Franchise ResourcesBlue devils have eyes firmly on prize
Burlington, WI – Last Saturday night the Burlington Blue Devils secured home field advantage for the 2010 IFL playoffs. By defeating the defending AFC Champion Wauwatosa Spartans, the Blue Devils clinched the top spot in the AFC. With their record record at 7-1, victors of 6 straight, the transformation from play-off contenders to IFL powerhouse is complete.
The Spartans opened the game with a rare scoring drive on the Blue Devil defense. Burlington answered immediately marching the length of the field. With a huge gain by R.B. Jamie Marton (#24), the Blue Devils quickly moved inside the 10 yard line. Q.B. Warren Arnold (#11) then connected on his first of four touchdown passes. Showing resolve and determination, the “Darkside” refused to yield any points for the rest of the half. Two fumble recoveries and a handful of Q.B. sacks, kept the potent Spartan offense at bay. At halftime, with the score tied 7 - 7, the game was shaping up to be a nail biter like both meetings last year.
Unfortunately for Wauwatosa, Burlington had something completely different in mind. The Blue Devil offense came out fierce and unstoppable in the second half. Good pass blocking and improved field position allowed Arnold to open the offense up, torching the Spartan secondary for three more passing touchdowns. Wauwatosa had no answer for Burlington’s W.R. Kevin Barrett (#15). Barrett, hauling in 12 receptions, accounted for 3 touchdown strikes and a 2 point conversion. W.R. Princeton Cameron (#19) caught the other laser like T.D. pass from Arnold. With kicker Jordan Brown (#10) adding a field goal the Blue Devils enjoyed a lead of 32-14 for most of the second half.
The Spartans closed the gap a little with a fourth quarter score on a T.D. pass by Q.B. Tony Henner (#7). Wauwatosa then recovered an on-side kick but their rally was cut short by L.B. Antoine Harries (#51) intercepting Henner on the following drive. The Spartans had on more opportunity to shrink Burlington’s lead with time running out, thus forced to throw deep, the Spartan’s were denied again when C.B. Tony Grisham (#7) intercepted Henner in the end-zone. Grisham returned the interception 60 yards as time expired. Grisham also helped set up an earlier Blue Devil score with a blocked punt.
The offensive explosion by the Blue Devils was exciting to say the least. To die-hard fans though, the offensive and defensive lines were the highlight of the evening. With temperatures over 80 degrees at kickoff, stamina was definitely a concern. By the third quarter it was obvious Burlington’s depth and conditioning was overwhelming the Spartans. Weather it was the offensive line, letting Arnold dissect the Spartan’s defense virtually untouched; or the defensive line recording 4th quarter sacks with only a 3 man front, Burlington’s big men clearly had the advantage.
With two home games remaining on their regular season schedule, the Blue Devils hope to finish 9-1 entering the play-offs on an eight game with streak. Hosting the playoffs is a luxury Burlington has never had before. Last season ended in the AFC championship loss, in Wauwatosa. With the games at home, a rejuvenated and explosive offense, and the AFC’s top ranked defense, a trip to the Ironbowl is within their grasp. For now their focus is on the West Bend Junk Yard Dogs. New to the IFL this year, West Bend is proving to be a real contender. Burlington has their bye-week this Saturday followed by the July 31st showdown with the Junk Yard Dogs at the Topper Bowl of Catholic Central @ 7pm.
“We are so excited to see the growth in attendance. The great home crowd at Catholic Central shows the kind of community support we’ve been striving for. I hope the community is up to the challenge of increasing attendance every week as we pursue the Iron Bowl trophy! We want the Burlington area to be as proud of the Blue Devils, as the Blue Devils are proud to be part of the Burlington community!” - Tom Hawkins, Owner & Head Coach
