Cambridge University Pythons vs. OBU Panthers Programme 2014/15

SEASON OPENER

2014

Coldham’s Common

KO 13:00

Sunday 16th November

Cambridge Pythons Vs. Oxford Brookes Panthers

Vs. info@pythons.org.uk

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CREDITS EDITOR

Steve Guy

ASSISTANT EDITORS

Tom Carr, Martin Steers, Jack Tavener

PHOTOGRAPHY

Rob Guy, Garry Neesam, Chris Moore, Jack Tavener

DESIGN

Tom Carr & Jack Tavener

info@pythons.org.uk

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CAMBRIDGE PYTHONS SEASON 2014/15 With the support of

Welcome O

from the President

n behalf of our Club, welcome to Cambridge University Pythons American Football! Today sees much that is new – a new season, new players, new uniforms, a new opponent in the Oxford Brookes Panthers and even my new role as President!

This is the start of the 2014/15 campaign and what our veterans and rookies are most excited about, converting our hard work in pre-season into a successful record in the league and winning Varsity. This is intensified by the fact that this fixture is a step into the unknown for the Pythons, having never previously played Oxford Brookes.

A well established team, OBU join our conference as part of a comprehensive restructure of the league which also sees our eternal rivals Oxford University play us in the regular season later this month. This will also be our Varsity Match, hosted for the first time at the CURUFC Grange Road ground in the centre of Cambridge. Last season was our most successful since the team reformed and we aim to generate further sustained success.

As is the nature of university football, the end of each season sees many players graduating and new potential recruits arriving. We have a number of new faces, all keen to prove themselves on the gridiron. The diversity of Cambridge University is reflected in our roster with new players from as far afield as Russia, China, Ireland, Sweden, Greece, Singapore, Sri Lanka and the USA along with a strong cohort of British players.

Following sterling efforts both off and on the field (five interceptions!) Guy Peters steps down as President but continues playing this season. I know you will join me in thanking him for his work and guiding the team to such success – a tough act to follow, for sure!

These are exciting times for American football in the British Isles. Three NFL games at Wembley and Penn State v UCF in Dublin have already taken place this year, with the domestic game expanding year on year with more players and teams. UK university football is at its forefront and we aim for the Pythons to set an exceptional example.

Last but not least, I must thank an essential team member – YOU! Our players are dedicated students, fitting football commitments around the considerable demands of full-time study. You being here, showing support and cheering from the sideline makes the event so much more enjoyable and memorable for all concerned. Thanks for being part of it and we hope you enjoy both today’s fixture and the season ahead!

Jack Tavener

President, Cambridge University Pythons

A Season of Expectation looking ahead in 2014/15

2013/14 Season BUAFL South Central Conference Herfordshire Hurricanes Cambridge Pythons Kent Falcons UEA Pirates Northampton Nemesis BNU Buccaneers Canterbury Chargers Anglia Ruskin Rhinos Essex Blades

W 8 7 5 5 4 3 1 1 0

L 0 1 2 3 3 5 6 7 7

T

he 2013/14 season was the third and most successful so far for the Pythons since reforming. Although the campaign opened with a shutout defeat in Hatfield against the highly-fancied Herts team. The season for the Pythons truly started with their own dominant shutout win away at Kent (this would be the first of four clean sheets for the Pythons during the season).

The first home game of the season, and the last game of 2013, saw a crucial victory over Northampton secured with a Jack Tavener field goal with 20 seconds left on the clock.

Following a long interval over Christmas the first game of 2014 took place on Super Bowl Sunday, as the Pythons dismantled cross-town rivals Anglia Ruskin 52-0. Essex were the next to feel the Pythons’ power as a season-high 62 points were scored.

The key victory in the season was the hard-fought 22-6 win over playoff rival UEA (a long time rivalry dating back to the early 1990s). The final home game of the season saw Canterbury heavily defeated before the Pythons travelled to BNU and a final shutout victory – the seventh victory in a row.

A 7-1 regular season record was good enough for second place in the South Central Conference and a National Championship playoff game away against the reigning national champions, the Birmingham Lions. This proved a bridge too far for the Pythons with a 55-0 defeat – no shame against such a powerful team as Birmingham who would eventually finish runners-up to Stirling in the National Championship Final.

The 2014/15 season brings a new set of challenges. A comprehensive league restructure sees the perennially dominant Hertfordshire Hurricanes promoted into the new Premiership South conference. Northampton Nemesis and the BNU Buccaneers were moved into the East Midlands and South East conferences respectively. To replace them are the Oxford Lancers and of course the OBU Panthers. Cambridge is familiar with the Lancers, having played several out of season Varsity matches against them. OBU however are an unknown, themselves looking to take on what is lined up to be a very close fought conference.

Life As a Python current player interviews

Name: Ram Sarujan College: Corpus Christi Subject: MPhil Finance and Economics, BA Mathematics, Year: 5th (and final!) year Hometown: London, England How did you get into American football in the first place?

Like many of the team I started off as a rugby player, playing as a prop for my college. One fateful match I came up against Fitzwilliam prop (and Pythons legend) Tom Piachaud, and we spent 80 minutes moaning about how the uncontested scrums really ruined the game for us. Tom mentioned about giving American football a go if that was what I was after. I absolutely loved it and I’ve never looked back!

What is your usual playing position?

I started off at Defensive Tackle but have since moved across to the Offensive Line and play at Center. Both sides of the ball have their advantages: it’s awesome to help the team score touchdowns, but it’s just as fun playing Nose Tackle and destroying the other team’s Center.

What is the best thing about being a Python?

The best thing about being a Python is that when you step on to that field, you do so as brothers ready to fight to the death. Every single player gives 100% on the field to help out their teammates, and it’s impossible not to get totally invested in being a Python.

There’s a certain culture that comes as a result of being a fairly small squad with everybody stepping up and slotting in wherever they are needed. This is true both on and off the field, with so many of the coaches and players giving up so much of their time in order for us to grow as a team. For me, being a Python is more than just about playing American Football. I feel like I’m helping to build a dynasty.

What has been your personal highlight/best memories in your time with the team so far?

My favourite game from last year was our away win against Kent when we turned up with 18 players against a team with well over twice as many. Having lost comprehensively to Hertfordshire the previous week, our modest ambitions were to keep the game close and avoid embarrassing ourselves. I don’t think anybody, not even the most optimistic of coaches, expected the resounding win that followed. The game itself was completely brutal with players battling through the pain barrier, and lots of us playing both sides of the ball. One of my most vivid memories of that game was Stefan (Stefan Arridge) throwing up next to me while waiting for a snap due to sheer exhaustion. That image just epitomised our fighting spirit on the day, and the result gave us the confidence to go on to greater things last year. The coach ride home was one of the sweetest journeys back to Cambridge as a Python.

Who are your favourite team mates (past or present) and why?

Tom Piachaud has obviously been a huge influence on my time as a Python, and I even chose a jersey number next to his. The other player who has defined my time as a Python is Tom Reynolds. It’s like we were brothers on the field and off it. Crunching hits on unsuspecting linebackers are all the more fun when it’s your loud-mouthed housemate...

The team went 7-1 last season and was ranked #13 nationally...

This was a great achievement for what is a program in its third year. What would be a realistic goal for this season? Oxford Brookes are the new kids in the mix and our first aim is a winning start to the season. After that we know all of the other teams in our division well, having beaten each of them last year.

A lot depends on how quickly our new recruits can gel, but there’s no reason why we can’t replicate last year with a playoff run. It’s a new experience to no longer be the underdogs, but we’re confident that we can really step it up this year.

Ram...is it true your favourite NFL team is the Rams?!

YES! Their recent record may not have been great (let’s not even mention that London game against the Pats), but how many other people can boast having a team named after them...

Gameday Roster Pythons

# 1 3 4 5 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 20 21 25 29 32 42 46 43

Name Nationality Darren HARVEY GBR Mike ARMSTRONG GBR Sam ROBERTS GBR Tom SOUTHERN GBR Jordan SANDBERG USA Cam RAE USA Alex BUTCHER GBR Joe YARWOOD GBR Oscar MACLEAN GBR Jaason GEERTS CAN Daniel BROCK GBR Richard HOBBS GBR Tom ZHANG GBR Akhilesh MULAY GBR Stephen FORD GBR Rob BREWSTER GBR Harry RICHER GBR Joe MOORE GBR James DIGBY GBR Tom CARR GBR Sam THOMPSON GBR Jack TAVENER GBR Guy PETERS GBR Jonathan MAILES GBR Daniil MIROSHNICHENKO RUS

50 52 55 60 63 58 66 75 77 78 80 87 89

Ram SARUJAN Ned BRANSDEN Ed COZENS Eugene SEAH Richard ALLOWAY Glenn HE Sipke SHAUGHNESSY Tim ALLEN Niklas EK Constantine CAPSAKIS James STRATFORD Basil WOODS Toshan WICKRAMANAYAKE

Head Coach Offensive Coordinator Defensive Coordinator Special Teams Coach Lineman Coach Assistant Coach Team Assistant Gameday Manager Co-General Manager Co-General Manager

GBR GBR GBR SGP GBR CHN IRL GBR SWE GRE GBR GBR LKA

Julian FULLER Len SCOTT Gary VILLIERS Craig DRIVER Dan HARRISS Alistair GEMPF Dave WILLIAMS Peter BAKER Steve GUY Martin STEERS

Gameday Roster Panthers

# 1 2 5 7 8 9 10 13 14 15 20 23 24 25 27 30 33 35 36 42 43 45 46 47 50 54 55 56 60 61

Name Mike TURNER James SHARPLES Brad MAYBURY Ignacio MEIJIA Inigo RIPODAS Paul HADLEY Jake GEERTHSEN Nick ROWLEY Harry BROOKMYRE Luis HORSTMAN Ben BLENCOWE Arash SHIRANI Will GRANT Jack ARMSTRONG Matt OUTRAM Ibrahim AL-WARTHAN Sean ZAMICK Harry HOPKINS Julian WAKEFORD John CUSWORTH Dan HOLDING Ryan KINGSHOTT Tom HIGGINBOTTOM Tobyn HARGRAVE-SMITH Ian WHITEHEAD Julian HUTHER Louis RISEBRO Jack PURTON Jack SHEPHERD Adam HANNEY

62 63 64 69 70 72 73 75 77 78 80 81 82 88 89 92 94 99

Jack JOHNSON Jak CATO Jake CONNOLLY Oliver LASHLEY Charlie WATERS Zac LEAVESLEY Nasser KINENE Alex RICHARDS Louis RAVENSCROFT Tom PATTISON Basel ABDO Charles JACOBSON Callum GLASS James WHYBROW James WELLER Oliver COWLES Wayne DIGGINES Stuart THORP Robert HEADS Hugo AUER Alfonso HERNANDE Bowen STUART-WOODS Steve HILL Youssef ATTIA Ben ROBERTS Rob HOWARD Tino GULA Josh BRYANT Tai AMOS

Life As A Python current player interviews

Name: Tim Allen College: St John’s Subject: PhD in Chemistry, Year: 2 Hometown: Chelmsford, Essex Position: Defensive Line How is the hand? (Tim comes into the season recovering from a broken hand) Good thanks - practiced on it lightly in preseason and should be good for at least a limited role against Oxford Brookes.

What is the best thing about being a Python?

The team spirit and positive attitude. There isn’t anyone we don’t want to play, and there isn’t anyone who wants to play us. Also always being the underdogs. Over the last three years teams have always come into games expecting to beat us, and often got a shock when they get onto the field. It will be tough to play as the favourites in a few games this year, but our reputation as a tough match-up is starting to get out there I think.

What has been your personal highlight/best memories in your time with the team so far?

Last year was such a great year for the team. Two games really stick out. The first was the regular season game against Northampton. They turned up expecting to steam-roll us and couldn’t get anything going on offense all day, culminating in a last minute field goal win for us (on the second attempt!). The last defensive series was the best fun of the season as we chased their quarterback around the field! Second has to be the playoff game at Birmingham. Without a doubt it was the toughest Uni game I’ve ever played in, but it was fun to match ourselves against one of the best, and the respect shown by the opposition players for our guys going both ways made me proud of the way we fought right to the end.

Who are your favourite team mates (past or present) and why?

I really enjoyed playing with Tom P (Tom Piachaud) and Pookie (Lajos Török) when they were around a few years ago. Tom’s unbelievable stamina and lead-from-the-front mantra really inspired the team and Pookie’s no nonsense approach to things on and off the pitch are resounding memories. Last year Brendan (Brendan Loftus) was a dominant force on the D-line and Brew’s (Alex Brew) head down attitude to running the ball stick out as examples of the tough mentality the coaches try to instil in everyone. But who am I kidding - there isn’t anyone I’ve ever played with on this team that I haven’t enjoyed being a team-mate with!

The team went 7-1 last season and was ranked #13 nationally...

This was a great achievement for what was a program in its third year. What would be a realistic goal for this season? I think despite the new division alignments we will do well to just repeating it. Realistically I think we are one of the three or four stronger teams in our division and I’m looking forward to tight games against the likes of Kent, UEA and OBU, as well as a hard fought Varsity game and a tough cross town rivalry match against ARU. To do as well as last year we really need to take it one game at a time, stay focused, and play strong as there are no easy games until you’ve won them.

The Opposition Oxford Brookes Panthers

T

he Oxford Brookes Panthers formed in 2010 following two decades as a combined team with Oxford University.

Conference realignment sees the Panthers shifted into the Eastern division of BUAFL, naturally the Panthers are looking to lay down a marker and make a big impact in this new league.

The Panthers came into the 2014/15 season highly-fancied by many pundits to have a real tilt at a playoff place in their new conference. However they lost their opening game 12-6 in double overtime at home against fellow playoff contender the Kent Falcons in a very tense affair. This means the Panthers come into today’s game knowing a second defeat so early on could be terminal to their postseason aspirations. Expect them to compete all afternoon until the final whistle and provide a very stern test for the new-look Pythons.

The Opposition OBU captain profiles

Julian Wakeford – Club President and Team Captain #36 Position: Running Back Favorite NFL Team: Houstan Texans Favorite Player: JJ Watt Experience: 3rd Year playing for the Panthers Brad Maybury – Club President and Offence Captain #5 Position: Wide Receiver Favourite NFL Team: NY Giants Favourite Player: Victor Cruz Experience: 4th Year playing for the Panthers, 2 Great Britain Junior Caps and currently representing the GB Student and Adult Teams.

Tom Pattison – Offence Line Captain #78 Position: Centre Favorite NFL Team: Pittsburgh Steelers Favorite Player: Maurkice Pouncey Experience: 4 years at Swindon Storm Senior Team and 2 years at Plymouth Blitz Uniniversity Team.

Mike Turner – Defense Captain #1 Position: Defensive Back Favorite NFL Team: New York Jets Favorite Player: Mo Wilkerson Experience: 3 Years Loughborough Aces, 6 Years Kent Exiles, 1 year Oxford Saints and 3rd Year Panthers Nick Rowley – Defense Captain #13 Position: Defensive Back Favorite NFL Team: Minnesota Vikings Favorite Player: Adrian Peterson Experience: 3rd Year playing for the Panthers

Cambridgeshire home of American football

Cambridgeshire Cats Formed: 1984 Home Field: Coldham’s Common Conference: Premiership South Cambridgeshirecats.com Facebook.com/CambridgeshireCats

F

ormed in the mid 80’s the Cambridgeshire Cats held several divisional titles and appeared in numerous playoff games before folding in 1998. The team reformed in 2002, going on to win the South East Division One title before eventually being knocked out of the National title competition by Tamworth Phoenix. Currently the club fields both a Senior and Junior team, with the latter catering for players between the ages of 16 and 18. The Senior squad competes in the Southern Football Conference 1 (North) alongside the Ouse Valley Eagles, Hertfordshire Cheetahs and Birmingham Bulls.

Anglia Ruskin Rhinos Formed: 2012 Home Field: Coldham’s Common Conference: BUAFL East Facebook.com/RuskinRhinos

T

he recently formed Anglia Ruskin University team shares both their home field and BUCS conference with the Pythons. The cross-town rivalry has culminated for the last two years in the Coldham’s Bowl. The stakes are high, with both bragging rights and conference position on the line. So far the Pythons have convincingly won both games and as such lead the series 2-0. The Rhinos started the 2014/15 season with a big 0-62 loss to the Oxford Lancers, time will tell if such a defeat will impact on their forthcoming fixtures.

Always A Python alumni news

Luke Peterson (Pythons 2011-12, Jersey #25) 2014 has been a busy year for Dr Peterson. Not only did he welcome a new addition to his family with the birth of a baby girl and take up a teaching position with the University of Pittsburgh, our favourite Texan has also had a book published and appeared several times on local TV in Pittsburgh to provide expert analysis of news items about the Middle East. We await our signed copy of the first edition of his book...

Brad Idzik (Pythons 2013-14, Jersey #36) How do you top becoming a Python? How about joining the coaching staff at US college football superpower Stanford? Brad played NCAA football at Wake Forest University before joining us last season. The highlight of his time with the Pythons was his 56 yard touchdown against Anglia Ruskin. Former Stanford players include John Elway and Andrew Luck. The thought that one of our own is moulding future NFL stars is mind-blowing. Well done Brad!

The Pythons played their first regular season game in 1990. Since then hundreds of players have played for us. We are keen to hear from them and share their success stories, so if you have some or know someone who has, please get in touch. Once a Python always a Python.

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