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Gregor Hutton Email Gregor

Another week and another defeat away from home finally brings the Claymores (3-6) chase for a World Bowl shot to an unglorious end. Quite simply the Barcelona Dragons (8-1) beat them all ends up in the Estadi Olympic on Saturday afternoon in Barcelona. The Dragons trampled us underfoot, scoring TDs once on offense, once on Special Teams and with 4 field goals from Jesus Angoy. Mike Green is now only one game away from his official coronation as league MVP and rushing-yards record holder.

The final score was 26-7 and the defense didn't play all that badly, but on Offense we were outfoxed for the umpteenth time this seasona nd coach Gene Dahlquist will have much to ponder as the Claymores really failed to get any penetration on an under-rated Barcelona defense. Clint Stoerner and Gus Ornstein split time (Steorner: 11/23 for 89 yds, Ornstein: 7 or 18 for 89 yds) but it was the Dallas Cowboy who led Scotland to their only score - a pass to Dante Hall. Later on Clint showed a classic piece of gutsy scrambling - as good as Dameyune Craig, and Hall put in a thunderous hit on two linebackers to create more yds for Clint. Rob Hart had a forgettable day and Barcelona once again proved to be too much for the Claymores: when will we break that hoodoo that Jack-do, so well. Bicknell trussed us up good and proper, here's what happened.

The Claymores started the game knowing only a win would do, and results elsewhere would have to fall in our favour. Still I think everyone could read the writing on the wall and knew it was too big an ask. For once, just for once, we won the toss. We couldn't get moving and indeed Barcelona should have had a TD when linebacker Antonio Wilson missed a sure pick on a 3rd and 1 as he broke on the ball in front of James Whalen. Scotland punted and Insle got a 19-yd return, with Stephen Hutchinson on the tackle. A quick word about our national here, he has had a fantastic season covering on special teams and after this game leads the team on special teams tackles - he's often overlooked because of Rowelle but Stephen has had a great season! Barcelona took over with decent field position (Bar 44) and started motoring down the field. Earl Riley stopped a TD on a pass ontended for Simmons but Keith Miller was then crucially flagged for defensive holding (also on Simmons) a few plays later. Scotland held on but Jarious Jackson then ran the option and in for a TD, Jesus Angoy put over the PAT and the Dragons led 7-0 with 6:10 elapsed of the game. Scotland went three and out in reply and on the ensuing punt Trevor Insley ran the kick back for a TD. Bah! It looked like Earl Riley was held before trying to make a tackle but the flag wasn't thrown. The Dragons blockers did a greta job of opening up one side of the field and we couldn't close him down. London Dunlap bust his chops to get across the field from the far side but was just a fraction too late to stop Inlsey getting in for 6. Angoy made it 14-0 and we were only 8:03 into the first quarter. Game over!

Reggie Hunt muffed the kick-off befor getting a 10-yd return but an offside penalty of the Dragons gave him a second chance. Hunt fielded the next kick (fool me once...) and romped it back 21 yds before ex-Claymore Monteeeeeeeeee Foote tackled him. Stoerner got a decent drive going but it all ended in tears. Rob Hart missed a 33-yd field goal -- wide right with 2:06 left in the quarter. Barcelona got the ball and amde a big gain to Bryan Gilmore (28 yds) just before the quarter ended. The second quarter began with Barcelona ominously closing in on the End Zone, but Scotland held firm and Jesus Angoy slotted over a 20-yd field goal 17-0 Dragons. Ornstein came on for Scotland but nothing was doing with him under center (like Stoerner before him) and the drive ended bizarrely. A Rob Hart 47-yder into the wind (!!) failed (duh!). Surely we shoudl have gone for it on 4th and 9 (if we wanted to hand the ball over) or have punted - Costello has been excellent in putting the ball inside the 20. A puntfest ensued between the sides with Ornstein and Robinson under center, but with 22 seconds of teh half left Gus was intercepted and as time expired Jesus Angoy put over a 43-yd field goal (not bad at all) for a 20-0 lead at the break. We were getting stuffed.

The third quarter started with Barcelona going nowhere, Ward caused Jackson to fumble on a sack but the Dragons recovered the ball. They punted and a good Scottish drive followed, Clint Stoerner took us 51 yards in 6 plays for a TD pass to Dante Hall who scored in a manner similar to week 1. He dropped the shoulder and jinked past the cornerback - magic stuff, but not enough for us to win. The key plays were Lonny Mitchell getting 16 yds on a reverse (it worked for once) and Dante Hall getting a 25-yd gainer. 20-7 Barcelona. The Dragons had to punt on their next possession despite a 21-yd pass interference penalty against new boy Jermaine Smith. Scotland got the ball on the 2-yd line. We crawled out to the 15, before Stoerner was sacked and fumbled at the 7. The re-jigged O line was looking full of holes, former Center Jay Humphrey was at left tackle and was beaten all ends up by a charging Keith Washington who gubbed Stoerner from behind. Amazingly Scotland held Mike Green short. Ward was immense and in fact Scotland should have had the ball on the 20-yd line as Green fumbled before it touched the pylon in the End Zone - touchback I believe. But it didn't happne - Angoy kicked again and it was 23-7.

Straight away Stoener was intercepted by the rushing Broomfield (such soft hands for a D lineman!), Stoerner got him to fumble but Keith Washington recovered (humbug!) at the Sco 15. We held again and Angoy made it 26-7 1:28 into the final quarter. We tried driving again after a scintillating Reggie Hunt return for 38 yards, but Stoerner failed and we handed the ball over on an incomplete 4th down pass. Robinson then came on for the Drags and the Claymores D had soon won the ball back. A complete pass to Simmons (his first of the game) was turned into a fumble by Renard Cox (I still think he's a useful CB) and Keith Miller recovered. Ornstein came on and we again failed to move the chains, handing the ball over on a 4th-and-9 that got 8 yards to Corey Allen. Barcelona now had Spikes on as running back and he was tackled by Reggie Hunt for the umpteenth time this season (he shadowed Rashon for the two Frankfurt games). That brought on the punter and we had one last chance for points. It was not to be Gus tried but in the end we got nothing. Gus got us to the Barcelona 3-yd line before he was sacked at the 12 with 1:58 to go to end the drive. Barcelona ran the clock out and that was that.

BAR - TD, JARIOUS JACKSON 6 YD RUN (JESUS ANGOY KICK),
          6:10. BARCELONA 7-0
BAR - TD, TREVOR INSLEY 76 YD PUNT RETURN (JESUS ANGOY
          KICK), 8:03. BARCELONA 14-0

 BAR - FG, JESUS ANGOY 20 YD, 3:43. BARCELONA 17-0
BAR - FG, JESUS ANGOY 43 YD, 15:00. BARCELONA 20-0

 SCO - TD, DANTE HALL 7 YD PASS FROM CLINT STOERNER (ROB
          HART KICK), 7:00. BARCELONA 20-7
BAR - FG, JESUS ANGOY 19 YD, 14:49. BARCELONA 23-7

BAR - FG, JESUS ANGOY 26 YD, 1:28. BARCELONA 26-7

FIRST DOWNS                    13             14
Rushing                         4              7
Passing                         9              5
Penalty                         0              2
3RD-DOWN EFFICIENCY          4-13           4-13
4TH-DOWN EFFICIENCY           1-4            0-0
TOTAL NET YARDS               232            257
Total plays                    59             59
Average gain                  3.9            4.4
NET YARDS RUSHING              81            169
Rushes                         15             34
Average per rush              5.4            5.0
NET YARDS PASSING             151             88
Completed-attempted         18-41           8-24
Yards per pass                3.4            3.5
Sacked-yards lost            3-27            1-6
Had intercepted                 2              0
PUNTS-AVERAGE              3-37.0         5-35.6
RETURN YARDAGE                188            138
Punts-returns                2-25          3-101
Kickoffs-returns            6-163           2-23
Interceptions-returns         0-0           2-14
PENALTIES-YARDS              5-46           5-44
FUMBLES-LOST                  1-1            4-1
TIME OF POSSESSION          27:16          32:44

Agree? Disagree? Talk about it in the forum.

Claymores 7-26 Dragons
(Prediction: Claymores 17-10 Dragons)
Grade: D