Steve Gann
Sandra 1Drake Football: Undefeated In Africa
May 23rd 2011 03:49
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Drake Football: Undefeated In Africa
The Drake football team won the first game of American football ever played on African soil. The Bulldog defeated CONADEIP, an All-Star team from Mexico 17-7.
"It truly was a magical day," Drake coach Chris Creighton told The Associated Press by phone from Tanzania. "I think everybody had the sense that we were part of something way bigger than ourselves, just bigger than a football game. It was emotional, kind of the realization of something very special to all of us."
The trip grew out of a vision by Creighton and took more than a year of planning by Global Football, a company that's been taking U.S. college football teams around the world for 14 years.
The exhibition is part of a two-week trip organized by Drake that includes include youth clinics, a safari, an orphanage project and a five-day climb to the summit of the 19,340-foot Kilimanjaro.
Officials had hoped to fill the 20,000-seat Sheikh Amri Abeid Memorial Stadium, which normally hosts soccer. But Creighton said tight security measures held up lines of fans and kept the stadium rather empty at kickoff.
However, the seats were quickly filled and the game turned out to be entertaining even for those who didn't know what they were watching. It also proved that turnovers will kill drives from Tijuana to Tanzania.
Jose Reyes gave CONADEIP its first and only lead in the fourth quarter on a TD run that put the Mexican team ahead 7-3. Drake freshman quarterback Nick Enis -- making his college debut in Africa -- answered with a crucial first-down toss to Joey Orlando and found Orlando with an 11-yard touchdown that gave the Bulldogs a 10-7 lead.
CONADEIP quickly drove to Drake's two yard line, but the Bulldogs defense raised its arms to pump up the crowd just like they'd do back at Drake Stadium. Bulldogs linebacker Tyler Moorehead said that got the fans as fired up as they'd been all day.
CONADEIP followed with its second botched field goal snap of the day to help Drake stay ahead.
"There were a lot of people there, but not a lot of people really understood the game," said Drake linebacker Tyler Moorehead, who led the Bulldogs with six tackles. "It was interesting to see them kind of just examining. It was unique. What was cool after the game was just how excited they were to meet the people that were on the field."
The Mexican all-stars fumbled once more for good measure, and Patrick Cashmore's touchdown run late in the fourth quarter sealed the win for Drake.
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