Pittsburgh Passion Defeats Cleveland Fusion, Secures Playoff Spot

Krystal Cozzo (right) with Michele Brevard

"Wow! Was that great? How great was that?!"

I turned and there was Franco Harris just behind me on the sidelines, thoroughly enthused and grinning like the Cheshire Cat after Krystal Cozzo jumped a little sideline route and took the INT to the house for the first score of the game, to put the Passion up 7-0.

As of January, 2011, Franco is part-owner of the Pittsburgh Passion and a long-time supporter of the team. And, I think we can safely say, an expert on football. This being Pittsburgh and all, it's like having a rock star on the sidelines. At halftime, Franco remained on the field and had security open the gate, so that the kids who wanted to meet him could hang out on the sidelines with him for a bit. (Frankly, I think the parents were just as excited, if not more so, to get the chance to meet Franco and get a picture of him.) The guy is good with kids. He was like the Pied Piper out there, talking to the kids, signing anything that people thrust at him, posing for picture after picture. It was good stuff.

Back to the game. Even though the Passion had smoked the Cleveland Fusion earlier in the season, by a score of 26-8, I thought this might be a real test for them. The Fusion seemed to have improved (they hung up 76 points on the Pittsburgh Force last week) and the playoffs were on the line for the Passion. Also, though the Fusion doesn't have the offensive firepower of some other teams, they do have Lisa Horton at quarterback and she is, for my money, the best, most complete quarterback I've seen in the women's game (more on that later.) So, anything can happen, I figured.

I thought, I really thought that the 2007 Passion had the best defense I might ever see on a women's football team.

As with so many things, I was wrong. Enter the 2011 Passion defense -- a unit that put on a clinic in terms of rising up in big occasions, forcing the issue, and imposing their will on another team.

Most of the players, I know from earlier teams. A few have been there since the beginning (Beth Amato and JoJo Warner); some were there through the 2007 championship season (Trumane Rogers, Michele Brevard, Sharon Vasquez, Olivia Griswold, and Kim Zubovic), but there are newer additions, lots of them, who are big contributors, too (Cozzo, Jen Hoffman, Stephanie Balochko, Octavia Griswold (Olivia's twin sister), Jen Dulski and Ali McGrath.)

After Kozzo's interception, Horton did what she does best -- she regrouped the Fusion and led them on a long march, dinking and dunking the whole way, perfect little passes into the flat, little bubble screens, and running herself so effectively that when the horn sounded the end of the 1st quarter, Cleveland was perched on the goal-line, having held the ball nearly the entire quarter. Just when it looked like Pittsburgh might be in a little trouble, on a 4th and goal with just about a foot to go, OG (Olivia Griswold) crashed through as Horton rolled left, tackling her for a four yard loss, ending the threat.

Then Kozzo was back to work, recovering a muffed punt return deep in Cleveland territory, which Lyndsi Hughes cashed in a few minutes later with a nifty eight yard touchdown run to make it 14-0. And the romp was on. Pittsburgh ran a variation of a play that they used to call "Cleveland," back in championship season, with the QB lined up in the slot, rolling into the backfield to take the pitch, then going deep. Used to be they ran it with Horton on the trigger, but this time it was AJ Haeg (in her first year at QB), hitting rookie wide out Rachel Wodjowksi for the touchdown.

The defense did some serious damage, on the scoreboard, but also in the trenches. Horton dropped back in the pocket. As she cocked her arm up to her ear to release the ball, she was sandwiched by OG and Amato. It was a long time before Horton got up and made her way to the sidelines, handing the offense over to Danisha Garrison at quarterback.

At the start of the 3rd quarter, Tru Rogers picked off a Garrison pass over the middle and took that in for a touchdown to make it 28-0. And they weren't done scoring yet. A bit later, Garrison dropped back to pass and McGrath blew through her block, was just about to drag the Fusion QB down, when, inexplicably, she just tossed the ball up in the air. Not to put too fine a point on it -- but it was an extremely bad decision. Amato had come crashing through on her side and was right there, the ball just popped into her hands. She was off, running wild, like a little kid who has just discovered the joy of running hard and fast, blond ponytail bouncing behind her, shoulder pads bouncing up and down. It was a scene of pure joy in the endzone as Amato's teammates swarmed her in celebration. It may not be the biggest touchdown of her career or the most important, but I have to wonder if it wasn't the most fun.

Lisa Horton led the Passion through so many seasons, some good, some not so good and one that was perfect. After 2009, she retired and last fall, she coached the quarterbacks at Coolidge High School (in D.C.) It seemed like her playing career was over and her coaching career just beginning, but life circumstances called Horton back to Cleveland, where she grew up and, you know, football is in her blood, so she finds herself wearing the orange and brown of the Cleveland Fusion these days. She's a tough competitor and gamely came back to play the 4th quarter (with broken ribs or a cracked sternum or bruised sternum, she wasn't sure which), but it didn't matter for the Fusion. This was the Passion's night and, to be specific, it was the Passion defense's night. They were not to be denied.

The win puts the Passion in the playoffs for sure and I believe this means a likely home playoff game, potentially against the Chicago Force (the team that ended their 2008 run.) In the meantime, they have to take care of business against the Erie Illusion this coming Saturday (June 18th) at Cupples, and then get ready for the playoffs. They will most definitely play the winner of the central division on June 25th (and it looks like that will be the Chicago Force, the team that ended their run in 2008.) I'll have more information here when I know more about playoff seeding, locations, match ups and gameday info.

When I don't spend time on the sidelines of Passion games, there are things I miss, little moments -- Sharon Vasquez choking down pickle juice to fight off leg cramps, listening to linebacker Jen Dulski take a good-natured ribbing after her single snap at fullback (a 2 yard gain), having Janice Masters breakdown Cleveland's offensive tendencies in live action, waiting for the blazing hot sun to drop below the western lip of Cupples Stadium and just enjoying the constant banter of the players. I've said it before and I'll say it again -- it's good to be back at Cupples.

Women's Football Back at Cupples Field This Saturday

The Pittsburgh Passion are back in their old home, Cupples Field on the South Side. I, for one, couldn't be happier. I'm not much of a suburban girl and schlepping to five miles past where God kissed the hoot owls goodbye to the North Allegheny H.S. Field was not really my cup of tea, so the return to the South Side is an occasion for raucous rejoicing.

Currently, the team is 3-0, having opened the season with three successive road games, all victories. They christen their return to Cupples, appropriately enough, by hosting the Columbus Comets, a team they haven't played since beating them in the 2007 National Women's Football Association (NWFA) Championship game in Nashville.

That game was played at Whites Creek High School, just outside of Nashville and, despite its proximity to Nashville's downtown, the school's setting was more rural. In fact, I'm fairly certain that I made a right turn after the third cow pasture, but it could have been the right after the second cow pasture.

It was an old-timey setting, too. The field was nice, but the bleachers and booth and lights were old and worn. It all looked like something from another era, the kind of setting typical to a time when football players still wore leather helmets.

The Passion were up 26-0 at halftime when they jogged down to the locker room. On their way back up to start the second half, the lights went out. I mean, all the lights went out. We never did figure out how, but a circuit was overloaded, taking out all the field lights and sound. Everything was out. Except, ironically enough, the lights in the parking lot. Everybody started finding their way around by the light of their cellphones. The delay dragged on for an hour. Some people suggested they postpone and finish the game the next day, a Sunday. Somehow, T. Conn, the owner of the Passion, stuck to her guns and even though they didn't finish until well after 11:00 that night, finish they did.

Since then, there have been lots of changes. The Passion left the NWFA for the IWFL (Independent Women's Football League), while the Comets stayed with the NWFA. Eventually the NWFA sort of just faded away and the Passion and Comets are reunited under the umbrella of the Women's Football Alliance (WFA). Everybody up to speed?

In addition to the leagues shifts, there have been so many changes for the Passion. Conn has owned the team since 2005 but Franco Harris (yes, the Franco Harris), a long-time booster of the Passion, came on board as part of the ownership over this past winter. Pretty exciting stuff.

Many players from the 2007 championship team have retired, but many still remain, including three of the current team captains -- Sarah Young, Sharon Vasquez and Michelle Brevard -- as well as the defensive MVP from that game, Olivia Griswold.

I haven't seen the Passion play this year, so it'll be interesting for me. And I haven't seen the Comets since that summer night in 2007.

Tonight's game will air live on ESPN3. Viewers can tune into www.espn3.com for details, but don't let that keep you away. Kickoff is at 7:00 at Cupples Field at 9th and Carson Streets in the South Side. Parking and other gameday information can be found here.

Steelers Are Dallas Bound

I think this pretty much says it all. We're from the town with the great football team. We cheer the Pittsburgh Steelers.