Just hours after the Ohio State spring game came to an end Saturday, another band of gridiron warriors took to the turf 10 miles south of Ohio Stadium in Grove City. The Columbus Comets hosted the St. Louis Slam to open their 2008 season in the National Women's Football Association.
Despite grit and determination the Comets came up short, falling to the Slam 18-16. This came as a tough loss, as the Slam handed the Comets - the defending NWFA Southern Conference champions - their only two regular season losses last year.
The NWFA is a professionally organized tackle football league for women which was formed in 2000. It consists of 40 teams from the U.S.
The rules are the same as the NFL with a few exceptions: The ball is smaller, only one foot is required in bounds for a reception and no blocking below the waist is allowed downfield.
The Comets came into the league as an expansion team in 2004 and have become one of the top teams, making the playoffs the last three seasons and going to the title game last year.
The OSU-Comet connection
The Comets defense features two OSU students: India Harrington, a junior in construction system management, on the line, and Sarah (Sam) Favata, a senior in sport and leisure studies, at linebacker. Both women joined the Comets shortly after transferring to OSU, Harrington from the University of Cincinnati and Favata from Bowling Green State University.
Favata is in her third year with the team and draws from a background in swimming and track and field. She was on the track team at BGSU, but dropped the discus for football upon arrival in Columbus.
"I saw it on the Internet and I thought I'd give it a try, and I've been loving it ever since," Favata said.
This is Harrington's second year with the Comets. With a history in basketball and track, she found the Comets through a chiropractor after a car accident.
"I saw the logo and I was like, 'you know what, I'm going to try out for that,' and I did," Harrington said.
Another Comets fixture is Lindsay Eckles, who was a star soccer player at OSU and was the second highest scorer in Buckeye history. Eckles graduated in 2004 and is now a registered nurse at Nationwide Children's Hospital emergency department.
Hard fight, tough loss
The Slam drew first blood and the Comets rallied back, but the Slam scored again just before the half. Unable to convert any extra points, the Slam led at halftime 12-7.
The Slam scored another six points in the third quarter, but the fourth was all Columbus. The Comets held the Slam in their own territory, offering little penetration through a solid defensive line and a monster sack by Harrington. "I know I had some good stops," Harrington said, "but I couldn't have done it without my team."
Comets quarterback Crystal Davis led two scoring drives to receivers Whitney Barnes, and Myesha Perkins. One resulted in a 28-yard Eckles field goal and the other gave Columbus a touchdown, cutting the St. Louis lead to 18-16.
With 1:51 left on the clock, Eckles executed an on-side kick, which was recovered by Comet Lindsay Rice to keep Columbus alive.
As the crowd cheered for a comeback, the Comets tried to pass down field, but were unsuccessful, turning the ball over on downs with 1:13 left. With only one time-out remaining, Columbus was unable to stop the clock, allowing the Slam to secure the victory.
Looking ahead
The Comets are the defending NWFA Southern Conference champions and are looking to win it all this year.
"We're going to win it," Favata said.
"We've got unfinished business," Harrington said.
The Comets go on the road Saturday to meet the Cleveland Fusion before returning home to face the West Virginia Wonder May 3.
"Cleveland is a good team; that'll be a good game," Eckles said. "Right now we just have to get over this loss and then move forward after that."
Despite the loss, Favata said the Comets will draw motivation from how well they played Saturday.
"We played as a team," she said.
Ethan Lindell can be reached at lindell@osu.edu.
2008 Woodie Awards
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