MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- The Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Falcons annihilated the School of Infantry Rough Riders 33-0, in a tackle football game held at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Oct. 3.

The Falcons came into the game leading the 2006 Camp Pendleton Tackle Football League in wins and wanting to stay that way.

Falcons head coach, Bennis Branch, was looking for his defense to come alive during the season, and that finally happened in the fourth game of the season, shutting out the Rough Riders.

First blood was drawn on a quarterback keeper ran by Falcons’ quarterback Jaime Sales after the Falcon offense walked all over the Rough Riders. The point-after-touchdown attempt was no good, making the score 6-0, Falcons.

On the pursuing drive the Rough Riders could not fix the kinks in the offense and were forced to punt.

Again, the Falcons smashed through the Rough Rider defense, using multiple running backs to keep their players fresh.

To cap off the drive, Falcons’ tight end, Justin Wood, made a spectacular catch in the end zone. The two-point conversion attempt was good, giving the Falcons an even bigger lead, 14-0, with 4:57 left in the first quarter.

All momentum was on the Falcons’ side as the Rough Rider offense attempted to surpass the stingy Falcon defense.

The Rough Riders were quickly shut down and were forced to punt once again, to end the first quarter.

After a decent punt-return by Falcons’ safety Mike Olsen, running back, Cordero Davis went to work. Cutting up gains of 8 -10 yards, the quick movement tired the Rough Rider defense. Olsen stuck the knife in with a 25-yard run, making the score 20-0, Falcons.

The Rough Riders showed signs of life, gaining big yards on their next drive. The drive was soon shut down when the Falcons’ defense forced a fumble and recovered it.

Despite the efforts by the defense, their own offense couldn’t hold onto the ball themselves, fumbling the ball after three plays.

Again, the stingy Falcon defense kept all Rough Riders’ backs at bay with big defensive plays by linebackers Tim Craig and Mike Olsen, forcing the Rough Riders to punt once more.

Davis returned the punt for 55 yards and ended the half with a bang. At halftime the Falcons led the Rough Riders, 27-0.

The entire third quarter was spent with the Rough Riders in possession after a Falcon fumble.
The Falcons’ unrelenting defense forces the Rough Riders to punt for the fourth time. Davis returned the punt only to see his efforts diminished when an illegal blocking penalty was called and brought the play back into the Falcons’ defense.

When the Falcons turned over the ball, the Rough Riders scrambled for every yard, desperately trying to put some points on the board.

On a frantic throw by the Rough Rider quarterback, a Falcon defensive back snatched it for an interception in the end zone.

With 4:35 left in the fourth quarter, Davis sprang from the line of scrimmage, outrunning all Rough Riders defensemen, scoring on a 75-yard touchdown run, pushing the point gap to 33-0.
With the clock ticking away, the Rough Riders kept hope alive with a few passes but then were quickly shut down again by the defense as time ran out for them.

“We were able to run the ball and our backs gained big yards due to our offensive line,” said Branch. “I got on them before the game and they really stepped it up.”