Franchise ResourcesBlue Devils inch closer to their ultimate goal by dismantling the Venom 22-7
Burlington, WI – Last Saturday the Burlington Blue Devils took another huge stride in their march to Ironbowl XIV. By dispatching a talented Milwaukee Venom team, Burlington ran their win streak to 5 games, boasting a record of 6-1 overall. Now in the drivers seat of the A.F.C., one more victory will guaranty the road to the Iron Bowl will come through Burlington. The Blue Devils have already clinched a play-off birth and with one more victory they will clinch home field advantage.
The contest against the Venom was highlighted on the schedule as soon as schedules were presented by the league. Milwaukee became an instant rivalry game when they announced the hiring of Derek Diehl as their Offensive coordinator. Diehl, the Blue Devils offensive coordinator last season, left Burlington after their AFC championship loss which ended their 2009 season. The Venom also enlisted the help of several other former Blue Devils including their Q.B. Brent Ferdinand (#19) and all-star F.B. Eric Hansen (#25).
The playoff bound Venom are known for a stout defense and efficient offense. With Ferdinand at the helm the Milwaukee Venom haven't thrown a single interception since week 2. The Blue Devils defense thrives on their ability to create turnovers and Saturday was no exception. Milwaukee's usually conservative and efficient offense was dismantled by the "Dark side". Burlington won the coin toss and chose to defer giving the Blue Devil defense the opportunity to set the tone for one of their biggest games of the year. For the second game in a row the first snap resulted in a forced fumble and fumble recovery by Burlington's M.L.B., Tino Luciano (#52). An aggressive d-line effort resulted in a very dominate performance by Burlington's defense, which is ranked #1 in the conference. D.E.'s Adam Boehem (#70), Jeremy Beamon (#58), and Ryan Marshall (#87) all recorded multiple sacks. Expecting a heavy dose of the Venom rushing attack the Blue Devils were extremely aggressive at the point of attack, recording over a dozen tackles for negative yards. D.T.'s Kelvin Jackson (#55), Jamaal Malone (#99), Adrian White (#63), Derekus Hamilton (#77) and Laurence Ancahas (#68) provided the intense push up the middle to force the Venom out of their comfort zone and out of their game plan.
Forced to start throwing more, Venom's Q.B. Ferdinand threw two interceptions, both caught by Burlington's ball hawking S.S. Jeremy Fisher. The Blue Devils could have easily ran the interception count to four with F.S. Steve Tonsel (#17) getting his hands on two more Ferdinand throws. Tonsel redeemed himself by forcing a fumble with a huge hit as the Venom were threatening to score in the third quarter. The fumble was recovered by Burlington C.B. Miguel Vargas and returned 80 yards to give the Blue Devil offense the ball in their own red zone. Once the Venom were forced into becoming one dimensional Burlington's L.B.'s harassed the Venom backfield relentlessly. L.B's James Watkinson (#41) and Tino Luciano (#52) kept Ferdinand from ever getting comfortable in he pocket thus sealing the Venom's fate.
Week after week the Blue Devil defense gets credited for controlling the game and dominating their opponents. What the rest of the league is learning week by week, is that the Blue Devils offense is becoming one of the most elite units in the league. By controlling the clock & scoring an average of 20.4 points per game the Blue Devil offense is as sharp as it has ever been. Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator Tom Hawkins commented, "We have all the pieces to the puzzle now. If we continue to execute we can defeat any team in the league. I honestly believe we have more talent then any other team and we will work tirelessly to make sure we utilize all of it."
The Blue Devil offense got to work right away following the Venom's turnover on the first snap of the game. With what is shaping up to be the best R.B. tandem in the league, R.B.'s Jaimie Marton (#24) and Joe Brooks (#6), Burlington was able to impose their will on the Venom defense. Two hand offs to Marton, the second resulting in a 24 yd t.d., gave the Blue Devils a 7-0 lead less then 2 minutes into the contest. Marton made several Venom defenders miss him at the line of scrimmage, then drug those who didn't miss into the end zone. While Marton accumulated the majority of the yards on the ground, Brooks’ punishing full throttle running style was the perfect compliment. He consistently made defenders regret making contact by running through most of them. Marton's amazing T.D. run would be Burlington's only score in the soggy, yet very entertaining first half. Although they didn't reach the end zone again in the half, the offense did move the ball well, and with maybe his best performance of the year kicker/punter Jordan Brown (#10) made sure the Blue Devils won the field position battle. Including several booming punts in the second half, Brown pinned the Venom inside their 5 yard line twice, and inside their 20 yard line several more times.
After receiving the ball to start the second half, tied 7-7, the Blue Devil offense showed how dangerous they really are. With another great performance by the offensive line, the high octane Blue Devil passing game launched Burlington into the lead for good. W.R. Ben Patenaude (#14) continued to make sure the rest of the league takes notice of him. Since his huge “break out” game against the Hitmen, Patenaude has continued to produce at one of the highest levels in the league. With Q.B. Warren Arnold (#11) calling his number early in the third quarter, Patenaude hauled in yet another long T.D. The 36 yd score put Burlington in the lead for good. With the defense clicking on all cylinders the Blue Devil offense was able to eat up the clock with sustained drives & Brown's amazing leg. To put the game out of reach Arnold through up a 34yd T.D. pass to Burlington's 2 time M.V.P. and most electrifying player W.R. Kevin Barrett (#15). Hauling in another highlight reel catch Barrett out jumped the entire Venom secondary to put the nail in the Venom coffin on the 4th down throw.
With the home crowd and Blue Devil sideline already in a frenzy, kicker Jordan Brown (#10) stole the spotlight again. His first two extra point attempts were perfect, his punting was better than ever, but his highlight was still to come. A bad snap on the P.A.T. after Barrett's score, resulted in Brown scooping up the loose ball, rolling to his left, then throwing and completing the pass. Caught in the end zone for a successful 2 pt conversion by holder & Q.B. Warren Arnold (#11), the pass may have been the most exciting play of the game. With a very one sided victory over a quality team, the Blue Devils are riding high. Next week the Blue Devils are at home again at Catholic Central to avenge their AFC championship loss to the Wauwatosa Spartans. Now with the roles reversed (Burlington is leading the conference and hosting the match up) the game could be the most explosive one yet. With all the history and current playoff implications, it is shaping up to possibly be the leagues game of the year.
Photo courtesy of John Staats
