Team America shuts down Celtic Force
While the mosquitos drew first blood Wednesday night at the Hawkeye Recreational Fields, Team America quickly followed with an opening drive touchdown en route to a 26-0 win over Celtic Force.
Led by sophomore Paul Rozeboom, Team America’s offense and defense methodically wore down Celtic Force.
“We started a new offense today,” he said. “A version of the wildcat we call ‘the American.’ ”
The new offense worked.
Rozeboom led steady drives throughout the game, capping the night off with his second touchdown pass after running for a score earlier in the game. A little luck came into play, though – a number of tipped balls were caught by Team America, resembling the amazing play by the Denver Bronco’s Brandon Stokely on Sunday.
Team America’s defense was equally impressive. The secondary had two interceptions, and the defense forced four turnovers on downs. One of the defensive stops came on an impressive goal-line stand in which one official had ruled a touchdown for Celtic Force, but a closer referee whistled the team down at the 1, allowing Team America to tighten up and deny the score.
It was a battle of wills for most of the game — neither team believed in the theory of punting. Team America didn’t even have any subs.
“No one wants to sit,” Rozeboom said. “I think we are in good enough condition anyway.”
They needed all the conditioning they could muster when the game started to get a little rough. Two pairs of shorts were ripped, and Zach Bodensteiner of Team America had his shirt torn off his back.
Both sidelines erupted in laughter when half of the sophomore’s shirt came floating back to the field.
“They ripped the back of my shirt, so now I have an apron,” Bodensteiner said after the game, sporting the newly trimmed T-shirt with a smile.
Tearing and clawing was all Celtic Force could really do as its offense and defense continually stalled.
“It was our first game,” said freshman Tom O’Conner. “Next time, we’ll have plays and be more organized.”
One drive in particular seemed to exemplify Celtic Force’s night. During a second-quarter drive, Celtic Force was sacked, had a fumbled snap, and an illegal forward pass before turning the ball over on downs. However, it seemed like the Celtic Force defense was the real problem.
“Their quarterback [Rozeboom] was a good runner,” O’Conner said. “We couldn’t cover him and the receivers. They have some good players.”
Celtic Force began to pick up the pace in the fourth quarter in an effort to close the gap. But as the lights on the field came on, the momentum for the Force went out.
After a nifty trick play in which Celtic Force’s Matt Farrell stepped in front of the quarterback during the snap and hit Joe Laracco with a long touchdown pass, a tiny yellow flag was lying back at the line of scrimmage.
When the officials announced an offside penalty on the offense, a couple of the Celtic Force players collapsed to the ground, exhausted and demoralized.
After the win, Team America players were excited about the rest of the season. Rozeboom, the star of the game, ended his night confidently.
“Watch out for Team America,” he said.
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