Urban Assault edges
out the Hitmen in O/T
Submitted by: Wade
Moore
The 2008 SIPA kicked off with the defending Champion Harrisburg HITMEN taking on Anna URBAN ASSAULT!
August 31st brought a warm day to the kick off match between the Harrisburg HITMEN and Anna URBAN
ASSAULT. With a new season came some new teams and some new rules. This year the “stall” technique was removed
so that the teams would have more chances for scoring. Also it was one of the things that the spectators thought was confusing,
so the league did away with it. Another rule that the league scrapped was the end zone rule for starting a match. Player can
now stand in the end zone and fire at their opponents. In 2007 the players had to be moving forward when the whistle blew
and could not stay in the end zone. For 2008 the field has been lengthened and now the players can stay in the end zone if
they wish.
The opening day match also had the added pressures of WSIL TV 3 being at the field for the sports segment of
the news and Southern Illinois TV.com from Baldwin Media Group was also their
with their camera for a segment on the newly launched video website. With all of this the defending champion HITMEN and new
SIPA team URBAN ASSAULT took to the field for the season two kick off match!
The teams were introduced to the crowd followed by a prayer and the National Anthem. With that in the books
URBAN ASSAULT won the toss and took to the offense first and the HITMEN chose they top side to start their 2008 season. And
at first the defenses were on their game as both teams could not push across a point. Both teams started out cautious and
not making many moves. Unlike the HITMEN of 2007, they played super cautious and rarely tried taking more than one bunker
in any move. You could tell URBAN ASSAULT was feeling the HITMEN out and they slowly started adding moves to their strategic
shooting. After the defenses seemed to rule the first part of the first quarter, Anna Urban Assault scored the first points
of the 2008 season. The first quarter ended with URBAN ASSAULT on top 1-0.
But in the second quarter the offenses got on track as both teams let loose a little more. At halftime the score
was tied, 2-2. The HITMEN opened the 3rd quarter looking to take their
first lead but they were denied by URBAN ASSAULT. And in URBANS first crack at offense in the 3rd quarter the HITMEN
denied them right back. But then The HITMEN seemed to come out and fired on all cylinders as they scored quick on their second
possession of the 3rd quarter to take their first lead of the match, 3-2.
 
Now it was time to see if URBAN ASSAULT had it in them to come back from being behind for the first time in
the match. And boy did they come right back. Just as quick as the HITMEN took the lead ASSAULT came back with a quick score
of their own to tie the match once more at 3-3. The fourth quarter was more like the first quarter with the defenses holding
the offenses. But late in the 4th quarter Anna URBAN ASSAULT broke across the HITMENS goal line for a score and
a 4-3 lead. The HITMEN quickly called a timeout with only 38 seconds left in the match. Nerves were all about
in both huddles for the teams. Could the HITMEN do what had been impossible all day and score in 38 seconds? Or would URBAN
ASSAULT continue their stingy ways on defense and stiffen for the win? As the teams headed onto the field Anna’s captain,
Jason Acklin told his team, “You know they are coming with all they got so play your bunkers smart and hold them.”
And as the whistle blew to start the last 38 seconds, that’s exactly what the HITMEN did, was charge URBAN ASSAULT.
This time Carl
Brasher moved over to the snake side of the field and he never took a bunker. He ran the entire length of
the field unnoticed until after he traded out with ASSAULTS tape man and had shots on the center man. As the center man turned
to take out Carl, the flag carrier was taken out on their right side but the Hitmens’
center David Morse broke through shooting all of the ASSUALTS remaining
players. But then he had to find the flag to score the point. With
11 seconds left he started back trying to remember where his flag carrier was eliminated. With 5 seconds left he found the
flag and started for the end zone. Just as the timer was about to call game,
the flag broke the plane of the end zone securing the 38 second scoring march. The match ended in regulation tied, 4-4.
After
a small break the team captains again had to call the coin toss to see who got the flag first. Overtime in the SIPA is sudden
death but held with one on ones, not the full teams. One player is still the offense and one player is still the defense.
The match and overtime will end when the offensive player scores. The chosen players for the first round of sudden death overtime
was Baron Archey of Anna URBAN ASSAULT and the Captain of the Harrisburg HITMEN, David Morse.
This is the 4th
overtime game for the HITMEN since the SIPA started in 2007. This would make one tend to think that they had the advantage
of being here a lot, but that was not to be. As David moved up the center Baron moved over and caught Dave as he looked out
to take a shot. Just that quick the match was over and the defending 2007 champion HITMEN were given their first loss, 5-4.
Congratulations
to Anna URBAN ASSAULT on their first win in the SIPA! Now we will see if the defending champion HITMEN can do what they did
last year and bounce back from defeat to take another title. Their journey doesn’t get much easier though as their next
match is against Carbondale ONSLAUGHT. Last year the HITMEN pulled out a 4-3 overtime victory over ONSLAUGHT, so you know
ONSLAUGHT is itching for some pay back! The next match for SIPA is Southern Illinois TREMOR taking on the Rookie team of Walnut
Grove Baptist Church GODS WARRIORS WINGS on September 7th at 2 pm. Hope to see you there!!!!
Box Score
Harrisbug Hitmen
(0 - 1) Urban Assault (1 - 0)
Lost: 4 - 5 (OT)
Won: 5 - 4 (OT)
Offensive Possessions - 8 Offensive Possessions
- 7
Scores - 4
Scores
- 4
Defensive Chances - 7
Defensive
Chances - 8
Defensive Stops - 3 Defensive Stops - 4
Flag Scores:
Flag Scores:
Dustin Morse - 1
Jason Acklin - 3
David Morse - 2
JD McMahan - 1
Carl Brasher - 1
Baron Archey - 1 (OT)
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