LOSS: 4-3 vs Takoba – Badgers Start Summer Campaign with a 7 Goal Thrilla

First game of the 2023 Summer Season. The Onion Creek grass was lush. The tent was wobbly. There were plenty of new faces in the mix, and Jefe rolled 7 bones.

Jefe had been hard at work recruiting some extra Badgers-in-Training to make sure the core squad didn’t die of a Texas heat stroke in the next few months. With his ATX and Verity connections, coupled with Jesus’ son Mark and young gun buddy Hoguer (silent H), the Badgers were looking in good shape. Jefe also worked the streets to get the Badgers some kind of Real Ale beer hookup…. Man of the Pre Season anyone?

Four new players were on hand for the start of the game, Pete and Scotty from ATX, and Mark and Hoguer. Conor from Verity arrived at halftime to bolster second half attack.

Tacoba were an old-time foe coming off a really good season in Over 40B. The first half got underway as CRU looked to integrate the new faces into the squad. Scotty and Hoguer slotted in at defense, Pete got some action on the wings, and Mark took up his customary spot as an attacker.

Pretty normal first half started brewing. Takoba wasn’t troubling Jaybone too much, but the Honey Badgers weren’t firing off shots at the other end either. That is, until they did and scored. Newcomer Pete fired in a cross (or maybe a corner) and Mark made a late run from a bit deeper to smash it home from distance like the winning goal for Man City in the Champion’s League final. Great start to the season as Mark picked up where he left off last summer.

The rest of the half was filled with normal “Badger Stuff.” Adam was hard-charging and working the dark arts. Ciro donned a headband and tried pushing the ball forward with Peterson in center midfield. Danny marshaled the back line. Chappy did his best Big Dave slide tackle impression at left back. Jesus and Derek worked the channels from the top. Brian Parks, fresh from clubbing until 3am, got some action as a forward, but was helpless without his glow stick.

Oranges.

Conor got into the game on the wings in the second half to bolster the attack as the Honey Badgers tried to add to their lead. But things started to turn for Takoba as they gained some new, powerful attackers for the second half.

But before more scoring happened, Billy took a point-blank shot to the face as he defended the near post and had to clear his head for a bit in Badgertown.

After that incident, it was a 40 minute burst of 6 goals, fiery attitudes, and fan-thrilling excitement from both teams.

Scotty may have been up next on the scoresheet with a fantastic cross/shot from way downtown that zipped past the keeper to give the Badgers another goal. Not too shabby for his first game in 7 months due to injury. The new boys were showing up today for sure.

But then Takoba struck back with a series of goals to turn the tide. One of their bald attackers was a handful, and he slotted in from a run. Then, after the Badgers gave up a free kick, their other big, new attacker fought for his own rebound to net their second. After that, a player hit a wonder strike from 35 yards and then went up 3-2.

With things heating up, the Badgers got a free kick of their own which Peterson took and Danny finished, extending his scoring streak to 5 games as he ran back shouting Gladiator quotes… “ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!!”

3-3 and the game looked destined for a draw. But the Badgers got a bit of bad luck when Hoguer was called for a foul inside the box as he literally just reached around an attacker to clear a ball. Pretty weak call, but Takoba finished off the penalty to go up 4-3, which is how the game ended.

At least it wasn’t boring.

After the game, Jefe passed out the Real Ale offerings as the crew settled in to watch the return of Johnny Football for Chopped Liverpool as the temps reached towards triple digits.

Next up for the Badgers is a merciful 8am game.

Man-of-the-Match: Let’s give it up for the new guys, Scotty, Pete, Mark, Hoguer and Conor, who all played a part in an exciting match.