Recap vs. Columbus Comets – June 16, 2012
Divas Win Ninth Division Title With 42-0 Victory
DC 42, Columbus 0
By Rich Daniel
Recap • Statistics
Columbus, OH – The D.C. Divas went to Columbus, Ohio, in search of their ninth division championship in the last 10 seasons and came away with a resounding 42-0 victory over the Comets.
Kenyetta Grigsby helped provide the perfect Father’s Day gift to her dad, Kenny, who had driven from Detroit to see his daughter play for the first time. Grigsby finished the Divas’ first drive of the game with a one-yard score and then did it again with a 12-yard dash to start the second quarter, and suddenly it was 14-0 Divas.
The Comets (2-6) played with great heart and responded with a long drive, only to have it end when Callie Brownson picked off a pass at the goal line. With her dad, Bruce, watching in the stands, Brownson raced 100 yards untouched to the end zone for a 21-0 lead. The Divas maintained their 21-point advantage at halftime.
The first drive of the third quarter saw the league’s leading receiver, Ashley Whisonant, catching a pass from the all-time winningest quarterback in women’s football history, Allyson Hamlin. Hamlin helped secure her 66th career win as a starting quarterback with a perfectly timed 27-yard pass to Whisonant for the fourth touchdown of the game. The Divas led at that point, 28-0.
Allyson Hamlin’s father, Paul, is the D.C. Divas’ team owner and was on the sideline photographing all the action. All night long, a number of fathers and families of Divas’ players could be heard cheering their daughters on.
The Divas (5-3) also scored on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive back Eleni Kotsis did her part by picking off a Columbus pass, fumbling the return, recovering the ball, and continuing all the way to the end zone for a memorable, 62-yard pick-six. That highlight reel return put the Divas ahead 35-0.
The Divas running game finished Columbus off on the first drive of the fourth quarter when Stephanie Walker was hit by two Comets at the goal line but managed to explode and extend for the Divas’ final touchdown of the night. Kris Simon was perfect on the night with her holder and snapper combination of Missy Bedwell and Melissa Mitchell, going six of six for the game to make the final score 42-0.
Brownson added to her interception total when she picked off a Gatorade bucket filled with ice and very little water directed at Coach Alison Fischer in the team’s post-game huddle. Coach Fischer finished her first regular season with a 5-3 record and the division title.
The Divas will host a conference quarterfinal playoff game on June 30 and take on the winner of the Pittsburgh Passion-Detroit Dark Angels match-up next weekend. Tickets for the Divas’ home playoff game will be available online soon.
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