What's On Tap: July 24, 2021

Another week, another loaded schedule of games as we go traipsing through the Bounce Back summer of USAFL football.

This new Saturday dawns with four events; a battle in a battleground state, a three-way tussle not terribly far from the mighty MIssissip’, a showdown between two teams separated by a lot of desert, and debutante standing up against a historical Goliath in the women’s game.

Here is what’s on tap for Saturday, July 24th.

Boston Demons (0-0) vs Maine Cats (0-0)
10am EDT - Griffin Park, Windham, NH

The New England Footy Derby renews itself on neutral turf, as the Demons and Cats meet in the Granite State.  It’s the first official league game for the two teams since they teamed up in 2019 to take out the men’s D3 title.  The Dees are led by venerable defender PJ Devine and former Kansas City Power and USA Revolution player Christian Leyva, while the Cats are headed up by club founder, another former Revo, Tim Fulwider.

Columbus Cats (0-1) and Wisconsin Wombats (0-1) at St Louis Blues (1-1)
11:15am CDT - Buder Park, Fenton, Missouri

Two weeks after playing their first games in their own jumpers in more than a decade, it’s time for the Blues to break their host drought.  Dalton Foster and the hometown side are coming off a split in Kansas City against the Power and Des Moines last weekend.  They’ll welcome in two teams coming off of full game losses.  Columbus, runners up in D3 at Nationals in 2019 and trying to recover from a two-point loss to Cincy, are paced by their ruckman, Mark “Stork” McClure.  Wisconsin, second best to Chicago a week ago, have veteran Karl Galko in toe.

San Francisco Iron Maidens (0-0) vs Centennial Tigers (0-0)
11am PDT - Golden Gate Polo Fields, San Francisco, California

A debut 22 months in the making, the Centennial Tigers head west to play their first ever game with a full complement of 22 players at the ready to take on the four-time defending Women’s D1 National Champions.  The Tigers are a mix of veteran weapons such as Sara Rohner and Twannia Clark, and promising rookies like Kayl Allen and Caitlin Heimer.  Their first test will be a stiff one; the Maidens will have the services of former VFLW player and Freedom captain Katie Klatt and Freedom selections Ellise Gallagher and Panda Nguyen.

San Diego Lions (2-0) vs Arizona Hawks (0-1)
12:30pm PDT - Nobel Rec Center, La Jolla, California

The Sand and Surf Cup as it is known pits two teams in opposite weight classes together, but the Lions always accept the challenge of their friendly rivals from the Phoenix area.  Michael Ross’s Lions have become more and more polished over the last couple of years, but so has Darren Henderson’s Hawks.  Irishman Barry Mullen, who has steadily become of the regions’ most steady kickers, had been one of the top performers for the desert birds.