Los Angeles, Ca – Football never left Los Angeles… Minor League Football has been alive and thriving. This weekend the Inglewood Blackhawks of Southern California Football League hosted a preseason Doubleheader with Pacific Coast Football Conference to wet football enthusiast appetite at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Saturday July 9th.
The main event lived up to it’s billing with the Inglewood Blackhawks defeating the So. Cal Apaches 30 – 8. These two teams normally are at the top of their perspective leagues, so this was great early test for both squads.
The Blackhawks hit paydirt first on a 54 yard touchdown pass reception to Solomon Jones #6 who slipped past the defense. They completed the two point conversion with easy to Jervaughn Johnson #81 to take 8-0 lead 3:32 left 1st quarter. Damien Cartwright #1 got the nod to start at quarterback and was more than a game manager. Cartwright threw four touchdowns for a solid performance.
By halftime they had scored again on 11 yard swing pass to running back Shelton Banks #22 who dove for the pylon and 16-0 lead. The Apaches had some flashes of greatness in their ground game with Donald Matthews #15. He opened the game showing off some power and a burst of speed. Just think if the offensive coordinator would have kept feeding him the rock? The Apaches brought in Marquel Pee Wee Booker #23 with fresh legs to start the second quarter. Booker had one great run before the Blackhawks defense began to shut things down.
To start the 3rd quarter off the Blackhawks made the Apaches cough up the football on the kickoff. Not the best of starts after already trailing by 16 points. On this short field Cartwright hit another athlete who showed their skills after the catch, this time it was Thyrell Lewis #15. Lewis caught a fade pass for the redzone touchdown and two point conversion to push the lead to 24-0 with 10:50 left.
The Apaches kept fighting to make it a ball game, finally putting points on the board in the 4th quarter with 1:45 left in the game to make 24-8. The Blackhawks still got the last word in by scoring one last time of their own with the clock expiring making the final 30-8.
Las Vegas Trojans kept their balance in the end of R.C. Disciples
The first game was a nail bitter for both teams but in the end the Las Vegas Trojans captured the victory 28-25. The Trojans enjoyed a game changer 95 yard touchdown kickoff return by Juice Bickham #3. Teammate Darius Bratcher #10 will be the one who hunts the Disciples. The game seemed to be over but the Trojans had different plans after allowing a late touchdown to lose the lead. But effort and never stopping till hear the whistle was Bratcher model who made the comeback Sportscenter touchdown by never touching the ground and delivering great heartache. Rogers after the game said, “That’s how you put them away!”
More game photos can be viewed at www.fullimage360.com
