The Bay Area Bandits came off their big win over the LA Amazons to face their second divisional opponent, the Modesto Maniax who were in second place.
The Bandits started off fast, scoring four touchdowns in the first quarter and 40 points by halftime. The combined running of Dakura Smith, Rachel Darrow, and April Paraiso helped the Bandits produce more than 220 rushing yards on the day.
The Maniax started with the ball, but were soon forced to punt. Running Back Dakura "D" Smith started the scoring with a 22 yard run for a touchdown. The extra point by Shalom Kimble was good.
After another Maniax punt, Fullback Rachel Darrow rumbled in from 7 yards out for her first touchdown of the day. The Bandits converted a two-point conversion with a pass from Kara Kimmel to Wide Receiver Jennifer Romanini.
The Bandits also mixed in a little bit of the pass attack on offense. Quarterback Sandra Hernandez hit Wide Receiver Latrice Johnson in the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown reception. Shalom Kimble tacked on her second extra point to put the Bandits up 22-0.
Another Maniax possession and punt put the Bandits back on offense. Rachel Darrow added her second TD of the day on a 2 yard dive up the middle. The PAT was no good.
In the second quarter, the Bandits
were once again able to take over on offense. Running Back April Paraiso was able to scoot in for a touchdown from one yard out.
Rachel Darrow added her third touchdown of the day just before the half with a seven yard touchdown. The PAT was no good.
After halftime, the Bandits received the ball and steadily moved down the field. Fullback Valu Muti bashed her way through the defensive line for a touchdown from 7 yards out. Shalom Kimble added the extra point to complete the Bandits’ scoring for the day, putting them up 47-0 to start the fourth quarter.
The Maniax added a touchdown on a pass from Quarterback Nicole Roman to Wide Receiver
Tracy Adams. The two-point conversion was good, leaving the final score 47-8.
On the Bandits’ defense, Middle Linebacker La Star Brown was able to cause a fumble which was recovered by Defensive Tackle Lanecia Strom. La Star also had a sack for a loss of seven yards.
Defensive Lineman Loisi Takapu came up with a number of big tackles for loss of yards and Defensive Tackle Sam Brinkerhoff added a sack of her own for a loss of five yards. Defensive Back Kimberly "Little Bit" Mosley had a fumble recovery and Dana Cordell had two tackles along with an interception.
After the game, Offensive Coach Tony Macon stated, "I’m proud of the team for staying focused and playing hard throughout the game."
On offense, Dakura Smith finished with 108 yards rushing and one touchdown. Fullback Rachel Darrow had 47 yards rushing, 20 yards receiving, and three touchdowns. Running Back April Paraiso had 60 yards rushing and one touchdown. Wide Receiver Latrice Johnson had 26 yards receiving and one touchdown. Quarterback Sandra Hernandez finished the day with 84 yards passing and 1 touchdown.
The Bandits will be on the road this coming weekend in San Diego, but will return home to Tak Fudenna Memorial Stadium on June 5th to face the SoCal Scorpions for their final regular season game.
