Dixie Week 4
DIXIE – As expected, Week 4 in the Dixie League was a weekend that could have some long lasting repercussions. Lets look at the Eastern League: The Hinesville Warrior and the Orlando Crush had been fighting it out for the top spot since the beginning of the season. But, that was until this week when they faced off in Game one of the doubleheader weekend, and the Hinesville Warrior put an old fashioned wood shed whipping on the boys from the Mouse House, 12-5. It started off bad for the Crush as their high flying QB Matt Ryan had a minus 1 point for the day, and though they were able to muster a 4 point day from Todd Gurley, they ended the weekend being swept. In Game 2, they were beaten 14-5 by the top scoring team of the weekend, the Kokomo Kings, which dropped them 2 games behind the Warrior for the top spot in the Eastern League. On the opposite side, the Warrior received a combined 7 points from their Aaron Rogers and Jordy Nelson combo, and 4 points from their defense which is, at this point in the season, one of the best in the entire Dixie League. The Lakeland Raiders, who had been knocking on the door of the top spot, were faced with the task of playing Eastern Division foes Coach McGuire and his Westfield Bombers, along with the Hinesville Warrior, but were swept by scores of 7-5 and 12-5 which allowed Westfield to tie them in the standings this week. The defending Dixie League Champion Sanford Celeryfeds were hoping to rebound this weekend with games against the Western League’s Kokomo Kings then Coach Crash and his New Orleans Black Hats. The Celeryfeds were able to fend off the Black Hats 12-7 in Game 2 after being behind most of the day to the Kings in Game 1, only to have their comeback fall short at 14-12.
The Western League had the 2 returning teams from last season Coach Crash and the New Orleans Black Hats, and AF Rookie of the Year Coach Wade Bodiford and his Andalusia Arrows faced off for the first time this season in Game 1 with the Alabama Archers winning it 12-7 due to some late scoring by Tyrrann Mathieu who had 2 points and Steven Hauschka who had 3. In Game 2 the Black Hats traveled to Sanford to take on the defending Dixie League Champion Sanford Celeryfeds in hopes of getting back to the win column but was once again denied the win by the same score of 12-7. The Black Hats who were a dominate force in the Dixie League last season has fallen on hard time this season winning only one contest and leads the league in Errors ( Interceptions and fumbles lost) with 7 and has a league low 8 Home Runs ( TD’s scored); the hapless Black Hats even signed star kicker Ryan Succup this week to try to turn their fortunes around, but didn’t get him to the team bus, so he never suited up. Coach Noe Terrazes and the San Angelo Wolverines who had a tight grip on the top spot in the Western League through the first 3 weeks, took one on the chin this week with a doubleheader loss to the Andulsia Arrows and the Austin Bulls coached by Dan “The Polish Rifle” Mayhoff. The Bulls, meanwhile, were able to sweep their weekend series against the San Angelo Wolverines and the Westfield Bombers.
As play came to a close on the weekend, the Western Division had a log jam at the top with the Andalusia Arrows tied with the Austin Bulls, and just a half game back is the Kokomo Kings after they put up 14 runs this week and is tied with 2 other teams, the Hinesville Warrior and the San Angelo Wolverines for the league lead in Home Runs ( TD’s scored) with 18 each. Then, just a half game back of the Kokomo Kings in the standings are the San Angelo Wolverines.
Week 5 could see some movement at the top of both divisions,with the Eastern League leader, Hinesville taking on the brother duo that run Orlando and Lakeland. Westfield and Coach Maguire are tasked with playing the Lakeland and the Sanford Celeryfeds, who, with a doubleheader sweep could be right back in the thick of things again this season. In the Western League, the tied division leaders, Andalusia and Austin will face off in a Game 2 after Andalusia plays the Kokomo Kings and Austin battles Eastern League foe the Orlando Crush in their Game 1’s. New Orleans will again try to get off their losing streak as they take on the Coach Noe Terrazas and his San Angelo Wolverines and then their neighboring Mississsippi rival, Kokomo Kings in a day night doubleheader action. At the end of Week 5 we could see some significant changes in both divisions.