The EndZone The Official Newsletter of Londonderry Youth Football and Spirit
Breaking Camp Wildcats had a wild week with the parade, Jamboree, OHD, and much more By Jim Loiselle – EndZone Editor - e-mail: [email protected]
Question – Who cooked 600+ cheese/hamburgers; 500 pounds of fresh- hand-cut fries; 300+ hot dogs; 150+ pounds of chicken fingers; 60+ pounds of sausage; 125+ breakfast sandwiches; 16 pounds of taco meat for 100+ walking tacos; and bushels of grilled (and yes deep fried – and it was yummy!) corn-on-the cob. NOT even to mention the cases of Gatorade, soda, and a pallet of water……candy, snacks, and other goodies
Answer – The Londonderry Wildcats Concession Stand!
It started Thursday with concession managers Jay Twardosky and Shaun Sawyer pulling the Wildcat equipment from storage, setting it up on the town common for Thursday Kids Night and Saturday OHD. The Wildcats broke down concession Saturday night and then set it all up on the par-5 fields for the Sunday jamboree. It took an army of volunteers over 50 strong to help set-up, cook and breakdown/setup the concession.
The line was almost back to the cannon on the common – but our volunteers kept the line moving and the crowd well fed. Jay tells the EndZone exclusively that he has something special planned for our next home games on September 8th which is National Date Nut Bread Day!
Fisher Cats – On Thursday August 22nd the Wildcat Cheerleaders performed before the Fisher Cat game with Wildcats taking part in the on-field activities and after-game fireworks.
We just love the muffin man! Again this year a special call-out to the muffin man who donated ALL the bread and rolls used by the concession stand. Do YOU know the muffin man?
Special thanks to our newest Wildcat sponsor – Comcast!
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Old Home Day Parade – Londonderry’s very special OHD Parade celebrated the 300th birthday of Londonderry. Showing Wildcat support we held a “Throw-Back” Parade. Some of our Wildcat cheerleaders and football players wore old throwback uniforms from the Panthers, Titans, and Jr. Lancers. One lucky Wildcat got to wear the 1979 National Championship Football jacket, that proudly hangs in our office shed. You can see some of our cheerleaders in throwback uniforms – who is that tall cheerleader on the right in the back?
Lopsided Score Rule – Updated 2019 By Kevin McKenzie – Football Director - e-mail [email protected]
Good sportsmanship takes many forms – one of them is the AYF lopsided score rule employed by AYF to protect both the players and the integrity of the game. Here are NEW UPDATED for 2019 details of the lopsided score rule from New Hampshire AYF rules.
Section XXI Lopsided Scores Slaughter Rule: The lopsided score is attained when one team is ahead by 35 points or more a mandatory midfield conference will be held between the 2 head coaches, home/host field director in charge and the head official.
Tone it Down: When the score becomes lopsided, tone it down, horns, sirens, and other noisemakers will cease to exist. Coaches should not stop coaching, but criticism and praise should be muted and restricted to the sidelines.
Mid-Field Conference: Once the lopsided score is met, the game is stopped for a mandatory conference at mid field between the 2 head coaches and the home field Director in charge and the head coach. The score is recorded and this will be the final score of the game. • There will be no Kickoffs – ball is placed at 40 yard line for teams to go 60 yards. • The team on the losing side of the lopsided score will determine the remainder of the game and has the following options:
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A. Running Clock for remainder of game with clock only stopping for injuries or rules questions. B. Keep clock as is in typical games. If choosing this option, the losing coach can ask to begin running clock at any time. • If games are running behind start times, the 4th quarter shall be running time – TBD by game officials and home field director. • All players that have not completed their MPRs at time of lopsided score must immediately be put into the game and kept in the game until minimum plays attained. • All turnovers are blown dead. There will be no defensive scoring. • The winning team does not have to sit their top players unless they have already played many plays but should not have them in their regular positions.
What’s an MPR ? By Hector Ortiz – Football Director - e-mail [email protected]
Every football player plays in every game. AYF tackle football (Wildcat 8U through 13U) at its heart remains an educational and instructional program. Yes, of course scores are kept and wins are tracked but that’s not the only thing we keep track of in AYF football.
MPR or ‘Minimum Play Rule’ is a fundamental method for ensuring that every player gets to play in every game. We do this by counting the plays every football player is involved in until that player meets the minimum play requirement. You may have seen this on the volunteer sign-up sheets each week. For every game (home and away) we need 2 MPR volunteers. One volunteer goes on the opponents’ sideline and with a formatted sheet keeps track of the plays each player gets until that player meets the minimum requirement. They don’t do this alone. An MPR person from the other team is watching and assisting.
On our side of the field it’s just the opposite. An MPR volunteer from the other team keeps track of the plays for each Wildcat player. The Wildcat MPR person on our side of the field watches and helps the other teams MPR volunteer. This trust but verify method keeps it fair and equal as both teams “watch” what each other is doing related to MPRs.
With MPRs in play this requires some additional strategy from coaches. Each coach has their own style of managing to the MPR rule and making sure players get playing time. One old-time coach once told me he preferred to manage MPRs on the offensive side of the ball. As he remarked, “…if the offense makes a mistake they give up the ball. If the defense makes a mistake they give up a touchdown.”
Many coaches will run their MPR players first. This is critical as all MPRs must be completed by the start of the 4th quarter. The game referees will actually ask the head coaches at the start of the 4th quarter if they have met their MPRs. If teams have not met their MPR requirement by the 4th quarter they MUST play kids on every down until they have completed their MPRs.
Do all plays count for MPRs? YES, all plays count, all kicking plays and point after TD runs/kicks do count as MPR plays. Plays that end with a penalty assessed are not counted as MPR plays.
What happens if a team does not meet their MPR requirement? Well first that should never happen. It is the responsibility of the head coaches to make sure the rules are followed. If at the end of the day a team has not met the MPR rule, this is forwarded to the state governing board for disciplinary action that includes fines and game- suspensions for coaches.
So what are the minimum number of plays required. Well, that depends on the teams size, as in the number of players on the day of the game. (NH requires more MPRs than national or regional AYF) Follow us on Twitter - @LWcats & on FaceBook EndZone August 30, 2019 The EndZone The Official Newsletter of Londonderry Youth Football and Spirit
31 to 36 players – 10 plays 25 to 30 players – 12 plays 19 to 24 players – 14 plays 13 to 18 players – 18 plays
So there you have the rule and some points around how coaches manage to this important element of AYF football. Any questions at all should be brought to the attention of your head coach.
See you at the games !!
WEEK ONE GAMES!! 10U Overpowers Manchester East Cobras By Woody Paige – EndZone Sports Beat - e-mail: [email protected]
In all aspects of the game from offense, defense, and special teams the well-coached Wildcats were no match for the Cobras of Manchester. Starting with the ball the Cats would take off quickly with #89 Jordan Ball taking the opening hand-off 47 yards, and with 20 seconds off the clock the Londonderry squad would take the early 7 to 0 lead. They would not need another score. Left – with center #81 Owen Crafts on the ball the O-line gets ready for the snap.
The Wildcat defense was stifling – not allowing a Manchester first down for the entire first half. #18 Eli Bettencourt lead all defenders with 3 solo tackles – all for a loss! – and one Manchester fumble recovery. #15 Brock Stgelais. #12 Sully Daron (below right), and #89 Jordan Ball each recorded 3 solo tackles. #36 Jayden Howard and #13 Dillon Doucette would each record solo stops.
QB Daron was able to complete several passes including a 34 yard pass to #2 Will Hazzard mid-way through the first quarter setting up Jordan Balls 2nd score of the day a 2 yard TD run. Jordan completed the EP pass to Will Hazzard to move Londonderry ahead 14 to 0.
Getting the ball back early in the second quarter the Wildcat offense picked up where they left off. Jordan would record his 3rd TD run of the day a 6 yard score and with the EP run by #71 Nathan Smith (left) the Cats would pull ahead 21 to 0. Again, with Daron recovering the on-side kick the Wildcats would tally the final score of the first half on a 47 yard TD run (above left) by #71 Nathan Smith.
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Opening the second half #3 John Bottaro would recover the Wildcat on-side kick and from there Londonderry would march the ball down field and behind a 12 yard TD pass from Daron to Ball the Wildcats (Hazard EP pass from Daron) would up their lead to 34 to 0. Mid-way through the third quarter Daron would score on a 31 yard scramble for the final Londonderry lopsided 40 to 0 victory.
11U – Manchester Cobras – No Match for Wildcats By Frank DeFord – EndZone Sports - e-mail: [email protected]
The sole bright spot for the Manchester 11U team came on the opening kick-off when they recovered their on-side kick attempt. Fortunately for the Cats the game was not over.
On that opening possession the Wildcat defense did not allow any yards and with a punt blocked by #8 Kayden Raadmae (who also recorded a sack) the Cats would get the ball back on offense. And on offense they would stay. Behind a plethora of running backs and ends including #78 Kyle Romanek, #21 Tyler Boudreau (right), #19 Kamron Woodruff, and #44 Kalvin Turcotte would gain almost 200 yards in the first half. The Wildcats would score on runs of 19 yards, 1 yards, 16 yards and a pretty end-around run of 25 yards by Kalvin Turcotte
Kyle Romanek (left) would lead all tacklers with 3 solo tackles all for loss!
In addition the defense (above) would stop every Cobra possession. #19 Kamron Woodruff would record 2 tackles for loss with #48 Lachlan Buttle and #14 Nathan Halko recording key stops.
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Opening the second half Kayden Raadmae (left taking a direct snap) would recover the on-side kick and a 45 yard run later Tyler Boudreau would put the cats ahead 33 to 0.
After a Kamron Woodruff on-side kick recovery the cats would quickly score again and the final 39 to 0 lop-sided score victory.
12U – National Champs too Much for Wildcats By Joaquin Henson – Guest Sports Writer - e-mail: [email protected]
Becoming an AYF National Football Champion from NH is no easy feat. You must first win your state division and then advance to regionals where you take on teams from Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island federations. From there you advance to Orlando in December where you must win 3 more games against the best in the nation to be crowned national champs. Congratulations to the Manchester Cobras who were national champs in 2017, and in 2018 the same group of players lost in the national semi-finals. That same group of players were the test this past Sunday for the Londonderry Wildcat 12U team.
The first obstacle to overcome that the Cats struggled with all day was the Manchester kicker. He attempted 6 on-side kick offs and Manchester recovered 5 of them. In addition he also made several points after TD kicks. (In AYF youth football a kick after TD is worth 2 points – while a run after TD is worth 1 point).
Manchester struck first after recovering the on-side kick the Cobras converted that on the next play for a 50 yard TD run and score. Though the Wildcats found the going tough on offense against the fast aggressive Manchester defense the Cats held their own for the rest of the quarter. #30 Dean Kidder (left) had 3 solo tackles, 2 for a loss. #15 Manny Perez and #21 Jacob McClory had 2 solo tackles each.
Londonderry was able to put a few running plays together. Right – QB #8 Sam Ogden runs to the edge just beyond the grasp of the Manchester defender.
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As hard as they tried the Wildcats could not control the onslaught that was the Manchester offense in the 2nd quarter. In the first 2 minutes the Cobras scored on runs of 66 and 51 yards. The following that up 3 minutes later on a 46 yard TD run. Things did not get better. Converting a Wildcat fumble on a 46 yard TD run and extra points kick Manchester was ahead 32 to 0 with 3 minutes in the half to play. Recovering their on-side kick Manchester scored again to end the half and the game with the 38 to 0 lopsided victory.
Mark your calendars….
Wildcat Picture Day
Team & Individual
Saturday, September 14th
MORE details to come
The Wildcat Flag teams (right Flag-White) played Sunday and though we know they had a BLAST – we don’s keep score. It’s all about the fun. Though our 8U team lost to Nashua PAL 35 to 8 – the score only gets offcially recorded as a Nashua 1 to 0 victory.
No story or pictures for your team or cheer squad? Well we need your help. Our crack EndZone staff can not be at every game or event. So take out those cameras put that pen to paper and maybe your story or picture will be in the next EndZone. Send any pictures or stories to [email protected]. For any other questions or suggestions contact EndZone Editor – Jim Loiselle - @ [email protected]
13U – Wildcats Duel With Nashua PAL By Jason Whitlock - Guest Sports Writer - e-mail: [email protected]
The Wildcats started strong, forcing out Nashua on their first series with #84 Jaydon Navarro stopping a 4th down play to give the ball to the Wildcats. On the next play following the block of Jaydon #2 Quinton Delorey scored on a 28 yard TD run for the Londonderry early lead. Shutting down the next Nashua possession Quinton would intercept PAL pass returning it 22 yards but the Wildcats could not convert the turnover. The first quarter ended with the Wildcat lead.
The teams traded possessions again through mid-2nd quarter. Nashua would score after a sustained drive and with the points after kick would lead 8 to 6. #20 Cam Chambers would return a Nashua punt 30 yards to the PAL 30 yard line. Quickly from there Quinton Delorey would score putting Londonderry ahead 12 to 8.
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Left – #2 Quinton Delorey, #78 Owen Rondeau, #84 Jaydon Navarro, and #10 Jake Perron swarm to the gang tackle.
The stout Cat defense would shut down Nashua for the rest of the half. #34 Michael Thistle would lead all tacklers with 6 solo tackles, 3 for a loss. # 75 Tyler Miles and #84 Jaydon Navarro would each record 4 solo tackles. #7 Sam Melia and Quinton Delorey would each record a solo tackle and a pass interception. #1 Cam Brutus, #14 Conor Williams, #26 Kyle Saye, #10 Jake Perron, #20 Cam Chambers and #22 Matt Carroll would contribute key stops for the defense.
Right – Nice Shot Dina Miles of #32 Isaac Proctors punt!
With under a minute to play on the half QB #1 Camden Brutus would connect to Quinton Delorey for a 30 yard TD pitch and catch run. With the Jake Perron extra points kick Londonderry would take a comfortable 20 to 8 lead.
Nashua taking advantage of some Wildcat penalties and a fumble would control the clock and the game in the 2nd half. Scoring on several long drives of power running PAL would tie the game mid-way through the 4th quarter – and with the EP run would lead Londonderry 21 to 20 with 5 minutes left in the game. Scoring again 2 minutes later Nashua would pull ahead 29 to 20. The Wildcats would fumble away their last possession with 2 minutes to play. Nashua would hold on for the 29 to 20 come from behind victory.
In other Wildcat action, the Wildcat 8U team lost to Nashua PAL 35 to 12.. Below 8U #89 Jaxson Ball gets the corner……..and #15 Finn Daron gets the tackle. The 9U team slaughtered Nashua PAL 38 to 0.
Congrats to the newest Wildcat – Wildcat Cheer Director Kayla Sawyer and Concession Manager Shaun Sawyer welcome the newest Wildcat Colton James. Mom and baby are doing fine!
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Our Little Hero By Jim Loiselle - EndZone Editor - e-mail: [email protected] Originally published here in the EndZone way back in 2005 we were asked to print it again here below. No football this weekend – enjoy the Labor Day holiday and this original poem……….Go Cats !!
The crowd in the stands stood quiet The rain had begun to fall As much as they wanted to deny it their team had just fumbled the ball
He waited in the heat of summer and now in the cold of fall the coach finally called his number but his little hands could not hold on to the ball
If the ball had gone to Johnny or Roy, or maybe even better yet to Blake But to give the ball to that little boy was clearly they thought, a big mistake
A few in the crowd had grimaced A few more even let out a moan But the stern look from the coach they just witnessed told them to leave that boy alone
The crowd began to thin now as parents returned to their cars To get a win they didn’t know how A victory was not in the stars
But wait, hold on…the heavy rain and mud caused their opponent to stumble On the very next play a crash, a bang, a thud and the other team too did fumble
Hurry - Hurry ! - everyone began to shout when the offense took to the field. Go quickly, time was running out With a touchdown the victory would be sealed.
The quarterback fell deep Her pass, it took to flight The defense was caught asleep Our little boy was split wide right
The ball was thrown low and then it was tipped But this time the little boy would not loosen his grip
The cheerleaders began to yell He was well on his way He could feel his mom’s pride swell This was to be his big day.
He ran so fast could he be dreaming No - No - No - not today All he could hear was the announcer screaming He could (and did) go all the way!
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