Urban Football League 2011-11-27

In what tunred oout to be a tight game, the Battlehawks missed a 42-yard FG as time expired, and the Roebucks were able to hold on for a 14-13 victory. The Battlehawks had driven from their own 5-yard line with less than two minutes remaining.


The Battlehawks scored twice in the 4th Quarter, Qb Akira Yasushi throwing for one TD to Shinichiro Matsuo and running for another with three and a half minutes remaining. But the Battlehawks missed the extra point.

The Roebucks had scored twice in the 2nd quarter on a pair of turnovers- an interception by Kenta Watanabe returned for a touchdown to make it 7-0.

Then the Battlehawks recovered a fumble at midfield and scored late in the half to make it 14-0 at the half.

A long kick return by Yuichi Yamazaki was wasted when another Roebucks drive stalled, and the FG attempt from close range was wide.

X-League - November 2011

The four teams for the X-League playoffs have apparently been set, all of them based in Tokyo. It was a busy day in X-League action on Sunday, as the Panasonic Impulse and Kajima Deers suffered their first losses of the season. In action down in Kansai, the Obic Seagulls scored on an 18 yard pass from Sugawara to Kikuchi with 24 seconds remaining to defeat Asahi Soft Drinks 20-13 in a come from behind victory. In the second game there, after trailing 10-3 at halftime, Fujitsu scored three TDs in the second half to defeat the Panasonic Impulse, 24-10.

Meanwhile at Yokohama Stadium, the Nojima Sagamihara Rise continues their winning ways in their first year in the top division, defeating Kajima in overtime, 27-20.


Both teams moved the ball, but had trouble scoring for most of the contest. Each had problems hat prevented scores- Kajima in the red zone; and Nojima with 4 turnovers. Kajima hit their first FG, missed the next, and then had one blocked. On their next trip to the red zone, they decided to go for it on 4th down, but failed. The Rise led 13-3 at the half on a couple of FGs sandwiching a Sugihara TD. He finished with 104 yards on 19 carries in regulation. Nojima finished with 202 yards on the ground and 194 in the air as Kinoshita was 12-20 with three interceptions, and added another 52 yards on ten carries.



Meanwhile Katoh was 20-30 and Kojima went 6-11 for Kajima, combing for 287 yards, and they picked up 170 yards on the ground on 34 carries, Satoh with 12 of them for 76 yards.Kajima didn't find the end zone till 10:34 remained in the 4th quarter, scoring on a 49 yard pass from Katoh to Nakagawa. Nojima answered with a 5 minute drive and a TD of their own, Miyako scoring from the 1. But Kajima rallied once again, scoring on a 5 yard pass from Katoh to Nakagawa with 3:43 remaining and then recovering the onside kick. They drove into the red zone once again, as Nojima let the clock wind down, and Kajima kicked a 20-yard FG with 11 seconds remaining.

Nojima had the ball first in overtime, and scored when Sugihara took a screen pass in from 8 yards out. Then on first down Kajima threw incomplete. An ill-advised sack on second down was followed by a penalty, making it 3rd and 25 from the 40. Katoh tried to throw long, but it was intercepted by Kitamura near the goal line to seal the victory for the Rise.

Based on a complicated tie-breaking system that takes "strength of schedule" into account, Kajima will still get into the playoffs in spite of the loss. Nojima, formerly the Onward Skylarks, lost its sponsorship after the 2008 season and re-formed as the Sagamihara Rise, but was demoted to the third division and spent the 2009 and 2010 seasons moving up. They lost to Obic in the season opener 24-19, but have since reeled off six in a row.

November 12th

A glorious Indian Summer day at Kawasaki, with some of the "other" teams in X1 meeting in a
doubleheader of teams without wins. It would be the last game of the regular season. (Stage 2)
for the losers of each game.

Bullseyes Tokyo 17 Unisys Bulls 14
After a slow start, the Bullseyes scored 10 points in the 4th quarter to defeat the Bulls.
It was 4th quarter scrambling by Bullseye's QB Atsushi Ozawa that made the difference. Ozawa
picked up 41 yards on 9 runs, in addition to going 19-31-2 and 1 TD through the air for 206
yards. Machinori Fujisawa finished 12-22 with no INTs and 98 yards passing for Unisys.
The Bullseyes went three and out until Ozawa hit on Shota Katoh with a 23 yard TD pass for
the only score until late in the 3rd quarter. That's when Keita Saruwatari went in from 3 yards
out, capping a 9 play, 65 yard drive to tie the score at 7-7. Keita Saruwatari picked up 89 yards
and 1 TD rushing on 15 carries for the Bulls.
An 11 play drive earlier in the quarter resulted in a missed FG by Fumitaka Iseri for the Bulls that
would come back to haunt them.
Yuki Itano missed a 24-yarder on the Bullseyes' next possesion, which was followed by Ozawa's
2nd interception in 4 drives.
But then the Bullseyes scored on their next couple of six-play drives. Ozawa scored on a QB
draw with less than 3 minutes remaining to make it 17-7.
Unisys was able to drive and score quickly on a pass from Machinori Fujisawa to Yuichi Kondo to
make it 17-14 and generated some excitement when they recovered the ensuing kickoff; but
the ball did not travel the 10 yards necessary so the Bullseyes took over and ran out the clock.

All Tokyo Gas Creaters 41, Fuji-Xerox Minerva 28
In the second game, All Tokyo Gas came out(!) and dominated the first half, never punted,
scored on the first three drives of each half, and cruised easily to defeat Fuji-Xerox 41-28.
The Creators amassed 519 yards on offense (compared to 350 for Fuji-Xerox), outgaing them
on the ground (217 to 138) and in the air (299 to 212). QB Ryo Murata went 15-21 and 199
yards and was relieved by Atsushi Shibata (5-5) and Misasmitsu Den (2-6). Between them, they
completed passes to eight different receivers, and there were no interceptions. Toshihiro
Katusmi started for Fuji-Xerox and went only 4-12. Naoya Ichikawa was more effective in relief,
especially effective throwing to (#14) Tomohiro Hoshino who caught 10 passes for 126 yards,
and scored the final touchdown of the game.
Masashi Sakurai picked up 57 yards on the ground on three carries, and Shinsuke Jumonji
picked up 49 on seven carries for Tokyo Gas; Shinichi Maekawa led all rushers with 113 on 18
carries for the Minerva.
Tokyo Gas took the opening kickoff and scored on a six-play drive, then a couple of ten-play
drives resulting in a FG and another TD, and finally adding a FG with 4 seconds remaining in the
first half to make it 20-0. Another attempt earlier in the 2nd quarter bounced off the left upright,
wasting a 70 yard punt return by Fumitaka Obana, who was tackled short of the goal line.
(#21) Komori was impressive at CB for Fuji-Xerox, breaking up several passes.
In the second half, while they never really threatened the lead, Fuji-Xerox did open up a bit and
got on the board, scoring one in the 3rd quarter, then three TDs in the final frame to make the
score look respectable.
For their part Tokyo Gas did not take their proverbial foot off the proverbial- well, gas- as they
added three TDs of their own in the second half, and another FG attempt was blocked. The two
FG miscues and one fumble lost were the only black marks on an otherwise succesful day for
the Creaters.
The two winners of today's games will meet at Kawasaki next Saturday.