With stormy San Diego skies looming overhead, the Stallions looked to redeem themselves from a disappointing loss two weeks prior and steal the proverbial thunder from the reigning SWFL champions San Diego Thunder. Unfortunately, the young Stallions squad was unable to do so falling to the perennial Champs 35-0 in hard fought contest.

The San Diego based battle at the historic Balboa Stadium opened with a kick off return that provided the Thunder with advantageous field position in Stallions territory. While the Stallions run defense was customarily unyielding, the Thunder were able to capitalize through the air; capping the drive with a touchdown and a 7-0 lead. The ensuing Stallions offensive attack was short lived, shunted by the Thunder’s defensive assault. The Thunder tacked on an additional 14 fourteen points that came by way of Stallions offensive miscues that provided the Thunder a short field to work with in each of the following two scoring drives. The Champion’s field general, Jason Jones, did not do his job unscathed though; linebacker Andre Hicks and cornerback Keith Brown sought and exercised the opportunity to deliver turf tasting blows on two occasions to the quarterback before the half broke. At the close of the first quarter, and first half, the Thunder led by 21.

The developing Stallions team showed growth though. The expected adversity resulting from a 21 point deficit did not rattle the spirit of the Stallions as they took the field in the second half with the vigor of their namesake. The Stallions offense showed flashes of their potency with determined rushes by Nahoonian Douglas behind an undaunted Offensive Line. Your Stallions managed their way into their opponents red zone on a few occasions only to be denied by the steadfast Thunder defense. The Stallions defense maintained their menacing presence with a tough run defense and a score stopping interception by cornerback Derrian Luckett; however, poor field position and the incidental, yet costly mental error resulted in 14 points in favor of the Thunder.

While the outcome of this game did not differ much from that of the pre-season contest, it is readily apparent that the Stallions have made significant steps to becoming a much better team. However, they will have to do much better in order to challenge the Thunder for their supremacy in San Diego and, for that matter, the SWFL.

- John Pecoraro

“We must learn how to lose before we [know] how to win” an emotional statement made by Defensive Coach Winston Martin following the Stallions first defeat of the regular season. This is a message that should resonate with every member of the first year San Diego organization as this week’s showing did not typify that of the team that overcame so many obstacles to be victorious the week before.

The Stallions battled the tough Central Coast Grizzlies only to fall to the Atascadero based squad 26-8. The Grizzlies were quick to score on an opening drive resulting in a touchdown reception succeeded by a two point conversion. San Diego answered on a subsequent drive led by quarterback Michael Shea with a key, touch pass to tight end Ryan Mello, bringing the score to 8-6. The Stallions defense stiffened, shutting down the Grizzlies highly revered rushing attack, limiting Central Coast to its passing game and their resourceful quarterback who found gratuitous opportunities to expose the San Diego defense on a couple of third and long situations. The Grizzlies QB did not do his job unpestered though; defensive end William White and linebacker Walter “Wiz” Fuller often penetrated the Central Coast protective unit to hurry passes or familiarize the signal caller with the San Diego turf. At the half, the Grizzlies led by 14-6.

The second half opened with a Stallions kickoff return that resulted in a fumble; a mishap that carried the Central Coast momentum into the second half. While the San Diego offense struggled to find its groove, the Grizzlies capitalized on every Stallion’s inaccuracy. A half marred by turnovers, penalties, and mental errors contributed to an additional twelve points to the Central Coast lead. Nonetheless, the period did not go without some San Diego highlights; cornerback Derrian Luckett returned a failed Grizzlies two point conversion to the opposite end zone for two points.

At the final whistle, the score and the game belonged to the Grizzlies. The Stallions look to redeem themselves next weekend when they take on the Las Vegas Cobras at Montgomery High School in San Diego.

- John Pecoraro

“Power…”, as defined in Ralph Sawyer’s interpretation of Sun-Tzu’s The Art of War, “refers to army’s overall capability in all aspects – including endurance, spirit, discipline, equipment, command, and physical condition – rather than the strength of numbers alone.” Perhaps this passage is most appropriate when recounting the San Diego Stallions victory against the Yuma Blitz at their home field.

The day began in a most inauspicious manner with faltering transportation and a relatively flat San Diego first quarter performance on both sides of the ball. The early, yet brief malaise of the Stallions may have been attributable to the four hour ride to Yuma, Arizona where the mercury pushed past 115 degrees at 6:00pm or the late arrival of a key member of the squad. However, your Stallions were quick to recover under the commandership of Head Coach Darris George, who spent the better portion of the day coaching our future football stars of the Clairemont Hawks.

San Diego was first on the scoreboard with a punt return for a touchdown by the ever elusive, always astonishing Brandon Newman (2 punt returns for 2 touchdowns, 189 all-purpose yards). The 6–0 lead did not last as the Blitz answered on a subsequent drive that ended in a touchdown, resulting in a first quarter score of 7-6. George, upon his delayed arrival, wasted no time in estimating his foe and made the required adjustments to get the potent Stallions offense on track. With a bevy of weapons at his disposal, George devised a balanced San Diego offensive attack of runs and passes that proved by games end to enervate the Blitz defense. Quarterback Michael Shea (5 for 9, 97 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions for a NFL passer rating of 93.3), despite a pair of early miscues, demonstrated his resilience with a strong performance throughout the remainder of the game. Innovative play calling and flawless execution capped the first half when Shea cast a decisive, tight rope screen pass to wide receiver Billy Washington. Washington and running back Nahoonian Douglas (7 rushes for 50 yards and 1 touchdown, 2 receptions for 59 yards and 1 touchdown) then conspired on a gadget play that produced a touchdown in the waning seconds of the period, posting a 19-7 Stallions lead at halftime. In addition to the aforementioned standouts, fullback John Hampton and running back Robert Washington (1 touchdown) battered the Blitz defense with unrelenting rushes behind a perpetually improving Offensive Line. In all, the offense and special teams unit combined for 46 points against a determined Blitz squad.

When the offense was not on the field carrying out its assault, the San Diego defensive unit, after gathering itself following the initial Blitz score, assumed its normal sturdy posture and punished its opponent. However, this contest from the defensive perspective was one of missed opportunities - some squandered and some stolen. The Stallions secondary amassed three interceptions on the evening; however, this number should have been six or seven if not for what were clearly drops and one very debatable call. Keith Brown (5 tackles, 1 interception), Dominique Williams (5 tackles), and Andre Hicks (6 tackles, 1 fumble recovery) were each denied by questionable officiating when making opportunistic plays that would have resulted in two defensive touchdowns and one thwarted Blitz scoring drive. David Rainey and Todd Lawson contributed to the defensive onslaught with one interception each and returns of 55 and 30 yards respectively. Linebacker Brandon Scales (4 tackles), whose three sacks against the Rams two weeks ago were mistakenly omitted from the last game recap, had another strong performance, filling gaps and providing suffocating pass coverage. Earl “Da Hit Man” Guerrero, with 7 tackles on the day, picked up where he left off and guided the San Diego defense at middle linebacker with devastating hits and mistake free football. Of course, all of the above was done behind a nasty Stallions Defensive Line led by Robert Brown and Marcel Sloan.

The collective effort of every Stallions player culminated in a dominating victory with a final score of 46-13. Reflecting on the passage quoted at the beginning of this editorial, the Stallions possessed the “Power” to address every challenge that they faced on this day; discipline and spirit to overcome some early adversity, the command and equipment to quickly adjust to its opponent, and the endurance and physical condition to prevail in an unfamiliar, disadvantageous environment. Advancing to a 2-0 mark in their debut season with two lopsided conquests, outscoring their opponents 112-19, it is easy to proclaim that this is a team that is growing and improving with every snap of the ball.

- John Pecoraro

Your San Diego Stallions launched their opening season with a dominating 66-6 victory against the West Coast Rams. It goes without doubt that the challenging pre-season schedule that included opposition from the region’s premier squads paid dividends when considering the results of this contest.

The Stallions wasted no time putting digits on the score board with an opening kickoff return for a touchdown by the slashing running back Joseph “Jojo” Johnson. The Stallions defense, orchestrated by Defensive Coordinator Winston Martin, carried the momentum set by the special teams unit with a literal “shut down” attack that harassed the Ram’s offense throughout the entire game. Leading the defensive onslaught were linebackers Walter “Wiz” Fuller and Earl “Da Hit Man” Guerrero, who each wrapped up the day with three sacks and multiple drive stopping tackles. Fuller and Guerrero were accompanied by a nasty arsenal of defensive weapons such as Robert Brown (two sacks), Emmet Allen (one sack), and Andre Hicks (two interceptions).

While the defense hammered the Rams into submission, the Stallions offense offered its own brand of punishment. With a pinpoint accurate passing game, quarterback Michael Shea completed five of eight passes attempted for 135 yards with two touchdowns for a near perfect NFL quarterback rating of 145.8. Leading the receiving corp, the elusive Brandon Newman collected two receptions for 62 yards that resulted in two touchdowns. Newman also returned a punt for 45 yards and a touchdown. When Shea did not drop back to pass, the Stallions rushing game, averaging 9.7 yards per attempt, ground the Rams defense for 155 yards and six touchdowns. Each of the seven Stallions ball carriers averaged a minimum of seven yards per attempt, exemplifying the effectiveness of the San Diego Offensive Line.

Lastly, and most important, our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Dwayne Adams. Dwayne’s mother recently suffered a stroke and is working her way to better health. The Stallions dedicate this victory to Dwayne’s mother and to her full recovery.

- John Pecoraro

The Stallions have played one of the most grueling pre-season of any team this year but definitely preparing themselves for the long run of the regular season having played both the LCFL and SWFL defending champions as well as 2 LCFL playoff contenders for 2008.

Your Stallions continued their preseason journey with a trip to Inglewood, California to battle the esteemed Inglewood Blackhawks in a tough fought 24-6 defeat to the Los Angeles based team. The Blackhawks, of the LaBelle Community Football League (“LCFL”), finished first in their league and fifth in the nation in 2006. Coming into this season, the Blackhawks are considered to be the team to beat and the unit every organization in the west seeks to knock off of their lofty perch. It is no stretch to state that the Stallions have challenged the premier teams in this region in their first few contests as a team.

The first half began with two defensive units that refused to give up yards to the opposing offensive units. The Blackhawks started the half only to be shut down, on two consecutive drives, by the highly active Stallions’ defense, orchestrated by Defensive Coordinator Winston Martin, led by defensive linemen Robert Brown and Brandon Scales and defensive backs Keith “Louisiana” Brown and David Rainey. On subsequent possessions, the Stallions’ offense found opportunities to drive down the field with its pounding running game comprised of a platoon of determined ball carriers, most notably Douglas Nahoonian, who finished the day with 19 carries for 90 yards and an impressive 4.7 yards per touch. As with the first two games of this young season the Stallions found themselves in the opponent’s red zone multiple times unable to finish what they had started; unable to put points on the board. At the conclusion of the first half, the Stallions held the highly regarded Blackhawks to a mere 10-0 margin.

At the commencement of the second half, an invigorated Stallions team took the field at Caroline Coleman Stadium with the realization that they had limited the defending league champions to a handful of points despite a number of Stallions’ missteps. Consistent with the first half, both units played hard football with grinding rushes and crushing hits. The Stallions opened up its offensive play book with an air attack that included all members of its offensive cache; complementing the ground assault that wore down the Inglewood defense in the first half. Brandon “Sir Slash” Newman rotated between half back, wide receiver, quarterback, and kick returner, combining for 293 all-purpose yards. Brandon rushed eight times for 95 yards (a gaudy 11.9 yards per attempt), hauled in six passes for 53 yards, and completed four of four passes for 35 yards with one touchdown to the Stallions’ bruising tightend/fullback Andrew Ellison. In addition, Newman gashed the Inglewood special teams unit for 110 yards. On crucial Stallions’ errors, the Blackhawk’s offense added 14 to their lead, culminating in a 24-6 final score in favor of the home team.

At the final whistle, the Stallions generated 379 yards of total offense against a sturdy Blackhawks defense and held the defending LCFL champions to 24 points. Considering the opponent, this was a significant advancement for the developing San Diego team. While certain individuals were acknowledged in the recap, it cannot be emphasized enough how much every member of this unit contributed to the positive aspects of this game. In this case, it is true that the sum-of-the-parts are indeed greater than the whole.

- John Pecoraro

The Stallions traveled to Van Nuys, California to go head-to-head with the Valley Trojans of the highly regarded LCFL. As with the Stallions first contest against the defending SWFL champions, San Diego Thunder, this bout ended with a heart-breaking 27-12 loss for the young San Diego squad. Much like the first game of this preseason, the outcome was largely determined by mistakes made by the Stallions in crucial situations.

The first half began with two quick scores by the Trojans offense that resulted in a 13-0 Valley lead. In true, undaunted Stallions character, the offense took charge behind field General Michael Shea with a tight rope pass to the Stallions’ bruising tightend Ryan Mello (4 receptions for 75 yards on the day), placing the ball within a handful of yards of the Trojans end zone. After a series of grinding rushing calls by Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator Darris George, Shea put a wrap on the effort with a touch pass to Mello for a Stallion touchdown, closing the half with a score of 20-6. The Stallions had penetrated the Trojans’ red zone on two drives only to squander those threats with turnovers and mental errors. As always, the malevolent San Diego defense pestered the Trojans offensive group with solid hits and tight coverage – but this was only the beginning of this unit’s game…

This indeed was a tale of two halves and perhaps two games. The Stallions galloped onto the field in the second half with the energy of a group that could play four more quarters of old-school, smash-mouth football; this was a half dominated by the San Diego defensive unit. With a full stable of all of its football thoroughbreds, the Stallions front line, led by Robert Brown and Marcel Sloan, provided linebackers Earl “Da Hit Man” Guerrero, Stephen Jackson, Andre Hicks, and Walter “Wiz” Fuller the opportunity to punish the Trojans’ playmakers. Wiz (who did not get on the field until the third quarter), introduced the Trojans quarterback to the home field turf on two occasions – living true to his word and making drive killing plays. Guerrero, Jackson, and Hicks followed through and stuffed any holes the Trojans front line thought they might have opened. In the secondary, Keith Brown played a key role in shutting down the Valley passing game as a cornerback and safety. Unfortunately, football is a game of individual plays and Valley was able to execute one offensive play late in the half that resulted in a significant gain on the ground; setting the LCFL team up for their final, game-sealing score. While this half belonged to the San Diego defense, it should not be ignored that the Stallions rushing game wore on the Trojans defense with fullback Darrius Alexander dealing devastating blows with each run. Nahoonian Douglas and Robert Washington dashed the Trojans for 80 yards on 24 carries and 11 yards on 3 carries respectively.

At the final whistle, Shea completed 11 passes of 16 attempts (69% completion percentage, 82 NFL passer rating) for 107 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Brandon “Slash” Newman, wide receiver and quarterback, rushed for 48 yards on seven carries and a second half touchdown keeping the Valley defense off balance.

True to the heart of a Stallion, yours of San Diego showed no quit, no matter what the situation or score. This is a group that is on the rise and poised for success in the season to come.

Once again, the Stallions would like to extend their thanks to the entire Valley organization for their hospitality and professionalism.

- John Pecoraro

I want to stress to all of you as players that the meeting on Saturday went very well. It was great to meet all the players and new ones as well. With the new players that have joined our team we welcome you and what you will bring to our organization.

- Coach/Owner
Ray and Mary

The San Diego Stallions kicked off their inaugural season with a disappointing 39-0 pre-season loss to the defending SWFL champions San Diego Thunder at Balboa Stadium. This contest was not won by the Thunder in an easy manner as the Stallions stampede was marred by errors that provided their opponent multiple opportunities to score on a short field.

Through the first half, the Stallions defense held steadfast to limit the Thunder to a 13-0 lead. The linebacker corp, led by Earl “the hit man” Guerrero, stymied the Thunder rushing game limiting the champions to a handful of yards gained on the ground. Linebackers Stephen Jackson and Walter “Wiz” Fuller secured the perimeters making any gain near the line of scrimmage, whether through the air or on the ground, hard earned. The Stallion offense showed glimpses of what its arsenal is capable of behind the leadership of quarterback Michael Shea. Fullback Andrew Ellison battered the Thunder front seven with grinding rushes between the tackles, showing the Stallions gritty commitment to the ground game. At times, the Stallions offense moved the ball seemingly at will; however, all too often these drives were thwarted by turnovers or miscues.

The second half of this exhibition contest displayed an established, veteran Thunder team that began to find its groove; executing offensively and capitalizing on the Stallions’ mistakes. Despite the Thunder’s ability to stretch their lead to 39-0 by the end of the game, neither of the Stallions units reflected the score in their play. The offense, while rotating in players from its second and third teams, continued to find ways to move the ball against a stout Thunder defense. As with the offense, the defense continued to play with conviction with its menacing presence; making hard hits and forcing turnovers.

For those that were in attendance, one thing is clear when reflecting upon the performance of both of these teams – San Diego is determined to retain the title. Based on these teams’ play, the title game may very well come down to a rematch between these two units. Stay tuned San Diego; this will be an exciting football season with two very hungry teams…