October 21: Blues vs Chicago Lions

Kansas City Blues 31 - Chicago Lions 15

The finale started much like many of our D1 games this year.  A little slow going and in our own 22.  A few penalties pushed us back and the Lions took a penalty kick for points to make it 0-3.  A knock on gave them the ball back inside our own 22 but once again a goal line stand (that is a theme of this year) kept the Lions out of the try zone.  But the Blues would respond.  After a few forward phases in the middle of the field the ball went wide to Star Wing Osi (at this point, you can just use a single word name with Osi.  Like Pele.  Or Prince.)  who barreled into the try zone for a double try.  What is a double try you ask?  Well he ran out of the back of the skinny try zone on the first attempt (the things are skinny, honest mistake).  But after a Lions goal line drop kick, the ball was again sent wide to Osi who redeemed himself immediately with a try.

The next score was the best try of the season and possibly the coolest try in the last 5 years of Blues Rugby.  Blues beloved import Ezzy Fukokuka, who is a goddang prop, saw the defense pulled up and popped a chip kick over the defensive line.  It was chased down by Greg Fry, who stiff armed a defender and then popped back to a trailing Ezzy, who took another contact and popped again to Aren Martin who went around the corner and into the try zone for another Blues score.  The Lions were not going down without a fight however.  After a Blues yellow card the Lions marched down the field and scored before half to make the score 12-10 Blues.

Coming out of halftime the Blues got to moving the ball once again.  This time it was the second of the day for Aren Martin, who in the most important game of the season really stepped up and made his presence known.  He took a wide ball and hit an inside cut to score under the posts.  19-10 Blues.  The lions are a tough side and this is when things got dicey.  They drove down the field once again and caused a havoc with their lineouts and mauls.  Two yellow cards were shown to the Blues in rapid succession. Down two men the Blues could not withstand another goal line offensive and gave up a try.  19-15.

Then the biggest play of the game happened when Blues rookie Daniel Tapusoa picked off a pass (while still down two men) and took it back to the house for a try.  26-15 Blues.  It was truly our biggest time of need and the biggest play of the season.  There was over 5 min left on both yellow cards and it absolutely killed the Lions momentum.  The contest wasn't over, there was 15 more minutes of hard runs on both sides, but that effectively sealed the deal.  The dagger came at the end when Captain Jimmy Lillis fought through contact and offloaded to Osi for a long run and his second try of the game.  Blues win 31-15 and earn a berth to the Midwest Premiership Semi Finals.

This weekend D2 heads to Arkansas for another league match.  The D1 heads to St Louis for a rough draft of a possible Midwest Premiership final game.  To make that happen we need to come out victorious in the Semi Finals. The D1 will travel to the winner of the Eastern Conference, which you can take a look at the standings here: https://www.midwest.rugby/midwest-premiership/  Cincinatti sits in first place and Detroit in second.  However, they play each other in their regular season final this weekend with the winner earning home field advantage.  Cincinatti is in first place but lost a close one by 3 points earlier in the season at Detroit.  The Blues will anxiously await the results to see where the destination and opponent for next weekends semi final will be, but either way, we will be ready to play.  The Blues are in the Playoffs for the first time since 2019.  Dang its a good time to be a Blue.  LBO3!