Ware Wolves Flag

Wolves are recruiting for the upcoming season!
Send us a message if you want to know more!
First training session in Feb

Gameday 6 write up - Wolves are looking for new players to join our team. If you want to try a new sport and fancy flag american football please give us a shout! Weekly training in Buntingford on Mondays, rookies welcome

The Wolves are recruiting!
We're always on the lookout for new players, rookies or vets you're welcome to try out for the Wolves.

If you want more info please drop a message!

Gameday 3 | Saturday 20th
Wolves head to Northampton for GD3 where we'll take on Rugby Raccoons and the Leighton Steam

15/04 - Ware Wolves travel to Northampton for Gameday 2 | Wolves hope to improve after the first gameday
JHH leads the line at QB with veterans Tom/Callum/Kane and Rob as receiving options. Antony returns to the line-up to add some danger to our return game while he and Ricc will aiming for the endzone on offence.
HC Ralph Kendall once again leading the D, has interception machine Stewart and Chris at his disposal.

Saturday 18th | OFL Week 1 | Ware Wolves Line-up

Wolves travel to Northampton to kick off 2023 with a strong squad that includes experience and some new blood.
Ralph Kendall takes over his first season as head coach whilst continuing to run the defence. JHH has managed to avoid conference-itis this year and will start week 1 to begin his 4th year as QB1.
We face the

If you are looking to try a new sport why not give flag american football a go!
Non-contact 5v5 flag football based in Hertfordshire - get in touch for more information!

Ware Wolves American Flag Football are recruiting for the 2023 season, come and try a new sport!
Based in Buntingford and accepting all Rookies, get in touch to learn more!

The 2023 season approaches and the Wolves are searching for new players to join! Weekly training in Hertfordshire with a fun welcoming team.
If you just want to chat about flag American football to see if it's for you, drop us a message

Ahead of an exciting 2023 season, Ware Wolves are looking for players
If you want to try a new sport contact us now for more information!

After making the OFL Playoffs with a 7-11 record, Wolves travelled with their largest squad of the year to finals day looking to cause a few upsets against strong opposition.

Our quarter-final match-up saw us take on a Titans team featuring a team bolstered by reinforcements who were podcast-favourites to take home the trophy. An acrobatic interception from a Titans DB that ended our first drive, and an excellent TD drive full of good decision making from the Titans QB showed the quality we were up against. Luckily, QB James "Used up all his Jaffa cakes last game day" Howland-Harris came ready to play, and he lulled the Titans defence into a false sense of security with short throws before launching a deep bomb to WR Callum "Arthur" Norton who was tagged down at the one-yard line. Rob "Vulture" Stewart was on hand on the very next play to catch the short TD toss and the XP gave Wolves the lead 7-6.

On the next drive, a long throw from the Titans caught the Wolves out and put them back on top 12-7. Crucially, good end zone coverage from Tom "Noah forgot his ark" Holland kept the score close, before another interception from the Titans DBs set them up for another offensive possession. The defence made Titans work for their score this time, but despite some strong tackling from DB Chris "dodgy plumbing" Chatting they found the end zone again to take a 2-score lead.

Wolves came back strongly, as a trick play saw WR/QB2 Callum "5 touches" Norton throw the ball on a rope to open WR Tom "Quiet drive up" Holland who raced in for a score to cut the deficit. In a game of XPs, WR Tom "All the childcare to come when he gets home" Holland sn**ched the ball away from the Titans to make it an 18-14 game. Excellent blitzing from Riccardo "Wreck It" Spampinato kept the Titans under pressure on the next drive, and forced them into a key 4th and goal. A long pass bounced off the Titans Centre's hands and into grasp of DB Ralph "Grumpy Teacher" Kendall, who picked it off to give the ball back to the Wolves as a competitive first half came to a close.

A dreadful start to the third quarter saw the Wolves give up several short passes and fail to tackle, leading to a quick Titans score and a 24-14 deficit. Wolves came roaring back, with a 12-yard pass from QB James "QB1" Howland-Harris to WR Callum "I like playing safety" Norton on the post route for the TD. The score was celebrated by most of the other teams watching on, many of whom were making Matthew North-style trade offers for Norton's services next season. These offers clearly turned Norton's head, as his false start on the XP led to our first miss of the day.

On the next drive, a long 4th down pass was intercepted by DB Ralph "Pacino half-time speeches" Kendall, to give the Wolves a chance at retaking the lead. And at the start of the 4th quarter, another deep pass from QB James "Game Manager" Howland-Harris to WR Callum "Fantasy Legend" Norton got behind the defence and put the Wolves up 26-24. Another XP from WR Rob "Groundskeeper Willie" Stewart extended the advantage to 3 points.

The Titans were repelled by the tight coverage of DB Chris "Rotherham Shower" Chatting and the constant pressure from Blitzer Riccardo "All Day" Spampinato and had a 4th and long after a sack. Despite a rulebook howler from defensive captain Ralph "Head Ref" Kendall the Wolves escaped with their lead intact and gave the offense the chance to close the game out with a score. A few great catch and runs from Rob "YAC" Stewart set the Wolves up in good position, but a 4th down sack ended the drive and left the Titans with 90 seconds to sn**ch victory.

A QB change for the Titans led to several long throws attempting to get behind the Wolves coverage. On 4th and ballgame another deep heave fell incomplete, and the Wolves took a deserved victory to march into the semi-finals of the playoffs.

In their "Norton Bowl" semi-final match against a well-drilled Bedford Blackhawks side, some strong defence by rookie Paul "Rocky" Schroder and DB Stewart "Massage Gun Happy Ending" Hill kept the game close at halftime. In the second half, despite 2 TDs from WR Callum "Shirt swapper" Norton, injuries and inexperience took their toll on the Wolves, and we fell to a 19-38 defeat to exit the playoffs.

After a lively game of Wolf-on-Wolf Football Netball, we took on Rugby Raccoons in the 3rd/4th place playoffs. It was a unique game, with QB decided based on who put their hand up first, and 4 drives allowed per half. In a particularly quirky new rule, WR Kane "Finish the job on Monday" Byatt decided that catching TDs was no longer allowed, and after seeming to secure a sure score from QB Rob "Scoregami" Stewart, auditioned for the QB role by chucking the ball away for an incompletion. Instead, it was new QB Chris "Bathtub" Chatting who stepped up with his first passing TD of the season, which will surely lead to an offseason of speculation over the QB position. However, it wasn't enough, and Wolves were beaten 6-20 to finish in fourth.

It's been a year of transition for the Wolves, as jobs, conferences, injuries, babies, and alarm clocks all meant key members from previous seasons were absent. Fortunately, a strong core emerged over the course of the season, and we recruited several talented new players to rebuild the team and allow us to scrape together 6 players at training. After a fun and turbulent season, we're incredibly proud to come 4th again in the OFL. We look forward to an offseason of rest and recovery, as well as further recruitment to come back even stronger next year.

On a day that mirrored the opening to the season, the Wolves clocked in with minimal numbers to take on 3 tough sides in the final regular season gameday of OFL 2022. Our 5 available players was a season low, and when two of those players were suffering their own injuries (WR Callum "Meniscus" Norton and DB Chris "When I don't look at the ground I feel alright" Chatting), things looked bleak.

Fortunately, there was no shortage of passion and talent among Wolves' ranks, and it was on display in our first game against conference leaders Outlaw Gunslingers. Several excellent catches from Riccardo "Big Muscles" Spampinato and calm game management from James "Early bedtime" Howland-Harris gave us an early lead, and we clung on to remain level at halftime, 14-14. In the second half, a key interception in the end zone from Callum kNee-orton sparked a solid drive that finished with a crucial TD catch from Chris "Patient Zero" Chatting, giving the Wolves a 20-14 lead. Unfortunately, later in the half the superior numbers of the Gunslingers showed, and they ran out nervy 28-20 winners.

We were outnumbered again in our second game, but showed great resilience to take an early lead against the Northants Titans. Another TD from Chris "I'm not contagious but did make my wife ill" Chatting and two long scores from Riccardo "Be careful he's massive" Spampinato and Ralph "Snakes on a plane" Kendall showed off our speed and elusiveness. On defence, some supreme tackling from James "heart rate monitor" Howland-Harris kept the strong Titans offence in check. Clutch coverage and tackling on 3rd and 4th down meant we only conceded 1 TD, and kept the Titans at bay for long periods of the game, running out deserved 18-6 victors in one of our best performances of the season.

Our final match saw us take on the newly formed Warwick Medical School Vipers, who ran back the opening throw off to put us in an early hole. Luckily, patience from QB James "Volleyball" Howland-Harris and some long catch and runs from Riccardo "box out" Spampinato brought us back into the game. Interceptions from Callum "Whisper" Norton and Ralph "Pulp Fiction" Kendall set us up in good positions, and we led comfortably at half time. In the second half it was more of the same, as Callum "QB2" Norton took over the passing duties and fired in more TDs to Riccardo "Game Ball" Spampinato who hauled in 4 in the game in a dominant performance. It was a pleasing end to the season as we finished up 41-12 winners.

Ware "Always Open" Wolves finished a respectable 7-11 in the regular season, and earned a spot in the first round of the playoffs against a Titans team who will be out for revenge. We're looking forward to a tough, competitive day as we close out 2022.

On a sweltering day, Wolves travelled up to Northampton with hopes of securing 2 wins to boost their play off chances.

Our first game saw us take on a strong Bedford Blackhawks side for the third time this year. DB Stewart "Digger" Hill got off to a great start, recording his first pick of the year on a play in which it appeared the ball was accidentally caught in his hands mid-NHS clap. Wolves capitalised with a TD from QB James " Oprah" Howitt to WR Callum "Placebo" Norton, who scored despite putting his knee brace on the wrong leg.

Trailing 15-12 at half time, Wolves unleashed their secret weapons, as Ricardo "Baywatch" Spampinato terrorised the Blackhawks QB with some intimidating blitzing, showing off his speed. There were also some excellent runs from Antony "Recruiter 1" Mistretta, even if on one drive he collected more penalty flags than touches of the ball. Wolves' offense stalled on a few key drives, however, and a late rushing TD from the Blackhawks made the score a disappointing 22-12. It was yet another close game where Wolves didn't have what it took to make the plays to pull out the victory, and dropped us to 3-7 for the year.

In our second game of the day, we faced the ever improving Earls Barton Raiders, as we looked to avenge another close loss from earlier in the season. Returner Antony "Turns up late despite being awake since 2am" Mistretta wasted no time in getting on the score sheet in this one, and produced the most action-packed 3 minutes of the day and potentially the season.

He started with the Wolves first ever throw off return TD: Fielding the ball inside his own end zone, he took on the coverage team head on, before veering sharply to the right and outrunning them to the end zone. Next, he took up his spot at DB and made a leaping interception off the Raiders' first pass of the game. Sensing another score in the offing, he took off through a crowd of players towards the end zone. Sadly, at this point Antony became Anto-one-knee as his ACL gave out and he found himself on the sideline for the rest of the contest. QB James "Jaffa" Howitt finished off the drive instead, throwing a TD pass to WR Callum "Dog Tags" Norton before Kane "Homebase clothes" Byatt pulled in the XP to give the Wolves an early 2 score lead. Later, Ricardo "He's big and he's got great hands" Spampinato hauled in his first TD of his career with an excellent catch in traffic.

However, the Wolves defense didn't have it's best half, conceding several scores to the same player, and half time adjustments were needed despite going in 20-19 ahead at the break. In the second half, Callum "Richard Sherman" Norton and Tom "" Holland teamed up to shut down the Raiders' main threat, forcing them into long drives. On one of these end zone stands, Stewart "Sniper" Hill caught an interception off someone's back and, rather than attempt to move away from his goal line and set his team up with good field position, decided to hurl himself to the ground, ensuring he avoided any contact in a non-contact sport.

As a result, the famous Old Grammarians' turf had a sizeable divot in it, and the Wolves started from their own 1 yard line. Unfortunately, Kane "Santa" Byatt was feeling generous, and decided to hand the ball to the Raiders defenders, putting the Wolves under more pressure. After another defensive stop via an interception from DB Ralph "Yeezy" Kendall, the game became the Tom "Noah's Ark" Holland show, as the talented WR decided to make up for not having brought along his usual entourage of 2 children and 2 dogs by catching 2 improbable long catches instead, and finishing off both drives with 2 receiving TDs, giving the Wolves a 32-26 lead as we moved into the final 2 minutes of the 4th quarter.

The Raiders offense put together another long drive, and the Wolves defense had to rally at one point, racing back as a team to make a tackle and prevent a long TD score. On the next play, DB Ralph "King Arthur" Kendall intercepted a short pass and "raced" down the field for the clinching score as time expired, handing the Wolves a 38-26 victory.

This deserved win was a whole team effort, and showed the quality that the Wolves have in their ranks. With 2 more game days left to go before the playoffs, and the team managing to avoid a certain tent at Rob "I can't play because I have a party to go to 5 hours later" Stewart's house, Wolves are in a good position to make a push for more consistency and more wins over the rest of the year.

The Wolves travelled in high spirits to Coventry for the inaugural 1st and 15 Cup, hoping that their performance was better than the view from our Friday night hotel. We were bolstered by the return of former player Oli "Is he really only 26?" Patterson, and enjoyed some of the sights and sounds of The Earl of 'Murica (or was it Mercia?) pub on the Friday before the tournament.

After a rejuvenating Freedom breakfast the next morning, we kicked off against tournament favourites Northants Titans. Despite facing a talented team, it was a close game throughout the first half, and we trailed by only 0-7 entering the last minute of the first half, thanks to an interception from Oli "Dumpy" Patterson. In the second half, the Wolves never gave up hope, although we succumbed to a 0-30 defeat against the eventual tournament winners.

Our second and final group game saw us face off for the first time ever against the Newcastle Silverhawks. The game was much closer, and sloppy play from the Wolves allowed their opponents to build a large lead. However, Rookie WR Antony "Surely he's too old to be called a Rookie?" Mistretta made a mazy catch and run worthy of a sports movie to convert a 4th and long and keep our dreams of a quarter-final appearance alive. 3 plays later, it was 4th and long again, and QB James "Cappuccino" Howitt had clearly driven his mini-van to the gun store during the week as he unleashed his huge arm and uncorked a long Hail Mary pass towards the end zone. WR Callum "It's a crew cut, not a political symbol!" Norton leapt like a lanky salmon high above the flailing defenders, elbowed his team mates out of the way, and came down with the clutch TD. Unfortunately, he forgot to bring both of his knees down with him, and had to sit out the crucial 2-point play as Wolves went for the "sister kisser" trailing 18-20. Howitt's desperation pass fell incomplete, and Wolves were 0-2 for the day and entered the Plate competition.

In the Plate semi-final we faced off against a familiar foe, Lancashire Bombers, who had already emerged victorious on the day with a comfortable win in the loudest shirt competition. C Kane "Hulk" Byatt carried the team on his shoulders with 2 TDs in an MVP performance. Blitzer Antony "I am speed" Mistretta brought more than just his mates as he picked up 2 sacks and terrorised the opposing QB all game in a fine performance that included several long runs where he proved untouchable. A solid team effort led to an 18-0 shut out victory against a tricky opponent.

This meant Wolves entered their first final of the season against London Smoke, and took the lead after a fine throw from QB James "Snore Police" Howitt to WR Callum "The 4am Sneeze" Norton. Rookie Blitzer Mass showed his speed and agility to come up with sacks and put pressure on the QB throughout the contest. Later in a close game, QB James "Mariota" Howitt managed to play a rare one-two off the head of the Smoke blitzer, and was tackled in the end zone for a safety in a play you had to see to believe. This was indicative of a game where the breaks didn't go our way, and tiredness told as we fell to a 7-28 loss and a deserved, if imaginary, Plate runners up medal.

The tournament proved to be an excellent break from our league campaign, as we welcomed old players and blooded new team mates. We're now ready for the stretch run back in the OFL, and look forward to competing in the 1st and 15 Cup again next season.

Despite record temperatures the day before, the OFL Cup was played under wet and windy conditions, and the sun failed to shine on the under-manned yet resilient Wolves' bid for glory on the fourth game day of the year.

Our first game pitted us against a talented and confident Reading Devils team. QB James "Wolf of Wall Street" Howitt got off the phone for long enough to lead several promising drives which petered out before the end zone. On defence, our new look line up took some time to get going, and we found ourselves 3 scores behind at halftime against an impressive aerial attack. An improved second half saw us get on the board, as QB James "Just on the blower to my broker" Howitt connected with WR Callum "Is mizzly a word?" Norton for a score. We eventually fell 6 - 26 to a quality opponent who would go on to reach the semi-finals.

In our second game we faced off against the Cowen Cougars men's team. An even first half saw QB James "Dog and bone" Howitt just miss on a deep ball to WR Callum "It's lucky I'm so tall or I wouldn't have caught that" Norton, and Cougars took a 0-7 lead into the break. This was despite DB "Snoop R.O.B." Stewart intercepting a pass on a batted ball, refusing to Lay Low, and weaving his way through the Cougars offense on a brilliant run that was sure to end in a TD... until his knees gave up on him and he ended up collapsing into the groin of the Cougars QB. In the second half, a few missed tackles on defense were the difference, even after an interception on another batted ball by DB Ralph "Changing my tags has made me a better player" Kendall, and we ended on the wrong end of a 0-22 score.

Our determination shone through in our final group game against old friends/rivals Bedford Blackhawks. Wolves battled bravely and kept the game close with some good plays on offense and more interceptions and sacks on defense. In the final minutes, another TD from WR Norton on a Beautiful ball from QB James "Let me ring you 5 minutes before kick off" Howitt cut the score to 7-14. Unfortunately, the Blackhawks were able to run the clock out to preserve their victory.

Finishing the group stage with an 0-3 record meant a plate quarter-final against Woking Whirlwind, in a game quickly dubbed the battle of the WWs. QB James "Plays wearing a Bluetooth headset so he can make trades mid-game" Howitt showed his appreciation to C Stewart "Saucepan hands" Hill and threw him his first receiving TD of his Wolves career. In driving rain, however, the Whirlwind scored a long rushing TD and won 7-21.

Despite a long day of tiring "iron man" football, the Wolves made sure they had something left in the tank at the end. Once it was announced that our heroic players were no longer required to referee any more games, they were remarkably quick to break into their fastest sprint of the day as they made for their cars to start their long journeys home.

Our Next Episode is the much awaited First and 15 Cup in Coventry this weekend, where we hope for better results and more new words for Callum to learn.

The 2-4 Ware Wolves took to the field for our third game day of 2022 looking to set ourselves up for the stretch run towards the playoffs.

Our first game saw us battling against a Northants Titans team featuring a bolstered receiving corp. A tight first half was punctuated by some long passing plays from both teams, and QB James "No Jaffa, no problem" Howitz showed off his pinpoint accuracy on a number of his throws into tight windows. Chris "Loose Tags" Chatting fought gamely against several tough opponents, and the game was within one score late in the 4th quarter thanks to WR Callum Norton's 3 TDs (one of which came after Tom "Loose Tags" Holland left his flag at the halfway line following an incredible run). Unfortunately, as has been the case a few times this season, the opposition were able to make the crucial plays when it mattered, and Titans came away with a 31-20 win.

Our second match was against old rivals Outlaw Flag Gunslingers, whose QB showed off his accurate arm and ability to see the whole field while passing for 6 TDs. The game was close in the first half, and came down to a few 4th quarter goal line plays for both offenses. Wolves were within one score until a 3 play drive in the last 30 seconds in the half undid a lot of their hard work. In the second half the Gunslingers pulled away despite an amazing toe tap interception from new DB Callum "Kam Chancellor" Norton. There was still time for Rob "Sean Connery" Stewart to show off his "Shaken not Stirred" hips on a long catch and run that almost finished in the end zone, and the final score of 6 - 39 reflects the need for improvements from the Wolves on both sides of the ball.

Another 0-2 start to a gameday meant that our final game against the newly formed Warwick Medical School Vipers was a must win. The game was never in doubt, as Wolves came flying out of the blocks with the offense firing on all cylinders. QB James Howitt collected 3 more TDs and handed the offensive reins over to Callum Norton and Rob "Tom Holland" Stewart who also chipped in with their own throwing TDs. Chris "Hands" Chatting picked up his first receiving TD of his Wolves career, C Kane Byatt added an XP and Callum Norton added a "Ghost Pick 6" as Wolves poured it on, coming away with a handy 41-7 victory.

It was a satisfying end to a challenging day for the Wolves, who now sit at 3-6 and in the playoffs at the halfway point in the season. Next up is the OFL Cup and the highly anticipated Coventry tournament.

Bolstered by the return of key players to the game day squad, Ware Wolves travelled to Northampton to face 3 tough opponents.

In the televised early kick off against old rivals Leighton Steam Flag Football , QB James "All Conference" Howitz put together a strong first half, leading the team to 3 TDs as the offense shone in the early going. Robert "Downey Jr." Stewart continued his Ironman heroics from game day 1, catching the first TD and XP, and adding a crucial diving pick late in the half to set up a score for WR Andre Martins.

The Wolves led 21-20 at the half following a late score from James "That's how you manage the clock" Howitz and set up by strong running from Kane Byatt. The Wolves defense shut down the high-powered Steam offense for much of the 3rd and 4th quarters, and the game came down to 2 crucial 4th down plays late in the 4th quarter. First, Andre was tackled 2 yards short of the end zone when reaching for the go ahead score, and later, on a Steam 4th down inside 2 minutes, a clever bit of cadence led to a game-sealing offside call on the defence for an eventual 32-21 defeat.

After a long break, Wolves struggled to get up to speed on either side of the ball in their next encounter with the Rugby Raccoons Flag American Football. Despite another 3 TD performance from James, and 2 TD receptions from WR Callum Norton along with an XP from rookie Stewart Hill (or was it a Touchdown?), the Wolves were outnumbered and outgunned and fell 52-20.

Starting the day 0-2 left the Wolves at 1-4 for the season, so a win was vital against a strong Coventry Cougars Flag American Football Team. Both offenses came out firing, and after a back and forth first half the Wolves were ahead by 2 scores. The Cougars came roaring back after halftime, but Andre and Callum led the offense with several spectacular long TDs each to give the Wolves a slender lead entering the end of the game.

DB Chris Chatting showed off his Superman impression with a great diving tackle on a crucial 4th down, before a bullet blitz from James led to an interception and defensive touchdown from Ralph "Pick 6" Kendall. Unfortunately, the play was watched from the ground by Callum "Arthur Knee" Norton, whose injury meant it was up to James and Andre to connect on one more score to put the game out of reach for a 46-34 win.

A special mention for Stewart Hill making his debut this week and picking up plenty of tackles on a difficult day. Clearly a fan of advanced metrics, he got on the stat sheet with our first QB hit of the season on an overly aggressive bullet blitz.

Wolves now stand at 2-4 for the season, in the playoff positions and looking to develop further in Monday trainings over the next few weeks.

The Ware Wolves travelled to Old Grammarians Rugby Club for the opening weekend of the 2022 Outlaw Flag League season. Injuries, illnesses, and work commitments left our squad depleted in numbers but not in spirit, with several players stepping up to take on new roles and making the most of their opportunities.

Our first game of the day saw our 6-strong squad take on old rivals Bedford Blackhawks, who clearly don't get ill, injured or have Saturday jobs as they arrived for their first game back in the OFL looking to challenge the Raccoons for the most-number-of-noisy-subs award this year.

With our regular QB James Howitz coming down with a nasty case of conference-itis it was left to star WR Callum Norton to step in and take on the role of signal caller for the day. He performed brilliantly, showing off his arm on a number of deep balls despite wet and windy conditions. His talents as a runner made him a threat to take off on each play, and he showed excellent pocket presence to dodge blitzers. Callum made several accurate throws to his receiver corps, which included Chris "Rock" Chatting who turned in an Oscar-worthy performance dodging the GI Jane-style tackling of the Blackhawks DBs in his first offensive start for the Wolves. Trailing 7-0 in a tight first half, Norton got us on the board as he hit "Gangrenous" George North on a post for our first TD of the season.

The Wolves played hard in the first half, and came in trailing by only 2 scores, despite several players playing both offense and defence. In the fourth quarter, the superior numbers of the Blackhawks told, and they pulled away to win 40 - 6, which did not reflect the closeness in talent of the two teams.

In our second clash, we faced off against the Cowen Cougars Ladies, and after a few shaky moments we took control and won comfortably in the end. QB Norton threw 4 TDs, making a mockery of last season's ropey claims about his arm strength. The defense stepped up to support him, with Rob "Half Chin" Stewart claiming 2 excellent interceptions, and Chris taking another pick back to the 2 yard line. Rob was clearly the MVP of the game, snagging 2 TDs and an XP to add to his impressive statline and jawline.

Centre Kane Byatt had a strong performance too, and showed he had plenty left in the fish tank when he grabbed his first TD of the season. There was even time for George to make an appearance as a bone-crushing DB, making huge stops at the goal line in the first half, and spitting out water in excitement at halftime.

Following a well-deserved break and some quality time with our massage guns and paracetamol, we took on the improving Earls Barton Raiders. The Wolves opened up an early lead thanks to George North's amazing pick 6 and WR Ralph Kendall finally finding the end zone after taking a year off from scoring TDs last season.

However, once again superior numbers told, as the Raiders were able to rotate and the Wolves were left clutching various cramping body parts. We still had a chance to tie the game in the final minutes, and unfortunately QB George's pass fell just out of Callum's reach. A 31-19 defeat was an indication of the increasing quality of opponents this year, and of the need for the Wolves to regroup ready for future OFL weekends.