KNIGHTS @ SEAHAWKS: MATCH REPORT

In a fiercely contested battle, the Northants Knights clashed with the Solent Seahawks in a gridiron showdown that kept fans on the edge of their seats until the final whistle. Here's a comprehensive recap of the intense game…

Trench warfare was on display all game.

The game kicked off with the Knights’ high-flying offence up first and placed in a solid position to strike thanks to a 25-yard return by Rocco Cameron. Despite promising plays both on the ground and through the air, the first drive was not to be with a turnover stopping the first attacking drive of the match in its tracks. Out on offence, the Seahawks capitalised on their early momentum, with wide runs and a pass completion into the corner of the end zone providing them with the first 6 points of the contest, quickly accompanied by an extra point - not the start Northants defence hoped for.

Back out on offence, the Knights started to put their first marks on the game, with a 17-yard run from Ally Josephs putting them within striking range of the Solent end zone. Unfortunately, in a cruel Deja Vu moment, another turnover quashed any hopes of retaliation by the away side, putting the defence back out onto the gridiron and focussed on causing a momentum-swinging stop.

Thankfully the Knights’ prayers were answered with the defence forcing a punt from the home side. However, this crucial stop was not without its roadblocks, with Solent’s QB barely keeping the drive alive with a scramble on third down; only after their previously formidable outside run was sniffed out by linebacker and Team Captain Sammy Yates-McCabe. Despite a first down, any murmurs of a Solent score were quickly silenced by week 1’s MVP Jason Paragioudakis; with a TFL (tackle for loss) firmly shutting the steel curtain on Solent’s run game. The drive was officially extinguished after the QB was forced to throw away the ball thanks to air-tight pressure by Gabriel Tremeer, and the muffed punt was stopped short by Sammy Yates-McCabe.

This ember of hope created by Northants Defence quickly ignited into an inferno, with clutch plays by GB Quarterback and Offensive Captain Marcus Cownley; Kelce-esque receptions by tight-end Tom Clayton; and a dash into the end zone by Ally Josephs resulting in the Knights’ side of the scoreboard being lit up for the first time. Unfortunately, a controversial penalty called back the extra point, of which the re-run deemed unsuccessful - leaving the knights two points away from the lead. Following on from their game-reviving second drive, the Knights’ defence ensured the record was kept straight, with Vice-Captain Sam White feeding the Solent running back inside to Sammy Yates-McCabe, who chalked up the teams’ second TFL of the day, stopping the play 2-yards behind the LOS (line of scrimmage). Although penalties served as many thorns in the defence side (keeping Solent’s drive alive), outstanding coverage by Defensive Captain Ryan Crooks and immense pressure on a FG (field goal) attempt kept the score 7-6. Now well and truly into a rhythm, Marcus Cownley found Rocco Cameron on a 65-yard bomb that took the offence down to the 15-yard line, an impressive start to a drive unfortunately plagued by a third turnover, this time in the end zone - bringing the hungry defence back out to centre stage.

In a moment of suspense for the away sideline, the Solent run game seemed to be creeping its way back in, driving the Seahawks down into the Northampton Red zone. Unfortunately for those in black and red, all three levels of the Knights defence proceeded to hound on the hopeful offence, with a sack by Sammy Yates-McCabe and immense yet familiar pressure by Jason Paragioudakis leading to a wide FG attempt to keep the game tight. The next showing for the offence proved to be one diluted with politics, with the drive being cut short after it was decided that Marcus Cownley had fumbled the ball that was ultimately recovered by the Seahawk's defence on the 21-yard line.

In a pivotal moment, the Knights’ defence held fast, with a TFL by Jason Paragioudakis on first down, kicking off another formidable presentation by the all-conquering defensive 9. The next few drives were similar tales of special teams, special plays, special players - with both Northampton and Solent punting the ball away, with Northampton’s Caleb Hall exhibiting immense punting skill to push Solent Back as far as possible. As the end of the game loomed closer, the offence came out at the end of the third quarter, motivated to change the tides of the game, with a 38-yard rush by Ally Josephs pumping up both players and fans alike.

However, Solent wasn’t to go down without heavy resistance, with back-to-back negative plays seemingly cornering the trailing offence in a nail-biting standoff. Ultimately, Louey Franks stepped up to the mark for Northampton, with a 15-yard reception on 4th & 14 giving the offence a first down (throwing an extra yard in for good measure).

As the game crossed over into its final quarter, the offence marched onwards, with Offensive Captain Khalil Armada reaching for the pylon successfully, finally earning the Knights a hard-fought lead of 12-7 with the final whistle in sight. Now fired up more than ever, the Knights’ defence marched back out to ensure the boot stayed firmly pressed on the neck of the Seahawks. Yet another TFL for Jason Paragioudakis immediately put a pin in the Seahawks’ hopes of vengeance - hopes that were further squashed by immense pressure from Sam White on the D-Line, accompanied by more aerial prowess by Ryan Crooks that was topped off by a second sack by Sammy Yates-McCabe.

The next offensive drive acted as a time-burning exercise that ended when Kahlil Ahmada was stopped a painstaking yard short of the first on fourth down, giving Solent one more chance at taking back the game. Whatever pressure and suspense Solent attempted to create, little to none was felt by the Knights’ defence who knew a stop here would make them heroes. The formidable secondary led the charge, with Ryan Crooks and Rio Henry shutting down any attempts by the Seahawks offence to advance. The last glimpses of redemption for the home side were firmly stamped out with Sammy Yates-McCabe and Hayden Quantrell locking the already slammed door firmly shut, bringing the Offence out in victory formation to take the clock to 0 and cement the win for the travelling team.

Catching up with Knights HC, Jack O’Beirne after the game we had a few questions to ask about the contest:

Coach, congratulations on the hard-fought victory! What do you think were the key factors that contributed to the team's success today?

A lot goes in to winning a game like this but the way we stayed resilient in the face of controversy today and we never let our heads drop. It would be easy to come here, go down on the scoreboard and have some plays go against us then lose our heads but the lads never did that once. This group is a family and everyone has each others back.

The game saw several momentum swings and intense moments. How did you see the team's resilience and ability to respond to adversity impacting the outcome?

It did and my heart beat has only just returned to normal! Nothing surprises me with this group. They dared to step up to division one and knew we would have games like this where we would need to dig deep.

The defense made some crucial stops, especially in the red zone. What adjustments did you make during the game to counter the Seahawks' offensive threats?

Coach Aiden has done a great job stepping in as co-ordinator for the first time this season and he’s got the defense playing fantastic. Once we made adjustments to the run defense and kept contain, I think we really improved.

Penalties seemed to play a significant role in some critical moments of the game. How do you plan to address discipline moving forward to minimize these costly infractions?

The players know we have to be disciplined if we want to be successful so the fact we managed to win even with those mistakes showed great character. I think some of the decisions were harsh but when you travel to places like this you have to expect that and just play your game.

Khalil Ahmada's touchdown run gave the team the lead in the fourth quarter. Can you talk about the decision-making process behind that play call and how it unfolded on the field?

We had just ripped off a big run from Ally and then Marcus found Louey over the middle close to the end zone. With the way the game was going we knew we had 4 downs to work with in this area of the field and coach Eady trusted his guys upfront to do enough which paid off. Great job by him.

The defense had to make some pivotal stops late in the game to secure the win. What was the message to the players during those crucial moments, and how proud are you of their performance?

They were superb. Late on the message was easy- just go out and win this game for us. We believe in our defensive line to constantly generate pressure and our line-backer core is phenomenal. Then when you look at our secondary, aside from the Touchdown early on, they gave up little to nothing. It was a great all round defensive performance.

Looking ahead, what are the main areas of focus for the team as you prepare for the next game? Are there any specific improvements or adjustments you'll be emphasizing in practice?

There is a lot for us to work on. We wasn’t great today and film will show that. But we won and that’s what matters now. We were missing 5-6 key players today and with the quick turn around from our first game we never had a chance to fix anything from the Somerset game. We have plenty of time now until the reverse fixture where we will work out the issues.

Finally, what does this win mean for the team's confidence and morale as you progress through the season, and how do you plan to carry this momentum forward?

It’s great but it doesn’t mean anything if we don’t act on it. This is only game 2 of a long season and nothing is given. We stepped up to Division One to play games like this every week and we know the next will be just as hard. We will enjoy tonight and then get back to work next week.

Knights now have a long break before hosting Solent Seahawks at home, on June 9th.