Clansmen overpower Pyros in double-header

The Stirling Clansmen overcame the UWS Pyros on Sunday in two back-to-back matches.  The double-header victories, scheduled because of bad weather fixture congestion, have moved the Clansmen to 6-0 for the season.

In game one, the Clan’ hit the ground running with the Defence holding strong before the offence scored on its first drive. Fullback Zake Muluzi powered the ball in on Stirling's 6^th play of the match.  The Clansmen then recovered the onside kick, which was to be a tactical decision repeated for much of the game, as Stirling - with one eye now firmly set on the play-offs - looked to improve their overall seeding.  

On the very next play, quarterback Stephenson threw a slant to standout RB Grant Isdale who ran in for a 48-yard score.  The defence again managed to force the Pyros to punt, and once again Isdale was the scorer for the offence.  The defence managed to hold again and block a UWS field goal attempt however the offence ran out of time whilst in the UWS red-zone as the referee blew for half time. 

Stirling received the ball at the start of the second half but were turned over when back-up quarterback Kenny Mackay was intercepted.  Once again though, the Clan defence stopped the UWS run game and forced them to punt.  Rookie running-back Craig Findley ran the ball in on the next offensive drive for the score.  Running-back Isdale scored twice more and linebacker Kevin Ferber scored with an interception to round off the scoring and the match, which finished 48-0 to Stirling.

Although the second game was much of the same as the first, the Clansmen failed to score on their first drive, after an incomplete pass to Isdale on 4^th and goal.  Stirling's defence though turned the ball back over after stuffing the Pyros on a fourth-and-inches run, which allowed their offence to again find its rhythm, scoring almost immediately with senior running-back McDowall taking it in on a sweep run play.

The defence continued to halt the Pyros run, and again the offence marched downfield; Isdale once more the scoring on a reception from a Luis Stephenson pass. With Stirling's defence again dominant, Stephenson again scored on the very next drive with a 65-yard TD pass to Isdale.  Isdale rounded off the scoring late in the match with a breakaway run on another sweep as the match ended 32-0 to Stirling.

The Kilted Kangaroo MVP was: Grant Isdale

After the match Head Coach Rob Orr said, “The field conditions today were pretty abysmal, so taking that into consideration and the fact that this was our first outing following the winter break and also that we had to play a back-to-back double header, I was quite pleased with the overall performance."

Stirling's scheduled game against Napier University this Wednesday has unfortunately been awarded to Stirling as a 1-0 win, due to Napier forfeiting the match because of injuries. The Clan therefore now sit at 7-0, with just Glasgow standing in the way of their first perfect regular season since 2007 and back-to-back Scottish Championships.