SIRENS MOVE TO 2-0

WITH 45-20 WIN OVER

VISITING UTAH JYNX

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By Joe Blenkle/Sacramento Sports News

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Apr. 16, 2011) - Led by rookie Katie George's three touchdowns, the Sacramento Sirens upped their early-season record to 2-0 with a 45-20 victory over the Utah Jynx at Natomas High School.

   Sacramento, coming off a 21-14 win the previous week at Modesto, wasted no time getting on the scoreboard as they put a touchdown up with 13:21 left in the first quarter.

     The Sirens shut the Jynx down on Utah's first possession of the game, forcing the Jynx to punt after gaining only three yards.

     George took the punt and ran it back 77 yards to give the Sirens a 6-0 lead and Jennifer Bloom's extra point kick made it a 7-0 game.

     The Sacramento defense again held the Jynx to short yardage on their next drive, forcing another three-and-out.

     The Sirens started from their own 42. After a penalty pushed Sacramento back to the 37 on the first play, George again took the ball in on a 63 yard TD run with 11:28 showing on the clock. Bloom's PAT was again perfect and the Sirens held a 14-0 lead.

     Utah couldn't get anything going against Sacramento's defense over the next few possessions and the Sirens struck again with 2:48 remaining in the opening quarter.

    Starting from their own 19, the Sirens drove down the field. Faced with a 3rd-and-16, Sacramento quarterback Tralena Wolfe hit Melissa Derilo for a big gain to land on Utah's 40. Several plays later, a pitch from Wolfe to Rachel Grover saw Grover scamper down the left sideline for a 38 yard TD. Bloom's kick gave the Sirens a 21-0 lead.

    Sacramento continued to dominate the Jynx and put another touchdown on the board to run the score to 28-0. With 9:44 showing on the clock in the second quarter, quarterback Chantelle Powers connected with Sarah Trobee on a seven yard pass play for the TD.

     The Sirens weren't through, however, as they posted another touchdown on their very next possession. This time it was Wolfe hitting Ashlee Sharp with an eight yard touchdown pass with 3:41 left in the half. Bloom's kick made it a 35-0 Sirens lead.
    The ensuing kickoff saw Utah taking over on their own 33-yard-line. And this time the Jynx put the ball in the end zone - on one play. Utah quarterback Louise Bean hit the youngest player on the Jynx roster, 18-year-old, fleet-footed, 5-foot-5, 120-pounder, Mixsa Kafi. Kafi caught the ball and took it 67 yards for the score with 3:31 left in the half. Melanie Bartholomew attempted the point after, but the ball sailed wide right and the score remained at 35-6.
    The scoring wasn't over, however. Sacramento started its next drive from its own 26 and marched down the field all the way to the Jynx nine-yard-line. After an incomplete pass on a first and goal by Powers, the Sirens opted for a field goal with one second showing on the clock. Bloom put the ball right down the center of the uprights for a 27 yard FG to bring the score to 38-6 as the half ended.
    Throw out the first half and it would have been a close game, but the Jynx dug themselves too deep a hole in the first 30 minutes.
    Neither team scored again until Bean connected with Kafi on an 11 yard touchdown for Utah with 11:16 left in the fourth quarter. The Jynx tried for a two-point conversion, but Stacey Shipmon's run try was stopped short of the goal line to leave the score at 38-12.
    Not to be outdone, Sacramento came right back to score again on another long run by George, as she took the ball in from 47 yards out for her third TD of the night with 9:30 left. Bloom's PAT gave the Sirens a 45-12 lead.
    Utah scored the final touchdown of the night after Shipmon recovered a Sirens fumble on the 40-yard-line. A big pass play between Bean and Kafi moved the ball to Sacramento's 24, and aided by several Siren penalties, the Jynx landed on the Sacramento eight-yard-line. Bean again connected with Kafi on the score with 5:11 left and a conversion run by Utah added a pair to bring the score to the final 45-20 tally.

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