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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Rich Daniel OVER AND OUT: Atlanta, GA--The D.C. Divas historic run at football immortality came to an unceremonious and dispiriting end Saturday night. On the road, in front of a hostile crowd, against the defending IWFL champion Atlanta Xplosion, the Divas fought valiantly to keep their dream of back-to-back world titles alive. In the end, despite a heroic late game rally, the Divas season culminated with a hard-fought, 28-18 playoff loss. "This is a tremendous disappointment," said General Manager Rich Daniel. "We had another amazing season, that obviously ended too soon. Atlanta is the defending champions for a reason." The game matched two of the elite teams of women's football: both the Divas and the Xplosion entered the first round, post-season game with perfect regular season records. True to form the two evenly matched teams turned much of the first half into a rough-and-tumble defensive stalemate. With just 1:25 left in the second quarter, Divas running back Tiffany Matthews finally broke open the scoreless game with an electrifying, 32-yard touchdown run. Despite a failed two-point conversion attempt, D.C. led 6-0 at the half. The rugged and tempestuous standoff continued until late in the third quarter. A roughing the center penalty against the Divas special teams unit helped to keep an Atlanta scoring drive alive. The controversial call provided the emotional catalyst for the Xplosion's dormant offense: Atlanta scored on three consecutive possessions to take a seemingly insurmountable 21-6 fourth quarter lead. While Atlanta continued to celebrate their third touchdown, the visitors from D.C. pulled off a brilliant display of razzle-dazzle. On the ensuing kick-off, return-ace Kathryn Hemlock and wide receiver Tara Stephenson executed a perfect special teams reverse. Stephenson's 75-yard scamper cut the lead to 21-12, with just over six minutes still to play. Minutes later the Divas were on the march again. Quarterback Allyson Hamlin led a dramatic, late-game drive, culminating in a touchdown pass to running back Donna Wilkinson. Again, however, the two-point conversion attempt failed. With precious little time left in regulation the Divas trailed by three, 21-18. Following the score, the Divas special teams nearly came up big once again. An onside kick attempt caromed off several Atlanta defenders, leading to a mad scramble for possession. The opportunity was lost when the Xplosion somehow recovered the loose ball. As the final moments counted down the famed D.C. 'D' attempted to make one last, courageous stand. On every snap the Atlanta ball carriers were met by a swarm of defenders, each desperately trying to strip the football away. In the end, with the Divas forced to crowd the line of scrimmage, Atlanta running back Onetha Cannon ran wide, turned the corner, and was gone. The 60-yard touchdown, Cannon's third of the game, iced the playoff win for the Xplosion and ended the Divas championship hopes. While the season ended on a discouraging note, the effort and sacrifice made by each and every member of the organization did not go unnoticed. Following the game General Manager Rich Daniel profoundly surmised the true definition of a D.C. Diva. "We may not have won tonight, but I am proud of everyone associated with this football team. To me every member of this group is still a champion." ### The team is comprised of women of varied professional and athletic backgrounds from all over the Washington metropolitan area. Together, these brave pioneers continue to shatter traditional sports stereotypes, while advancing athletic opportunities for women everywhere. For more information or to schedule an interview with
the D.C. Divas please contact: |
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