positive yards at times. The Lawdawgs 7 sacks gobbled up any positive rushing gains. Marshell Byrd posted 4 sacks, forced a fumble and made Julians’ life miserable with 2 other almost sacks as well. Deric Stahl had 7 total tackles and an interception, while rest of the defensive unit took turns corralling the Thunderbirds. Kyle Van Emmerik led a steady defensive line that made it difficult for Norfolk to do much of anything. Kyle posted 2 half sacks along with 4 total tackles.
The Lawdawgs offense compiled at total of 410 yards on offense, 375 yards coming on the ground. Bobby Ruffin led the way with 144 yards on 17 carries earning 2 touchdowns. Willie Farris posted 81 yards on 15 carries and Phil Wilson added 64 yards to make up the bulk of the rushing. Trever Coxworth capped of the scoring when he connected with Matt Gorter on a 17 yard scoring toss mid-way through the 4th quarter. In addition, the Lawdawgs offense dominated the time of possession holding on to the ball for over 40 minutes.
The Lawdawgs will travel to Weeping Water to take on the Cass County Renegades at 7:05 on this Saturday the 23rd of June. The following week the team will host the NE Nebraska Thunderbirds on the 30th of June, in Salem, South Dakota at 7:05pm.
The Dakota Lawdawgs are members of the North American Football League and reigning 2006 North Central Division Champions, coming off of a 13-2 season. Founded in 1996, the team will be entering its 12th season and has offices in Sioux Falls, Salem and Hartford. More about the Dakota Lawdawgs can be found on its Website: www.lawdawgs.net
Rookie Camp Begins!
Rookie camp began today for the Lawdawgs with select veterans showing up to show the new players the ropes. Practice was spirited and the new group of rookies brings both numbers and talent to the Lawdawgs group of hungry veterans. Notable rookies in camp are Bobby Ruffin (Running back) and Will Walker (Tight End) Dakota Wesleyan University. Bobby Ruffin played his high school football at Benson High School in California and College football at Minnesota State Mankato. In addition Ruffin split two season with the Sioux City Bandits (NIFL) and sandwhiched a season with the Sioux Falls Storm in between the two. He has show great quickness and explosiveness and is sure to be reckoned with in regards to the starting running back position. Will Walker played at Amity High School in Oregon, and college ball for Dakota Wesleyan University last season. Nicked named “Magic Hands” already Walker has good size and strength and can snag the hardest to catch passes. Both athletes are leading one of the strongest rookie classes to date, but the biggest class with all the team members pushing hard to land more recruits in the coming weeks. Rookie camp continues this Wednesday and Friday with the first official team practice the following Monday, May 28th. MCCROSSAN Boys Ranch Young men help with field and locker room clean up. Marshell Byrd rejoined the team and has brought a new attitude and effort this year. Determined to be a leader and show his potential he spent the 1st weekend back with the team directing MCCROSSAN youth on both Saturday and Sunday as they helped clean up the practice field and the locker room. Tasks included mowing, striping, debry clean up, weed spraying and the locker room work included painting and organizing. The boys did a fantastic Job and are to be commended for their efforts as well as Byrds direction and supervision. Way to go guys.
2007 Season approaches!
With just 30 days till the June 16th opener the Lawdawgs season is slowly but surely coming into focus for the 2007 season. Veterans continue to report in and the rookie class of promising players continues to grow to the biggest rookie class in team history. With a few more surprise veterans expected to sign and join the team in the next few weeks, the teams outlook is promising. “Only time will tell!” Commented Coach Taylor on the strength of the 07 team. “We’ll see what we take the field with on the 16th at Norfolk. Rookie camp begins on the on Monday, May, 21st and many veterans are expected to take part in the 3 day practice week leading up to the first official practice on the 28th. The team will practice everyday for 3 straight weeks leading up to the season opener. During that period the team will travel to Yankton, SD for a Scrimmage for referee training on the 2nd of June and host a Red and White Scrimmage and Lawdawg pride “Barbeque” event and media day on Saturday June 9th. With the team roster at 45 the Lawdawgs are recruiting hard to fill in the remaining 15 slots and with verbal commitments expect to be in the mid 50’s before the 1st game. Home games will be played at Garretson, SD this season with the one traditional remote game in Salem, SD. This begins the 1st of weekly season e-mail newsletters, and over the next few weeks the team will be unveiling its regular season schedule, team coaching staff that has added 4 coaches, administration and intern staff as well as the teams 07 roster.
Stay tuned to the Lawdawgs on-line e-mail news letter or check the teams website for future press releases and events as well as updates to the 2007 Dakota Lawdawgs.
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2007
Season News
