Franchise ResourcesJunkyard Dogs Blow Storm Away 31-8
The buzz in the stands reflected the feelings around the league as the West Bend Junkyard Dogs (3-0) took the field at Hart Park to square off with the Milwaukee Storm (0-3). Could West Bend maintain their focus for a contest many were calling a “trap game”? Would they put away a team that didn’t matchup with them on paper? How would they finally play as the “favorites” after relishing their role as underdog in the previous games? A lot of questions would be answered on the field in this game, as the Dogs looked to continue their run of success, while the Storm attempted to put one in the win column.
The Junkyard Dogs enjoyed amazing field-position all game due to Head Coach Dan Greene’s newest toy, return man Ron Jones. Jones started the game by streaking through the kick coverage unit of the Storm to the Milwaukee 47 yardline. QB Mikey Bernal came out slinging, as he found WR Will Thomsen on the first play of the game for twelve yards. Bernal hooked up with Thomsen again on the next play, and with the 15-yard facemask penalty tacked on to the twelve yard gain, the Dogs had the ball at the Storm 8 yardline. A false start penalty would lead to a 13 yard strike from Bernal to WR Stu Johnson for the game’s first points of the day. The point after was good, making the score 7-0, West Bend. The Storm would return the kickoff all the way to midfield, where new QB Shannon King took over. On the first play of the game for Milwaukee the exchange between the QB and RB was fumbled, and West Bend DT “Diesel Dan” Simniok pounced on it. The Dogs failed to capitalize on the excellent field position, and ended up punting the ball to the Storm. On third and long King completed a 60 yard pass down the right sideline, setting his team up well into West Bend territory. The Dogs’ defense stuffed the first down run and forced an incomplete pass before a painful Pass Interference call gave the Storm a first down at the 3 yardline. Both teams brought in their goal line packages, and on first down Big Paul Jones pirouetted through the middle of the line and made a huge tackle in the backfield. Shannon King took the second down snap and rolled out to his right on a called run. He sprinted for the corner, but was forced out of bounds at the 1 yardline. The Dogs would team up for an 11-man tackle on third down, setting up a 4th-and-goal from the West Bend 3. The shotgun snap went to Shannon King, and OLB Jake Klipp shot through a gap to team up with Diesel Dan for a sack, giving the Dogs the ball back deep in their own territory. Needing some breathing room, on first down RB Mike Hill took the rock 35 yards right through the teeth of the Storm defense. Hill would call for the ball again, and bash out another 10 yards. Coach Greene dialed up Hill one more time for another 9 yards. On second down, with the defense crowding the line, Mikey Bernal found WR Eric Treske for 35 yards, where he was pushed out of bounds at the Storm’s 6 yardline. Looking to his big tight end, Bernal lofted a pass to Mike Hicks, who won the jump ball for his first touchdown of the game. After the kick sailed through, the scoreboard read: West Bend 14, Milwaukee 0. Things would get worse for the Storm, as on first down King was sacked by MLB Mike Porter and DT Todd Smith for a big loss. The first quarter would end with the Dogs leading, 14-0.
Stepping back into shotgun to start the second quarter, King saw the second down snap sail over his head and into the endzone. He scrambled to pick it up, but was sacked for a safety by blitzing all-star SS Curtis Beals. The deuce would make the score 16-0 in favor of West Bend. A booming free-kick was returned by Ron Jones into Milwaukee territory to the 40 yardline, where the Storm defense forced Bernal’s potent offense into a 3-and-out. Three Storm runs were stuffed for no-gain, and Milwaukee punted to Ron Jones, yet again. #84 took the punt 30 yards back to the Milwaukee 40. RB Chuck McGuire blasted out a 16 yard gain to the Storm 16 yardline. On the next play a running Mikey Bernal found Will Thomsen wide open. Thomsen followed the blocking of TE Mike Hicks all the way into the endzone for another six points. The kick would be good, making the score Junkyard Dogs 23 – Storm 0. After a solid kick return, Shannon King lofted a deep pass down the sidelines that West Bend FS Pat Casey had a bead on from the start. Casey’s diving interception at the West Bend 10 yardline would be his first of the season. On first down Mike Hill would follow the magnificent right side of his offensive line for a 20 yard gain. A blown screen pass would result in a 15 yard loss on a sack, the first the Dogs gave up all game. On second and 25 Hill would, once again, follow behind his right side, this time for 23 yards. On third and short Bernal found Eric Treske for 10 yards. RB Chuck McGuire would come in and take a handoff right for 20 yards before a holding penalty and a couple of incomplete passes confronted Bernal with a 4th and 20 outside of FG range, but too close for a punt. Bernal hit Stu Johnson, but he was tackled after a 15 yard gain. On first down, Shannon King rolled to his left. He planted awkwardly, and crumpled to the turf, holding his knee. King would leave the game, and the Dogs attacked the backup QB. On third down Jake Klipp hit the QB as he was throwing. The ball lofted and was snagged out of the air by CB Mike Harrison. Harrison returned the interception to the Milwaukee 20 just before halftime. The Dogs had time to try one pass, but it fell incomplete. Lining up to attempt a 37 yard field goal, the Storm crashed through the interior of the line, and blocked the kick. The scoreboard heading into halftime would read: West Bend Junkyard Dogs 23 – Milwaukee Storm 0.
The Storm came out of the break trying to run the ball. After two short runs were snuffed out, MLB Mike Porter notched a big sack on third down. Ron Jones took the punt across the 50 yardline, and into Milwaukee territory. Bernal found Will Thomsen for 15 yards and the Storm helped out with a 15 yard facemask penalty. Mikey hooked up with Eric Treske who saw Mike Hicks plow two defenders out of his path, giving him an easy run into the endzone. A high snap on the point after was corralled by Stu Johnson, who sprinted into the endzone for the two-point conversion. The score was 31-0, Junkyard Dogs. The kick was picked up by the Storm on the bounce, and returned into West Bend territory to the 40 yardline. A phantom clipping call gave Milwaukee its best field position of the day. After a short rush, the Milwaukee QB lined up in shotgun. He dropped the snap, and as he picked it up he was wrestled to the turf by OLB Nathan Miner. On third and long the Storm QB rolled to his right. West Bend’s big DE Justin Steubs gave chase and planted the QB for his first sack of the game. Going for it on fourth down, the pass fell incomplete. West Bend had the ball and momentum, but on first down a pass brought in by Stu Johnson was fumbled at the West Bend 38 yardline. The Storm recovered, and were set up with great field position, yet again. A 6 yard rush and an incomplete pass made it third and four. The Storm QB found his WR streaking toward the endzone, and Milwaukee was on the board for the first time all game. The two-point conversion succeeded, and the score was 31-8, West Bend. The Dogs got the ball back at their own 40 yardline. On first down Will Thomsen caught a 10 yard pass to midfield. The ensuing snap was fumbled, and Milwaukee recovered. On first down, a high pass down the sidelines was tipped into the air by SS Curt Beals and caught by FS Pat Casey for his second interception of the game. Chuck McGuire ran 13 yards to close out the third quarter, and West Bend would start the fourth at their own 43 yardline, ahead 31-8.
Mikey fired into the fourth by finding Mike Hicks for 23 yards. Eric Treske took a short pass 3 yards to the Milwaukee 34. Two short rushes and an incomplete pass resulted in a turnover on downs. The Storm rushed the ball three times, and were held to short gains three times before punting the ball back to West Bend. On first, it appeared as though the Storm’s front seven would gang-tackle Mike Hill for no gain, but the powerful back kept his legs churning and broke free of the pile for a huge 32 yard gain. Chuck McGuire would spell him for a run, and grind out 10 more yards of his own before Hill came back into the huddle. Mike Hill ran the ball 8 yards. He earned a first down with a 3 yard gain. He hammered one for 10 yards, and then another for 2. McGuire came in and ran the ball a yard to the Milwaukee 4 yardline. Hill came back in and carried it on third down for 2 yards. An incompletion on 4th down gave the Storm the ball back with one last chance to put up points. 3 passes with pressure on the QB would tumble to the ground incomplete, and Milwaukee would punt the ball back. West Bend would run out the clock and walk off of the field with a hard-fought 31-8 victory, improving to 4-0 on the season. Next Saturday the Dogs face the Muskego Hitmen in a pivotal National Conference match-up at Hart Park, while the Storm regroup during a much needed Bye week.
