|
A surprise entrant to the Oregon-based Pacific Northwest Football
League, the Sabers were the only team located in Washington to be
slated to play a league schedule for 2020.
The Sabers jumped into the fire with a February match-up with area
Top Dog South Sound Nighthawks and
played a solid game succumbing in the fourth quarter to the 2019 #2
ranked team in the region 35-31.
Covid-19 scare shut down the PNFL season a couple of weeks later and
the Sabers season was ended.
With 2021 reopening for Washington but not Oregon, the
Rose City Swarm, yet to play
an official league game in the PNFL, snuck into Tacoma and shocked
the region with a 9-6 victory to start the Sabers Washington State
Football League season. Tacoma would log its first franchise
victory two weeks later with a 40-12 effort over the rookie
Everett Royals franchise.
Going on to post six victories in seven outings and sporting
offensive firepower, the Sabers earned a #1 seed and first round bye
in the 2021 WSFL playoffs. Meeting the
Hurricanes for third time of the
season, Tacoma knocked Northwest out of the playoffs and set a date
with the Seminoles. Tacoma had the ball inside the 5-yard line
and instead of kicking a FG for the win, lofted a jump ball in the
endzone that was knocked away to end the game. Earlier, a
pooch punt from their own endzone was blocked for a safety, South
Sound winning 24-22.
The team would be fractured going into the 2022 season, Eddie Casado
coming from the Seminoles to be head coach, while the rest of the
staff and many players splintered into the
Grit City Knights and the West Sound
Rebels of the GDFL.
The Sabers joined the GDFL after it became apparent the WSFL would
not return and would battle for the distant 3rd spot in the league
behind the alpha dogs Rebels and Warriors.
The regular season finale had to be stopped midway through the
fourth quarter by game officials when a brawl broke out and the
Warriors leading 32-0. The teams would line up the following
week in the playoffs with the Warriors winning 37-0.
Struggling to a 3-7 record, the Sabers did not return for the 2023
season replaced in the GDFL by a returning Seminoles franchise.
DO YOU HAVE INFORMATION TO CONTRIBUTE?
CONTACT US! (email)
|
