11th Marine Cannon Cockers

WELCOME TO THE HOME OF THE STORIED 11TH MARINES FOOTBALL TEAM.

It was a long hard fought year for the 11th Marines Football program. Finishing with its best record since 1998 and being the #1 ranked team on base, with a Northern Division Title and two playoff victories. Yet still the big game seemed like a ghost in the mist as the Base Championship slipped out of the grasp of the team for the second straight year in a row. Despite all that, 14 Cannon Cockers were named 2003 Golden Helmet Awardees. Two of those in my mind were the players of the year and they were RB Larry Lawrence and DT Michael Teachey, even QB Steven Phelps name could be thrown in their accounting for 90% of the teams scoring, never the less the award went to two great players from MAG-39 in Gary Crosswhite and Brister Packer, congrats gentlemen.

Here are the 2003 Golden Helmets for this year team:
QB-Steven Phelps(rated #1 QB on base during regular season)
WR-Larry Lawrence(early POTY candidate),David White(2nd consecutive G.H.)
TE-Javier Rivera(1st year in the league)
OL-Mario Rodriguez, Mike Steinhower(also a newcomer)
DL-Michael Teachey(also up for POTY),Brian Meyer(Avg 3.5 sacks P.G.)
LB-Kevin Scheop (3rd G.H. Selcetion in two years, earned two at LB and TE, was also Rookie of the year 2002)
DB-Nate Willis (2nd consecutive G.H.), Anthony Parker (veteran & consecutive G.H. winner), Jeremy Knutson
Punter-Chad Morgan (Team Record 68 yard Punt)
KR-Kenneth Pless

Although some were in my mind missed or over looked from the team as they always are, i believe that everyone on our great team deserves one.
Here are the 2003 Cannon Cocker Awardees:
Offensive Awards
QB Award:Steven Phelps
RB Award:Larry Lawrence
WR Award:David White
OL Award:Mario Rodriguez
Most Improved: Oscar Robinson
Most Outstanding:Larry Lawrence
Hard Hitter:Steven Phelps
Newcomer of the Year:Javier Rivera
Offensive MVP:Steven Phelps

Defensive Awards
DL Award: Micheal Teachy & Brian Meyer
LB Award: Kevin Schoep & Shanton Banks
DB Award: Nate Wills
Most Improved :John Freeman
Most Outstanding: Micheal Teachy
Hard Hitter: Jeremy Knutson & Shanton Banks
Newcomer of the Year: Brian Meyer
Defensive MVP: Micheal Teachy & Brian Meyer

Specail Teams Awards
Kicker :Chris Hogan
Punter: Chad Morgan
KR :Kenneth Pless
PR: Larry Lawrence
Most Improved: Chris Hogan
Most Outstanding: Larry Lawrence
Hard Hitter: Entire PR team
Newcomer of the Year: Kenneth Pless
MVP: Larry Lawrence

Well that wraps up another year of Cannon Cocker Football, thanks to all of you who have followed and supported us. I am sorry we let another title slip away but I can guarantee that next year we’ll be right back at it looking to bring it home one more time. Congrats to all who made the Golden Helmets and those who were missed, keep your heads up and thank you all for allowing me to coach and contribute to the rising of a great team.

Good Luck and Semper Fi.

The world of sprots is full of curses, for example the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox, both Championship caliber team's but neither one could win the big game when it counted. Well the same could be said about the 11th Marines Football team. The Cannon Cockers were #1 all year long destroying all oppenents on their way to a 6-1 regular season campaign, there only loss however was to defending champs Mag-39. "It just seems that we are cursed against them, they have won 4 straight against us" said Head Coach Jacob Puda after his squad fell victim to an 11-8 thriller Wednsday Oct.22 at the 11 Area Feild. "All thoes game were close and every time some BS happens that gets us, so it really feels like a total curse." Puda added. The game went just as expected, a hard fought defensive battle and just before the second half Mag got on the board on a 39 yard strike from QB Craig Wang to his WR, however the play was controversial. The Mag WR made the catch out of bounds in the air and then was hit by DB Nate Willis and SS Jeremy Knutson, the reciver was clearly out of bounds but the offical said the reciver would have been in bounds had he not been hit. Despite the screaming and plee's of the coaches the play would stand and they completed the ensueing two-point conversion. After the half the cannon cockers came out blazeing, marching down the field and capped the drive off with a 5 yard td run by RB Larry Lawrence, Lawrence also ran in the following two point conversion. It looked like the Cannon Cockers were back in teh drivers seat but after failing to put points on the board two more times in the red zone. DB John Freeman intercepted a Wang pass at the cannon cockers own two yard line, thats where the troubles began. The team couldnt get rolling pinned so far back and punted twice, the first went 24 yards into a 15-20 mph wind but the defense held, the second punt set Mag on the Cannon Cocker 42, after four plays and the clock ticking down to under 20 seconds Mag set up a feild goal from 43 yards and got it off, it was an ugly knuckle ball that was pushed thru the air by the driving wind and just nicked the bar and tumbled thru for the winning score. "I guess when a team has your number, they just have your number" coach Greg Long muttered. "We'll be back next year again just as hungry as ever." One person however wont be back next year and thats head coach jacob puda, retiring with a 15-5 record (4 of thoes losses to MAG). Puda brought the Cannon Cocker program out of the ashes last year and whipped them back in to a champioship squad but has lost the Title game two years in a row. " Its hard to swallow, but you learn from your losses and build off them" Puda said of the defeat." I am really going to miss this team and these players next year. But i know Greg will have them ready next, i broke the grounds and laid the foundation and he will build the dynasty on that foundation. He was really my best assest this year." Congrats to the team on a great season, and for Col. Marletto, sorry sir we let ya down again this year, thank for all the support. Good luck next year gents.

Nobody on the 11th Marine Regiment football team had a chacne to lick thier wounds. So they all decided to lick the competition. Just four day after suffering a heart wrenching loss to Mag-39, the Cannon Cockers - still stinging from defeat - were forced to pick themselves off the floor. Thier was no time to sulk. There was much work to be done. And the team went right to it, rolling over School Of Infantry 14-0 at the 43 Area feild to improve to 5-1 and clinch the Southern Division Title. "We know we are the best team on the base," Coach Jacob Puda said after his squad knocked off the Rough Ryders, the leagues lone remaining unbeaten team. "The expectaions of this team are sky high. We expect to win every game. What happend last week with Mag we came down to the wrong level. But we still feel very good about our chances." And with playmakers like Larry Lawrence, nobody can blame Puda. The dynamic speedster delivered two touchdowns -- the first was a punt return of 65 yards and the other was an 80 yard pass reception from QB Steven Phelps. Not bad production from a guy who only touched the ball 10 times the entire game but managed to account for more than 200 total yards. "I know i need to get Lawrence the ball more," Puda said. "This was one of thoes days, where a guy just proves how good he is. -- Lawrence offers this team a huge spark. He's the kinda that every time he get's the ball you dont know what he'll do next, so he's very exciting to watch." Lawrence, a 5-foot-7 155 pounder won the 2001 Golden Helmet player of the year award believes the quick game after losing to Mag was a blessing in disguise. "It was good to strike back quick," Lawrence said. "We needed to come back, play hard and forget last week's game." One guy who played hard but didnt have much to show for it, was SOI's TB Diquane Mitchell. SOI's ground attack was one of the main reason's why SOI had flourished with a 4-0 record. But that wasnt going to be the case with 11th Marines. "There was no where to go," Mitchell said. " There were no holes. We played like shit. Put that in big bold letters. We just didnt play our game." Said Puda of his squads defense:" Our defense is awesome, they always play hard and pride themselves on shutting people out and they showed that today. I have to give props to Coach Long. He's the best thing that could have happend to our defense, he's an awesome defensive coach." SOI coach Brett Turek says the loss could actually be a good thing for his team in the long run. "I dont think we were beaten physically," Turek said. " We basically had to bad plays...i think we'll be there at the end. We're going to use this game as motivation. This was a reality check for us and we'll use it to improve. The team will wrap up the regular season next Monday vs. MCTSSA at 43 Area @1700.

When TSB stepped on to the 43 Area Field on Monday they saw an 11th Marines team with a roster 2 times more than thiers and a 4-0 record under their belt. Any normal team would have been worried, but not TSB they came to play. Even though the 11th Marines pushed them around the field and had no trouble putting up two first half TD's and moveing the ball at will, TSB still kept their heads up and gave the cannon cockers a run for thier money in the second half in a 14-8 loss to the Power House Cannon Cockers who remain undefeated. 11th Marines got on the board first on their intial drive, after four plays pounding up the middle cannon cocker QB Steven Phelps rolled out left on a play action to find a wide open Quinton Bell for a 17 yard TD. The next TD came in the second half on a 10 yard pass from Phelps to TE Javier Rivera and James Russell tacked on the 2-point conversion on a blast to the left side. That made the score 14-0, the Cannon Cockers had a few more chance's at the end zone before the half but Phelps couldnt failed to hit his marks. The second half was more of the same, with the defense burying the TSB running game they decided to go to the pass and on the play TSB QB rolled right and let a pass fly down the sideline to a streaking WR, CB Kenneth Pless blew coverage and the ball was now on the 11th Marines 5 yard line. On the ensueing play the QB made a quick drop and a fired a strike to his WR for a TD, and that was followed by a 2-point conversion. "We missed our mark on some TD's," Cannon Cocker Coach Jacob Puda said of his team second half scoring drought,"I was never worried the whole game until they scored, they definately came to play, I think with a little practice they will be a heck of a team. It was an ugly win today but i'll take it." TSB drops to 0-2 on the year with the loss, and 11th Marines improve and now sit a top the league at 4-0 and will face Mag-39 next thursday at 1700 on the 11 Area Field in a championship rematch. Mag nocked of 11th Marines twice last year at the best of the west and the title game but the Cannon Cockers managed to give Mag its only loss of last year. When asked if he was worried about Mag this year all Puda had to say was," I'm not concering myself with them, Shep(Mags Coach) is more worried about us then we are about them and he should be. This time it's personal"