LEEDS CELTICS

Last Sunday, the Celtics travelled to Teeside for their penultimate game of the season against the Cougars.

 

The Celtics won the coin toss and elected to receive, lining up ready to return the kick. Teeside had different ideas however, attempting to recover an onside kick and put the Celtics on the back foot. This backfired when DE Rory Ellis successfully dived on the ball, securing posession and great field position.

 

Although an initial inside run was unsuccessful, an option play to the outside managed to break into the Teeside secondary, with QB Felix Titherley and RB Toby Richardson securing a 30 yard gain. After an unsuccessful passing play, Titherley kept the ball on an inside play, breaking a tackle on his way into the endzone for the Celtics' first touchdown. Although the two point conversion was unsuccessful, this put the Celtics in the lead inside the first two minutes of play. 

 

Following the kickoff, the Celtic defence took to the field, hoping to capitalise on the tempo set by the offence in the previous drive. The Cougars took to the air on their first play, their receiver catching the ball 5 yards downfield before a great tackle from SS James Carmichael prevented him from making any more progress. Teeside's next play fared even worse, finding the hands of DB Ben Smith, handing the Cougars their first turnover.

 

The Celtic offence returned to the field, continuing to put the pressure on the Cougars, running plays without a huddle, something that took its toll on the home side over the course of the game. 2 more running plays brought the Celtics to the 5 yard line, before a great catch in traffic from TE Alex Hall gave the Celtics a 2 touchdown lead; a successful 2-point conversion set the score at 14-0. 

 

Once again the Celtic defence went out onto the field, and after an incomplete pass and a sack from Ellis, the Cougars found themselves in a 3rd and very long situation. A run play threatened to break through, but the running back was chased down from behind by Ellis, forcing the home side into their first 3 and out. 

 

On Leeds's subsequent posession, a series of penalties negated gains made by RBs Toby Richardson and Josh Beynon, and the Celtics faced a 3rd and 10 situation as well. However, a great run from Titherley managed to gain the yards required, and it appeared that the Cougars remained on the back foot. Unfortunately, two bad snaps in a row put the Celtics once again in 3rd and very long, and despite a good effort from Richardson, the Celtics were forced to punt the ball away. 

 

With the Teeside offence on the field, they once again threatened to the outside, but the Cougars' running back was brought down short of the 1st-down marker. This time it was Teeside who were the victims of a bad snap, the ball sailing over the head of their QB. Although he made efforts to try and regain the lost ground, he was chased out of bounds by several Leeds players, giving  Teeside a 3rd and 20 situation. The Cougars fared little better on this occasion and, electing to play the 4th down rather than punt, were caught short of the 1st down marker, turning posession back over to the Celtics. 

 

Electing to try and open up the passing game, Leeds attempted to move the ball downfield, but a pair of fingertip-close incompletions left them with another 3rd and 10. A high snap nearly proved to be the Celtics' undoing, were it not for the quick thinking of Richardson, snatching the ball out of midair and running with it, making all but one of the yards that was needed, before an inside run allowed the visitors to fall fowards for the first down. 

 

Unfortunately, on the next play, a fumbled exchange was dived on by the Cougars, the Celtics' first turnover of the game. Although Teeside's quarterback was able to scramble for positive yardage on the first few plays of the drive that followed, this was quickly stopped by a series of broken up plays, culminating in another sack on 4th down to send the Cougars' offence back off the field. 

 

RB Beynon was able to demonstrate his elusiveness in the next Celtic series, with a 10-yard run that eluded several defenders, and a 4th down screen play that gained another 10, as well as putting the Celtics in with another chance of scoring. However, an "excessive roughness" penalty caused the play to be called back, and the ball was turned over to the Cougars. 

 

Whilst for the first two plays of the series went for little gain, a communication error between the Celtic defence's secondary left a Teeside receiver uncovered downfield who proceeded to catch and score the Cougar's first points. An unsuccessful 2-point conversion meant the scores stood at 14-6.

 

Once again, the Cougars attempted an onside kick, this time recovering it successfully for another chance at an offensive drive before the half ended. This proved unsuccessful, with a 3rd-down passing attempt under pressure finding it's way into the hands of DT Theo Coleman-Brown for another interception; unfortunately there was not enough time for the Celtics offence to run more than one play before the clock ran out.

 

When play resumed after the halftime break, a fumble from the Cougars' return man was recovered by the Celtics, seemingly giving them possession to open the half. However, amid claims of an erroneous whistle from the referees a rekick was ordered, and although on this occasion the Celtics were able to tackle the returner inside Teeside's territory, the Cougars retained the ball. 

 

The Celtics retained their good form on the next defensive series, opening with a tackle for loss from DE Ellis, before a great interception from DB Josh Holmes threatened to go all the way for a defensive touchdown although he was brought down before he was able to break away. 

 

This did give the Celtic offence good field position to effect a score of their own. A weaving run from WR Will Stephens-Smith and another good catch from Alex Hall put Leeds on the 10 yard line, before another great run from RB Beynon punched through into the endzone for the score. Again, the 2-point conversion was unsuccessful, leaving the score at 20-6.

 

After the kickoff, the Cetic defence put on another good performance, forcing another 3-and out for the Cougars. A deep kick put the Celtics inside their own 20-yard line, from where they were unable to break out and they too were forced to punt. 

 

The Cougars offence made some downfield progress before the whistle blew to signal the end of the third quarter, and after the teams switched ends, attempted to try and score again. Although this attempt was unsuccessful and possession returned to the Celtics, they would not hold the ball for very long, as a fumbled exchange once again was recovered by Teeside to give them good field position again. 

 

This time, a badly-read play wrong-footed the Celtics, and the Teeside quarterback was able to scramble into the endzone to bring the score to 20-12 after an unsuccessful conversion.

 

The majority of the final quarter was a stalemate for both sides until play moved into its final minutes. The Cougars had the ball, and had to drive downfield to draw the game and force it into overtime. The Celtics coped well with the pressure, and although the Teeside quarterback attempted to pass the ball downfield to make up the points difference, this was prevented by great work across the Leeds secondary, determined to prevent a repeat of the Cougars' first score.

 

With 7 seconds left, on what would be the final play of the game, the Cougars' QB attempted to pick out a receiver covered by Carmichael, who jumped infront to snatch away the ball; weaving his way across the pitch, he was able to run out the clock and secure the win for the Celtics at 20-12.