On Saturday, Sept. 10, the So Cal Scorpions took on the Arizona Caliente to defend their Western Division top status in the Women’s Professional Football League (WPFL). They completely dominated play and improved to 5-1 with a solid 43-0 thrashing of the Caliente to remain one of the top teams in the American Conference.

The Scorpions bolted out of the gate with two successful drives and a completed pass to Carmen Cruz for the first touchdown of the game.

The Scorpion’s defense showed that they came to play, stopping the Caliente from gaining much ground. Back-to-back sacks followed by a sack behind the line of scrimmage illustrated the strength of the Scorpions’ defense.

The Caliente punted on fourth down and the Scorpions returned the punt with several short passes, which resulted in a completed pass to Desiree Barry, who ran from the 30-yard line, broke several tackle attempts and evaded several others to make the second score of the game.

The Scorpions’ Joniece Edwards was on fire, sacking the ball carrier and the quarterback several times throughout the game. This strong defense forced a fumble by the Caliente on the 28-yard line, but the Scorpions’ offense was unable to break through the Caliente’s defense so close to the goal line, resulting in a turnover.

The Caliente attempted several runs but was stopped by the Scorpions’ defense without gaining much yardage. The Caliente attempted a punt on the fourth down, but a strong rushing drive by the Scorpions resulted in a safety when the punter was sacked in the end zone.

The Caliente kicked off to the Scorpions, who returned it for a modest 15-yard run, which was then followed by a second score by Barry – and the third of the game.

The game was peppered with some give and take of yardage in the final minutes of the first half. Cilena Mosley broke through to sack the Caliente quarterback for an impressive final play.

In the most notable play of the game, Barry was given the ball and managed to complete a 65-yard run, evading tackles and finally bursting past the last defender to score her third touchdown of the game, bringing the score to 29-0 after an extra-point kick.

During the third quarter, the Caliente tried to step up their game and their defense became more focused, holding the Scorpions back. The Scorpions threw an interception, which was fumbled and recovered, but the Scorpions couldn’t get past the Caliente defense in this drive. After a late tackle by the Scorpions and a rejuvenated Caliente defense, it was time for their offense to step up. After two back-to-back drives resulting in two first downs, the Caliente broke into the Scorpions’ end of the field with only six minutes remaining in the third quarter.

The Scorpions apparently needed that wake-up call and redoubled their efforts, stopping the Caliente’s momentum and forcing them to punt on the fourth down. The Scorpions’ offense was on fire, completing passes and runs to gain first down after first down before Yaritza Perez ran in their fifth touchdown of the game.

Melissa Gallegos ran in the sixth touchdown of the game, resulting in the second of two injuries for the Caliente. Strong defense on both teams and turnovers resulted in the Caliente forcing a fourth down punt by the Scorpions. The Scorpions fumbled the snap and it was recovered by the Caliente at the 20-yard line, the furthest into the Scorpions territory they had been during the entire game. Sensing the danger, the Scorpions’ defense once again stepped up and shut down any further advance by the Caliente, who turned the ball over after the two-minute warning.

The Scorpions began another drive and managed to push deep into Caliente territory before a fourth-down turnover. Crystal Stokes sacked the Caliente’s quarterback behind the line of scrimmage for the last play of the game.

The Scorpions’ next home games are Oct. 1 against the New Mexico Burn and Oct. 8 against the Los Angeles Amazons. Complete schedule information can be obtained on their Web site: http://www.socalscorpions .com. Or visit this article online at www.gaylesbiantimes.com for a link.