Two Historic Franchises Clash in Special DC Game
Neal Rozendaal
Washington, DC – Two of the most successful teams in women’s football will square off Saturday when the DC Divas make a special trip to the District to face the New York Sharks.
The DC Divas (3-1) have won 89 games in their history, which ranks fourth all-time in the sport. Just ahead of them on the all-time list are the New York Sharks (2-3), a franchise that claims 93 victories. The sport’s all-time record for most total victories between opposing teams will be broken when these two teams and their 182 combined wins kick off Saturday.
“New York’s been around for a while,” Divas head coach Alison Fischer remarked. “We’ve had a good rivalry with New York. We both respect each other, and it’s gone back and forth through the years.”
Coach Fischer singled out New York’s passing attack as one of the strengths of this year's Sharks squad. “They always have a pretty solid team. Their quarterback’s a veteran and they like to throw the ball a lot. It’s definitely a change of pace from what we just saw with Boston. It’ll test our pass defense,” she said.
The Divas will face the Sharks on Saturday in a unique venue: Coolidge High School in northwest DC. The Divas usually play in Landover, Maryland, right next to FedEx Field, the home of the Washington Redskins. However, for one game, the Divas are returning to the District; the Divas staged home games at DC’s Eastern High School from 2001 to 2005 before leaving for Landover in 2006.
Coolidge High School's field is very familiar to the Divas’ players and coaches, because it serves as their usual practice facility during the season. Coolidge High made national headlines in 2010, when it hired former Divas great Natalie Randolph as their head football coach. Randolph is the only woman currently serving as a head football coach at a U.S. high school, and she was just the third female ever hired to such a position. Coach Randolph rose to football prominence as a wide receiver for the Divas from 2003 to 2008.
Saturday’s game will be part of a fundraiser for Coolidge High School athletics. While the Divas will return to Landover for their final two regular season home games, the contest against the Sharks should be a special treat for local Divas fans in Washington, DC.
Most Reported Wins in Women’s Professional Football, All-Time
1. Dallas Diamonds (WFA) – 105
2. Sacramento Sirens (WFA) – 102
3. NEW YORK SHARKS (WFA) – 93
4. DC DIVAS (WFA) – 88
5. Houston Energy (IWFL) – 87
6. Chicago Force (WFA) – 83
7. Jacksonville Dixie Blues (WFA) – 82
8. Pensacola Power/Gulf Coast Riptide (Defunct) – 76
9. Atlanta Xplosion (IWFL) – 75
10. Seattle Majestics (WFA) – 74
10. Detroit Demolition (Defunct) – 74
12. West Michigan Mayhem (WFA) – 73
13. Columbus Comets (WFA) – 70
13. St. Louis Slam (WFA) – 70
15. Pittsburgh Passion (WFA) – 68
Around the WFA – Two of New York’s three losses this season have come at the hands of the Boston Militia, who downed the Sharks last week, 47-0…The Sacramento Sirens kept the WFA’s perfect record in interleague games intact, throttling the IWFL’s Nevada Storm, 61-8…The Utah Jynx’ offense is one of the league’s most explosive. The Jynx demolished the Arizona Assassins Saturday, 80-6; it’s the most points scored in a single WFA game this season, topping the 73-6 victory the Jynx recorded over the Tacoma Trauma three weeks earlier…The Columbus Comets improved their record to 3-2 with a 56-7 victory over the Toledo Reign. The Divas’ division, which also has Columbus and the Pittsburgh Passion, is the only one of the WFA’s 13 divisions where every team currently has a winning record.
Neal Rozendaal
Washington, DC – Two of the most successful teams in women’s football will square off Saturday when the DC Divas make a special trip to the District to face the New York Sharks.
The DC Divas (3-1) have won 89 games in their history, which ranks fourth all-time in the sport. Just ahead of them on the all-time list are the New York Sharks (2-3), a franchise that claims 93 victories. The sport’s all-time record for most total victories between opposing teams will be broken when these two teams and their 182 combined wins kick off Saturday.
“New York’s been around for a while,” Divas head coach Alison Fischer remarked. “We’ve had a good rivalry with New York. We both respect each other, and it’s gone back and forth through the years.”
Coach Fischer singled out New York’s passing attack as one of the strengths of this year's Sharks squad. “They always have a pretty solid team. Their quarterback’s a veteran and they like to throw the ball a lot. It’s definitely a change of pace from what we just saw with Boston. It’ll test our pass defense,” she said.
The Divas will face the Sharks on Saturday in a unique venue: Coolidge High School in northwest DC. The Divas usually play in Landover, Maryland, right next to FedEx Field, the home of the Washington Redskins. However, for one game, the Divas are returning to the District; the Divas staged home games at DC’s Eastern High School from 2001 to 2005 before leaving for Landover in 2006.
Coolidge High School's field is very familiar to the Divas’ players and coaches, because it serves as their usual practice facility during the season. Coolidge High made national headlines in 2010, when it hired former Divas great Natalie Randolph as their head football coach. Randolph is the only woman currently serving as a head football coach at a U.S. high school, and she was just the third female ever hired to such a position. Coach Randolph rose to football prominence as a wide receiver for the Divas from 2003 to 2008.
Saturday’s game will be part of a fundraiser for Coolidge High School athletics. While the Divas will return to Landover for their final two regular season home games, the contest against the Sharks should be a special treat for local Divas fans in Washington, DC.
Most Reported Wins in Women’s Professional Football, All-Time
1. Dallas Diamonds (WFA) – 105
2. Sacramento Sirens (WFA) – 102
3. NEW YORK SHARKS (WFA) – 93
4. DC DIVAS (WFA) – 88
5. Houston Energy (IWFL) – 87
6. Chicago Force (WFA) – 83
7. Jacksonville Dixie Blues (WFA) – 82
8. Pensacola Power/Gulf Coast Riptide (Defunct) – 76
9. Atlanta Xplosion (IWFL) – 75
10. Seattle Majestics (WFA) – 74
10. Detroit Demolition (Defunct) – 74
12. West Michigan Mayhem (WFA) – 73
13. Columbus Comets (WFA) – 70
13. St. Louis Slam (WFA) – 70
15. Pittsburgh Passion (WFA) – 68
Around the WFA – Two of New York’s three losses this season have come at the hands of the Boston Militia, who downed the Sharks last week, 47-0…The Sacramento Sirens kept the WFA’s perfect record in interleague games intact, throttling the IWFL’s Nevada Storm, 61-8…The Utah Jynx’ offense is one of the league’s most explosive. The Jynx demolished the Arizona Assassins Saturday, 80-6; it’s the most points scored in a single WFA game this season, topping the 73-6 victory the Jynx recorded over the Tacoma Trauma three weeks earlier…The Columbus Comets improved their record to 3-2 with a 56-7 victory over the Toledo Reign. The Divas’ division, which also has Columbus and the Pittsburgh Passion, is the only one of the WFA’s 13 divisions where every team currently has a winning record.
No comments:
Post a Comment