The John Bull Jets could thank their offensive line for a huge win on Saturday as they rushed for more than 200 yards against the young Nassau Sunburners. They derailed the 'Burners, 34-8, on Saturday at the D.W. Davis Playing Field for their first win of the new Commonwealth American Football League (CAFL) season. The Jets improved to one win against two defeats on the season while the Sunburners were playing their first game.

"We have to give credit to the offensive line. Those guys were working hard up front and our backs were just exploding through the holes," said Jets' quarterback Imran Rahiem, who got the start over regular starter Drameco Clarke. "In a game like this we didn't need to throw the ball. Our offensive line and our backs got the job done. As we move from game to game we'll adjust how we prepare and how we execute."
Justin Collins and Tarran Knowles rushed for two touchdowns apiece on Saturday.

Larry Evans had a big 42-yard run in the second half, and Ramon Mott added a 16-yard rushing touchdown. Collins got the scoring started with a three-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Moments later, Mott scored on his 16-yard run to increase the Jets' lead to 14-0.

Sunburners' rookie quarterback Livingston Horton got them on the scoreboard with a quarterback keeper later in the second quarter, but the Jets came right back as Knowles scored on a four-yard run to send the Jets into half-time, leading 20-8. Collins and Knowles added touchdown runs in the fourth quarter to complete the scoring. The Jets, who lost 16 starters in the offseason, relied heavily on their young players to get the job done.

"I was extremely pleased with our young players. They performed very well. They're learning the game and they're catching on very quickly," said Jets' first-year Head Coach Mel Ferguson. "This year is a re-building year for us. A lot of our guys play youth flag football and if you can highlight the importance of those players in this game, you would see that they played a significant role in the outcome," he added.
The Sunburners have their share of young players as well. As a matter of fact, they're probably the youngest team in the league.

Rookie quarterback Livingston Horton is just 17 years old. He was playing his first game ever in the CAFL, and responded to the pressure as he scored a touchdown.
"For a lot of these young men, this is their first time ever on a football field so I am pleased with how they handled the pressure," said Sunburners' Head Coach Richard Demeritte. "A lot of them are in high school, and as a unit, we only had four weeks of practice. I am proud of them for competing and I say thanks to their coaches, their parents and their schools for getting them to this point. This is just the beginning of things to come."

Horton said that he just wanted to go out there, relax and have fun. He had his share of setbacks in the game but showed tremendous poise as well as he displayed flashes of brilliance at times.

"It was our first game so I feel good about it," said Horton. "We played with a lot of heart and a lot of confidence. I just hope that we could learn from what we did out there today and capitalize on our mistakes next time. We're going to get better. We just need everyone to come to practice so we could work on the things that we fell down on today," he added.

As for the Jets, they will play the defending champions Orry J. Sands Pros in their next game. The Pros blasted them in the championship game last year and pounded them in the first game this season. The Jets then went on to lose to the V8-Fusion Splash Stingrays before overwhelming the 'Burners on Saturday.

"These guys have the athletic ability and the desire to play the game - they just have to develop more confidence," said Jets' Head Coach Ferguson. "These young kids are playing against men, in most cases, so you can see the fear in some of their eyes but once they have more confidence in themselves, they will be able to play much better," he added.

Despite losing 16 starters and their Head Coach from a year ago, for the most part, the Jets feel that once they get some of their key players healthy, they will be able to compete with any team in the league. They will be off next weekend before playing the Pros the weekend after that.

The Sunburners, on the other hand, are just hoping to be competitive in all of their games and get more experience and exposure for their young players.

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