Recap vs. Roanoke Revenge – April 3, 2004

D.C. Divas Exact Revenge on Roanoke
DC 70, Roanoke 0
By Rich Daniel

Recap • Statistics

Washington, DC – The D.C. Divas opened their 2004 season by welcoming a new team to the league – the Roanoke Revenge. The defending Mid-Atlantic division champion Divas handed the visiting Revenge a 70-0 trouncing on April 3.

The Divas (1-0) kicked off to a hopeful Roanoke team at 6 PM, but the Revenge gained little before they had to punt. The Revenge kicker dropped the ball, and the Divas swarmed on it to take possession deep in Revenge territory. Running back Donna Wilkinson took advantage and scored on the Divas’ first possession. She completed the two-point conversion for an 8-0 lead.

On their next possession, the Revenge (0-1) were able to get a first down but weren’t able to move the ball down the field. On the ensuing punt, the Revenge fell on the ball after a Divas player touched it. But Roanoke was unable to take advantage of this possession, and a touchdown eluded them once again.

On their next possession, the Divas’ Raynette Savoy had a long punt return. A pass to Nikki Williams led to a touchdown, but a flag on the play called it back. The Divas kept the pressure on with a long run from Wilkinson, which required two Revenge players to bring her down. Quarterback Allyson Hamlin then fired a pass to Tara Kallal, who had a long run for another touchdown at the end of the first quarter. Wilkinson provided the two-point conversion to make the score 16-0.

The D.C. Divas didn’t slow down in the second quarter by scoring quickly off a Hamlin pass to Vickie Lucas. Wilkinson again provided the extra two points to bring the score up to 24-0. The Revenge continued to try to move the ball but could not make anything happen. D.C. kept the pressure on. With the help of some excellent blocking from defensive back Kathryn Hemlock, Lilah Blackstone returned the next punt for a touchdown. Kallal provided the two-point conversion for a score of 32-0.

On their next possession, the Divas flexed their muscles with a long run from Williams, which set up an apparent touchdown pass from Hamlin to Kallal. Another flag brought that score back, and the Divas went to halftime with a 32-0 lead.

As the third quarter got underway, Wilkinson stepped up again for a score with 11 minutes left in the period. The two-point conversion brought the score to 40-0. About five minutes later, Tara Watanathai threw a touchdown pass to Williams, and with Kallal providing the two-point conversion, that made the score 48-0.

With 3:46 left in the quarter, the Revenge’s possession was cut short by an interception by Divas defensive back Alison Fischer. The Divas once again turned this opportunity to gold with another touchdown as the fourth quarter began. Rookie Natalie Randolph ran 22 yards to the end zone, and the conversion brought the score to 56-0.

The D.C. Divas continued their reign with two more touchdowns before the final gun. With just three minutes left in the game, Adrienne Lewis scored on a 15-yard touchdown run. Stacey Michael added one last rushing touchdown to make the final score 70-0.

Seven different Divas players scored against Roanoke. The offense ran up 451 total yards with 274 coming on the ground. Donna Wilkinson had seven carries for 87 yards and two touchdowns, while Stacey Michael, Adrienne Lewis, and Natalie Randolph all rushed for touchdowns. Quarterbacks Allyson Hamlin and Tara Watanathai were a combined six of 10 for 177 yards and three touchdowns.

Meanwhile, the DC defense allowed less than 100 yards for the entire game. Lilah “LBoogie” Blackstone added a 73-yard punt return on special teams to help give the Divas their largest margin of victory in team history. “Defensively, I thought we were outstanding,” said Coach Ezra Cooper. “Our new style of attacking will be a challenge for the teams we face this year. On the offensive side of the ball, our team speed and play of our quarterbacks will give us a chance to score a lot of points.”

The D.C. Divas will have bye week for Easter and then travel to Baltimore to face their archrivals, the Baltimore Burn, on April 17.

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