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RDU ASSAULT
ANNIHILATES RAW TALENT IN WINTER SHOOTOUT TAFFL PRESS (TP) - Raleigh - Number one versus number two. A playoff or tournament bracket’s best scenario. However, at the conclusion of the TAFFL 2008 Winter Shootout Flag Football Tournament, the number two seeded Raw Talent would fair as well as a Prairie View up against the New England Patriots (of last season), as the Talent would suffer a 51-0 beating at the hands of the #1-RDU Assault. The 51-0 score was the worst loss by a team in the history of the TAFFL Tournament Series. Entering the Championship
game, the RDU Assault, winners of the 2008 Carolina Nationals and
5-time TAFFL Bowl Champion would enjoy the luxury of the #1-seed
after an impressive 3-0 first day performance. They would knock off
the TAFFL Bowl VIII The #2-seed would be earned by another veteran team in Raw Talent, led by Derek Morrison and after an impressive first day performance, it looked to set the stage for an epic battle. Despite losing their last game of the day to the Cougars, most likely due to fatigue, the Talent would go 2-1 on day one, knocking off Dazz in their first game and needing overtime to get by Da Takeover. On day two, in a very ironic twist, the Talent would again face Da Takeover and Dazz, however the results would remain the same. Raw Talent victories and a trip to the tournament finals. But on this day, like so many the Triangle Area Flag Football League has witnessed, it was the Steve Bergman and RDU Assault show…and the Talent, despite having lots of it…had no answer. It would not take Bergman long to get the show on the road when with only 2:20 having elapsed in the game he would connect with DeFonte Coleman to give the team the early 7-0 lead. This would also be the beginning of a big day for Coleman, who would finish with three catches, all for touchdowns, and defensive interception. Raw Talent would stall on their first offensive possession and after turning the ball over on downs would watch as Bergman would make them pay by hooking-up with veteran John Sellars for the 14-0 lead at the 9:19 mark. Two minutes later, Kenny Harris, the 42-year old veteran and oldest player in TAFFL, would force Lawrence Fuller out the back of the endzone to record a sack for a safety and increase the lead to 16. Then after a Steve Sherode interception, his first of two in the game, Bergman would again find Coleman in the endzone to increase the RDU Assault lead to 22-0 and at this time, 17:20 in the first half, a blowout looked to be in the making. Looking to gain some momentum and put points on the board before the half, the Talent would only dig themselves a deeper hole, when Chioke Ward would pull the flag of Fuller in the endzone for the safety, after a fumble and a recovery by the reserve QB. This would again increase the Assault lead, making the score 24-0 with :39 remaining in the half. On the team’s subsequent possession and with :13 remaining before half, Coleman would score the hat trick, when Bergman again would find his big target, who would make a spectacular catch over a Talent defender to take a 31-0 lead into halftime. After the break, the Assault’s assault would slow tremendously, as the Talent would come out with a better defensive game plan, although the offense still failed to find the ignition to their scoring. It would take over twelve minutes before the Assault would rally for more points, when Jon Robertson would catch a short dump pass and run up the middle of the field, hitting an extra gear and splitting the Talent defenders as if they were standing still. He would be challenged at the end of the run by Justin Crawford, 2-Time TAFFL Defensive Player of the Year, but not before he would cross the goal line. With the score at 38-0, the game looked all but over. However, Bergman was not done just yet and he and Sellars would once again connect for a score increasing the Assault lead to 45 and just to put the icing on the cake, Bergman would finish his monster passing day with a final TD pass to Donnell Hall with :42 seconds in the game and the 51-0 victory. Steve Bergman would be named the 2008 TAFFL Winter Shootout Championship game Most Valuable Player, after passing for 7 touchdowns, with one interception. This latest achievement for the team is added to a long list of TAFFL accomplishments, championships, and MVP awards. The RDU Assault was also the winner of the 2008 Carolina Nationals.
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Champions, Raleigh Thunder, as well as defeat team Dazz (TAFFL BOWL
VIII runner-up) in a rematch of the Season VIII conference finals, a
game in which Dazz won. And in their final game on day one crush
the Average Joes. In day two they would make light work of Da Inc.
and in a second game against the Average Joes, win even bigger than
they did on day one, using the momentum of a 30-0 victory to enter
the tournament finals.