Chalk one up for the Good Guys

I've been having some internet issues at home for the past day now and seeing as how I'm using a friend's computer to post, I'll make this brief. Your Aarhus Tigers moved to 1-0 on the season today with a 21-18 come-from-behind win at the Amager Demons. The weather was not unlike some of the autumn afternoon games I used to play in high school and college; pretty chilly, windy and overcast with the occasional sunburst that makes everything seem brighter and warmer than it actually is. Felt good to be back on the gridiron.

Though I was only coaching (returning to play very, very soon), I couldn't have asked for a better introduction to Danish American Football. We responded to the Demons' first score of the game with a long aerial strike that put us up 7-6 after the first quarter. Amager then took control with two scores to close out the first half up 18-7 (we blocked two PATs).

After a sluggish start to the second half, them Tiger boys really dug in and played some good football on both sides of the ball, closing out the third quarter down 18-14. In the fourth, the defense played superbly, shutting down the Demons' O and setting up the go-ahead Tigers' score, a seven-yard TD scamper by QB Mathias Lilhauge. The PAT made it 21-18 with under two minutes to play. The D then rose to the challenge, forcing a crucial turnover with fifty-seven ticks to seal the victory.

Most impressive from an outsider's perspective, was the intensity and no-quit attitude from all of our guys when things got tough. We responded and took control when the game was in the balance and showed a lot of heart until the end. This was something a lot of guys told me has been lacking the past few years; glad to see things are changing for the better. The attitudes are there and our guys clearly committed to improving their game.

Hats off to the Demons (who, with the Tigers, have routinely been the dominant teams in this league for the past few years), they played a great game. Their QB, a young man from Sweden who I caught up with after the game, was a pretty good ball player and has done some coaching in the States. His top highlight of the day was, oddly enough, NOT a seventy-yard TD run, but rather proposing to his girlfriend (the team's medic) right before kickoff. She said yes, which then prompted both sidelines and the hundred or so fans in attendance to cheer with uproarious approval. A surprising moment for all, but just par for the course (or, in the case, gridiron) though, when you're talkin' football in DK. Good win today, see you all soon.