Last Sunday, the London Blitz U19s side faced their South London rivals in their first game of the season. The game was held in great anticipation following the success of last year’s Championship-winning side, but with lots of fresh faces and the departure of many successful players, question marks remained if they could maintain last year's form.
The defence was headed up by a strong Defensive Line, who piled on the pressure against a mobile Quarterback, resulting in 2 fumbles - both returned for touchdowns (although one was flagged for an early celebration), and also 2 INTs, with one being returned to the house by John Pablo. The DB team gave great coverage and, combined with constant pressure, gave the opposition QB few options, giving up just 90 yards off 19 attempts. This meant the opposition relied heavily on their run game, which proved a bit more successful, but still failed to score, rushing for just 56 yds. The defence allowed just 9 first downs.
On the other side of the ball, after struggling to adjust to an unbalanced 30 front on the first drive, the O-Line managed to start opening holes for the run game, yet it was on a pass play that saw Marco Livi throw a dime into the hands of Leonardo for the only offensive score of the game.
It’s safe to say the opening game was a defensive slug match which showed a preview of what a promising Blitz defence could achieve this season, especially when supported by a strong punt team offering some great field position. Although points came slowly, the offense seems to be a few refinements away from producing similar numbers to last season. This Sunday the squad faces the Sussex Thunder away, with hopes of securing a 2-0 start to the season.
Blitz reporter: Fergal McArdle