Powderpuff opens with Sid win, Martel shutouts

By Ryan Glassman     9/17/09 7:00pm

During the long offseason, fans across the Rice campus have resorted to the filler entertainment of professional sports. Thankfully, last weekend provided deprived fans with their wishes: powderpuff. The newest installment of intramural women's flag football officially began last Saturday, but aside from the first use of "tandem teams" - Baker College pairing with Duncan College, Will Rice College pairing with McMurtry College - there were few surprises. Defending champions Martel College shut out both matches of their double-header weekend, but neither of their contests were games of the week. That honor went to the South College Showdown, which saw Sid Richardson College throttle Hanszen College.

Game of the Week - Sid Rich 19, Hanszen 6

Underneath the hot Sunday afternoon sun, Sid entered its Week 1 showdown against Hanszen with a simple game plan: Play sound defense and put the offense in the hands of veteran quarterback senior Ashley Thompson.

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Simple enough. And, as it turned out, exactly what was needed.

From the game's opening drive, Sid made clear their plans to use the running game to set up the rest of their offensive arsenal. But despite early success on the drive, Sid stalled in the red zone and turned the ball over on downs. The first drive for Hanszen was a brief one, as the team had to punt after three plays.

The Sid offense took over on the Hanszen 37 and went right back to the run game. Set up by an 11-yard run on first down, Thompson (220 total yards, two TDs) threw a 16-yard completion on play-action as the first quarter came to a close. One play later, freshman running back Libby Ulman (15 carries, 81 yards, TD) took a handoff 10 yards to the endzone, and Sid took a 6-0 lead.

Following a three-and-out from Hanszen, Sid began its third possession of the game at their own 45-yard line. Thompson took the first-and-10 snap from under center and scrambled to the right, where she found a sliver of daylight and sprinted 55 yards for Sid's second touchdown of the game. Neither squad scored on the following two drives, and Sid entered the half with a 12-0 advantage.

A rejuvenated Hanszen offense stepped onto the field to begin the second half, determined to put points on the scoreboard. The team gained 19 yards on the ground on its first two plays before a 46-yard touchdown pass on first-and-10 cut Sid's lead to just six points. The passing play, set up by strong blocking up front, accounted for Hanszen's first points of the game and put all the pressure back on Sid's offense.

On the following drive, Sid was held to minimal ground gains on its first two plays and faced a third-and-five. With the momentum shifting towards Hanszen's side and the ball buried deep in its own territory, Sid handed the ball off to Ulman, who cut to the left and gained 15 yards for the first down. On the very next play, Thompson again went to the play action and threw a strike down the right sideline for a 45-yard score. With five minutes left in the third quarter, Sid took a 19-6 lead and handed the game off to the defense.

Anchored by senior Jenny Kingsley and sophomore Mia Velasquez, a pair of defensive backs, Sid contained the Hanszen offense for the rest of the game. Hanszen moved the ball into Sid territory on its next drive, but had a third-and-12 pass attempt intercepted on the final play of the third quarter. On Hanszen's final drive, Sid used strong pass coverage to force a turnover on downs, putting the game out of reach.

With the clock winding down, the view from the Sid sideline was picturesque. The defensive unit appeared happy with their work, taking down some water after a game's worth of strong efforts. On the field, Thompson held the ball in her hands as the final whistle ended the game to give Sid the win in their season opener, just the way they drew it up.

Martel 32, Lovett 0

The defending champions wasted no time returning to business on Saturday's season opener, kicking things off with a shutout of Lovett College. Martel senior Lauren McCauley highlighted the team's scoring with a pair of touchdown runs and an interception return for a score. Senior teammates Devin McCauley, Lauren's sister, and Johanna Horn were also major contributors to the blowout victory, each with touchdown receptions on the day.

Martel 21, Brown 0

Martel posted their second shutout in 24 hours on Sunday night, defeating Brown College with strong defense and a prolific running game. Lauren McCauley accounted for three touchdowns on the ground, as the team rushed for a combined 230 yards on the day. Martel is off this week, while Brown takes on Will Rice-McMurtry on Saturday evening.

Jones 13, Baker-Duncan 7

In the final match on the day, Jones used the passing game to take down the defending runner-ups in the late-night Sunday game. Jones' junior quarterback Valicia Miller threw two touchdowns, connecting with receivers junior Gabi Quart and junior Maria Failla for the scores. The Jones defensive unit as a whole was able to contain Baker-Duncan's offense, led by senior quarterback Jessica Chidi. Jones held Baker-Duncan to just one touchdown, with Failla intercepting a pass for Jones in the winning effort.

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