Highland Wildcats lose the Monkey

Edinburgh Wolves @ Highland Wildcats 25^th April 2010

The Highland Wildcats played the first game of the season on Sunday, when they hosted the Edinburgh Wolves.

The Wildcats in their second season of adult contact American football were the underdogs for the fixture, having lost every game in their first season. The Wildcats won the toss and elected to receive the ball. 

The first half was dominated by the Defensive teams from both sides, with the first points coming from Wolves when a good punt from inside their half found its way to the Wildcats three yard line. 

On trying to gain yards out of the Red-Zone Scott Milligan was forced to receive the ball inside his own End Zone where he was duly tackled by the Wolves Defence for a two point safety.  The Highlanders yet again found themselves behind in a game, but the spirit in this year’s team was to prove fundamental in the fight back. 

In the second quarter, QB Kenny Mackay rolled round the left hand side of the line to find his way in to the Wolves End Zone and Martin Devlin gained the extra point.  HT 7-2 

The third quarter got under way and it wasn’t long before the Wolves had a Touchdown of their own on the score sheet, coming from ex-Wildcat Stuart Harrison. 

The Wolves attempted to run the ball home for the extra points but were stopped short and it was game on with the visitors leading by one point.

The Wildcats then drove up the field with successive drives to the Wolves twenty-one yard line, from there QB Kenny Mackay, found Scott Milligan in the End Zone who repaid his team by gaining six points for his side, the snap was bad and the Wildcats were unable to gain a valuable extra point conversion however the Wildcats were now ahead by five points.  The Wolves then scored with a Touchdown pass to, yet again, Stuart Harrison and again they missed the extra point.

Late in the fourth quarter with time running out for both teams Billy Mill from the Wildcat Defence intercepted the ball in the Wolves half, trailing again by the one point, all that was required from the Wildcats was a field goal to retake the lead, however, QB Kenny Mackay had different ideas and ran the ball through the Wolves Defence into the End Zone and Martin Devlin gained the extra point, stretching the lead to six points.  

With 1 minute and 22 seconds on the clock, the Wolves were on the offensive and gaining yards up the park when Norbert Ferenc of the Wildcats Defence forced a fumble and the ball was recovered by Lewis MacDonald, the fifth fumble recovery of the game, giving the Highland Wildcats their first ever win in the senior league.  

FT Highland Wildcats 20 Edinburgh Wolves 14.

After the game Head Coach Brian MacRae said “What a day for all the players, they have worked so hard in pre-season and it was the great team spirit and hard work that paid off.  We had never won at senior level before and to get that monkey off our back is a big relief to everyone at the club.  We hope to go from here and win more games starting with the Wolves away in two weeks time.”