“We do this as one,” Birmingham Buccaneers Head Coach Brad Warner said.
After this statement, the Buccaneers took the pitch for their bout against the physical and aggressive Livonia Outlaws. What was in store, was a game that was decided in the final minute.
A bright, 68 degree, sunny day turned into a cool, rainy, and windy affair, where the elements took their toll on the Buccaneer squad.
“I know we had a hard time holding the ball,” senior Joe Denison said. “We had a fair amount of knock-ons; the ball just kept slipping.”
The game began high paced, with a long opening kickoff received by the Outlaws. Coaches were yelling, and the sidelines were actively participating as assistant coaches to the team.
A miscommunication struck the Bucs and Livonia took advantage of if, sliding between two backs and scoring the matches opening try.
“We have to work with positioning our backs,” Coach Chris “Fatty” Steggall said. “We need to start playing more mentally, and that comes with time.”
The Bucs launched a strong offensive effort, fueled by aggression giving up the first try, which led to their mistake of committing a penalty; which Livonia capitalized scoring a penalty kick making the score, 8-0 advantage Outlaws.
Warner shouting out commands to redirect the team seemed to work, as the Bucs gained possession through a fast paced movement up the flank of the field, winning a scrum and pitching it to Brother Rice rugger John Lyskawa who battled his way just past the touch line for the Bucs first try of the match.
“We lost nearly two thirds of the scrums,” senior Joel Cortwright said. “The ones we won proved to be essential.”
Senior Max Koskela missed his first conversion leaving the score at 8-5 as halftime approached. The team huddled near center field and revised the game plan.
“You need to play up and into that jersey,” Warner said. “It doesn’t matter if you are playing for your first year; the tradition of excellence was here before you came, it is your job to continue it for after you leave.”
The message made its point; the team jumped from the discussion and ran to their defending turf.
“We do this all game; this is the tone,” the team shouted.
Though the hype was long lived when exploited, the miss-positioning of the Buccaneers backs and slid past the chasing Bucs. Failing to convert again on their try, the Outlaws expanded the lead 13-5.
Senior captain Chris Padmos didn’t take this lightly, enraged at the team and discussing possible changes towards the team; he jogged back to the line with a new mentality.
“Let’s open this up,” Padmos said.
The Bucs fed off the energy and battled to get possession back. Before long, it was Padmos streaking down the field and touching down for a game changing try. A failed conversion by Koskela left the Outlaws still up, 13-10.
The Bucs quickly then lost advantage of the ball, after a string of questionable calls led to a scrum within the Bucs 22 meter line.
“Size hurt our scrums compared to them,” senior Barclay Oudersluys said. “That’s how they scored their points.”
A referee assisted try for the Outlaws put them back up 18-10, missing their third and costly kick conversion.
“We started to have the issue and misplay it,” Warner said. “But once we got past that and gained focus, that’s when our play started to improve.”
Lake Orion back Shane Cohen, a player with great hands and high speed, took note upon the Outlaws losing strength and tiring out.
“I saw a chance swinging out wide and took it,” Cohen said. “They seemed tired and I just put my head down and ran.”
The Bucs had responded to the Outlaws well played half and got within one point; the score with eight minutes remaining, 18-17.
The match went back and forth playing a majority of the next five minutes in the middle of the pitch. The rain had stopped and the team had one final timeout.
“Before we even step out on the field we are targets,” Warner said. “We are considered one of the best and we prove it every year.”
There were three minutes left according to the ref, and the Outlaws started to wear out. It seemed like no time at all before the, called out that the next stoppage was then end of the game, but before that could happen, Cohen ran through the Outlaws defense and scored the final try of the match.
The sidelines erupted into a fury as a majority of the game they had been playing from behind. Koskela converted again making the score 24- 18 Bucs lead.
The Outlaws failed to convert off the kick off and the whistle blew. The Buccaneers had won 24-18 and improved their record to 2-0. Though the win was considered poor, through problems with physical play and tackling, the Bucs used it as a learning lesson.
“What really hurt us in this game was focus,” Warner said. “We had many chances that we didn’t take advantage of for that exact reason.”
“It’s all heart,” Koskela said. “That’s how we won that game.”
