(AFFTON, MO) The St. Louis SLAM wants to send a message to those that follow the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA) that they should be considered a prime contender for the league’s Pro Division title later this summer.
Their regular season finale Saturday at Affton High School successfully illustrated why that missive should be taken seriously.
Propelled by intense play from both sides of the ball, the SLAM thumped Indiana Valor, 42-0, and enter the upcoming Pro American Conference playoffs as the third seed with a record of 5-1.
St. Louis – defending back-to-back national champs of WFA Pro – is slotted to face second-seeded Minnesota Vixen (5-1) in the semifinal round.
“We fight hard every day in practice and in every game,” said offensive specialist Aaryana Cook, who claimed a pair of touchdowns on the night. “It’s a team effort. If I didn’t have my team, I wouldn’t know where I’d be. I’m so happy to be part of the SLAM.”
“We were preparing for the playoffs,” added veteran offensive guard Tamikka Brents on the collective’s effort. “This was a business game. Now, we have to go out there and finish the job.”
With the victory, the SLAM pushed their win streak to five straight.
“We needed this,” said co-captain Tay Johnson, whose defensive unit recorded their first shut out of the season. “We had to end on a great note and in a good space so we can head into the playoffs and dominate.”
“We were focused on a team win,” added co-captain Mary Altepeter. “We had a lot of adversity this year with injuries and a lot of life things. This was all about coming together and everyone knowing their responsibilities. So as a team, I think we succeeded.”
With both squads netting little traction offensively in their respective opening possessions, Indiana cobbled a nice drive in the latter stages of the first quarter.
The Valor’s push to claim first blood with place kicker Jaci Merchant’s 32-yard field goal attempt with 1:44 left in the frame failed with a low line drive and the game remained scoreless.
St. Louis countered with a four-play, 80-yard push that was punctuated with Cook’s 29-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Jaime Gaal as the clock expired.
“I had big eyes,” joked Cook, who recorded her second scoring catch of the season. “I always have to keep my eyes on the ball.”
Kerri McMahan added the PAT kick afterwards that pushed the SLAM’s lead to 7-0.
Indiana started the second quarter at their own 25 line but couldn’t push ahead and were forced to punt with 8:50 left in the half, resulting in St. Louis starting their next series at their own 27.
Six plays later, running back Jada Humphrey claimed her fifth touchdown of the season with a 13-yard romp with 5:38 left. McMahan’s successful PAT kick afterwards widened the lead to 14-0.
The Valor valiantly pushed the ball down the field in the half’s final five minutes and again attempted to break their goose egg but quarterback Samantha Yeagy’s redzone throw was intercepted by SLAM cornerback Kalia Dunn and the 14-point differential stayed steady at intermission.
With opening possession in the second half at their own 41, St. Louis quickly churned a three-play scoring drive that was punctuated by Cook’s second touchdown of the game – a 52-yard sprint at the 13:57 mark.
Cook quickly acknowledged the SLAM’s front line – paced by Brents, Jennifer Perkins, Pamela Green, Antonnia Washington, Katelynn Hartman-Geier, Amanda Shelton and a host of others – as being a consistent cog in the machine for the entire night.
“They’re very important, especially for me as I’m still understanding the game,” Cook said. “They make sure that I can see those holes, get those gains and do what we do.”
McMahan’s successful PAT kick afterwards widened the advantage to 21-0.
The Valor – a solid WFA Division 2 team that was averaging 29 points per game heading into Saturday’s tilt – saw little light in their first drive of the second half and turned the ball over on downs with 5:44 left in the third.
Gaal threw her second touchdown of the night with a 46-yard strike to McMahan with 4:19 remaining in the quarter and with the reciever’s subsequent PAT kick, the SLAM pushed their lead to 28-0.
As the second half continued, St. Louis’ defense – paced in the evening by Johnson, Altepeter, Dunn, Keyonna Smith, Zariah Johnson, Kinnuady Daniels, Julia Kempff, Sydney Williams, Raven Williams, Brooklyn Devitt, TJ Glass, Kelsey Baker, Kaylee Neutzling and a host of others – maintained the shut out.
Devitt’s fumble recovery in the opening play of the fourth quarter set the tone for a total lockdown.
The night also gave many of the SLAM defensive newcomers a chance to get some important reps if they are called into emergency duty in the future.
“They’re getting used to it,” assessed Tay Johnson of the rookies afterwards. “They’re following our lead. Once they come through and show us what SLAM is about, then we give them the handshakes, the butt taps, and the tap on the head.”
The SLAM pushed the score to 34-0 with a six-play drive capped by Cat Daza’s first touchdown reception this campaign – a three-yard snare from Gaal with 9:51 remaining.
“It was my first one in three years, so it was phenomenal,” Daza beamed afterwards. “I caught it and I just really wanted to celebrate with my teammates.”
St. Louis rookie running back Shadana Chancellor-Hurd completed the locals’ scoring with a nine-yard touchdown run with 7:13 left. McMahan finished the night perfect in PATs (6-6) as the SLAM widened the lead to 42-0.
Neutzling’s interception on a Yeagey pass with 3:47 left preserved the shutout.
Unofficially, Gaal finished the game with 11 completions for 154 yards and three touchdowns. The veteran enters the post-season with 13 end zone strikes thrown.
With the post-season ahead, and a WFA Pro “three-peat” in sight, the SLAM’s overall “black and orange print” is simple from here on out.
“The goal is always to get to that national championship,” said Altepeter of the team’s future. “But we (must) take it game-by-game to get there. So, we’re just trying to dial in, understand our assignments, execute and keep our eyes open.”
For more information on the SLAM, go to their official website.
UNOFFICIAL OFFENSIVE STATISTICS
PASSING Gaal: 11-15, 154 Yds, 3 TDs, 0 INT
RUSHING Humphrey: 10-131, 1 TD. Cook: 2-63, 1 TD. Chancellor-Hurd: 4-37, 1 TD. Fitzpatrick 1-7. Altepeter 1-4.
RECEIVING McMahan: 2-52, 1 TD. Brown: 4-41. Cook: 1-29, 1 TD. Daza: 2-22, 1 TD. Brickson: 2-19.
KICKING McMahan: 6-6 PATs
By trade, he is a six-time, regional Emmy Award-winning news videographer/editor for KTVI/KPLR-TV. By hobby, he is a writer for Litehouse Media, dating back to February 2014. Emphasis is on featuring and promoting local women's sports, but will cover anything that is not reported by traditional media outlets. Also a contributor to local concert reviews. Finally, he prefers Diet Ski over coffee.
