2008 titan air show very tough competition
May 31st,
2008 (Hacienda Heights) It was a
beautiful Saturday morning as teams prepared themselves to compete for the 3rd
Annual Titans Air Show championship. The defending Champions, Long Beach Lions,
were eager to get this started as they were ready to get their second
championship in a row. They weren’t the only team ready to rumble on this
exciting event, hosts Tri-County Titans and Southern California Steelers made
their third appearance as well to vie for the championship. The Titans entered
two teams (red and white) in the tournament in preparation for the upcoming
season. “We are fortunate to have 4 quarterbacks and 12 receivers so we had to
make it where we can see all of them in action and see who will be able to
perform in 11-man.
Newcomers to the tournament were the California Raiders and
the Southern California Eagles, which were determined to be tough competitors
as well. Since the Lions and Titans were in the championship game last year,
they were seeded 1st and 2nd respectively. Because of
this, those teams had byes in the first round of play. Competing in the first
round were the California Raiders playing against the Titans White team, and
the Southern California Steelers versus the Southern California Eagles.
The Raiders and Titans White battled to the very end as each
team showed how strong their offensive teams were. The Raiders scored on the 2nd
play of the game, but failed to get the extra point. Five plays later, Titans
White scored and succeeded in getting their extra point. The Raiders scored
again, but were able to make sure the Titans White do not match them score for
score, ending the game with an 18-13 victory. Their next opponent was the
defending champion Lions.
In another close game, the Steelers and Eagles played tough
to the end, but the powerful offense of the Steelers took over, putting them
over the top 28-22 to advance to the semi-finals to meet the Titans Red team.
The championship contenders of the 2007 Air Show were no
competition in the semi-finals as the Steelers beat the Titans Red 21-6 to keep
their hopes alive for a championship. The Raiders dominated the defending
champions 26-13 to advance to the next round as well. “This is what the Titans
Air Show is all about,” stated Titans owner and host of the Air Show Jim
Bowers, “Teams bring their A game every time they come to this tournament and
you never know who is going to come out on top.
The first two teams to be eliminated out of the tournament
were the Eagle and Titans White as the Eagles were defeated by the Lions 20-14
and the Titans White were defeated by fellow Team members Titans Red 21-7. The
Lions and Titans Red advanced to the next round and were still in contention
for the championship since it was a double elimination tournament.
One of the most exciting games to watch was the Steelers and
Raiders in the championship bracket. Both teams were scoring almost every time
they touched the ball. The difference in the game was when the Raiders were
caught on a personal foul in the end zone, giving the ball to the Steelers on
the 5 yard line with 1 minute left in the game. The Steelers were down by five
points going into it and punched in the winning touchdown, giving the Steelers
a 29-28 win over the Raiders.
Another battle was the Lions and Titans Red team going back
and forth, putting their defenses to work, and putting in extra sweat and pain
throughout. The Lions came out on top and eliminated the Titans Red in a 20-14
close game win. The Lions took a rest to compete against the Raiders to see who
was going to the championship game against the Steelers. The Lions new it
wasn’t going to be easy as they had to avenge their loss to the Raiders in the
semi-final round.
The game between the Lions and Raiders had to be the biggest
battle of the afternoon. Both teams striving to be in the championship game,
giving it their all on the field and trying to be the best they can be. In an
outrageously controversial finish, one referee had the Raiders winning the game
27-21 and another referee had the Lions winning 28-27. Because there was no resolve and proof of
what the actual score was between both teams, an executive decision was made by
host of the tournament, Jim Bowers and a college overtime format from the 15 yard
line. Both teams came back on the field to battle against the Steelers for the
finals. After tough competition, the Lions prevailed over the Raiders 42-41 in
an exciting finish.
The Championship game was about to begin and the Steelers
were determined to win as this is their 3rd year in the tournament
and they have never placed in the top three. Wearing down the Lions early, the
Steelers dominated the whole game, putting up four touchdowns, shutting down
the Lions 25-14. Steelers owner, Shabaka Smith, was excited about winning his
first championship in the Air Show in three years and it showed.
Congratulations to all the teams that placed in the
tournament (Steelers -1st, Lions – 2nd, Raiders – 3rd).
Thanks to all the teams were participated in the tournament and good luck to
your 2008 season. If you are interested in competing in the 4th
Annual Titans Air Show, please call Jim Bowers at 951-283-2114. Don’t miss out
on this exciting event as it gets more exciting every year.