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- Stand In Quarterback Ends Two Year Retirement To Lead South Wales Warriors To First Divisional Title In Years
American Football BAFA Southern Conference Division Two West
By Twm Owen
South Wales Warriors 42, Torbay Trojans 0
David Pruett thought he’d played his last game of American Football two years ago but an unexpected turn of events on Sunday saw him lead the South Wales Warriors to their first divisional title since 2007.
The officially retired quarterback, and one-time head coach of the Llanharan-based side, was on the sideline, without having even put on his shoulder pads, just in case he should be needed in the crunch clash with the Torbay Trojans to decide the winner of the British American Football League (BAFA) Division Two South West.
Capturing the South West title, with a game to spare, is a remarkable turnaround for the unbeaten Warriors who 12 months ago were relegated from Division One, having asked to drop out of the Premiership after the 2016 season, without recording a single victory.
The emergency call for Pruett came midway in the second quarter at the Dairy Field when starting QB Dean Jackson limped out after injuring his knee while adding the two-point conversion to Warren Coombes’ 70-yard punt return that had put the home side two touchdowns ahead following a nervy opening quarter.
The 35-year-old hadn’t anticipated playing but Frenchman Max Ayoul, who had been sharing QB duties with Jackson, has moved to Doncaster for work reasons meaning a slight knock to Jackson’s knee would lead to an unlikely comeback.
“I retired two years ago, next week, and the last time I played was in the Premiership,” said Pruett a product manager by day.
“I was asked to come back to call plays but as the back-up QB had moved with his job I was asked to register and I said I would play in an emergency. Dean hurt his knee and I still have to go home and tell my wife I played, she won’t be happy.”
Attempting to convert Coombes’ score Jackson showed his wits to pick up the ball that had fallen to the floor from a poor snap. Surrounded by Trojans he under arm bowled the pigskin to Michael Hiles to put the hosts 14-0 up but took a bump to his knee.
Neither offense had made an impression in the first 15 minutes with two Warriors drives stalling inside the Trojans 20-yard line before Daniel Dacey returned an interception 25-yards to break the deadlock on the first play of the second quarter.
Jackson remained in the game for one further possession but the Warriors, missing injured running back Josh Hughes, again stalled in the red zone. Torbay couldn’t move the ball forward and found themselves a further two points down when the ball sailed past their punter and out of the end zone for a safety on fourth down.
Pruett then entered the game and on just his third attempt floated a pass to receiver Mick Duncan who outjumped a Trojan defender to collect and run in to complete a 42-yard score.
The emergency quarterback would throw a further two touchdown passes in a commanding performance. The southpaw found Irishman Duncan, who had played with the veteran in 2016 before returning to the South Dublin Panthers in 2017, for a six-yard TD pass in the third quarter and completed his hat-trick when he hit receiver Max McNeill-Smith on the same slant route in the fourth quarter.
Pruett, who took charge of the Warriors for their torrid 2015 season when they lost all 10 games in the Premiership and had been a backup to Jackson in his final season in 2016 which ended with a voluntary relegation from the top flight, had come back to lend his offensive brain to the Warriors.
That he should be able to make a significant cameo in the game which has secured the Warriors a divisional title in what is shaping up to be the club’s best season since winning the Division Two Britbowl championship, as a wildcard, in 2011 is just reward for a loyal servant.
Plaudits however should go to the team insisted Pruett: “It’s been a tough few years, we lost a few older players who competed at the top-level but it’s good to see the hard work we’ve put in translating into results.
“From my perspective the club has always been forward thinking and when we stepped out of the Premiership it was what the club needed. We have this young team and it’s really good for me to step in and see their desire, will and belief is still there and to see the results the team deserves starting to come through.”
The defense, which is ranked at number one across all of Division Two, stood up to the Trojans tough, run first attack, which afforded the Warriors offense time to settle into the game even if Pruett’s own introduction was at short notice. As well as Dacey’s pick six the D also added a further two-point safety at the start of the third quarter.
“The defense got an early score and it was good to see them get rewards,” said Pruett who threw three-touchdowns and one interception and showed a turn of speed with a lengthy run to gain a first down.
“Mentally it came quite easy, standing in there and seeing what’s going on, it’s only the old body. One play I had to go for a little jog, I will feel that in the morning.”
After Pruett had completed his shift, with the Warriors 36-0 up, rookie QB William Kay, who has been playing for the University of the West of England’s Bristol Bullets, made his debut and added a sixth and final touchdown, from a yard out, with some tough running.
Warriors head coach Geraint Roberts, who took over when Pruett stepped down in 2015, praised his predecessor’s on field contribution: “Dave is experienced and I always say about Dave, nobody knows football as much as Dave in south Wales. He can read a game and we knew he could handle it.”
Roberts said both teams had been “checking each other out” in the first quarter but was pleased how his side had taken control against tough opponents they had squeezed passed in their 6-14 victory in Devon a fortnight ago to emphatically claim the south west title with a game still to play.
Trojans assistant head coach Ian Woodason congratulated the Warriors and said finishing second to the Welshmen, the only team to have beaten them this year, was a big achievement for a side that only reformed in 2012 after disbanding in the 1990s.
“The Warriors are a fantastic team, the best we’ve played no doubt about that but where they’ve dropped down two divisions in two years we’ve come from associate status and two years ago we only won one game, last year we won three and this year we’re a play-off team,” said Woodason a veteran of the club’s early years in the 80s when they enjoyed a rivalry with the Cardiff Tigers.
“They were always very tough games, and it was a nice rivalry to have with Cardiff. We had a game against them, at Brixham, in 1986 that was covered by the television.”
The Trojans travel plans were disrupted midweek when their coach travel was cancelled and the players had to make the long drive from the far south west in cars but Wrexham born full back Nick Collins said the visitors had no complaints: “South Wales are a very good team, the best I’ve played since starting with Torbay.”
