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Claymores Return Home after Two Weeks on the Road

April 30, 2003 - National Football League Europa (NFLE)
Scottish Claymores News Release


The Scottish Claymores (2-2) return to their home stadium to face off with the F.C. Barcelona Dragons (3-1) on Sunday afternoon at Hampden Park. The Claymores will be looking to build off of their success last week, when they defeated the Berlin Thunder 34-17 in Germany. The Claymores trail the Dragons (tied for first with Frankfurt) by one game in the standings following the Dragons' 11-3 win at home over the Rhein Fire last Saturday. The Claymores are 1-1 at home this year, winning their opener against Berlin and falling to Frankfurt in a close game in week two. The Dragons are 1-1 away from home on the campaign, winning at Amsterdam in week two before returning home for two games. This will mark the 17th meeting in the history of the teams, with Barcelona leading the all-time regular season series 10-6, but the Claymores hold a 5-3 advantage on Scottish soil. The Claymores swept the season series last year, winning 45-17 at Hampden in week one and 27-24 in the season finale at Barcelona. Sunday's game will be broadcast live in the United States on DirecTV at 3:00 PM local time and 10:00 AM EDT. FOX Sports Broadcaster Nick Halling will handle the U.S. play-by-play, and he will be joined in the broadcast booth by analyst Hugh Millen.

CLAYMORES INJURY REPORT

FS/KR James Rooths (quad) and SS Robbie Robinson (ankle) are both listed as probable for Sunday's action.

THE HEAD COACHES

Gene Dahlquist is on the Claymores' sideline for his third season, and currently carries a record of 11-13 (.458) as an NFLE head coach. The 60-year-old head coach brings 30 years college coaching experience to the Claymores and, before moving to NFL Europe, he most recently held the position as offensive passing game coordinator at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas in 2000. Prior to joining John Robinson's staff at UNLV, Dahlquist served as offensive coordinator, quarterbacks and receivers coach at the University of Texas from 1992-1997 where he helped direct the Longhorns to three Big XII Conference titles and three bowl appearances. From 1988-91, he was again the offensive coordinator at the University of Illinois, and steered the Fighting Illini offense to one Big Ten Championship and four Bowl appearances under head coach John Mackovic, helping to develop future NFL #1 pick, quarterback Jeff George. Prior to his stint at Illinois, he worked with close friend and former Claymores head coach Jim Criner for 10 years. The two coaches worked together at Iowa State University from 1983-86 and at Boise State University from 1977-82, where Dahlquist served as the offensive coordinator. Together, Dahlquist and Criner helped drive Boise State to five Big Sky Conference titles and one NCAA Division 1-AA National Championship. Prior to coaching at Boise State, Dahlquist was the offensive coordinator at the University of Oregon from 1974-76 and quarterbacks coach at the University of Utah from 1971-73. He kicked off his coaching career as quarterbacks coach at Idaho State University from 1968-70. Dahlquist received his Master's Degree in Education from Idaho State University in 1974, graduating from the University of Arizona with his bachelor's degree in 1965, where he played college football as a quarterback and punter. Following his collegiate career, Dahlquist played professional football from 1965-66 as a quarterback and punter in the Continental Football League in the United States with the Norfolk Neptunes. Dahlquist, a native of Mount Prospect, Illinois, he and his wife Toni currently reside in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Jack Bicknell is in his 42nd year of coaching and has won more NFL Europe League regular season games (57) than any other coach in history. He is the only head coach to have been with the same team throughout the history of the league. He has compiled a career regular season mark of 57-47 (.548) and has led the Dragons to four World Bowl appearances. In 1991, his and the league's first season, he led the Dragons to an 8-2 record and a berth in the first World Bowl. In 1997, his Dragons won the first half of the season and went on to win World Bowl '97 in Barcelona. In 1999, the Dragons boasted a league-best 7-3 mark before losing to the Frankfurt Galaxy in the World Bowl. He again led the Dragons to the World Bowl with an 8-2 record in 2001. Bicknell served as head coach at Boston College for 10 seasons (1981-90). His Eagles posted a 59-55-1 record during his tenure and he lead BC to a 10-2 mark in 1984, as his quarterback Doug Flutie won the Heisman Trophy as America's outstanding collegiate player. Their 45-28 Cotton Bowl victory over Houston marked the first time in Boston College history that they had participated in three consecutive post-season bowl games. He was elected head coach for 1985's Hula and Japan Bowls, as well as the 1990 East-West Shrine Game. In January of this year, Bicknell served as the head coach of the USA team in the Rotary Gridiron Classic, an annual college all-star game in Orlando, Florida. Prior to his time at BC, he was the head coach at the University of Maine from 1976-80. Born February 20, 1938 and nicknamed "Cowboy Jack" because of his love of country music and horse riding, he and his wife, Lois, have three children, Jack Jr., Wendy, and Bob, and five grandchildren. Both of his sons played for him at Boston College, and are now in the coaching business themselves. Jack Jr. is the head coach at Louisiana Tech and Bob is the offensive coordinator for the NFLE's Berlin Thunder.

QUOTES FROM THE COACH Catching up with Claymores' Head Coach Gene Dahlquist for some of his latest thoughts:

(on the Dragons): "We know coach Jack Bicknell's teams are always very solid and determined. They've steadily improved as the weeks have progressed and their defense are doing a good job of shutting people down while their offense are scoring enough points to win their team games." (on the importance of winning at home): " We're now 2-2 after four games and victory last week was important as it gives us the chance to start the season over again. Any home loss in this league means you have to win twice on the road to make up for it if you're going to be in the hunt for a World Bowl place. It's extremely important to defend your home turf." (on the competitive state of the league): "The league is proving to be incredibly competitive and all of the teams have improved week on week, each team is playing better and better. It's getting to be very tight and to win each week every team is going to have to perform at its very highest level."

SCOTTISH CLAYMORES QUOTES

SCOTTISH CLAYMORES (34) AT BERLIN THUNDER (17)
APRIL 27, 2003 – OLYMPIC STADIUM, BERLIN, GERMANY

Head Coach Gene Dahlquist: "This was the first win for our staff in Germany and it feels very good. I hope to get one more before the end of the season too (Claymores play in Frankfurt in a fortnight). It's tough to come to Germany and win."

"This was a very good game for our football team. The defense played better than they have until now. It was scary when Thunder scored on their first drive, but we made them work very hard for everything they got after that. Offensively, we had a nice mix of run and pass and we deserved to go down the field and score when we did. It was a nicely done team job. It was a well-played, hard fought game, with very few penalties. Both teams played hard. It's very difficult to beat Thunder twice in one season. They'll win a lot of football games before the season is over; they're too good a team not to."

"This was Craig Nall's game. He did some very good things out there and was very much in control of the game. Today wasn't easy as there was a lot of wind out there and it affected both passers and receivers. I'd like to play Shane Stafford also, but the game situation didn't dictate we could. We did the right thing by playing Craig."

Running Back Ken Simonton: "We're learning more and more about who we are as a running team. Everything is about balance. We got off to a great start in our running game this time out against Thunder and developed from that. Once you get the running game in place, you can do whatever you want to do."

"It was really important from a psychological point of view to go 2-2. It's also great for the coaches to see us execute so well. It's a great feeling to be back on track and developing from one game to another. Now, I just look forward to it continuing in the games to come."

SCOTTISH CLAYMORES GAME NOTES: Claymores captains for game two were RB Ken Simonton, LB Darnell Robinson and FS James Rooths... Temperature at game time was 65° F, (18° C), with partly cloudy skies and wind... The Thunder won the coin toss and elected to receive... K Rob Hart kicked off to open the game and Rooths made the tackle on David Allen, giving Berlin first down at the 30-yard line... Berlin QB Henry Burris hit Allen with a screen pass for a 23-yard touchdown... K Axel Kruse's PAT made the score 7-0 in favor of the Thunder with 10:52 remaining in the first quarter... QB Craig Nall was sacked by LB Jamal White on the Claymores' first play for a loss of three yards... Simonton gained nine yards on a run around the left end... Nall hit WR Edell Shepherd for a 35-yard gain on third down to give the Claymores a first down at the Berlin 29... Simonton capitalized as he scored his league-leading sixth rushing touchdown from 29 yards out... Hart tied the game at 7-7 with his league-record 133rd consecutive made PAT... The Claymores' scoring drive took 2:12, covering 70 yards on five plays... The score marked the third time in four games that the 2003 Claymores have reached the end zone on their first drive of the game... LB Yubrenal Isabelle sniffed out a draw play and caught RB Sedrick Irvin for no gain... A long gain on a pass play to Thunder WR Sean Scott was negated when he was called for pushing off CB Bo Rogers, who had excellent coverage on the play... DE Radell Lockhart broke up an attempted screen pass, batting the ball down in the backfield... The Claymores stopped the Thunder drive at the Berlin 45, forcing a punt (the first punt in the previous meeting of these two teams didn't come until there was 6:12 remaining in the first half)... Nall hit FB Mike Malan for a seven-yard gain on third-and-six, moving the ball to the Berlin 49... Simonton ran for 23 yards on a draw play over the left side down to the 26-yard line... Nall hit WR John Minardi for 13 yards on an out pattern... Nall zipped a pass to WR Anthony Bright on a slant from 10 yards out to put the Claymores ahead 14-7 with 21 seconds remaining in the opening quarter... Bright's score was his second of the year... The Claymores led 14-7 at the first intermission... Berlin QB Phil Stambaugh was just able to convert on a fourth-and-inches play with a QB sneak to set up first down at the Claymores' 13... Rooths tackled Eugene Baker short of the first down, forcing a Kruse FG attempt from 26, which he converted... The Claymores lead was 14-10 with 10:28 to go in the first half... RB Maurice Hicks ran for 28 yards on first down, moving the ball out to the 44... Malan converted again on third down, gaining 11 on a pass from Nall... Malan struck again, this time breaking a 19-yard run that was compounded by a personal foul face masking penalty against the Thunder, setting up first down at the Berlin 13... Hicks had a six-yard touchdown run called back by a holding call... The drive stalled at the 13, bringing out Hart for a 31-yard FG, which he made to give the Claymores a seven-point lead at 17-10 with 5:50 to go in the half... The kick was Hart's 15th consecutive made field goal, marking a new personal best and the second longest streak in league history (18, Silvio Diliberto of Amsterdam, snapped last night)... The Claymores attempted a short, pop-up kickoff, but Allen returned it 74 yards for a touchdown, and Kruse's PAT tied the score at 17-17... Nall and Minardi connected for a 16-yard gain, giving the Claymores a first down in Berlin territory at the 42... The drive failed at the 37, bringing out P Kevin Stemke for his first kick of the day... LB Jens Pettersson forced a fumble on the return, which was recovered by Isabelle at the 13, giving the Claymores a first down deep in Thunder ground... The drive was snuffed after three plays, and Hart put the Claymores ahead 20-17 with a 28-yard field goal... DT Michael Landry killed the Thunder drive with a five-yard sack of Stambaugh on third down, bringing out the Berlin punt team... The Claymores took a 20-17 lead into the locker room... The halftime lead was the Claymores' first of the season... CB Jermaine Chatman took the opening kick of the second half at the nine and took it 42 yards to the Berlin 49... Simonton gained four yards on a toss sweep on fourth-and-one to prolong the Claymores' drive... Nall hit Minardi for 15 on third down to give the Claymores another first down at the 25... Nall hit Simonton as a safety valve receiver, and Simonton used some effective downfield blocks to score on a 23-yard reception... Hart's PAT made the score 27-17 with 10:21 to go in the third quarter... Lockhart picked off an attempted screen pass to Irvin, as the ball skipped off the running back's hands, giving the Claymores the ball at the Thunder 48... Berlin answered back with a deflected interception of their own, with cornerback Jeff Harris grabbing a ball that jumped out of the hands of Scott Couper, giving the Thunder the ball at their own 34... DT Nate Bolling blew up a Berlin running play, forcing Irvin to slip down for a one-yard loss... Nall picked up two yards on a QB sneak, converting on a third-and-inches attempt... Simonton broke over the left end for a 12-yard gain out to the 44... DE Robert Flickinger dropped Irvin for a one-yard loss... The third quarter ended with the Claymores on top 27-17...Rooths left the game with a thigh injury, and would not return... The Claymores forced a punt, and took possession at the Berlin 45... Simonton fumbled the ball on second down, but the Claymores kept possession as C Jason Scukanec jumped on the ball... Landry dropped Stambaugh for a one-yard loss, his second sack of the day... WR Scott McCready got behind the Berlin defense and Nall hit him for a 52-yard gain on a play-action pass... Simonton went over 100 yards on the day with a 12-yard gain on the next play... Nall and McCready hooked up again, this time for 20 yards and a first down at the Berlin seven on a third down play... Nall found Shepherd for an 11-yard touchdown, his third TD pass of the game... Hart's PAT gave the Claymores a 34-17 lead with just 5:47 left in the game... Paid attendance for the game was 10,413... Flickinger recorded his first sack of the year, hitting Burris as he tried to pass... The ball came loose, but Berlin recovered... DT DeVonte Peterson brought up fourth down with another sack of Burris... Simonton worked to run out the clock, carrying the ball four times for 28 yards to open the possession and bring up the two-minute warning... The Claymores then ran the clock out, to end the game on top 34-17.

Scottish Claymores 34 at Berlin Thunder 17
April 27, 2003
Olympic Stadium

Berlin - (Cloudy, Mild) - The Scottish Claymores traveled to Berlin and got back on the winning track, defeating the Thunder 34-17 in a re-match of their Opening Day shootout. This meeting at in front of 10,413 fans at historic Olympic Stadium wasn't quite as high scoring as their 62-31 win in the opener, but was equally as dominating. Quarterback Craig Nall threw for 238 yards and three touchdowns and Ken Simonton powered the offense on the ground, running for 140 yards on 21 carries with both a rushing and receiving touchdown. The Claymores shut out the Thunder in the second half once again, and rode that defensive wave home to victory. Five sacks and an interception by the defensive line keyed the defensive effort. The first quarter saw little defense played by either side, much like their first meeting, and both teams marched down the field with scores on their opening drives. Berlin took the opening kickoff and broke on top on the legs of running back David Allen. Allen highlighted the drive with a 30-yard run and scored on a 23-yard screen pass from Thunder quarterback Henry Burris. The Claymores were quick to answer, though, and knotted the game on Ken Simonton's sixth touchdown on the season. The drive was keyed by a 35-yard pass from Nall to receiver Edell Shepherd. Simonton found the end zone just two plays later as he broke through the right side of the line for a 29-yard scamper. The score marked the third time in four games that the 2003 Claymores have reached the end zone on their first drive of the game. Nall later hit Anthony Bright from 10 yards out on a slant, to put the Claymores up 14-7. The teams traded field goals, and then Allen tied the score with a 74-yard kickoff return. Jens Pettersson jarred the ball loose from Calvin Coleman on a punt return, and Rob Hart's second field goal put the Claymores on top 20-17 at halftime. Simonton scored on a 23-yard pass from Nall to open the second half and make it a 10-point game. Berlin kicking twice and the Claymores punting once in the first five minutes of the period. The Claymores broke the game wide open, driving down the field quickly, going 94 yards on seven plays in 3:54 to open the fourth quarter. Nall hit Scott McCready twice for 71 yards, including a 52-yard gain on play action to open the drive. The drive was capped with Nall's third touchdown pass of the day, this one coming from 11 yards to Shepherd. The Claymores' defense and running game ran out the clock, and evened their mark on the season. The win pulls the Claymores into a third place tie with Rhein and Amsterdam, and just one game out of first place at 2-2. The game was a high-powered display for the Claymores on both sides of the ball. Defensive tackle Michael Landry's 2.5 sacks, and an INT from DE Radell Lockhart led the way on defense and Nall's arm and Simonton's legs, along with the offensive line got the job done on offense.



National Football League Europa Stories from April 30, 2003


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