Inglewood Blackhawks take home MLFA state championship title
By Marc Hopkins
Special to the Dispatch
Gilroy – Central Coast Barnstormers general manager and quarterback Bryan Smith worried about the team getting up to “game speed” for the MLFA state championship game Saturday at Garcia-Elder Complex.
Smith figured if the Barnstormers could survive the first quarter, they could compete with the Inglewood Blackhawks.
The Barnstormers survived three quarters, playing the Blackhawks on even terms. It was the fourth quarter that did in the Barnstormers as Inglewood finished fast for a 48-28 win.
After a perfect 12-0 season, the Barnstomers had almost four months off before playing in the championship game.
It was easy to understand Smith’s worries because the Southern Division champion Blackhawks had finished their season closer to the championship game.
And yet, the Barnstormers were in this game all the way until being outscored 24-7 in the fourth quarter.
The first quarter ended with the score 7-7. With a Blackhawk field goal in the last few seconds, the teams headed to their lockerrooms for halftime with a 17-14 Inglewood lead.
The Barnstomers came out and quickly drove for a touchdown in the third quarter, but it was answered on the next drive by the Blackhawks. Inglewood entered the fourth quarter ahead by three points.
The Blackhawks gained the upper hand early in the fourth quarter when they ran back an interception for a touchdown. Still, the Barnstormers’ defense hung tough, making a stand that gave the home team the ball back. But a fumble that was returned for a touchdown with just over five minutes left turned the tide in the Blackhawks’ favor.
The Barnstomers fumbled the ball again on the kickoff return, resulting in another Blackhawk touchdown, putting Inglewood up by 17 points and clearing the Barnstomers stands quickly as fans headed for the parking lot.
With just a few minutes left the Barnstomers’ offense again took the field throwing yet another interception, as their hopes of a championship disappeared.
