Saturday night at Marauder Stadium, the team that opposing coaches call, “too good,” never let off the accelerator as the San Diego Surge went on to defeat the visiting Dallas Diamonds 48-20 to win the Women’s Football Alliance American Conference Championship.
As the representative of the American Conference, they'll now face the Boston Militia, the winner of the National Conference and last year’s National Champion, who on Saturday defeated the Indy Crash 46-18. The teams play Saturday, July 30th in Dallas, Texas for the National Title.
Game recap from Marauder Stadium:
After receiving the opening kickoff, the Diamonds' offense sputtered and went a rather passive three and out. The Surge offense did only slightly better and in the end gave the ball back on downs at the Diamonds’ 38 yard line.
On their next possession, the Diamonds’ offense started moving the ball and gained two-first downs, one off a run, the other off a short pass. Then, on what you’d have to consider a pivotal play, Surge LB Kalilah Lawson made an open field tackle on RB Tiffany Hill to prevent an obvious momentum changing score. Soon after, on fourth and 10, a high snap went over kicker Jessica Gerhart’s head for a loss of 22 yards and gave the Surge tremendous field position.
After three plays netted a minus five yards, the Surge went for it on 4th and 15 from the Dallas 45 yard line. With a flick of her wrist, QB Melissa Gallegos got the ball to wideout Jessica Javelet on a slant pass and she was off to the races, down the right side for a score. Point after was good, Surge 7 Diamonds 0.
Being stopped twice more on downs, Dallas decided it was time to play field position. They had Gerhart, their punter, angle her punt to go out of bounds at or around the Surge 15. On the first play from scrimmage it was almost a repeat of the earlier touchdown, only this time Javelet traveled 85 yards down the left side. Kick after was good, Surge 14, Diamonds 0 to end the first quarter of play.
After the Diamonds turned the ball over on downs, their defense stepped up their intensity and caused RB Deana Guidry to fumble the ball. O-linewoman Jennifer White of the Surge saved the day by recovering the loose football.
With the ball on the Diamonds’ 47 yard line and it being 3rd and inches for a first down, Gallegos failed to connect. Then with it being fourth and inches, the team was penalized for a false start which made it fourth and five from their 48. Instead of kicking, Gallegos threw a pass to her safety valve, TE Carmen Cruz, who then got more than enough yards (12) for the first down.
With the ball on the Diamonds’ 41, Gallegos hit Holly Peterson with a perfectly thrown pass for the Surge’s third score. Kick after was good, Surge 21-Diamonds 0.
Situated just behind the Dallas players, I overheard one of their coaches counseling his players, “So we’re down 21, that means we have them right where we want them.” I thought he was being facetious until I remembered the team’s come from behind victory in the previous week when they were down three scores to the Kansas City Tribe and ended up winning that game in overtime.
On the Diamonds’ next possession the team had to be inspired by the extra effort shown by Dani Lynn Welniak. After receiving the kick-off, she refused to go down until she returned the ball 29 hard fought yards.
After an eight play drive, aided by a 15 yard face mask penalty, the Diamonds finally got themselves on the board. The score came on an off-tackle running play with the team’s speedster RB Tiffany Hill taking it in from 10 yards out. Kick after good, Surge 21-Diamonds 7
The Surge’s final possession of the first half began with a 16 yard return of kickoff followed by successive passes to Javelet. After the fourth pass thrown her way was dropped, Gallegos used her as a decoy and threw across field on fourth down to a wide open Kaycee Clark who took it in for the team’s fourth score. Surge 28-Diamonds 7
With the Surge receiving the kick off to start the second half, Coach Suggett informed me there would be no playing it safe, no let up and most assuredly no attempt to eat up the clock. His sentiments were clear, The Diamonds have come from behind before, but not on my watch.
Seven plays later, the Surge scored their fifth touchdown by mixing up their plays, three pass plays and four running plays, the most notable a 36 yard north to south run by RB Deana Guidry. Kick after failed, Surge 34-Diamonds 7
After both teams sputtered on offense, the Diamonds put together an eight play scoring drive bolstered by the running tandem of FB Rachel May and RB Tiffany Hill.
Surge 34-Diamonds 14 with 1:32 left in the third quarter.
The Surge matched the Diamonds’ effort with an eight play scoring drive of their own. QB Melissa Gallegos called her own number and went off the right side of the line to make it Surge 41-Diamonds 14. On the previous play, also a quarterback keeper, it appears someone had severely bruised Gallegos’ hand which made her return to action doubtful.
Back came the Diamonds with Rachel May’s north/south power running. She ran over people to score the Diamond’s third touchdown. Their two-point conversion try failed. Surge 41-Diamonds 20
With 10:12 left in the game, the Diamonds tried an onside kick directed at the 5’6” Crystal Elton. Elton fell forward on the bounding ball at the 45 yard line and held on as the rampaging Diamond players headed her way.
At this juncture, Aisha Ruffo, replaced Gallegos and began the Surge possession with a crisp pass to everyone’s favorite receiver Javelet who took the ball down to the 31 yard line. RB Ashley Moody then took the handoff and went six yards to the 25. On third and 13 with 7:41 left on the clock, Ruffo was sacked. Following the sack came an ill-advised throw leading to an interception.
After some more craziness, another high snap went sailing over QB Jessica Gerhart’s head, the back-up for Monica Foster. Gerhart is not short and must be at least 6’4” tall. With the ball back at their own 30 yard line, it seemed the Diamonds were now taking one step forward and three back. Duece Reyes reinforced that hopeless feeling after intercepting a Gerhart pass.
With 5:20 left on the clock, and Ruffo injured, Gallegos came back in the game to direct the second string offense to the team’s final score. A short run off the right side by Deana Guidry made it 48-20.
In their hopeless state, I asked several of the Dallas Diamonds players about their thoughts on the game and the reported troubles concerning their transportation from Bedford, Texas to San Diego, California. After all San Diego is 1,350 miles from the bus’ starting point.
Anonymous: “We’re pretty disappointed in our owner. The 30 hour bus ride, the tire blowing out on the way. It sure didn’t help.”
Anonymous: “I'm sure you’re used to hearing a lot of excuses. Things like our quarterback wasn’t used to the cross winds in the stadium. And of course we can’t blame it on the weather. (Ha-ha) I guess we got no excuses.”
The final countdown: Two minute warning issued. Gerhart is in for Dallas. Short pass to Webb as Diamonds begin to run their hurry up offense. Pass to Welniak no good. Pass to Hill for seven yards. Gerhart picked off on the 14 yard line with 58 seconds left.
As the seconds ran off the clock you had one team with their heads down and on the other side, there was the unabashed merriment.
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