Yokota Warriors running back Terrence Nash (12) rounds left end on a sweep against the Misawa Jets during Saturday's U.S. Forces Japan-American Football League season-opening game. Yokota beat Misawa 16-6. (Dave Ornauer / S&S)
Yokota Warriors running back Terrence Nash (12) rounds left end on a sweep against the Misawa Jets during Saturday's U.S. Forces Japan-American Football League season-opening game. Yokota beat Misawa 16-6. (Dave Ornauer / S&S)
Misawa Jets running back Jamey Crawford is brought down by Yokota Warriors linebacker Deon Williams (57) during Saturday's game. (Dave Ornauer / S&S)
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan — Brandon Durden has seen plenty of faces come and go during his three years in a Yokota football uniform. But one thing, the linebacker says, has not changed — the Warriors’ attitude when they take the field.
“Smashmouth offense and hard-nosed defense. We want to continue that tradition,” said Durden, who recorded two sacks and forced one of four turnovers as Yokota opened the U.S. Forces Japan-American Football League season by beating Misawa 16-6 on Saturday. “The personnel may change, but the mind-set will always be the same.”
“He’s one of our major leaders on the team,” Yokota defensive coordinator Alan Morton said. “His is a quiet leadership. He’s not above anything. He has that hunger and he just lets it all out on the field.”
The victory mirrored Yokota’s 8-6 season-opening victory last season at Misawa, and avenged a 13-0 semifinal playoff loss at Misawa last Sept. 2. It also ruined Misawa’s celebration of becoming a base-sponsored team, and being renamed the Jets, the base’s official mascot, from the Marauders nickname they had since 1997.
Despite being outgained 161-91, the Warriors’ offense did just enough to put points on the board, helped by three Jets punt-team gaffes.
“The punting game killed us,” Jets coach Dwight Abel said of three low snaps by center Michael Phillips to punter Richard Keane, one of which set up a touchdown and one accounting for a safety. That, plus a knee injury to quarterback Fred Ellis, “put us in a hole,” Abel said.
The first low snap went for a 16-yard loss and set up Yokota fullback John Barnes’ 3-yard scoring run; he also ran in the two-point conversion. On Yokota’s next possession. Terrence Nash ran three times for 34 yards, including a 2-yard TD burst early in the second quarter.
“The gameplan was to play smashmouth football until they (Jets) stopped it,” Morton said.
“Barnes is tough, strong. He’s one of our older veterans, He loves the game, he has a strong work ethic and he gives it all he has.”
Nash had just returned from a temporary assignment, and had not even carried the ball in practice before Saturday, when he led Yokota with 44 yards on 13 carries. “This was his coming out, and he did a fine job,” Morton said.
Ellis rallied the Jets, tossing a 21-yard TD pass to Quinton Gray, but it was as close as Misawa would get. The third low snap was fielded by Keane on one knee in the end zone, and he was ruled down for a safety with 4:58 left.
The Jets had two last gasps, but Durden’s fumble recovery and Mardie Wilson’s interception with only seconds remaining killed those opportunities. Dan Silverly also recovered a fumble.
Jamey Crawford, the 2005 league MVP and last season’s Offensive Player of the Year, led all backs with 91 yards on 22 carries, but failed to reach the end zone. Ellis was 4-for-7 for 57 yards before leaving in the third quarter. Misawa forced two turnovers.
“I have to give credit to Yokota. They brought it,” Abel said. “We knew they would; they did the same thing to us last year. We have some holes to fix. Our defense stepped up in the second half. We’ll be OK.”
