Loughborough Aces Football

ACES 13 @ Lions 21

acesadmin — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 21:22:01 +0000

Unfortunately the Lions proved too much for the Aces in the inaugural Football America Bowl. Full report to follow soon.

ACES are Coming Home

acesadmin — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:27:55 +0000

For Aces players, coaches and fans of the past and the present.

This year’s annual Homecoming will be against the Nottingham Trent Renegades and the Loughborough Aces invite our alumni from far and wide to support the Cardinal and Gold in their last game of the regular season.

The Aces will host the Renegades on the “Cage” at Loughborough College. Join us after the game for Homecoming drinks at the Griffin, proud sponsor of Aces American Football.

ACES 35 vs Braves 14

acesadmin — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:13:41 +0000

The Aces hosted the Derby Braves at ‘The Cage’ in a historic rivalry. The Braves were looking to earn a first win against the Aces in their long history of encounters. However, this was not to be as the Aces won the contest 35-14.
The Aces Offense started strongly again with Ben Burslem taking the ball almsot 70 yards to the endzone on the third play of the game, which was just a sign of things to come from Burslem for the rest of the afternoon. On the next drive the Braves set up a strong running game with a few first downs. However, the Aces defense persevered and caused an incompletion on a 3rd and long pass. After a deep punt, the offense took the field. This time it was RB Adam Hope who led the way with some strong runs, capitalised by a touchdown from within the 3 yard line to make the score 14-0. Derby took the ball to near midfield on the next drive but were forced to punt after good pressure from Anssi Saari and Ash Miller on a 3rd and long. The two offenses exchanged a few more punts, after which the Aces started a drive at their 30. John Mathewson caught a Nick Jacquet pass through the middle for 50 yards which took the Aces into the redzone. However, the offense could not convert this to points on the scoreboard and Derby received the ball in their half. The next drive saw Derby score on pass play making the score 14-7 at halftime.
The Aces kicked off the 2nd half and made sure that Derby would punt. The offense, led by QB Nick Jacquet and RB Hope, drove down the field but misfired in the redzone and the FG attempt was no good. The Braves had a 3 and out and punted again. Now it was time for the Ben Burslem show as he made some long runs and a big catch to get near the endzone. He looked to finish it off himself a few plays later and ran it in for the TD, making it 21-7 to the Aces. The Braves were looking to get back into the game, and they managed to by finding a hole in the Aces secondary, scoring on a 30 yard pass play. After getting the ball back, the offense put the ball back into Burslems hands who made some good gains and ran down the clock. The offense drove down the field for a 1st and goal. QB Jacquet kept the ball himself on the next play and ran in for the score to put the Aces up 28-14, with very little time left. On the next drive, a critical one for Derby, the Aces defense fired strong with a sack by Saari and 2 more incompletions. On the resulting key 4th and long play the Aces secondary covered well forcing the QB to scramble for the 1st down marker, but FS Ross Watson came down to make the stop. With less than two minutes left the Aces had some short running plays to run down the clock. With the Derby defense crowding the middle, Burslem managed to break off a 60 yarder down the sideline for his 3rd TD of the day and make the score 35-14. The Braves only had time for a few plays and tried to get in the endzone with long passes. However, the QB could only find Aces LB John Varney who was tackled short a yard before the endzone. Had Varney been able to get into the endzone, it would have been his 3rd TD in the last 3 games.
The clock ran down and the Aces celebrated the win to go 5-0 for the season and continue the winning streak against Derby. After the Christmas break the Aces continue the rest of their regular season looking to retain their MAC title and move into the playoffs.

ACES 48 @ Jets 0

acesadmin — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:12:40 +0000

The Aces hosted the Coventry Jets this weekend at ‘The Cage’, and looked forward to continuing their winning streak. The Jets did not pose much of a problem as the Aces won 48-0 and moved to a 4-0 record.
The game started with a bang as Chris Ossom returned the opening kickoff back to the endzone but was called back by the referees for a penalty, the second time this has happened in 4 games for Ossom. The Aces offense took this frustration out on the Jets defense as Adam Hope and Ben Burslem made solid gains on the ground, assisted by good blocking from the line. In the redzone, QB Nick Jacquet threw a pass to Ross Hubbard who made it look easy.
The Aces defense was also hungry for points as John Kenyon picked off an errant Jets throw on their first offensive play, to make it 14-0. On the next Jets drive the linebackers and defensive line did a good job of putting pressure on the Jets offense and stopping them from getting into a rhythm. The drive was highlighted by an Ash Miller sack forcing the Jets to punt. The Aces O got the ball back deep in their own half but some quick gains moved them to midfield. An alert play by Jacquet and Burslem when the defense moved offside allowed the offense to move into the redzone, but a fumble cut the drive short. The Aces D was stingy as usual and the Jets punted after a 3 and out, giving away good field position, to the Aces O. The drive started strongly with a big run by Burslem to the 10 yard line. The Aces scored soon after, as Jacquet and Hubbard connected on a play identical to the 1st TD of the game. The Aces D had no issues in forcing another 3 and out as the Jets were unable to recover from a sack by Anssi Sarri and tackle in the backfield Jean-Paul Jones. The Jets punted back to the offense and they needed only a few plays to score, Jacquet finding Burslem open in the middle of the field and continuing to the endzone. The next drive did not start well for the Jets as the running back fumbled deep in their half and was recovered by John Varney. Two plays later Jacquet passed into the endzone for his 4th of the half and Burslem caught his 2nd. The XP hit the upright making the score 34-0. After the restart, the Jets tried some long passes as the clock ran down in the half, but the Aces secondary ensured there were no completions.
The Jets requested to kickoff the 2nd half and nearly had a similar result to the opening kickoff. This time Adam Hope received the kick and almost broke free but was pushed out of bounds deep in the Jets half. More importantly, there were no flags this time. The offense looked to capitalise but were just short of the marker on 4th down. The defense were solid as usual and made the Jets punt again. The next offensive drive saw some rotation in personnel as James Slack and Andy Mayall came in at QB and RB. Slack led the drive well, with completions to Mayall, Burslem and James West. However, the offense could not convert on 4th and 2 in the redzone, leaving with no points. The team traded punts a couple more times before the Aces sustained a drive. There was further rotation on offense giving backups some real gametime. They capitalised on their chance and drove down the field, with Mayall running in for the score from 5 yards out. 41-0. After another 3 and out the offense received the ball back near their own endzone. Slack threw 2 completions to West who managed to find some yards after the catch. The drive sputtered near the redzone and the resulting FG attempt was wide. After two more plays from the Jets offense, the ball was back in Aces hands as linebacker Varney made an interception and was straight into the endzone making it 48-0 after the XP. A few runs the clock had run down and the Aces moved to 4-0.

ACES 58 vs Stallions 6

acesadmin — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:32:09 +0000

The Loughborough Aces welcomed the Staffordshire Stallions to ‘The Cage’ for the first home game of the season. The Aces have an impressive record at home, with only 1 loss over the last 2 season. They maintained the record and moved to 3-0 with a comprehensive 56-6 victory.

The Aces were pumped for the game and this showed right from the start when two Aces rookies combined to score. The first play from scrimmage saw John Kenyon force a fumble and Jon Varney picking up the loose ball and running 30 yards to the endzone. The Aces offense was prolific as usual with Adam Hope and Ben Burslem getting the ground game started swiftly. Chris Ossom then ran the next ball into the endzone, quickly putting the Aces up 14-0. Not to be outdone, the defense were quick to make three straight tackle for losses and force the Stallions to punt from their own endzone. The offense had a couple of miscues and had to settle for a James Caveney field goal. The rest of the half continued in the same manner with Aces defense cutting Stallions drives short but the offense making mistakes at crucial points and unable to put more points on the board.

The second half started on a more positive note, with Chris Ossom taking the opening kickoff back to the house. However, a flag on the field for holding had the play called back and the offense started with the ball at midfield. Solid play by the offensive line saw Hope run into the endzone a few plays later. Ash Miller and JP Jones had tackle for losses on the next drive to force another Stallions punt to the 40. Hope then got into his element with 3 consecutive rushes to take it into the endzone, highlighted by a hurdle and a few stiff arms. Same pattern of events continued with the defense forcing 4th and long and the offense taking it in. This time Chris Ossom trucked a few players on his way to the endzone.

By this point in the game, Aces had started rotating players. On the next offensive possession QB James Slack threw an interception off a tipped pass, but the defense held strong with JP Jones recovering a fumble. The next offensive series saw rookie James Onwuemezi run into the endzone on his first ever play for the Aces, putting the Aces up 44-0. Another fumble recovery by the defense let Andy Mayall run the ball in for his first score of the season. The pattern didn’t continue on the next drive as the Stallions broke off a 60 yard run and the Aces gave up their first score of the season. The next offensive drive saw Ben Burslem make a big catch through the middle and ruled down at the 1 yard line. He ran it in on the next play, just as the clock ran down the 0.

Final Score : Aces 58 – Stallions 6

Touchdown Scorers: Jon Varney, Chris Ossom (x2), Adam Hope (x2), James Onwuemezi, Andy Mayall, Ben Burslem

The Aces host Coventry next weekend and looking for another strong performance to move to 4-0 for the season.

ACES 49 @ Wolves 0

acesadmin — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:30:54 +0000

The Aces travelled to Warwick for their second game of the 11/12 BUAFL season, looking to register their second win of the season. They achieved their goal and came back with a 49-0 victory over the Warwick Wolves. The Aces performed well on all three facets of the game, with touchdown scored by Offense, Defense and Special Teams.

The game was put out of reach almost immediately. A strong showing by the defense forced Warwick to go 3 and out. A couple of runs by Adam Hope and Ben Burslem put them at the Wolves goal line. Hope was able to make the short run to the end zone untouched. The defense forced another 3 and out, aided by a sack from Anssi Saari. The ensuing punt was returned back to the Wolves 20 by Ross Watson, assisted by a huge block from Jon Varney.

Only 2 plays later Nick Jacquet kept the ball to walk into the endzone. The next Wolves possession lasted only 1 play as Anssi stripped the ball of the Wolves running back. Adam Hope only needed one play to get into the endzone. The ensuing kickoff was fumbled and Matt Eva recovered the ball on the Wolves 6 yard line. This time Nick Jacquet only needed one play to get into the endzone. Just like that it was 28-0 halfway through the first quarter, and almost no chance for Warwick to get back into the game.

The first possession of the 2nd quarter saw the Aces go for a field goal. In a freak occurrence the kick was blocked and landed in the endzone and resulted in a frantic chase to land on the loose ball. Centre Joe Walker emerged with the ball, the first Aces Offense Lineman to score in atleast 5 seasons.

The Aces started rotating players in the second half, with many rookies getting considerable time and for many their first real experience playing a competitive American Football game. Dan Reeves, James Whitehead and Andy Mayall had good offensive performances in the second half, with Dan scoring his first Aces touchdown. On the defensive side, Diekola Lanre-Oja had some pass breakups and Sam Ruddock held the Wolves ground game. The highlight of the second half was safety Ross Watson intercepting a long pass by Warwick, reversing field and running 70 yards for the score. The Defense was put under pressure near the end of the game with Warwick getting close to the Aces goal line but stayed strong to maintain their shut out for the second straight game.
Final Score: Aces 49 – Warwick 0

Touchdowns scored by Adam Hope (x2), Nick Jacquet (x2), Joe Walker, Dan Reeves, Ross Watson

Next weekend the Aces host their first home game of the season as the Staffordshire Stallions travel ‘The Cage’.

ACES 34 @ Outlaws 0

acesadmin — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 09:29:06 +0000

It is the end of Week 2 in the BUAFL regular season and the Aces have returned from their game over the weekend against MAC rivals, the Nottingham Outlaws, with a big victory of 34-0.

This Remembrance Sunday game saw strong offence creating many opportunities that moved the chains, particularly with QB’s Nick Jacquet and James Slack connecting with WR’s John Mathewson and James Cavney respectively for receiving touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns from RB Adam Hope.

This was combined with a resilient and relentless Aces defense. There were many tackles in the backfield from DT Ashley Miller and a sack for OLB Ben Davies. The Aces secondary contributed hugely, namely with a huge play on special teams from FS Ross ‘Island’ Watson and CB David Platt who narrowly missed out on an interception in the third quarter.
Next week; Aces @ Warwick Wolves

Preseason News from the Aces

acesadmin — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:04:33 +0000

The Loughborough Aces move into the 2011/12 season hungry to win their 4th National Title which has eluded them in recent seasons. Last season ended on a slightly disappointing note with a close loss to the Birmingham Lions in the Quarter Final of the Playoffs, where the Aces were decimated by injuries. However, the season did end on a high note with Quarter Back Tom Worrall and Head Coach Jason Scott both having their jersey numbers, 11 and 99 respectively, being retired at the End of Season meal. Aces Captain and Running Back Adam Hope was awarded the League MVP Award for his consistently high performances throughout the season, with 10 yards per carry and over a 1000 yards in total. The Aces thanked all the graduating finalists for their services to club over the years and it was followed by a night to remember.

With eyes on the prize of a 4th National Title, the Aces players and coaches have worked hard over the off-season, both on the field and in the gym, ready to achieve success in the coming season. New Aces Head Coach Paul ‘Cowboy’ Sherratt, one of the greatest American Football minds in the UK, has pulled together an extensive coaching staff and written an exciting new playbook for the Aces. Second Year Linebacker Anssi Saari has returned to Loughborough with a successful stint at the Helsinki Wolverines where he helped them win the Finnish Division 1 Championships and was named MVP in the final. The Aces are also expecting good additions to the team in the form of John Varney and Jason Connolly who have both played for the GB Junior programme and many other rising stars who look to make their mark at the University level.

The Aces start their season at the Warwick Wolves and look to run the table once again to the playoffs and the National Championship game. If you would like more information please contact President Sam Ruddock.

Aces @ the 2011 Freshers Bazaar

acesadmin — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 09:46:32 +0000

This weekend the Loughborough Aces are recruiting at the 2011 AU Bazaar. To all Loughborough Students interested in American Football, come down to the David Wallace Sports hall and visit our stand.

Speak to experienced players, test yourself against the tackle sled, and even see a full contact demonstration. Come along and sign up for more information.

Introductory rookie session will take place Tuesday and Wednesday to introduce new players to their positons. If you can’t make it to the bazaar, email us, or come down during the week.

We hope to see many new faces to join us for a successful year of football.

HC Jason Scott departs the Aces

acesadmin — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 00:12:52 +0000

It is with great regret that the Aces announce the departure of Jason Scott from his post as Head Coach of Loughborough’s American Football programme, to pursue a further coaching opportunity in the United States. Representing the ‘Cardinal and Gold’ Aces as both a player and coach for the last thirteen years, the last six as HC, his time at the helm has been outstanding, with a 41-6-1 regular season record and taking the Aces to the 2006 and 2010 National Final.

All Aces, past and present, players, coaches and fans alike wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours.

Aces President Sam Ruddock thanked Jason for all his efforts and said:

‘‘I had never played football before arriving at Loughborough. The first person I was in contact with about Aces Football was Coach Scott. His enthusiasm and desire to not only teach others the game but to also provide those crucial life lessons that you learn from playing football at the University level, captivated me and still do to this day. He was like a father to many of the Aces. His knowledge, passion and his ‘Fast Boat’ attitude, in and outside the BUAFL, will form a seminal blueprint for aspiring coaches to study in the future.’’

Coach Scott commented on his legacy at Loughborough:

“It is with huge regret that I have to step down as the Head Coach of the Loughborough Aces – I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here, and it will be strange to not be directly associated with the team next season. However, you can be sure that although I’ll be geographically distant, I will always keep in touch with the team and follow the Aces’ progress with great interest. I’d like to thank all the players past and present, all the coaches who I’ve worked with, and anyone who has ever been to an Aces game. You have made the last thirteen years really, really special.”

The Aces would also like to announce the unfortunate departure of Matt Davis as Defensive Coordinator but he will however return for the 2011-2012 season as a positional coach.

Though hard acts to follow, it is with great pleasure that the Aces announce the appointment of Paul Sherratt and Martin Hilton to the two vacant positions. Paul ‘Cowboy’ Sherratt will assume his duties as the new Head Coach of the Loughborough Aces, in addition to the appointment of Martin Hilton as Defensive Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach.