Season Opener 2015
Sunday 8th November
KO 13:30
Coldham’s Common
Cambridge University Pythons - v - UEA Pirates
-v-
CREDITS EDITORS
Steve Guy, Tom Carr, Martin Steers, Jack Tavener Alistair Gempf, Joe Moore, Ella Nicol-Harper
DESIGN
Tom Carr, Jack Tavener & Martin Steers
info@pythons.org.uk
/CambridgePythons
@CUPythonsAFC
/CambridgePythons
CAMBRIDGE PYTHONS SEASON 2015/16 With the support of
Welcome
O
from the President
Joe Moore
President, Cambridge University Pythons
n behalf of everyone in the Club, I wish you a warm welcome to the Cambridge University Pythons! Today sees the start of the 2015-16 season for the Pythons, one with many changes for the team. Playing now in the newly formed Tier 1 South Eastern Conference, we will be doing battle with our opponents both home and away, with the second half of the season set to be full of repeat encounters with plenty of opportunities for revenge. Our opponents today, the UEA Pirates, are renowned for being one of the toughest teams in British university American Football and having posted winning records regularly in past seasons, it is clear that this reputation is well deserved. Of course, the Pythons will be keen to solidify our own reputation as an emerging force in the East of England following an extraordinary run of success having qualified for the playoffs in all of the last three seasons, including winning the Pythons first BUCS Conference Championship last year. Yet, as is the case across University sport, the end of each season sees many players graduating and this year some true talismanic team leaders have hung up their cleats after finishing their studies. This only creates more opportunities for rookies to step up to the plate and prove themselves on the field. The preseason for American Football is short and intense, taking players who have never seen the game before and training them to be crucial members of the team from the very start. From a personal point of view, I am so excited to see all the rookies develop into Pythons veterans over the course of the year - this is what gives the club the foundations to compete year after year. This season the Pythons are celebrating the 5th year of the Club since its reformation in 2011 but also the first year as a Half Blue sport! Following the sterling efforts of our previous President, Jack Tavener and charming communicator (and Speaking Captain) Jaason Geerts, the Club has now been awarded the right to bestow these accolades on a group of players each year. This symbolises how far the Pythons have come with University recognition to back up our recent performances. Yet the greatest thank you must always be saved for our supporters! The sound of all the friends, family and Pythons fans at our matches really makes the whole event so much more enjoyable for everyone. Thanks for being part of the Pythons and I hope you enjoy the game!
BUCS Tier 1a South East - Current Standings Sussex SAXONS Brighton TSUNAMI Cambridge PYTHONS UEA PIRATES Kent FALCONS
P 1 0 0 0 1
W 1 0 0 0 0
L 0 0 0 0 1
GD Pts 28 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 -28 0
The Opposition UEA Pirates
I
t is fair to say that the Pythons and the Pirates have history. The Norwich-based team first started playing in 1987, a full four years before the Pythons formed. Every season the Pythons have played has seen them paired up as divisional rivals with the Pirates, meaning that Cambridge have played UEA more than any other team and that this is a heated and strongly contested rivalry!
Historic Results (home team listed first), 1991 UEA 12 – 24 Cambridge 1992 Cambridge 18 – 6 UEA 1992 UEA 0 – 34 Cambridge 1993 Cambridge 0 – 18 UEA 1993 UEA 8 – 25 Cambridge 1994 Cambridge 20 – 6 UEA 1994 Cambridge 34 – 8 UEA 1995 UEA 6 – 41 Cambridge 1995 UEA 0 – 27 Cambridge 1996 Cambridge 23 – 0 UEA 1996 Cambridge 18 – 12 UEA (OT) 1997 UEA 28 – 20 Cambridge 2012 Cambridge 26 – 42 UEA 2013 UEA 12 – 15 Cambridge 2014 Cambridge 22 – 6 UEA 2015 Cambridge 18 – 0 UEA Cambridge lead the all-time series 13-3
UEA’s last win in the series was a wild 42-26 victory in February 2012 at Coldhams as their running attack led by Chris Carson (225 yards) and Joseph Van Der Merwe (125 yards) overpowered the Pythons. A year later the Pythons gained revenge with a nail-biting 15-12 upset win in Norwich, Pythons wide receiver Steve Kinnersley catching two touchdowns, the first a 45 yard score with the pass thrown by running back Brendan Bader on a trick play and the Pythons defensive efforts being lead by a career performance from linebacker Shawn O’Donnell (17 tackles and a forced fumble). 2014 saw the Pythons take down the Pirates with a 22-6 win greatly aided by the three-headed monster on run offense: Joe Moore (150 yards), Jonty Richardson (118 yards) and Alex Brew (2 rushing TDs) and a big game from several on the Python defense: Guy Peters (1 INT and a pass defended), Adrian Ball (a forced fumble), and Brendan Loftus (2 fumbles recovered).
The last game between these two was in February of this year. The Pythons beating the then 4-0 Pirates 18-0. The three Pythons TDs coming courtesy of a Joseph Yarwood goal line quarterback sneak, a 46 yard fumble recovery by defensive lineman Ed Cozens and a 10 yard touchdown pass from Yarwood to Jaason Geerts. The dynamic score by Cozens following the forced fumble by Tom Carr was arguably the defining play of last season for the Pythons. (Interestingly none of Yarwood, Cozens, Geerts or Carr will be playing today having all graduated) The game saw a dominating Pythons defensive effort with 3 interceptions (Rob Brewster, Daniel Brock and Jack Tavener), and 2 sacks (one each for Cozens and Ned Bransden who also helped himself to an additional forced. This is the first game of the new season for both teams. The faces change, both on the field and on the sidelines, but the heated Pythons-Pirates rivalry endures. Today will see new heroes made and new history written!
Half Blue Status Announcement
The Cambridge University Pythons American Football Club is proud to announce that the club has been awarded Half Blue status. This recognition from the Men’s Blues Committee in Cambridge is due to the impressive achievements of the Pythons and its players since the club reformed in 2011. By developing strong athletic performance within the squad, the Pythons have consistently outperformed all expectations, reaching National playoffs from only their 2nd season onwards, maintaining an unbeaten Varsity record and winning the Eastern Conference Championship last season. In the Birmingham Lions and Hertfordshire Hurricanes we have faced true powerhouses of university American football (9 National Championships between them), who carry squads of over 100 players and the ability to bring 60 or more players to matches. With this in mind, as well as the Pythons achieving a #13 UK ranking, the Club is looking to recruit new players to maintain our momentum and grow. We are particularly proud to have an excellent coaching staff on hand to develop every player who wants to get involved. Demonstrating such competitiveness on the field has allowed players with a variety of backgrounds to stand out, even those starting with no prior experience and working their way up through the team and now receiving Blues status. For 2014/15, the players receiving Half Blues were #8 - Quarterback - Joe Yarwood (Selwyn), #20 - Half Back - Joe Moore (Sidney Sussex), #32 - Wide Receiver, Safety & Kicker - Jack Tavener (Pembroke),#55 - Defensive End - Ed Cozens (Homerton), #75 - Nose Tackle - Tim Allen (St. John’s). The Men’s Blues Committee has acknowledged the Pythons before, with founder of the current Pythons, Tom Piachaud, being awarded an Extraordinary Full Blue. He was delighted by this announcement, especially given what it has taken to re-establish the Club: “It is difficult attracting people to a minority sport that is not well understood and comes with certain stereotypes, but with the rise of popularity of American football in the UK and people taking it more seriously, gaining Blues status is a step in the right direction; a step that would not have happened had players not taken ownership of the team and their athletic development. This is an excellent way to reward the entire Club and attract future Pythons to try American football, increasing our chances of chasing the real goal, a national title. Now achieving Half Blue status, this next step in the Club’s journey is another sign of the growth of the game in the UK as more players take up the sport and push the standard of play here ever higher. The Cambridge Pythons have established a reputation for fast, tough, but intelligent football, evidenced by the combined regular season winning record of 13-2 in the last two years, which now sees them competing in the tier above many teams with long-standing organisations and far greater support from their universities. Without doubt, the Club is targeting promotion to the Premiership in the coming years, which sees the top 10 clubs in UK American football competing for the National Championship. As emphasised by the 2014/15 Pythons President, Jack Tavener, the importance of this announcement to such plans cannot be understated:
“Receiving Half Blue status is a pivotal moment in the history of the Pythons and something we have been continuously making efforts towards for the past two years. To have finally achieved this is a striking testament to the tireless work we have put in both on and off the field. Never before has this happened but it was a vital target in the ongoing development plan for the Club, as we attempt to raise Cambridge and our athletes to the highest levels in the sport. Our Club is inclusive, exciting and an amazing opportunity for all, with no prior experience expected and this is truly reflected in the sport we play and the way the Club operates. It is with great pride we are part of this and the inspirational organisation the Pythons will become. We cannot wait for the ever-growing cohorts of players to try Pythons football and get involved.” An important aspect of this is the Club’s efforts to encourage more women to play what is one of the few mixed contact sports, with players taking to the field for the first time last season. Now, more women are attending training than ever before and it is hoped with greater participation we will soon see opportunities to present candidates to the Women’s Blues Committee. Especially given the strength of women’s American football at the national level, we are striving to match other organisations who receive greater institutional support, who can field teams for women’s competitions and act as a feeder to the Great Britain squad. These things, alongside the success of last year’s Varsity match held at the CURUFC stadium on Grange Road have demonstrated the potential growth and excitement surrounding American football in Cambridge. Under the floodlights, over 500 people packed into the ground with more than 1000 watching nationally and internationally via the video livestream, all witnessing the Pythons shutout the Oxford Lancers in a 16-0 victory and maintain their unbeaten Varsity record. The event was an exceptional experience for players, coaches and fans, with even the officials commenting this could become the biggest match played in the UK - and now one of the many memories that have defined being a Python as we look forward to the season ahead and our next Varsity Match. If being part of this sounds like something you might be interested in (whether playing, coaching or being on the committee), drop us a message via our Facebook page (facebook.com/CambridgePythons) or website (pythons.org.uk). The Club recruits throughout the year and you can start training at any point. Come along, bring friends to share the experience and see what you think getting to try all the different positions - who knows, not too long from now it could be your name on the growing list of Blues American footballers.
Gameday Roster Pythons
# 3 4 5 7 9 11 12 14 15 17 19 20 22 23 24 25 27 32 35 37 38 40 43 49 52 53 55 60 68 71 75
Name Elias CALOCANE Veronika UPOR Ella NICOL-HARPER Joe WATT Ernest LAU Daniel BROCK Toby TASKER Akhilesh MULAY Cameron RAE Harry RICHER Niquo SANTISTEVAN Joe MOORE Kiran DHILLON Matthew TROSSET Cyrus CHOKSEY Edward BRANSDEN Franky SISSONS Jack TAVENER Ethan BROWN Oliver IYER Mudara SENANAYAKE
Samuel DEUTSCH Julius BOTTCHER Erik AHO Mostafa ELMONAYER Alexander BUTCHER Nicholas TIMMONS Kanwar NAIN-SINGH Richard ALLOWAY Judah AIYENURO Tim ALLEN
College King’s Newnham Trinity Hall Homerton Downing Churchill Churchill Queens’ Robinson Gonville & Caius Selwyn Sidney Sussex Fitzwilliam Exchange Gonville & Caius Girton King’s Pembroke Fitzwilliam Churchill St. John’s Corpus Christi Girton Magdalene St. Edmund’s Trinity Downing Homerton St. Catharine’s St. John’s St. John’s
78 80 81 85 87 90
Constantine CAPSAKIS James STRATFORD Tom STOCKDALE Basil WOODS Blake THOMSON Ed TIDBALL
Head Coach Offensive Coordinator Defensive Coordinator Special Teams Coach Lineman Coach Linebackers Coach Assistant Coach Wide Receivers Coach Quarterback Coach Gameday Manager Director of Football Operations General Manager
Girton Peterhouse Trinity Hall Robinson Darwin Trinity Hall
Julian FULLER Len SCOTT Gary VILLIERS Craig DRIVER Dan HARRISS Tom CARR Alistair GEMPF Alex MCCORMICK Joe WATT Peter BAKER Steve GUY Martin STEERS
Gameday Roster Pirates
DB DB DB DB DB DB DB DB DB DB DB DL DL DL DL DL DL DL DL HB HB HB LB LB LB LB LB OL OL OL OL OL
Name Will BLACKSHAW George AUST Elliot YOUNGS Michael FLYNN Gabriel RUANE Aron BAINES Ben PAINTER Ryan PURDY George BROWN Matthew BROWN Tafara NDORO Alfie TOMLIN James BURLEY Ebenezor KONTOR Jan KASZNICKI Will FLAIM Liam WALLACE-BROWN Harvey GREEN Longkai FEI Bradley WALSH Lewis REEKIE Miralle DA SILVA-WILLIAMS Max BLOY Michael PEARL Chris KIRCHHOFF George TOTTMAN Ryan MINSHULL Jason HOWE Oliver MCARDLE Alex COLLINS Luca FERRARA Tim AL-AZAWIE
OL OL QB QB QB QB RB RB RB RB RB RB RB WR WR WR WR WR WR WR WR
Adam FEY Stefan PISKADLO Stephen SPIERS Harrison GALLIVEN Alex HOFFMAN Francis HUGHES Tom ESTERHUIZEN Pierre-Antoine DUPRAT Ross AVEYARD Mark NICHOLAS Henry SCHOEN Ben LILLEY Lewis WILLIAMS Matthew LOCK Matthew NEED Chris RADONES Kushal UPADHYAYA George ADEGBOLA Oliver WATERWORTH Laurie FAIN Charlie GUEST
Head Coach & Nathan EVANS Offensive Coordinator Defensive Coordinator Nigel HADLEY QBs & Assistant OC Mark RIVETT DBs and ST Coordinator Andy CUSTERSON RBs Adam COPPLE DL James SAMBANDAN
Introduction
from the opposition
Ross Aveyard, Team President The UEA vs Cambridge fixture is one that as a club we always look forward to. Through the numerous league reshuffles it's been a constant fixture and one that always delivers a solid game of football, no matter the scoreline. We've been unfortunate in the past few years to come off as the losing side, but after a solid offseason of recruiting, and a truly exciting preseason we look forward to the chance to come back to the Coldham Commons pitch with a chip on our shoulder and a point to prove against what will no doubt, as always, be a strong Cambridge team. The end of the 14/15 season resulted in a large turnover of players for the Pirates, and unfortunately the replacing of Head Coach Andy Starling. Stepping up is the previous seasons Offensive Coordinator, Nathan Evans, a constant fixture in the Cambridgeshire Cats team that trains on the very same pitches we'll be playing on today and one of our most dedicated Old Boys. The new committee and Head Coach will be looking to come back with a squad that won't fall prey to the same mistakes that were evident in last years matchup, with a focus on clean and disciplined football. As always, I as President would like to thank the Pythons for being the gracious hosts they always are, and would like to wish both teams the best of luck on Sunday, as well as with the rest of the forthcoming season.
Meet the Pythons
team interviews
Name: Edward Bransden Nickname: Ned Player Number #25 Position: Linebacker and occasional fullback College: Girton
Why American football? My interest in American football started when my brother bought Madden 06 and we started playing each other. I ended up choosing the Pittsburgh Steelers as I liked the name and have never looked back on the team. Going to uni I had never played the sport beyond throwing a ball around in the yard but (having played rugby since I was 7) I wanted to play a different sport, I dabbled at ultimate frisbee during freshers but ended up finding my place with the Pythons. Why become a Python? During freshers I tried ultimate frisbee but found that playing American Football to be much more enjoyable and the Pythons were more inclusive. Ever since the first couple of weeks I have felt part of the Pythons family and am proud to be part of it. I also find being part of a uni team alongside my college rugby team satisfying as you get to meet and make friends with far more people. Favourite Pythons moment? That is a hard one. I’ve only been playing a year but already I have built up many fond memories. I can’t really choose between my first game played vs. Oxford Brookes; our varsity win against Oxford university under the floodlights of Grange Road Statium; or our win against Essex which went to double overtime, before Jack Tavener kicked a winning field goal (after two penalties from me put us back another 10 yards from the posts!). It was a real heart in the mouth moment.
Q&A
With a Rookie Name: Elias Calocane AKA Eli; AKA Badman College: King’s Subject: Computer Science Year at Cambridge: Fresher Position: WR/DB
American Football & Sport How did you meet the Pythons? I met Akhi and Ned at the Freshers Fair at the start of term and had a quick chat about joining the team. They told me about the taster sessions that they would be running a few days later and invited me along. What sports did you play before American football? My sporting background consists mainly of playing Football (the one with the round ball) and a bit of Basketball. I have also done bits here and there of sports like badminton, rugby and tennis. Why did you choose to play American football? Since I started watching NFL, I have really enjoyed the sport – and Madden is a great game too. I get that people don’t like all the stopping and commercial breaks attached to the game but there’s a lot more to it, especially when you’re playing. I have wanted to have a go at playing American Football ever since I started watching it, and since Uni seemed like a good place to pick up a new sport, it was a no brainer. I’d definitely encourage people to give it a go – it’s a really fun game to play and since it’s a sport where you don’t need any previous experience to sign up, it’s very accessible. #GoPythons
Who are your favourite NFL team? The Patriots of course. Haters gon’ hate but New England will carry on winning (as long as we got Brady and Gronk). And before I start getting judged, I genuinely support them as the first team I heard of...because of Family Guy. #GoPats #BradyBunch #CantDeflateFourTitles What have you enjoyed most as a Python so far? I haven’t been a Python for long as of yet but the best bit so far is probably just getting some game experience in our Scrimmage against ARU. Although it was quite a light-hearted session, it was still very different from our usual training sessions and helped me to realise that playing in a match situation requires a different mind-set and level of physicality. And what is your favourite part of a normal training session? Not the Burpees. Anything to do with catching and I’m game. General Cambridge stuff How have you found Cambridge so far? Hectic – but in a good way. You’re barely ever without something to do and although that may seem like a bad thing, it makes sure you don’t waste time but are always doing/trying to do something productive – apart from when you’re in Cindies; at that point, nothing else really matters. I find that I am being a lot more careful with my time in trying to pace myself to cope with the work and complete it before deadlines – mostly so I can do things like play American Football. Playing American Football almost seems to encourage me not to procrastinate and actually do work as I’m constantly aware that I really have to finish my work before I can go out and play. What is something you didn’t expect about Cambridge? The work is actually accessible from the get-go – there’s a lot of it, but it’s manageable. I thought that I would be spending sleepless nights trying to understand lecture notes and stuff and that the first term would be about surviving this avalanche of impossible work. I’ve found that although the work is challenging, there’s lots of help you can get if you ever feel stuck.
Cambridge
Home of American Football Cambridgeshire Cats Formed: 1984 Home Field: Coldham’s Common Conference: SFC2 (South East) 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.
Anglia Ruskin Rhinos Formed: 2012 Home Field: Coldham’s Common Conference: BUCS BUAFL South East 2a Facebook.com/RuskinRhinos
T
he recently formed Anglia Ruskin University team shares their home field and a good sense of comradery with the Pythons. The cross-town rivalry has culminated for the last three years in the Coldham’s Bowl. The stakes are high, with both bragging rights and previously with conference position on the line. So far the Pythons have convincingly won all games and as such lead the series 3-0, unfortunately the teams no longer officially face off in conference, so watch this space for the future of the Coldhams Bowl. The Rhinos started the 2015/16 season with a good 14 - 0 win against the Canterbury Chargers, who knows what we will see for the Rhinos for the rest of the season, but the Pythons wish them the best of luck.
American Football Spotlight A
merican Football traces its origins to early versions of rugby football in the mid19th century. Several major rule divergences resulted in the game that exists today, such as the introduction of the ‘line of scrimmage’ and the ‘down and distance’ rules among others. Here we will explain some of the very basic concepts of the game. A maximum of 11 players for each team are allowed on the field at one time. The team that possesses the ball is called the offense and tries to advance the ball down the field, and score points by getting it over the goal-line to score a touchdown (worth 6 points), or kick it through the uprights to score a field-goal (worth 3 points). After a touchdown the offense has the choice to either try and kick the ball between the uprights for a further 1 point, or attempt a riskier single offensive play for 2 points. All progress in American Football is measured in yards. The offensive team tries to get as much ‘yardage’ as it can to try and move closer to the opponent’s end zone. Each time the offense gets the ball they have four downs, or chances, to gain 10 yards. If they do this successfully they earn themselves a ‘first down’ and 4 more chances to gain another 10 yards. If they fail this then the offense loses possession of the ball. If the offense reaches fourth down, they will usually punts the ball away forcing the opposition to start their drive from further down the field. The team not in possession of the ball is called the defence, who attempt to stop the offensive team and force it to give up possession of the ball. If they do this successfully then both teams will switch roles. There are two ways the offense makes yards: a forward pass from the quarterback or running the ball by handing it to a running back. If the forward pass is not caught, the down is over and the offense gains no yards. The game is divided into four 15-minute quarters, separated by a 15-20minute break at half time, and 2 minute break at the end of the first and third quarters as teams change ends. The team with the most points at the end of the four quarters wins!
info@pythons.org.uk
/CambridgePythons
@CUPythonsAFC
/CambridgePythons