Washington enjoys rookie season

Ted Black, The Bowie Blade-News

When the DC Divas prevailed over the visiting Columbus Comets, 42-20, Saturday evening at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex in Landover, the victory had dual importance for Divas’ rookie and Bowie native, Melissa Washington.

Saturday the Divas (5-3) clinched their 10th division title in franchise history and will head into the Women’s Football Alliance playoffs June 22 seeking their first championship since 2006. Washington, a 2003 Largo High and 2007 Wake Forest graduate who played basketball professionally in Europe for five seasons, donned pink shoes in honor of her mother, Nicole, a two-time breast cancer survivor.

“I am so proud of my mother for how strong she has been through all of the ups and downs,” said Washington, who had 5.5 tackles in the Divas’ victory. “By looking at her and talking to her, you would never know how much she’s been through. She lives without complaining even when she has the right to do so. She is a warrior, an adapter and the most giving and genuine person I know.”

Washington is one of 35 rookies on the Divas, a squad that historically has been among the perennial powers in the WFA. After playing basketball for over a decade, Washington had to shift her focus to football when she tried out for the Divas in January.

“When I retired from basketball, I didn’t want to stop playing sports altogether,” Washington said. “I wanted to stay active. I had heard about the Divas and decided to go to the tryouts. It was different, but I felt like I could fit in. The veteran players have really made me feel welcome. (Linebacker) Trigger (McMair) has been a tremendous leader and she’s made all the rookies on defense feel like part of the team.”

Despite the squad’s youth movement, Washington has plenty of veterans to look up to on the Divas. Quarterback Allyson Hamlin, an Eleanor Roosevelt High School and University of Maryland graduate who has been the Divas’ starting quarterback since 2004, and 13-year veteran Donna Wilkinson has played running back, linebacker and tight end for the squad since her rookie season with the squad that was born of expansion in 2000.

“We have a lot of new faces on the team this year,” Hamlin said. “It’s a good thing, because it shows you that a lot of women want to come out and play for us. It’s just going to take them time to learn all of the plays. But someone like Melissa, you have to love her athleticism and enthusiasm. She’s a tremendous athlete and she’s had an excellent rookie season for us. I’m glad she’s here and I hope she stays around.”

“Seeing these younger women just inspires me to work harder,” said Wilkinson, who turned 39 before the season began and has overcome numerous serious injuries to her knees and back. “I can’t move as well or as quickly as I once could, but I’ve learned how to adjust and not only get stronger but get more nimble. I’ve been able to do that through yoga and through Asea, a natural drink that really helps the body heal itself.”

Washington and her fellow Divas’ defensive players looked too generous on the Comets’ opening possession Saturday when Columbus went right down the field on only four plays, all of them runs up the middle. But after spotting the visitors an 8-0 lead, the Divas clamped down and Hamlin led the team to three first-half scores and a 21-8 lead at the intermission.

The Divas added to their lead in the third quarter and owned a commanding 42-14 advantage when the Comets scored a meaningless touchdown with 29 seconds remaining.

Saturday the DC Divas will face the Comets again in a WFA quarterfinal game at the Sports & Learning Complex. The Comets edged the New York Sharks, 22-20, last Saturday evening in an opening round game of the WFA playoffs. DC already owns two victories over the Comets this season, taking the first one 53-20 and the most recent, 42-20.

Pittsburgh Passion In Boston For Week 2 Of WFA Playoffs

Larry Snyder, City of Champions Sports

Last Saturday at Hempfield Area High School Stadium in Greensburg, Pa., the Pittsburgh Passion women’s football team shut out the Cincinnati Sizzle 63-0 in the first round of the Women’s Football Alliance playoffs. It was the largest margin of victory in Passion playoff history.

Quarterback Lisa Horton led the Passion attack with two passing touchdowns and 112 passing yards.

Pittsburgh’s running game was also hitting on all cylinders as running back Ciara Chic had one touchdown along with 79 yards rushing. Rookie fullback Candice Snyder was not to be denied as she contributed two touchdowns and 41 yards rushing.

The Passion’s stingy defense against Cincinnati was led by rookie defensive tackle Monica Williams with one sack and five tackles as well as defensive back Melissa Gaskick, who also had five tackles to go along with one fumble recovery. Defensive lineman Kaitlin Niedermeyer had four tackles and one fumble recovery, while defensive back Autumn Kramer added one interception on the night.

Pittsburgh placekicker Amy Fallon tied a team record for the most PATs in a single postseason game as she went 9-for-9 on extra points.

The Pittsburgh Passion will be on the road for the second round of the 2013 WFA Playoffs as they travel to Boston to take on the Militia on Saturday at Dilboy Stadium in Sommerville, Mass. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. The last time the Passion and Militia faced each other was Week 5 at Highmark Stadium in Station Square, when Boston defeated Pittsburgh 42-28.

Passion Pride: The Passion finished the 2013 regular season with a 6-2 record and in second place in the Women’s Football Alliance NFC Division 2. In nine games, the team has averaged 38.9 points per game while surrendering only 13.9.

Horton has completed 116 passes on 215 attempts for 1802 yards, 23 touchdowns and just four interceptions. Rachel Wojdowski was the leading receiver with 36 receptions for 766 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Snyder gained 297 yards on 50 carries and seven touchdowns to lead the Pittsburgh ground game.

The Pittsburgh defense had four shutouts during the regular season to go along with last week’s shutout in the playoffs.

Linebacker Ebony Ivy led the defense with 48 tackles while linebacker Tia Montgomery was second with 45 tackles. Defensive linemen Kaitlain Neidermeyer and Olivia Girswold each had 3.5 sacks this season.

The WFA announced their 2013 All-American Squad and the following menbers of the Passion were named to the First Team: Horton, Wojdowski, cornerback Sharon Vazquez, wide receiver Amanda Haeg, Snyder and Fallon.

Second-team honors were bestowed on Montgomery, defensive linemen Kim Zubovic and Shelby Horak. They will all be representing Pittsburgh on Aug. 3 when they play in the 2013 WFA All-American Game in San Diego, Calif.

Boston Clipboard: The Militia finished the regular season with a record of 8-0. They were 6-0 in WFA games and 2-0 in non-league games. Boston finished in first place in the Women’s Football Alliance NFC Division 1 and had a first-round bye in the WFA playoffs.

The Boston Militia ground game is lead by Whitney Zelee, who set a team and WFA record in Week 7 when she rushed for 236 yards aginast the Central Maryland Seahawks. Zelee has rushed for 2,138 yards on 129 carries; she had 34 touchdowns this season. Stacey Tiamfook has 566 yards on 53 carries and 11 touchdowns.

Quarterback Allison Cahill is completing 65.3 percent of her passes to go along with 12 touchdowns and only two interceptions. Adrienne Smith is the leading receiver with 19 receptions for 342 yards and four touchdowns.

In Week 6, Boston put up 81 points on the scoreboard while the D.C. Divas had 54 points in one of the highest scoring games in WFA history.

Linebacker Vicky Eddy is the leader of the Militia defense this season with 42 tackles while linebacker Jennifer Pirog is second with 33 tackles and two interceptions.

Quarterback Allison Cahill Building Her Own Legacy in Boston's Football Scene

Mark Staffieri, Bleacher Report

Making a one handed repcetion in an
April 14, 2012 match versus the New York Sharks

While Tom Brady has assembled a Hall of Fame career that has made him as big a sporting legend in Boston as Bobby Orr, Bill Russell and Ted Williams, Allison Cahill of the Boston Militia has built quite the resume herself. In a distinguished career that has seen the 32-year-old Cahill win two national football titles (the Independent Women’s Football League championship in 2010, and the Women’s Football Alliance title in 2011), she has built a remarkable sporting legacy for female football in Boston.

A lifelong New England Patriots fan, she had a memorable opportunity to throw the ball with former New England Patriots quarterback Steve Grogan. Her father had Patriots season tickets for over 30 years, and Cahill grew up fondly watching the Patriots compete at the former Sullivan Stadium in Foxboro.

Hailing from Uxbridge, Massachusetts, Cahill is a multi-sport star that once played basketball for Princeton University in the Ivy League. In her junior season (2001-02), she led the Princeton Tigers in two statistical categories, points per game (14.2) and assists (83).

Her 119 rebounds and 53 three-pointers ranked second on the Tigers squad. For her efforts, she was named a 2002 Second Team All-Ivy selection. Having graduated in 2003 with a major in History, Cahill’s 176 career three-pointers rank eighth all-time in Ivy League history.

Her first brush with football began in the fifth grade when she played flag football in a local boys league. As the team’s quarterback, she would lead them to three consecutive league titles.

While at Uxbridge High School, the District E Athletic Directors Award was bestowed upon her. Criterion for the honor included scholastic achievement, citizenship and leadership. On the hard court, she led Uxbridge to four consecutive winning seasons, complemented by four postseason berths.

In addition, she was the school’s all-time leading scorer in basketball (among both boys and girls). She would also earn three varsity letters in softball, while serving as captain of both the softball and basketball squads.

Since the Militia was formed in 2008, Cahill has served as the team’s starting quarterback. In that time span, the Militia have gone a Tom Brady-like 55-5 under Cahill’s leadership. Named the Militia’s Most Valuable Player in 2009, she would also earn the WFA Conference Offensive Player of the Year Award in 2011 (along with First Team All-America honors).

In their first ever home game in franchise history (contested in 2008 against the DC Divas), she ran the ball for the first touchdown of the contest, a 27-22 Militia victory. It would be a sign of greater things to come for Cahill and the Militia (which were an amalgamation of two defunct franchises, the Boston Rampage and the Massachusetts Mutiny).

Cahill would leave an impression in her last two seasons in the Independent Women’s Football League (2009 and 2010). Resulting in two consecutive 8-0 regular season records, Cahill would help the Militia to a memorable finish in 2010. Competing in the IWFL Championship game, the squad vanquished the Sacramento Sirens to finish with an 11-0 overall record.

Her legacy would only grow in 2011 when the Militia joined the Women’s Football Alliance. Finishing with a 7-1 record, Cahill would make a huge statement in the postseason. A victory over the Chicago Force in the conference semi-finals was made sweeter as their quarterback was Sami Grisafe (who helped the US win a gold medal at the 2010 IFAF World Championships).

The 2011 WFA title game would serve as Cahill’s chance to shine. While she only threw for 106 yards, her three touchdown passes were crucial. After a first quarter that saw opponent San Diego take a 6-0 lead, Cahill displayed great poise. On their first possession in the second quarter, Cahill bounced back with a touchdown pass to Adrienne Smith.

With the momentum changing, it would mark the beginning of three consecutive touchdowns in the second quarter. With 48 seconds remaining in the half, Cahill would find Whitney Zelee for a 12-yard touchdown pass, as the Militia jumped out to a 20-6 advantage.

Boston’s first possession in the third quarter would result in Cahill tossing her third touchdown pass. A 16-yard toss to Emily Weinberg would widen the lead to a 27-6 margin. While the offense sputtered in the fourth quarter, Cahill protected the lead, as the Militia would defeat the Surge by a 34-19 final for the 2011 WFA championship.

While Militia teammate Whitney Zelee set a WFA record in 2013 by logging the first 2,000-yard rushing season in league history, she credited Cahill with helping her get into shape. When not serving as the field general for the Militia, Cahill is employed as a personal trainer. Zelee’s record breaking season is testament to Cahill’s abilities as a team leader.

During the 2013 regular season (in which Boston finished 8-0 with a division title), Cahill completed 65.3 percent of her passes (64-of-98 attempts), while also tossing for 1,002 passing yards. She was one of only eight quarterbacks who threw for more than 1,000 yards in the season.

This was complemented by 12 touchdown passes (compared to only two interceptions) and a passer rating of 130.2 (ranking fourth in the league), while also being named a WFA First-Team All-American.

As the women of football struggle for respect and recognition, the fans at Dilboy Memorial Stadium in Somerville know that they have a gem in Cahill. Her fierce work ethic has led to championship results, helping to solidify Boston’s standing as the greatest City of Champions of the last ten years (Super Bowl wins in 2001, 2003-04, World Series wins in 2004, 2007, an NBA title in 2008, a Stanley Cup victory in 2011 and a Clarkson Cup in 2013).

She may not earn a million dollar salary or have product endorsements, but no one can put a value on the heart and dedication that she brings as Boston’s field general. While she works towards ending her 2013 campaign with a second WFA title, the sporting legacy that she is creating in Boston will forever leave an impression on fans.