Orange County Bombers Crowned Kings of the West
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WEST REGION CHAMPIONSHIP 2014 – LOS ANGELES CA
Under the sweltering heat of Southern California, 5 men’s teams and 3 women’s teams battled for the 2014 West Region Championship. Temperatures reached 95 degrees by mid day. Hard was the sun but harder was the ground with patches of dirt throughout. The California drought is making it difficult to find quality grounds these days. Despite the elements, all teams left everything on the field for a memorable tournament.
On their way to the Men's Final, the fast and dangerous Los Angeles Dragons dominated their two contests versus the Seattle Grizzlies and the San Diego Lions. Both Seattle and San Diego are struggling for numbers this year. While they got a complement of players from various sources, neither team could match up with the speed and the skills of the Dragons.
| 1st Half | 2nd Half | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|
| LA Dragons | 5.2 | 5.7 | 10.9.69 |
| Seattle Grizzlies | 2.0 | 0.1 | 2.1.13 |
| 1st Half | 2nd Half | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|
| LA Dragons | 7.3 | 6.0 | 13.3.81 |
| San Diego Lions | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1.1 |
The Bombers had a tougher draw with perennial D1 contender, the Golden Gate Roos. With strong traveling numbers Golden Gate showed they came to play. They came out swinging to take a 7 point lead into half time. A well deserved spray that could be heard from across the field on the Bombers sidelines, woke up the Bombers for a dominant second half on both sides of the field. The defense held Golden Gate to just 1 behind while the offense kicked 9 shots on goals (4.5) to take over the lead and notch their first win of the day. In their second game, the Bombers faced the Seattle Grizzlies who put up a brave fight but could not come up with enough offense.
| 1st Half | 2nd Half | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|
| OC Bombers | 0.3 | 4.5 | 4.8.32 |
| Golden Gate Roos | 1.4 | 0.1 | 1.5.11 |
| 1st Half | 2nd Half | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Grizzlies | 1.0 | 3.1 | 4.1.25 |
| OC Bombers | 5.3 | 3.4 | 8.7.55 |
Women's Division
Before the men’s finals, the women took center stage for a 3-way competition between the San Francisco Iron Maidens, a USAFL representative side and the St Albans FC from the suburbs of Melbourne. Although hampered by the heat, St. Albans displayed skills and experience over their two games and dominated throughout. It was a privilege to host St. Albans to the Regional tournament and we wish them the best in the rest of their US tour. Andrea Casillas, USAFL Secretary and Freedom player, lead the way for the USAFL team.
| 1st Half | 2nd Half | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Albans FC | 4.1 | 5.2 | 9.3.57 |
| San Francisco Iron Maidens | 0.0 | 1.1 | 1.1.7 |
| 1st Half | 2nd Half | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Albans FC | 5.1 | 3.3 | 8.4.52 |
| USAFL | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.2.2 |
Men's Finals
After dispatching of the San Diego Lions, 8-56, the Golden Gate Roos qualified to play for 3rd place against the Seattle Grizzlies. Golden Gate's class, skills and numbers to the ball overwhelmed the Grizzlies throughout the match.
3rd Place Game
| 1st Half | 2nd Half | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Gate Roos | 4.2 | 5.2 | 9.4.58 |
| Seattle Grizzlies | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.1.7 |
Grand Final
And then came the Finals. The Southern California rivals met up once again. But this time it is for a Regional Championship. The intensity was running high. One of the fiercest rivalries in the West just went up a few notches.
The LA Dragons got on the board quickly. A strong midfield put the Bombers a little out of sync. But that lasted for less than half of a quarter and the Bombers started to take control, pushing the ball forward. While not in their typical fashion, they took the lead at half time with several goals from their small forwards. Then the Bombers started to click in every area. The second half finished with 7 shots on goals to 2 in favor of the Bombers.
| 1st Half | 2nd Half | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|
| OC Bombers | 4.2 | 5.2 | 9.4.58 |
| LA Dragons | 3.1 | 0.2 | 3.3.21 |
Later that night, the Bombers held their second trophy of the year in front of a crowd of about 100 packed into a place where the maximum capacity was listed at 56. Running out of glasses, running out of pitchers, somehow, everyone enjoyed the moment after a fantastic day of footy.
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