OUTLAWS RIDING HIGH AFTER DOWNING COWBOYS

By Paradis Jolie Fejerang

The Metgot and Matua Faha Outlaws are riding high after their second week of games for the 2024 GNYFF season against their fellow southside Cowboy competitors.

The scorching Eagles Field hosted the Manha Division first for a Southern Cowboy 62-45 win. As the rain came in and the heat rose, the Outlaws’ Metgot and Matua Divisions stepped onto the field, sure that they would be making their crowd proud as they stayed victorious for two entertaining games to end the day. The Outlaws’ Metgot star Nekhi Freeman led his team to their 43-26 division win followed by last week’s Matua standouts Kaizayuh Flores and Ervin Torres taking their loss by two against the Angels and turning it into a win over the Cowboys with a final score of 12-8.

Metgot

Within the first few plays of the game, Cowboy Makoa Aguigui had all eyes on him as he received the ball and made a run for it. His impressive shiftiness seemed to have the Outlaw defense stumped as he made it past multiple attempted blocks starting near the half and making it as far as he could before Freeman was waiting for him ahead of the less than 10 yards from the endzone and taking the ball right out from Aguigui’s hands and completely turning the tide at the start of the game as he ran down the right side and scoring the first touchdown of the day for the Metgot division.

After some time to get his head back in the game, Aguigui got back up and proved to the Outlaws that the Cowboy offense has some impressive athletes to look out for as well. Despite their loss, it became clear that the Cowboys were not letting the Outlaws have an easy win. With a team of bigger linemen and a swift group of athletes accompanying Aguigui on offense, the Cowboys were near closing the gap throughout the entirety of the game.

Up until the last few plays, even the Outlaws crowd were fearful that the Cowboys were completely capable of evening the score and tearing down the joyous cheers that they had been  building up. Nevertheless, the Outlaws remained ahead and secured their second win of the season.

Freeman started the season as a name to watch as an 11-year-old who has proven to be nearly untouchable on the field. Currently leading the league with a total of nine touchdowns in two games, five from this past week, the Outlaws are capitalizing on the speed of their running back for majority of the plays ran throughout the game.

The Cowboy defense was strong in the center, but had a hard time adjusting once Freeman found his way to the outside. Regardless of where the starting lineup was, Freeman was going to make it to the other end if he spotted a pocket away from the center and proving as much with many of his runs starting from past the 50 yard line.

Metgot coach for the Outlaws, Dwayne Duenas, is proud of where his team is going and confident that they can keep themselves ahead for the season.

“We’re getting better every day and every week we practice,” Duenas shares as he continues with a highlight on their Player of the Game. “We’re reminded that this is a team sport, but [Freeman] is definitely a key part of that system. As long as the kids keep striving towards the same goals and objectives, we’ll be fine.”

Freeman steps in to admit that he and the team were nervous to face a team with players bigger than theirs, but is feeling great about what he was able to accomplish with high hopes for the future.

Matua

A much closer game than their Metgot peers, the Matua teams showed their athletic growth in harder tackles and more strategic plays on the field. The game was hard fought with it being a fair back and forth between two strong southern teams. Though less exciting runs took place, much more intriguing gameplay took place for the older athletes. 

The 14-year-old duo from Outlaws, Kaizayuh Flores and Ervin Torres, were standouts for the Matua game as they led the near-win for the Outlaws. Flores displayed his domineering nature and the importance of leadership and trust in his teammates throughout the game. Where Flores is one that the Cowboys are keen to keep their eyes on, he is smart to step down and allow for his fellow athletes to have their time to shine and get the focus off of him until he finds an opportunity to take charge of a play again. 

For the final plays of the game, Flores states that he recognized that Torres was still at the height of his game and hungry for the ball. Keeping that in mind, Flores spoke to his coaches for the upcoming strategies to keep Torres moving the ball forward until time ran out and the Outlaws were able to prove themselves after their 2-point loss against the Angels last week.

After last week’s defeat, Flores felt the negative weights lifted off his shoulders and finally awake for the season. “We needed this win,” Flores is glad to admit. “[Today’s win] makes us feel like the work we’re putting in is actually paying off.”

With more to prove, Flores and Torres are going to go back into practices hungry to win and ready to improve themselves for next week. Torres plans on taking their upcoming one game at a time while Flores is keeping his focus on staying composed and staying ready.

WEEK 2 RESULTS

Manha

Eagles 30, Packers 19

Broncos 24, Steelers 13

Raiders 32, Crusaders 7

Cowboys 62, Outlaws 45

Metgot

Eagles 39, Packers 12

Steelers 26, Broncos 12

Raiders 33, Crusaders 0

Outlaws 43, Cowboys 26

Matua

Packers 22, Eagles 0

Broncos 13, Steelers 13

Raiders 29, Crusaders 0

Outlaws 12, Cowboys 8

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