Eagles Once Again De-claw The Tigers At Home In Eastern Australian Football League Pre-Season Friendly; 19.19 (133) to 3.5 (23)

Capital Polo Grounds, Poolesville, Maryland - 26 April 2008

Riding the opening 2008 wave that started in Fort Lauderdale, the Baltimore Washington Eagles hosted the North Carolina Tigers in a pre-season friendly match. The main objective of the game was to stretch the legs of some of the older veterans, give some game experience to the newer players on both sides as well as start preparing for the upcoming EAFL season by building on the fundamentals.

For the Eagles, the primary focus at the whistle's start was to put up lots of goals, right from the on-set. Dating back the last two years, the Eagles have had a tendency of falling behind in the first few quarters and almost always pulling the reigns in and winning with last minute heroics. This was never the more obvious than the 2007 National Tournament, falling behind to Boston, Orange County and Denver (only Denver were the Eagles not able to climb out of the hole they put themselves in).

With head coach's Aaron Tyndall's words, the Eagles took to the field in the first quarter with everyone knowing their role and everyone knowing what was expected of them. From age-old veterans like Denis Ryan to rookie Phil Stablein who walked into this game as his first full-contact footy game, everyone would be accountable.

First quarter action saw the Eagles a little nervous but very effective as players stepped up and pushed themselves full-throttle into the fire of competition. Some stellar stuff by the likes of Rich Strayer, Shane Frearson and RJ Wheelock in the backline made sure anything sent down to the Eagles' end didn't end up in the hands of the Tiger's "Tower of Power" Jason Heathcote. Ben Merlin did a fantastic job of manning up with Jason for most of the game and kept the man contained being nearly half a foot shorter in height. Peppering shots on the other end of the field, guys like Dwayne Marshall, Matt Bishop and Damien Moore hit their mark with some key kicking. The Tigers put a goal in of their own, but at the first quarter whistle, the Eagles were definitely building momentum that would prove fatal to the traveling squad.

In the second quarter, more of the same as players from both sides attacked the ball physically. Newness to the game on the part of some of the first-year players made for some touchy moments and heated comments, but sole umpire of the game Chris Carroll shook off the temperaments and kept the play moving for both sides. Again proving the theory of lead by example, Aaron Tyndall created space and opportunities while Geoff Hamshar and Damien Moore did what they do so well in the ruck. Another standout on the day was Dave Waldron who put himself in the right positions and came up with some stellar helpers of the course of the quarter. Rookie Joe Lilly also proved his weight this quarter with some great turnarounds as North Carolina tried repeatedly to clear their own zone. Looking back on the scoreboard, the Eagles notched six more goals whereas the Tigers managed only one.

At the half, the law was laid down to not get cocky and to keep level heads in the game. North Carolina was putting up a good fight and any stupid mistakes by the Eagles would definitely cost as the second half would start. Heeding that advice and sticking to the game plan, the Eagles made sure that they would only get better through better communication to one another and to capitalize on each other's strengths.

For most of the third quarter, the ball traveled all over the field. Players like Nate Poslusny, Jay Levesque, Garth Elliott, Jon Mott and Tony Goodman all had touches under pressure with ample opportunities to push the team to the next gear. Some stellar moves by newcomer Phil Stablein as he battled for balls in the mid-field wing. Phil is a proof positive that the proper system is in place for newcomers to the game getting the right exposure and development under wing. He's an example of someone who's only seen the game from TV, come to Ausball games (where things were non-contact, but with fundamentals in place) to putting three metro games under his belt before taking to his first, full-on aussie rules game. And here he was with one of the better performances on the day.

At fourth quarter, the Eagles knew that this was game was theirs to have and focus became on doing the routine and everyone doing their job to the best of their abilities. With the opening bounce, Stuart Ritchie led the charge with some impressive ball movement through the packs. Players Denis Ryan, Dave Schall and Greg Borchardt also provided some open chances which paid out in goals. The man who did the most in the forward line though was full forward Dan Thompson who at the final whistle, tallied six goals to his name. An impressive feat with some amazing dives for the ball in the goal square.

At the end of the day, it was a physical game which the Eagles' will take a number of lessons and notes from. It's good to see the players are starting to gel after a long off-season and everyone should be in top form with the upcoming EAFL opener against Boston lining up on June 7th. The Eagles will be ready for anything and know that they can accomplish anything they set their minds to.

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QUARTER SCORES:
01Q: BWE 4.4 (28) to NCT 1.1 (7); 02Q: BWE 10.8 (68) to NCT 2.1 (13); 03Q: BWE 15.15 (105) to NCT 2.5 (17); 04Q: BWE 19.19 (133) to NCT 3.5 (23)

GOALS:
BWE:  Thompson (6); Bishop, Moore (3); Tyndall (2); Borchardt, Frearson, Lilly, Marshall, Ritchie (1)
NCT:  Beyersdorf, Heathcote, McCallister (1 each)

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BEST:
BWE:  Bishop, Levesque, Marshall, Merlin, Thompson, Tyndall
NCT:  Harvey, Heathcote, Hess, McCallister

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Fort Lauderdale, Florida - 12 April 2008
Expectations are pretty high in Eagles' land. Ranked third in the country after the 2007 USAFL National Tournament when starting the season as number eight, being one of the first clubs to implement a co-ed version of the game on a regular basis and having all eyes in the U.S. watching to see what the Eagles do next has left little doubt that this is a club that is on the rise and can lay claim as one of the elite footy clubs in America.

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Passing on the opportunity to spend their kick off tradition on Maryland's eastern shore, the Eagles flew south to much larger beaches (and stiffer competition) at the Faststream Invitational in Fort Lauderdale. Attending the festivies were local hosts, the Fort Lauderdale Fighting Squids, the Florida Redbacks, the Denver Bulldogs, the New York Magpies and the final U.S. Revolution squad that will be traveling to Melbourne later this summer to compete in the third International Cup. The Eagles knew that every game would be a battle and with one month of official trainings and three metro games under belt, the traveling team would have to bring their game faces with them.

Right from the get-go, things started to shake. A number of quality players had to announce that due to other commitments, they could not attend. With eighteen players sounding off for the roster, a call was made to our brethren up north in Philadelphia. Offering any players from the Hawks that wanted to play with the Eagles, Philly coach Jon Loring said that there would probably be about two or three interested parties and the Eagles immediately felt confident that they would travel and they would travel strong. Good thing because we lost forward Garth Elliott to flight cancellations in New York at the very last minute, dropping us down another veteran player and key component to the overall Eagles' picture.

Arriving in Florida, the team found out that it would be paired against a combined Florida Redbacks/Fort Lauderdale Squids team in the opening match. Lucky break for the Eagles. First pairing would find a hungry Florida team that has been training off and on since January and wanting to give the home crowd something to cheer for. Right out of the gates, things were obvious that the Eagles left their mental game back at the hotel. A few mismatches and some lazy tackles made for some great scenes among the Florida squad as they peppered shots on the Eagles' goal square from a good distance out. Thanks in part to a solid defensive unit, things could have been much worse when the halftime horn blew and the scoreboard read only 5 points as opposed to 5 majors.

Shaking off the opening jitters, the Eagles strapped the laces a bit much tighter and came out guns blazing in the second half. Players like Jay Levesque, Aaron Tyndall and Matty Bishop raised their games and created much needed opportunities for the Eagles. With Dwayne Marshall, Jon Loring and Jay Levesque tacking on a goal each and the Eagles' backline holding Florida to only two more behinds, the Eagles walked off narrow victors in a physical and tightly contested match.

BWE VS. FLORIDA SCORES:
01H: BWE 0.0 (0) to FLA 0.5 (5); 02H: BWE 3.1 (19) to FLA 0.7 (7)
GOALS: Marshall, Levesque, Loring (1 each)

With some time off between the first game and their four o'clock showing against the New York Magpies, a number of Eagles opted to play in the all-comers vs. the Revolution match. Based on sheer numbers and the intensity the Revo players were showing (this was the final try-out session before the final roster was decided by coaches), this was a game that was pretty exciting. Standouts from the Eagles include Rich Strayer in the backline, Joe Lilly playing in just his second full-contact match and the ever-amazing Tony Goodman who bounced off the hits like a rubber ball, even managing to put one through for a point against some stiff competition.

Following the Revo/All-Comers game, a couple of Eagles entered the individual competitions; Aaron Tyndall for fastest man and Jay Levesque for longest kick. AT gave the field a good run, but fell just short to a greyhound runner from New York. Taking cues from AT, Jay bathed in the crowd's attention and proceeded to clean the field for the longest kick. Drop kicking the ball to well over 60 yards, Jay would later reveal his secret "training with Roger Clemens" and thanking the judging panel for not testing for steroids.

Next hurdle in front of the Eagles was divisional rivals, the New York Magpies. The Eagles have only once ever beaten the 'Pies (just last year on their own home ground), and nothing was to be left on the table in this grudge match. Continuing his winning ways, Jay Levesque stood head and shoulders above his competition as did Matt Bishop and Greg Borchardt. Pumping in the first (and only goal) of the game was Jon Loring who after two hard fought games, still found the strength to kick straight and accurate.

As the second half began, it was the Eagle's defense that really stood tall to win this closely contested match. Players Rich Strayer, Mick Dunne, Shane Frearson, Jon Mott, Ben Merlin, and Mick Campbell (also on loan from Philly) kept the 'Pies away from the uprights, leaving nothing but a few points and a number of kicks on the full as the only trinkets to show from an hour of action. This was a real nail biter of a match, but should set the scene for a remarkable match come July when the two teams play for standing rights in regular season action. 

BWE VS. NEW YORK SCORES:
01H: BWE 1.3 (9) to NYM 0.3 (3); 02H: BWE 1.4 (10) to NYM 1.3 (9)
GOALS: Loring (1 goal)

With players opting to play one more game on the Saturday rather than come back in the morning for a Sunday match, the Eagles and Denver Bulldogs squared off to close up the day's events. The last time these two teams met was when the Doggies broke the Eagles' 12 game win streak in the semi-finals at the 2007 USAFL National Tournament before walking off as the Division One champions. This time, the Eagles' had something to prove.

Straight out of the gates, the Eagles coaching staff led by example as AT popped in two consecutive goals within minutes of one another. Not to be outdone, Dwayne Marshall also tacked one to his belt. But perhaps the goal that showed what this team is really about was the fluid movement of the ball from the Eagles' backline into the forward line before full-forward Danny Thompson got a hold of it. With pressure all around him, Thomo turned from the goals and delivered a picture perfect handball to streaking Jay Levesque who took a simple shot for goal, thus blowing away any notion of a comeback for Denver. Teamwork, patience and communication led the Eagles to another victory despite the persistence of the Dogs who grabbed a goal of their own in the second and gave the Eagles' supporters a bit of a gasp in the final minutes.

BWE VS. DENVER SCORES:
01H: BWE 4.3 (27) to DEN 0.0 (0); 02H: BWE 4.3 (27) to DEN 1.3 (9)
GOALS: Aaron Tyndall (2 goals); Dwayne Marshall, Jay Levesque (1 goal each)

But the day belonged to the Eagles who celebrated a well earned undefeated weekend in Fort Lauderdale. Collecting accolades and stories, the Eagles bonded both on the field as well as off of it. A big Eagles thank you to the guys that dawned on an Eagles' jumper for the weekend; Jon Loring, Mick Campbell, Ritchie Lowe and Dan Sergot. Much thanks goes out to the Fort Lauderdale Fighting Squids for a fantastic weekend. Thanks goes out as well to the wives and girlfriends that made the trek down to help cheer on, pick up water/fruit/etc. and for taking all the pictures. And a very special thank you goes out to the Borchardt family who supplied the extras like water/fruit/Gatorade for the guys and joining in the festivities. We appreciate you all being there to help cheer us on.

>> Click here to read USFootyNews.com's first part of their write-up

>> Click here to read USFootyNews.com's second part of their write-up

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Fort Lauderdale, Florida - 12 April 2008
If there are further developments in playing full scale AFL games for points overseas then this facility in Fort Lauderdale would have to be the hot favorite to host the event. As the stadium nears completion we offer some great views of what is in store for players and spectators alike.

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The stadium which is due for official opening this month, will mean three areas available to play Aussie Rules and Cricket plus state of the art change room, entertaining and media facilities. Add a full set of lights to the equation and you have an amazing development opportunity for the game in the USA.

The local Fort Lauderdale Aussie Rules team called the Fighting Squids will host the first games of footy on the field at a specially arranged tournament over the weekend of April 12th -14th in 2008. The teams including Fort Lauderdale Fighting Squids, Sarasota Redbacks as well as Division One National Champions, the Denver Bulldogs and Division Two winners, the Minnesota Freeze are expected to be the first teams to experience possibly the future home of USA footy and the USAFL National Championships. Other teams that have been mentioned of attending have included the New York Magpies, the North Carolina Tigers, the Philadelphia Hawks and the Baton Rouge Tigers.

>> For more about the stadium and a slide show of it's development, please click here

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First Annual BWE Pub Crawl Kicks The Season Off On February 23rd In Downtown Washington, DC; Don't Miss It!

Come join the Baltimore Washington Eagles as we kick-off the 2008 season with a pub crawl through our own backyard of downtown Washington, DC. We hope that you can join us on Saturday, February 23rd starting at 12:30p.m. for what promises to be a grand event. This will serve as a chance to get in touch with some of those old mates that you haven't seen since December at the awards night and to meet some new people interested in joining the club in '08.

The itinerary for the day/night is as follows:

• The Bottom Line Pub (1716 "I" Street, N.W.) at 12:30p.m.

• Mackey's Pub (1812 L Street, N.W.) at 2:00p.m.

• Lucky Bar (1221 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.) at 3:30p.m.

• Black Rooster Pub (1919 L Street, N.W.) at 5:30p.m.

• Kelley's Irish Times (14 F Street, N.W.) at 7:30p.m.

• The Dubliner (520 North Capitol Street, N.W.) at 8:30p.m.

• Hamilton's Bar & Grill (2333 Second Street, N.W.) at 9:30p.m.

We will have specials waiting at each pub we go to. There is no cost (no cover charge)
at any of the pubs, but those wishing to make a donation to the club are more than welcome to do so -- donations will help subsidize costs to travel to Fort Lauderdale in April. We will also have commemorative t-shirts available at a cost of $20 (again, cost of shirt kicks back to the Fort Lauderdale trip).

Word to the wise; please bring comfortable walking shoes. We don't want anyone even thinking about driving this evening and we will be walking to each pub.

To download a PDF flyer of the first annual 2008 BWE Pub Crawl, please click here.

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Some Details Released About The 2008 International Cup In Melbourne, Australia; Eagles Hope To Send Three Possible Players

USFooty.com (by Roger Berryman)
The third AFL International Cup will be staged in Melbourne and Warrnambool starting on August 27th through September 6th, 2008. This event is AFL sanctioned and will feature prominently during the 150 year celebrations of Australian Football.

A key feature of this unique event is that all players must be citizens of their country. No expatriate Australians are eligible to play with teams comprised solely of amateurs who must be nationals of the countries they represent.

In 2002, 11 countries competed with Ireland defeating Papua New Guinea in the Grand Final at the MCG, while in 2005 New Zealand defeated Papua New Guinea in the final at the MCG. Both finals were played as curtain raisers to an AFL match.

In 2008 the AFL expects at least 16 countries to compete, including for the first time the possibility of including some of the newer Melbourne based communities such as Sudan, Somalia and Vietnam.

With try-outs still taking place, the Eagles' have three veteran players on roster who aspire to join the United States Revolution players and compete for the title. Players R.J. Wheelock, Mike LeValley and Jay Levesque have participated in a number of try-outs ranging from last season's open call in Vancouver and an audition at the 2007 USAFL National Tournament when the Revolution took on an Aussie Traveling team, the Convicts. Recently, a fourth Eagle, Chris Carroll had to step down from the team because he was unable to give the time and effort that is required to field a competitive side in Melbourne.

The next audition for the U.S. Revolution will come on February 9th in Atlanta, Georgia where Revolution coaches will evaluate the current roster of players and any late-coming additions. Following that, players get one more shot at the roster at the Fort Lauderdale Spring Tournament being held in Florida on April 12th & 13th. Hopefully, all of the hard work and time will payout as the U.S. strives to bring the very best and highly talented and athletic team to Melbourne.

>> Click here for a brief write-up from USFooty.com regarding this year's International Cup

>> Click here for details about the remaining auditions for the U.S. Revolution team through USFootyNews.com

>> Click here for the U.S. Revolution's home page

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The 2008 Baltimore Washington Eagles A.R.F.C. Schedule Is Finally Released; Road Games To South Flordia, Boston, Philly & Colorado Springs

The eagerly anticipated 2008 BWE Fixture was released and posted online at www.baltimoredceagles.com for all to see and etch in their calendars. With big goals, the Eagles will be facing some stiff competition in a short time as they look to continue their impressive roll as 2007 EAFL Champions and third place rankings in the USAFL. Below are some of the highlights to the new 2008 schedule. All dates and locations are subject to change, so please check back regularly for updates.

Men's EAFL games include:

• April 12th-13th: Spring Tournament in Fort Lauderdale

• April 26th: Possible friendly vs. North Carolina at BWE

• May 17th: Metro Tournament in Philly vs. Philadelphia & New York

• June 7th: EAFL Game #1: BWE at Boston

• July 12th: EAFL Game #2: New York at BWE

• July 26th: EAFL Game #3: BWE at North Carolina

• August 9th: Possible friendly vs. Philadelphia at Philly

• August 27th - Sept. 6th: International Cup in Melbourne, Australia

• September 20th: EAFL Game #4: Philadelphia at BWE

• Weekend of either Oct. 11th or 18th: USAFL National Tournament in Colorado

• Metro season broken into two seasons (two rounds, three teams) starting in mid-March through mid-June and again in early September until late November

Women's games include:

• July 26th: Lady Eagles vs. Atlanta Lady Kookaburras in North Carolina

• TBD: Lady Eagles vs. Arizona Lady Hawks at a location to be determined

• Weekend of either Oct. 11th or 18th: USAFL National Tournament in Colorado

• Ausball games starting as early as March and continuing over the course of the season

With all these games, the Eagles will also be holding a number of social events over the course of the season. Kick starting the season, the Eagles will be holding their first annual pub crawl through downtown Washington, DC on February 23rd. Other events that still need to be decided with dates include a pub quiz night, the annual golf classic, a live viewing of the AFL Grand Final at a sponsored pub and white-water tubing over one of the summer holidays.

Should be a very busy season for the Eagles. Make sure you're kept updated by checking out the calendar and staying informed through emails and the website!

>> Click here for the full fixture (calendar) of the BWE 2008 season

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Eagles Find Their On-Field Leadership Internally; Officially Announce A Coaching Staff Of Tyndall, Marshall, Wheelock And Bishop

Washington, DC -  01 February 2008
The search is finally over as the Baltimore Washington Eagles have officially announced that instead of one head coach, the club will pursue a new avenue of on-field leadership in selecting four coaches of equal decision-making. These four coaches will consist of Aussies Aaron Tyndall, Dwayne Marshall and 2006 & 2007 head coach Matty Bishop along with US Revolution hopeful R.J. Wheelock.

"These four players will definitely elevate our player's skill levels and focus on bringing to the table a variety of opinions and experience that this club has rarely seen in the past," says Co-Vice President Dave Schall.

"These guys have all been around (combined 16 years with just the Eagles) and they all know the player dynamics involved with this club. They've all played the game at various levels back in Australia and here in the United States and should push this club to be in the 2008 USAFL National Tournament's Division One Grand Final come October." 

The decision was made in early February at a open-to-all coaches meeting where the executive committee saw only an upside to bringing four strong personalities to the head coaching position. Though previous head coach Matt Bishop's future is still in the air as to him returning home to Australia come summertime, the troops have rallied around him and will share in the duties as they pick up the coaching reigns if he decides to stay or go.

In alignment with the new club executive committee structure, Co-Vice President Dave Schall will stay in touch with the newly appointed coaches to assist in matters of men's team needs, both EAFL and metro, while Co-Vice President Greg Borchardt will serve as returning Ausball commissioner and women's team needs.

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Baltimore Washington Eagles Look For More Than A New Head Coach

USFootyNews.com (by Wayne Krazza) - 17 January 2008
One could not have been more impressed with the improving Baltimore Washington Eagles in 2007 as they set their goals high and went close to having a Cinderella-esque season. The Eagles success for insiders may not have been surprising, but for others talk about challenging the likes of USAFL heavyweights in Denver and San Diego seemed just that. Talk.

The Eagles recently announced their search for a new coach for 2008 as Matty Bishop stands aside with an uncertain work career path ahead. But with many experienced players including several Revolution players that are already making a positive impact on the club Co-Vice President Dave Schall was not too concerned.

"We are confident even if the search doesn't find a suitable replacement for Matty who was wonderful for us, that we have other options. This will ensure we will be very competitive throughout 2008 and again in Division 1 at the National Championships." Dave told USFootyNews this week.

It seems if you thought the Eagles might be satisfied with their 2007, you may want to think again.

The Eagles have probably one of the most extensive plans for any club in the USA in 2008 which will begin with their local non-contact community Ausball competition in March and lead into early games at the proposed Fort Lauderdale tournament in April. There they might encounter teams the likes of New York, Atlanta, Florida and perhaps even Denver and San Diego.

Following that event, the Eagles roll back into local Metro games and once a month EAFL games where they were league champions in 2007. USFootyNews asked Dave Schall was there a turning point in 2007 that spurred the club onto their success and their rise to be now ranked the third best team in the country?

"We had a great 2007 there is no doubt but after beating old adversaries Boston we traveled with confidence to New York and on their home turf had the biggest win perhaps since '99 when I started with the club" Schall said as if it was last week.

"We had quality coaching all year, a very committed group of players that were hungry for the game and willing to learn" he added.

In 2008 not only are the Eagles looking for more success but they will move forward with virtually a brand new committee. For some clubs this would be a reason to take stock and sit back but not according to Dave Schall.

"We have been lucky to have many solid contributors off the field over the years. From Denis Ryan to Rob Brunton, who has stepped down this year as President, the club has had many great leaders that remain within the club and still working on developing the club."

Schall himself has seen it all having first joined the club in 1999 he is still as excited as ever about the clubs future, but is now happy to see younger people with just as much enthusiasm to take over and move the club further forward.

The club is also looking at building their new women's team "The Lady Eagles."

"We had just two players go to the Nationals to play in 2006 and then had nine in Louisville in 2007, combining with Calgary. In 2008 we want to take a full team. Importantly, nearly all those players came through our local Ausball competition" Schall said.

This is another way the Eagles look to grow the sport locally. With co-ed games in pre- and post season time periods, there are not many weeks the Baltimore Washington team are not out playing or training. The Eagles women's team is looking to play their first "full-on" game in 2008 and go to the Nationals in Colorado Springs ready to take on all-comers.

The final word might be Schall's perspective already about those Nationals in October.

"We know Denver will be in the prime seat for that tournament with the higher altitude conditions and a few titles under their belt, but everyone else will be on a level playing field and that's where we plan to excel," Schall said very confidently.

If they get a chance at Denver or San Diego again before or in October you can be assured the Eagles are not going to leave anything in locker room.

So it might might have been just "talk" in the past but its gone way past that now. The Eagles are ready to do more than talk about winning it all. They can taste it already..

>> Click here for the same story on USFootyNews.com

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Eagles Finalize A Stellar Year With Awards & Team Of The Decade Announcement; Elect New Officers To Executive Committee

RFD Washington Pub, Washington, DC - 08 December 2007
With the 2007 season winding down, the Baltimore Washington Eagles celebrated a fantastic season of (7 USAFL wins, 1 USAFL loss) that saw them climb the national ladder from the eighth spot at the start of the season to finish at third best in the country. The club also fielded half a team of sole women players, played two seasons of the new game, Ausball and held a number of fundraisers that left the bank account over $5,000 to invest in the next season of football.

Capping the season, the Eagles hosted their annual awards presentation night at RFD Washington which saw the following players walk off with some serious hardware:

• Best & Fairest - Shane Frearson

• Best & Fairest Runner Up - Matt Bishop

• Most Consistent - Shane Frearson

• Most Improved - Geoff Hamshar

• Best First Year Player - Rich Strayer

• Coach's Award - Greg Borchardt

• President's Award - Tom Barrett & Dave Schall

• Tom Weeks Memorial Clubman Award - Matt Bishop

• USAFL Nationals Most Valuable Player - Dwayne Marshall

With the theme of the 2007 USAFL National Tournament revolving around ten years of Australian Rules here in the United States, every club submitted a Team Of The Decade roster of players that brought the most to their respective clubs over the past ten years. The Baltimore Washington Eagles' selected a panel of players, both past and present, to reflect back and debate who over the club's nine years was deemed worthy of this historical honor. The panel chose the following players for their tireless hard work, passion for the game and investment with the club over the last nine years (AUS = Australian; USA = American; CAN = Canadian):

• Backline - Steve Huppaty (AUS), Dean Clatworthy (AUS), Dave Schall (USA)

• Half Backs - RJ Wheelock (USA), Mick Dunne (AUS), Kevin Stanley (USA)

• Center men - Byron Spradlin (USA), Denis Ryan (AUS), Rob Brunton (CAN)

• Half Forwards - Josh Worner (AUS), Cameron Ashe (AUS), Garth Elliott (AUS)

• Forwards - James Boyd (USA), Michael "Tiger" Fay (AUS), Danny Carr (USA)

• Ruck & Rovers - Michael Waller (USA), Dwayne Marshall (AUS), Jay Hunter (USA)

• Interchange - Peter "Whothe" Allen (AUS), Paul McIntyre (AUS), Dave Stewart (AUS), Joe "Crazy" Mullen (USA), Armando "Gus" Horsey (USA), Dave Waldron (USA)

• Coach - Matt Bishop (AUS)

• Team Managers - Sue Weeks (AUS), "Outback" Al Diano (AUS)

Along with handing out the medals and the plaques, the Eagles also took that first step forward to make a difference in the upcoming 2008 season by electing their executive committee. Stepping down from their 2007 positions were the following persons: Rob Brunton (President), Garth Elliott and Chris Carroll (Vice Presidents), Dave Schall (Secretary) and Matt Bishop (Head Coach). Elected to the 2008 positions were Cord Chase (President), Greg Borchardt and Dave Schall (Vice Presidents), Helen Spink (Secretary) and Tony Goodman (Treasurer). With two members returning (Schall and Goodman), the new committee will bring a new energy, new perspective and new goals to a club poised to take a top spot in the United States Australian Football League.

The pursuit for a new coach will become the main priority for this new committee over the course of the off-season. Other topics for this committee to tackle include: securing a home field, new avenues of sponsorship, fundraising efforts in new club events and solidifying the 2008 schedule to include men's games, women's games, local metro games, non-contact ausball games and the national tournament which will be held in Colorado Springs, Colorado in mid-October.

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City of Louisville Soccer Fields, Louisville, Kentucky - 13-14 October 2007
Capping off a very successful and busy 2007 fixture, the Eagles found themselves ranked #2 in the USAFL premier division at the 2007 USAFL National Tournament in Louisville, Kentucky. Traveling with a deep squad of veteran footballers, the Eagles knew that this tournament would provide some of the most challenging obstacles the club had faced over the last nine years.

Beginning the tournament with a match against EAFL division rivals, the Boston Demons, the Eagles found that initial nerves of playing on the big stage would only be solved with patience, teamwork and determination. Burying themselves early at the half, head coach Matty Bishop calmly urged his troops to relax, think smart and play the same level of footy that began at last years Nationals and carried throughout the 2007 season. Sure enough, resolve and fitness prevailed as the Eagles piled on the goals and shored things up defensively to completely blank the Demons through the final horn. Standouts included Dwayne Marshall who notched three goals, Shane Frearson who turned into a brick wall against Boston kickers as well as the dominating Mike LeValley who just buried his ruck counterpart at every contest.

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BWE VS. BOSTON SCORES:
01H: BWE 1.1 (7) to BOS 3.3 (21); 02H: BWE 6.2 (38) to BOS 3.3 (21)
GOALS: Marshall (3); Levesque, Moore, Thompson (1 each)

First game under belt, the Eagles re-grouped and turned their attention towards spoiler-hungry West Coasters, the Orange County Bombers. With games against both Denver and San Diego earlier in the year, the Bombers have proven they can play footy with the big guns, so the Eagles needed to establish control right from the get-go. Scoring the first two goals right out of the gate, Matty Bishop and Danny Thompson gave the Eagles hope for an early dismissal of the red and black. But alas, the Eagles fell on old habits and found themselves staring up to the Bombers at the half, just as they had in the first game. Once again, the Eagles needed that sniff of motivation and competition to get themselves back into the game as the engine room of the team shifted things into another gear and the offense found hidden sparks in some older veterans. Once again, the Eagles finished things out on top and found themselves undefeated after two tough matches. Stellar play from the likes of Matty Bishop, Dwayne Marshall, Danny Thompson and Jay Levesque.

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BWE VS. ORANGE COUNTY SCORES:
01H: BWE 3.1 (19) to OCB 3.3 (21); 02H: BWE 7.4 (46) to OCB 3.5 (23)
GOALS: Bishop, Marshall, Thompson (2); Elliott (1)

Sunday morning came and the Eagles found themselves with their toughest challenge yet, an undefeated Denver Bulldogs side. Going in, the boys of blue and gold knew that a win here would put them in the Division One Grand Final, but that kind of victory would have to be well-earned and meant everyone would have to bring 110% of themselves into every play. Out from the start, the Eagles found out the hard way that "getting a bead on the other team" would come at a cost. Denver, relying heavily on fitness, experience and discipline attacked the Eagles backline without hesitation. Like the previous two matches, the Eagles fell behind at the half, only this time it was a four goal differential. As Matty Bishop tried to rally the boys, players knew what was expected of them. Everyone had to pull the socks up that much higher and be the difference makers. Taking that to heart was the guts of the day, Stuart Ritchie, RJ Wheelock, Jay Levesque and Aaron Pritchard as they fought tooth and nail for every loose ball (which were few and far between) and every tackle. Hard work started to show as at the final horn, the Eagles found that they had kept Denver to one goal and three points over that 20 minute, second half. However, the Doggies were too much on the day and wound up snapping the Eagles' 13-game win streak before besting San Diego for the Division One title. The Eagles learned many valuable experiences on this battle with the best and you can look forward that next year, the Eagles will once again be in the hunt for the league's top spot.

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BWE VS. DENVER SCORES:
01H: BWE 1.0 (6) to DEN 5.3 (33); 02H: BWE 2.1 (13) to DEN 6.6 (42)
GOALS: Carroll, Ritchie (1 each)

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Lady Eagles Make Club History As They Challenge For A Women's National Title At The 2007 USAFL Nationals

City of Louisville Soccer Fields, Louisville, Kentucky - 13-14 October 2007

Also playing that weekend for the very first time were the Lady Eagles who fought their way for the women's national title. Comprised of nine women from the Baltimore Washington Eagles as well as a number of women from the Calgary Bears, this was a team that joined the fray with much excitement and team spirit. Headed by captain Amy Bishop, the Lady Eagles swooped onto the field and into the history books representing the first full-women's' team at a National tournament from the club. Although the scores may not have shown it, the Lady Eagles took those first brave new steps into formal competition and have planted the seeds for something special for years to come.

LADY EAGLES GAMES:

Arizona/Denver 2.2 (14) to Baltimore Washington/Calgary 1.3 (9)

Milwaukee 3.8 (26) to Baltimore Washington/Calgary 1.1 (7)

>> Click here for more information on the 2007 USAFL Nationals

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