Ryukyu University Stingray running back Tetsuo Goya (88) gets wrapped up by Foster-Futenma Bulldogs defender Mark Scheffer during Sunday's Okinawa Football League game. The Bulldogs amassed nine touchdowns and 591 yards on offense and held the Stingray to 33 yards and one first down in a 64-0 rout, three days after being forced to forfeit their five victories for having used an ineligible player. (Dave Ornauer / S&S)
CAMP COURTNEY, Okinawa — You couldn’t tell by Foster-Futenma’s play Sunday that the Bulldogs were forced to forfeit all five of their victories three days earlier.
“Nothing’s changed,” said running back Warner Murphy, who ran seven times for 145 yards and three touchdowns as the Bulldogs rebounded by routing Ryukyu University 64-0 at Courtney Bowl.
Almost as if they were oblivious to the controversy surrounding them, the Bulldogs played like a model of efficiency, rolling up 591 yards of total offense and nine touchdowns, while forcing two turnovers and holding the Stingray to 33 yards of offense and one first down.
Further, they racked up those statistics after the Marine Corps Community Services Semper Fit Athletics, which oversees the Okinawa Football League, on Wednesday directed the Bulldogs to vacate their five victories for having used an ineligible player. The team has appealed the ruling through Camp Foster’s command.
“No matter what the situation, we play like the Bulldogs come to play,” Warner said. “The morale we have is like family. This team is a family.”
Meanwhile, the Kadena Dragons stayed on course for an unbeaten season by drilling the Kinser Knights 52-0 in Sunday’s evening contest. League-leading Kadena plays Foster-Futenma on Saturday.
The Bulldogs were rumored to have been considering not playing their last two scheduled games, but decided to play on while appealing the MCCS ruling.
Murphy had touchdown runs of 30, 46 and 48 yards — TD dashes enabled by an offense that displayed an array of formations Sunday, including what the team called “The Box,” a four-back set, resembling the old-school single-wing formation.
Mark Scheffer added a 46-yard TD scamper and Chris McDougal tacked on a 25-yard scoring run.
Meanwhile, quarterback Gabriel Bolden and wideout Kevin Healy carved up the Stingray secondary.
Bolden went 10-for-22 for 263 yards and three scores and caught a 28-yard TD pass from McDougal.
Kadena 52, Kinser 0
Trent Beavers ran for three touchdowns and Sam Wicks caught a pair of TD passes as the league-leading Dragons (7-0) sealed the top seed in the playoffs and beat the Knights (4-3) for the second time this season, by a combined 88-2 margin.
Beavers finished with 128 yards on 22 carries. P.J. Robinson was just 4-for-13, with all four completions to Wicks for 84 yards. Branden McMorris added a 6-yard TD run for Kadena, which outgained Kinser 269 to minus-17.
Brandon Chatman recovered a fumble and returns an interception 18 yards for a touchdown, while Lewis Sellers also picked off a pass and recorded a safety to pace a Dragons defense that forced six turnovers.
Okinawa Football League
(listed in order of playoff tiebreaker seeding)
W L Pct. PF PA
y-Kadena 7 0 1.000 324 39
y-Kinser 4 3 .571 110 102
y-Schwab 4 3 .571 107 129
y-Courtney-Hansen 4 3 .571 75 141
x-Foster-Futenma 1 6 .143 64 6
Ryukyu University 1 6 .143 1 255
x-forfeited five victories and six total games for using ineligible player.
y-clinched playoff berths.
Sunday, Nov. 21
Foster-Futenma 64, Ryukyu University 0
Kadena 52, Kinser 0
Saturday, Nov. 27
Foster-Futenma vs. Kadena at Courtney Bowl, Camp Courtney, 1 p.m.
Kinser vs. Schwab at Courtney Bowl, Camp Courtney, 5 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 28
Courtney-Hansen vs. Ryukyu University at Courtney Bowl, Camp Courtney, 1 p.m.
End regular season
Postseason
Semifinals
Saturday, Dec. 4
Fourth-place team vs. Kadena at Courtney Bowl, Camp Courtney, 1 p.m.
Third-place team vs. second-place team at Courtney Bowl, Camp Courtney, 5 p.m.
Championship
Saturday, Dec. 11
Semifinal winners at Mike Petty Stadium, Kubasaki High School, Camp Foster, 6 p.m.
