University of Stirling Clansmen – 10
Edinburgh University Mavericks – 8
The Stirling Clansmen fought to defeat the Edinburgh Mavericks and bring home the win in their penalty ridden season opener.
In the Clansmen’s homecoming game, they came away with a 10-8 victory after a physically tough game against the team that head coach Victor Peredo believes to be the best in Scotland at this level.
I caught up with Willie Stevens and Tc Masango before the game, and they said the Clansmen were “feeling excited” and “absolutely” looking for revenge after a loss to the Mavericks last year.
The Clansmen won the coin toss and elected to receive the ball, but their offense struggled to get started against such a strong Edinburgh defense, which held them to a handful of yards and no completed passes on their first attempts. Once the Clansmen’s defense took the field it was clear that this would be a game defined by the defenses, because as much as the Clansmen had struggled, Edinburgh’s offense was struggling just as much. And this is where the penalties started flooding in, in Edinburgh’s first series of plays, they accumulated two flags, both of which set them back ten yards. Despite Stirling’s defense, Edinburgh managed to move down the field and almost scored a touchdown but the ball was knocked away by the Clansmen, forcing Edinburgh to attempt a field goal from around the 30-yard line which was wide of the uprights and left the score 0-0. The Clansmen took the ball and got their first penalty, a false start for five yards, followed not long after by a holding penalty. Stirling’s run game began to shine with the Clansmen running for two first downs, and a quarterback run for another before they had to punt the ball away at the end of the first quarter.
Edinburgh’s offense took the field – but not for long – as on their second down the ball became loose, and the Clansmen’s defense recovered it. The Clansmen’s offense took the field, but Edinburgh’s run defense was becoming suffocating, and after two short runs and high snap for the Clansmen, Edinburgh’s offense takes the field again. The ball ends up loose yet again, but this time Edinburgh manage to recover it and attempt to gain some passing yards, but the ball was deflected by the Clansmen, and a second Edinburgh player goes down with an injury. Stirling’s offense takes the field and manage to complete some good passes for a first down, before throwing it downfield towards the endzone, but Edinburgh’s defensive backs had too long to get into position, and the ball was deflected. The Clansmen try again, and this time it was caught within the five-yard line. Taking the field on first and goal, the Clansmen revert to their run game, and run the ball in for the touchdown, and after their extra point was good the Clansmen took the lead 7-0.
Edinburgh take back the ball, and the Clansmen’s defense comes out fighting, and intercepts a throw from Edinburgh that was nowhere near any receivers. Stirling take the ball, but once again the penalties get to them, and they punt it away just after the two minute warning. Edinburgh throw a fair number of completions as the Clansmen’s defense pressures Edinburgh’s quarterback, and the Clansmen’s offense comes back onto the field. Edinburgh’s defense is putting lots of pressure on the Clansmen’s offense and manage to sack Stirling’s quarterback just before half time.
The Clansmen come out with a vengeance at the start of the second half, holding Edinburgh’s offense to a three and out, and when the offense takes the field, running the ball through many Edinburgh defenders. Like the Clansmen, Edinburgh come out fighting too. Stirling fumble the ball on a run play, and while it could have been recovered by the Clansmen, no one noticed it fast enough, and Edinburgh managed to fall on the ball and take possession, and make some successful run plays, before running it into the endzone for a 15-yard touchdown. Instead of kicking an extra point to tie the game 7 all, Edinburgh decide to attempt a two-point conversion to take the lead 8-7, and they manage to run the ball in for the two-pointer.
Stirling take the ball back, and their run game is on a roll again, gaining over 40 yards, before their offense fumbled the ball, and Edinburgh recovered it. Stirling’s defense took the field, and while they took a bit of a dip during Edinburgh’s scoring plays, they came back and sacked Edinburgh’s quarterback, forcing them to punt the ball back to Stirling who proceed to fumble the ball yet again, this time managing to recover it themselves. After a brawl almost broke out between some of the players, and even more penalties were called, the Clansmen ran for a first down, followed by a few low snaps that were recovered, the Clansmen did a quarterback run straight through the middle for a touchdown. Or so we thought. A flag was thrown on the play for holding on the offense, and so the touchdown was disallowed, and the clansmen had to settle for kicking a field goal to go up 10-8.
Edinburgh try and fight back in an attempt to take the lead, but they were shut down by Stirling’s defense, who recovered a fumble but did not gain possession as the ball was declared dead by that point, and who on a crucial fourth and goal for Edinburgh, forced another fumble during a quarterback run to take possession. Stirling punt the ball away and Edinburgh’s offense runs through Stirling’s defenders, until the Clansmen pressure Edinburgh into throwing an incomplete pass and having to kick a field goal, which gets deflected and allows the Clansmen to take a knee twice and run out the clock to secure a 10-8 victory over the Edinburgh Mavericks.
While there were some mistakes and growing pains throughout their win, the upcoming season looks bright for the Clansmen, and Coach Peredo agrees that “if we keep working hard, we’re going to do well.”
I spoke to players Willie Stevens and Tc Masango, and head coach Victor Peredo, about what being part of the Stirling Clansmen means to them. Stevens joined Stirling having never played American football before the Clansmen;
“I used to play rugby, and I showed up and decided I’d try something new, and I’m absolutely glad I did. This team is like a family, it gives you structure, and I really don’t know what I’d be doing without it.”
Masango had also never played before joining the Clansmen, and he joined because “it looked cool, something different, but I didn’t expect to meet the lads that I did, kind of formed quite a strong friendship with the guys here that I wouldn’t have formed elsewhere.”
Peredo played for the Clansmen during his masters, and he stayed for a PhD and to coach the team, because of the “camaraderie and the family environment” that the Clansmen have, and this is clearly visible in the chemistry that they have with each other on and off the field.
Feature Image Credit: Katie Stepek