With two teams as similar in makeup as the Kansas City Krunch and St. Louis Slam, it is not surprising that the difference in the game was a single play in the third quarter.

Despite a stellar defensive outing by the Krunch, the Slam pulled out a 6-2 victory in Kansas City’s home opener at J.C. Harmon High School in Kansas City, Kan. last Saturday, April 17.

“We came into a game situation where it was kind of like playing ourselves,” Krunch head coach Jesse Mack said of the Slam. “We match up player for player with them. It’s difficult to score when you are playing a team as evenly matched as these two.”

Midway through the third quarter the game remained scoreless following several strong defensive stands by both teams. Then St. Louis’ 5-foot-1 half back Pat Riggins broke through the Krunch defensive line and scampered 28 yards for the only touchdown of the game.

Although Mack is extremely confident in his team’s passing defense, he said the Krunch defenders will need to work on their tackling.

“We attacked and were able to get through their line. We just didn’t wrap her up,” he said of Riggins. “She is a very good runner. We need to wrap up and bring them down.”

The story of the night for the Krunch defense was the performance by newcomer Dana Guinn, who had three picks and 53 yards on returns.

“She played outstanding,” Mack said of the cornerback who joined the team only a month ago. “She doesn’t have a football background but is very athletic. She has good hands and fits in well at defensive back. She is getting better each week.”

Other defensive standouts included cornerback Nyala Cheirs and linebacker Kim Kastilahn, both with 10 total tackles in the game. Defensive tackle Chrissi Loesch added nine total tackles.

The Krunch were knocking on the door in the second quarter when Guinn returned one interception inside the red zone. But a couple of penalties proved costly for the Krunch offense as they were pushed back out of scoring territory.

Later in the fourth quarter, the Krunch had an opportunity to tie or take the lead after linebacker Andrea O’Neal recovered a fumble with time winding out in the second half. But a fumble by Kansas City moved the offense eight yards back, eventually leading to a punt.

With 15 ticks on the clock the Slam attempted to run out the remainder of the time by running the ball back into the Krunch end zone. The play was later ruled a safety by the officials, giving Kansas City two points.
Mack was especially happy with the performance of the special teams unit.

“Our special teams are pretty solid,” he said. “Riggins didn’t run back many kicks.”

The first year coach said the Krunch offensive line was in a fight from beginning to end.

“Jessica Zeller made the play of the game in defending the quarterback,” he said of the returning all-star offensive guard who was able to knock down a defender to protect quarterback Ursula Copeland.
Mack was also impressed by the performance of offensive tackle Yolanda Ramirez.

“She is one of best offensive lineman in our division and maybe our conference. She is relentless.”
Copeland completed three of 15 passes for 52 yards with one interception. She rushed for six yards in six attempts, while tailback Cathie Stansberry picked up 51 yards on 16 carries.

The loss dropped the Krunch to 1-1 on the year, while St. Louis improved to 2-0.

Kansas City will travel to Evansville this Saturday to take on the 0-2 Express who has been held scoreless in two games.

“We’ve got some things that our players need to prove to themselves,” added Mack. “We still can get through to the playoffs. One loss will not stop us. We need to buckle down because we control our own destiny.”