Current news 2007

The Dallas Diamonds went on the road to Southern California on Saturday looking to avenge a loss earlier in the season to the SoCal Scorpions.  In the end, the Diamonds simply ran out of time. 

Dallas won the toss and elected to receive. The kickoff drifted into the end zone so Dallas started on their own 20 yard line.  Jessica Springer (#46) started things off with a 32 yard run from scrimmage.  Quarterback Monica Foster (#14) ran for another 11 yards followed by a 12 yard effort on the ground from Q Ragsdale (#17).  Although the Diamonds were moving the ball well, the drive was stalled when SoCal's Crystal Stokes (#61) sacked Foster for a loss of about 7.  The Diamonds ended up in a punt situation and left SoCal with a touchback and the ball on their own 20. 

SoCal's Desiree Weimann (#2) started the drive with 3 short runs but enough for a first down.  Then a pass from Quarterback Melissa Gallegos (#3) to Stacy Cotton (#82) picked up 11 yards and another short run from Weimann left them on their own 49 yard line.  The next play Gallegos connected with Cotton again for a 52 yard touchdown pass.  The extra point attempt snap was high and Weimann, as the holder, scrambled to her right and found an open man in the end zone and connected in the air for the two point conversion.  With 5:55 left in the 1st, SoCal led 8-0.

Dallas' next series was not successful as the ball was turned over on downs after going for it on 4th down in SoCal territory.  SoCal started the next series out on their own 28 yard line when Weimman carried the ball on 5 of the 6 plays  - the last being a 25 yard run for the score.  The extra point was good and SoCal led 15-0.  The next Dallas series also ended by being turned over on downs but, with the help of an Ingrid Mitchell (#90) sack on Gallegos, the Dallas D held SoCal and forced them to punt.

With 3:50 left in the first half, Dallas had the ball on their own 13 yard line.  Following a series of runs by Q Ragsdale (#17) & Springer, a completion to Valerie Murawka (#81) and a personal foul on SoCal, Dallas progressed to 24 of SoCal.  With 11 seconds on the clock, 2 pass attempts were both incomplete so with time running out, a field goal was attempted but just missed.  The score at the half stood at 15-0.

Dallas was penalized on the kickoff of the 3rd quarter for being offsides which resulted in SoCal starting at their own 36 yard line.  That series included a deflected Gallegos pass by KB Bowman (#56), another sack by Mitchell, and a sack by Ann Richardson (#98) which also resulted in a fumble that SoCal recovered.  The Scorpions ended up in a punt situation giving Dallas the ball back on their own 30.  Springer and Ragsdale moved the ball on the ground while Foster connected with Rachel May (#82) for 17 yards and a first down. Another Springer breakaway took the ball down to the 1.  Foster punched it in with a QB keeper for the touchdown.  The extra point was partially blocked and no good so the score remained 15-6 with 3:35 left in the 3rd quarter.   

Dallas' Emily Tidwell (#80) was then successful with an onside kick which Dallas recovered to start on their own 48 yard line.  However, incomplete passes and a loss of yardage forced a punting situation for Dallas.  The Scorpions began the next drive on their own 47 yard line and this is when the Dallas D came to life.  SoCal had several short runs as time ran out to end the 3rd quarter.  The 4th quarter, however, was an absolute showdown.  The beginning of the 4th, on the same series, Gallegos completed a 27 yard pass to #88 but SoCal followed that with an illegal man downfield penalty.  Another set of short runs by Weimann and Katrina Walter (#55) along with a few Gallegos QB keepers had SoCal on the Dallas 1 yard line.  But a supurb Defensive stand for all 4 downs from inside the 5 yard line by Dallas left SoCal scoreless and the ball was turned over to Dallas on the 1 yard line following the stop.

Dallas started the drive with a handoff to fullback Tiffany Meyer (#32) but a helmet to the forearm rattled the ball loose and SoCal recovered.  The Dallas D stopped Weimann on the 1st down but on the 2nd, Gallegos found daylight on the keeper for the score.  The 2 point conversion attempt was no good so the scoreboard read 21-6. Dallas began the next drive on their own 42 following the kickoff and 4 minutes later Springer found the end zone from the 8 yard line.  The two point attempt was no good.  SoCal led the contest 21 - 12 with 3:36 left in the game.

Dallas' Emily Tidwell (#80) then attempted a 2nd onside kick which was again recovered by Dallas on their own 47 yard line.  One pass to May for a 1st down and then a long completion down the sideline to Meyer put the Diamonds in the end zone for the TD.  The extra point by Tidwell was good leaving the score at 21-19 with 2:52 remaining.

The 3rd onside kick try was recovered by SoCal on the 50 yard line.  But a holding penalty and consecutive lost yardage runs with a swarming Dallas Defense left SoCal having to punt.  Dallas got the ball back on their own 38 with less than 2 minutes remaining.  The Diamonds were unsuccessful in 2 pass attempts and were tackled for a loss of 3 on a run play.  So with 56 seconds on the clock, a final pass attempt was complete but Dallas came up 4 yards short of the first and in turn, giving the ball back to SoCal with 50 seconds left and the win.  Final score SoCal 21- Dallas 19.

It was a tremendous second half of football by both squads and one that will be remembered for some time.  The Diamonds take on the Las Vegas Showgirlz next Saturday, October 6th, at Pennington Field in Bedford as the final home game of the season.

Diamonds Roll in Vegas

The Dallas Diamonds invaded Sin City on the 15th of September and rolled over the Las Vegas Showgirlz 41-10. Q Ragsdale (#17) kept things moving on the ground while Jennifer Ferrell (#21) put a stop to the Las Vegas Offensive game plan with 2 interceptions for the Diamond Defense.

The game began with the Diamonds on the receiving end of the kickoff.  Five good runs by Ragsdale on the first drive and the Diamonds were in the end zone quickly with a touchdown.  The extra point by Emily Tidwell (#80) was good and the Diamonds led 7-0 with just over 5 minutes having elapsed in the first.  The Showgirls took the ensuing kickoff and had to punt leaving the Diamonds in good field position.  Another drive on the ground by Ragsdale put the Diamonds back in the end zone with about 3:30 on the clock.  Again, the extra point was good and the Diamonds led 14-0.

On the next Las Vegas possession, the Showgirlz managed to put together a couple of first down drives moving well into Dallas territory before the clock expired on the first quarter.  At the beginning of the second, Vegas put it in the air only to be intercepted by Ferrell who returned the pick all the way back to the Vegas 45 yard line. After long runs of 17 and 18 yards by tight end Rachel May (#82), the Diamonds found themselves on the 10 yard line.  Rico Culpepper (#22) muscled through the Vegas D for about 6 more yards down to the 4.  But a penalty pushed the Diamonds back and the field goal attempt was no good.

The Diamond D then held Vegas on Offense so they had to punt.  On the next Diamond series, Ragsdale again broke away for 4 long runs and found herself back in the end zone.  21-0 Dallas with 3:22 left in the half.  Following the kickoff, Vegas was short on time but tried a halfback pass.  Jennifer Ferrell read the play perfectly and stepped in front of the receiver for her 2nd pick of the evening.  The next play for the Diamonds was a Monica Foster (#14) pass to Danilynn Welniak (#88) that went for 30 yards before time expired.  The score remained 21-0 at the half.

To start the 3rd, a Showgirls pass to Stephanie Gemar (#16) was good for 6 and the scoreboard read 21-7.  The Diamonds quickly retaliated when Foster hooked up with Welniak for another Diamond TD 33 seconds later.  28-7 Diamonds.  The next Vegas possession ended with a punt to Dallas.  On the next series, Jessica Springer busted out a 34 yard run for another Dallas score with just over 6 1/2 minutes to go in the 3rd.  Dallas was up 35-7.  After the kickoff, Vegas tried to get something going but Diamonds defender Katie Rostenbach (#99) had other ideas by invading the Showgirlz backfield wrapping up the QB for the sack and a loss.  The Girlz ended up turning the ball over on downs.

The Diamonds O just kept rolling and passes from Foster to Tiffany Meyer (#32) for 21 yards and Rachel May for 31 yards resulting in another TD by May to close out the 3rd quarter.  The extra point was blocked so the score remained 41-7 at the end of 3.

The final 15 minutes of play would yield a fumble by Dallas that was lost to Vegas.  On the next set of downs, Vegas tried to give it back but recovered 2 fumbles of their own.  Then a pass intended for a Vegas receiver was successfully defended in the end zone by Ferrell pushing the Girlz to go for 3 with about 9 minutes left in the contest.  The field goal was good and the Diamonds led 41-10.  Both squads had 2 more shots at scores but both were unsuccessful so Dallas walked away with one in the win column at 41-10.  The Showgirls come to Big D on October 6th for the rematch.

Dallas takes their first victory
with a 14-6 win over Houston

Diamonds Continue Winning Ways in '07

While week one was a little rusty on both sides of the field, the Dallas Diamonds topped their in-state rival, the Houston Energy, 14-6 to go one game up and notch one in the win column on their way to a fourth title.  This was the Diamonds 5th consecutive win since stalling their undefeated streak at 29 with a loss to Houston on September 9th, 2006.  The Diamonds last victory, however, was a win over the Energy (34-27) last November in the WPFL Championship game so both teams were looking forward to another great battle. 

The game began with the Energy winning the toss and electing to receive.  From that point, the game see-sawed back and forth with both offenses unable to score and both defenses managing to hold on and stump the opponent.  A few missteps in the Houston backfield (fumbles, missed passes) gave Dallas a few opportunities to score early.  Although Houston was rarely out of their own side of the field, the Diamonds entered the red-zone 4 times only to come away empty handed each time.  A couple of field goals were just wide left of the uprights which left Houston with opportunities of their own that they were unable to capitalize on as well. 

With the offenses stymied and the defenses worn out, both squads went in at halftime to regroup and strategize.  At the half, the score was an unpredictable & uncharacteristic 0-0.

But in the third, the Diamonds came out energized.  Led by QB Monica Foster (#14) and the small but sturdy Q Ragsdale (#17) in the backfield, the offense began to generate some yardage.  Vets Tiffany Meyer (#32), Rachel May (#82) and rookie Danilynn Welniak (#89) also added some muscle all the while dragging the Houston defenders and making forward progress.  And with 50 seconds left in the third, Ragsdale finally broke one for 19 yards and the game's first score.  Emily Tidwell (#80) tacked on the PAT making the score at the end of the 3rd 7-0 Dallas.

The Diamond defense, led by veteran D-liners Ingrid "Tiny" Mitchell (#90), Ann Richardson (#98) and Julie "Brickhouse" Parton (#74)  kept Houston QB Laura Cantu and the Energy in check all game allowing only 75 yards of total offense.   Mitchell showed Cantu some love with a bear hug in the turf possibly shaking her confidence early.  Linebackers K Spain (#57) and Tidwell (#80) along with Ivette "Moma" Young (#51) generated some added pressure while Erin MacNabb (#33) led all Diamond defenders with 6 solo tackles followed closely by Young and Tidwell. 

Once the defense stuffed a Houston drive early in the 4th, the Diamond O gave Ragsdale just enough room to break away down the sidelines for the game's longest run of the night and the second score for the Diamonds.  The 67 yard-er left a few of the red shirts out of breath as Ragsdale celebrated in the end zone.  Wendy Korte (#66) punched the pigskin through the uprights for the 2nd PAT of the game resulting in a 14-0 score with 13:41 left in the game.  That would turn out to be all Dallas needed.

Both teams got the ball back in the 4th with Houston unable to sustain a drive until just under 7 minutes to go in the contest when Cantu (#4) connected on a 5 yard pass to Renee Cosby (#52) coming out of the tight end position.  But the PAT was no good and the Energy just ran out of time and chances.  At the end of the contest, the scoreboard read 14-6.  The Energy's 75 yards of total offense was no match for Dallas' 312.  Ragsdale certainly deserved the Offensive MVP in this one hoofing out 200 yards on the ground against the Houston defense. 

The rematch will be in Houston on October 13th.

 

Champs Complete Spring Training Camp and Head to New Turf

The Dallas Diamonds, the reigning 3-time Champions of the Women's Professional Football League (WPFL), are wrapping up training camp for the 2007 season.  But a few rookies aren't the only new additions to the Diamonds this year - the team will also have a new home field.  The champs are moving just down the road from North Richland Hills to their new home at Pennington Field in Bedford.

Pennington Field is conveniently located at 1501 Central Drive in Bedford between Dallas and Fort Worth just two miles from the South entrance of DFW International Airport and just South of the intersection of Airport Freeway (Highway 183) and Central Drive in Bedford. It is owned and operated by the Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District and opened in the fall of 1987. Pennington Field has been honored as the most used stadium in the State of Texas. With a seating capacity of 12,500, the Stadium has been called the "Star of Stadiums" by the Fort Worth Star Telegram.

The layout of the field allows for the fans to be up close and personal to all of the hard hits and sideline tactics that take place during a Diamonds game.  The home opener should provide all of that and more when the Diamonds take on their in-state and WPFL rival, the Houston Energy, on Saturday, August 18th at 7pm at Pennington.  Remember that the Energy were the opponent the Diamonds defeated to take home the 2006 crown, and their third straight WPFL title, in Georgia just a little over 8 months ago.  The re-match will no doubt be a fierce battle for bragging rights as well as starting the '07 season with one in the win column. 

The Rings have Arrived!

Diamonds owner, Dawn Berndt, does it again! For the third year in a row she has thrown an amazing celebration for her championship Diamonds! Thank you to Dawn, Amy and Michelle for all your hard work on this event!

Team awards were given along with the 2006 championship rings.

• Jessica Springer - Team MVP
• Monica Foster - Defensive MVP
• Karen Seimears - Offensive MVP
• Stephanie Evans - Rookie of the Year
• KT Rostenbach - Iron Bra
• KB Bowman - Benenhaley Award

Embarking on the 2007 Season

The last time the Dallas Diamonds took the playing field, it was against their in-state rival, the Houston Energy, for the 2006 WPFL Championship in Roswell, Georgia, on November 4th. Dallas won that match-up 34-27 in one of the hardest fought, down-to-the-wire, fist-clenching, nail-biting victories in all of women’s football history. Now, in August, those same teams, arguably two of the best teams in the game, square off to open the 2007 season.

On August 18th, the Dallas Diamonds will open at home versus the Energy to kickoff the season. With the early release of the ’07 schedule, there is plenty of time to mark your calendar for this one. The rematch should be one for the ages.

The Diamonds will follow up the home opener with a few weeks to recoup and then they will host the SoCal Scorpions on September 8th. Dallas and SoCal have had some heated games in the past and assuredly this one will be no different. The Diamonds then travel to Las Vegas to take on the Showgirlz for the first time ever on September 15th. Sounds like a good time to take a weekend trip to Sin City! Pack your bags!

Then on September 22nd, the girls come back home and play the Burn from New Mexico. These determined women have a bone or two to pick with the Diamonds and are looking to light up the scoreboard. Next, the Diamonds travel to sunny Southern California for their 2nd match-up of the year on September 29th. The Showgirlz bring their production on the road and straight to Dallas on October 8th. Then the 13th takes the Diamonds to Houston for probably one of the most important games of the year. The Diamonds close the season with the Burn on their home turf in Albuquerque.

If the finale of ’06 was any indication, look out for ’07.

The Diamonds will also be promoting many various group themed nights throughout the season. If you would like to have your group included on a theme night or if you would like a fundraising opportunity for your group, please contact Diamond Public Relations.

Diamonds Gem Doubles as Distinguished Educator

The Dallas Diamonds, 3-time Women's Professional Football League (WPFL) champions, are usually known for their hard work and perseverance between the goal posts during football season. But for the second time in as many years, Dallas Diamonds veteran Quarterback Karen Seimears has been recognized for her work off the gridiron.

In February of 2006, Ms. Seimears was awarded "Teacher of the Year" for her work with students in Media Technology at the Birdville ISD Career Center which serves students from three area High Schools (Richland HS, Birdville HS, and Haltom HS). For 2007, she has bested that 2006 effort by joining an elite group of educators in being 1 of 3 recipients in the state of Texas to receive the Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE) award on March 16, 2007. The ADE is very unique in that only 1,000 education professionals worldwide are selected and the fact that she was 1 of only 3 selected from Texas is quite an amazing accomplishment!

In addition, earlier this week, Ms. Seimears and a group of her students provided some entries for the highly acclaimed South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) which is held annually in Austin, Texas. The group walked away with both the coveted Grand Jury prize as well as the Special Jury prize at the festival. The category in which her films were presented had never before had one high school win both awards. The result certainly showcases the dedication of this fine teacher and her astounding students.

The Dallas Diamonds organization would like to congratulate Ms. Seimears and her students on a great week and a job well done!

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