When I look at the Carolina Panthers, I don’t see a prototypical NFL offense like, say, the New England Patriots or the Green Bay Packers with a healthy Aaron Rodgers. I see a team with an offense loaded with disruptive play makers that make it difficult to defend them schematically. I see a talented quarterback in Cam Newton who can win a game with his feet as well as his arm. I see hybrid running backs who can catch passes in space and exploit defensive mismatches. I see a diverse set of wide receivers that make opponents defend the width of the field as well as the length.
And the Panthers have a pretty solid defense too, led by a future Hall of Fame linebacker who literally plays all over the field. So it should come as no surprise that the Panthers soundly defeated a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that give a very good accounting of themselves, but fell short. The Panthers are a playoff team and Buccaneers are not quite there yet. Final score: Panthers – 42, Buccaneers – 28.
Let us recap the Panthers advantages. Disruptive offense…check. Dominant defense…check. Amazing cheerleaders…double check. Click here to view this week’s TopCat images.
The Los Angeles Chargers proved that they are worthy contenders for playoff consideration by defeating the Seattle Seahawks, 25 – 17. With the win, the Chargers improve their record to 6 – 2 on the season. Dating back to Week 11 of the 2017 season, the Chargers have won 12 games against only 3 losses and remain a dark horse Super Bowl contender.
The Seahawks remain a work in progress as they rebuid their organization to the level of their former glory. They have a successful formula, so the Seahawks know what they need to do. It’s just going to take some time to be able to acquire the young talent that fits underneath the salary cap.
Let’s turn our attention to the lovely Seattle Sea Gals, who seemed to have experienced some fair weather last weekend…no rain jackets this time. Click here to view the Seahawks game day gallery.
The NBA season is underway and we are beginning to see some galleries being posted to the NBA team sites, so let us take a look at the Houston Rockets Power Dancers. Click here to view their galleries of images.
At the midway point in the season, every game is important if you want to make the playoffs and especially so if you are playing a division rival. So the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens had a special importance because the division lead was at stake.
The Steelers have a potent offense with play makers at all the skill positions and the Ravens counter with the top ranked defense in the NFL and that’s a good thing considering the Ravens offense has been rather stagnant the past two weeks. An interesting match up indeed.
So what happened? The Steelers rolled up 395 yards, converted 10 of 16 third-down plays and held the ball for 36 1/2 minutes. They scored 23 points against the Ravens, whose offensive woes continued. Led by Joe Flacco, the Ravens were limited to one touchdown and three field goals against the Steelers and that wasn’t enough to defeat their rivals. The final score, Steelers – 23, Ravens – 16.
On to better things…the Baltimore Ravens Cheerleaders. Click here to view this week’s images.
There weren’t any bigger games on the schedule in Week 9 than the one between the Los Angeles Rams and the New Orleans Saints, the teams with the two best records in the NFC. People expected this game to be a shoot out and it did not disappoint. Young and talented, the Rams Jared Goff passed for 391 yards and three touchdowns, but the Saints have a future Hal of Fame quarterback in Drew Brees, who matched Goff’s touchdown total and added another one for good measure. Alvin Kamara chipped in two rushing touchdowns to help lead the Saints to the victory. Final score: Saints – 45, Rams – 35.
This game was as good as advertised and with the win, the Saints move ahead of the previously undefeated Rams to become the new favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
With the game recap out of the way, let’s take a peek at this week’s Saintsations photos. Click here to view the Saints game day gallery.
Barnstormers Announce Dance and Promo Team Tryouts
Tryout Scheduled for Sunday, December 9 at Wellmark YMCA
DES MOINES – The Iowa Barnstormers will host their annual dance team tryout on Sunday, December 9, 2018 at the Wellmark YMCA on Grand Avenue in downtown Des Moines.
This year, a joint tryout will be held for both the Storm Chasers Dance Team and the Flight Line Promo Team. This audition is open to any female 18 years of age and older who is interested in representing the Iowa Barnstormers both on-field and in the community. The Open Tryout will be held under the direction of Coaches Rebecca “Perry” Perryman (Storm Chasers) and Juli Pettit (Flight Line).
The Storm Chasers Dance Team will perform on the field at every home game both pre-game and at half-time. The Storm Chasers will also lead sideline cheers throughout each and every game. The Flight Line Promo Team assists in cheering on the team and participates in all in-game and on-field promotions throughout each game. Both teams appear at different community events throughout the year.
All participants, for both dance and promo teams, will take part in learning a short sideline pom routine that they will perform in small groups and a brief interview segment. Participants will also be judged on personality, style, and appearance. Those who are interested in the Storm Chasers Dance Team will carry on to learn a one minute choreographed dance routine from Perry which they will then perform in front of a panel of judges.
Participants are encouraged to note if they have interest in both teams.
Check in and registration will open on December 9 at 10:00 a.m. CST with the tryout beginning at 11:00 a.m. CST. All participants will be required to submit a registration payment and sign a waiver and release form. Pre-registration will cost $20 with day-of registration fees increasing to $30 per participant. Pre-registration is now open, forms can be found online and printed from the Iowa Barnstormers website.
Forms for the Storm Chasers Dance Team Tryout can be found here.
Forms for the Flight Line Promo Team Tryout can be found here.
Those interested in both teams will only need to complete the Storm Chasers Tryout form.
Those who have questions about the Storm Chasers Dance Team, Flight Line Promo Team, or what to expect at the tryout can contact Juli Pettit in the Iowa Barnstormers front office at 515-564-8457 or e-mail julipettit@theiowabarnstormers.com.
DETAILS:
What: 2019 Storm Chasers Dance Team and Flight Line Promo Team Tryouts
Who: Women 18 years or older by December 9, 2018
When: Sunday, December 9, 2018 (Registration: 10:00 a.m., tryouts begin at 11:00 a.m. CST)
Where: Wellmark YMCA, 501 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50309 (Group Exercise Room)
Cost: Pre-registration: $20.00, day-of: $30.00
Attire: Cropped dance or athletic top (mid-drift must be showing), hot pants or shorts, skin-toned tights or hose, dance sneakers, jazz shoes, or sneakers, performance ready hair and makeup.
Season Tickets for the Iowa Barnstormers 2019 season are on sale now for as low as $80 per seat. Call the Barnstormers front office at (515) 633-2255 or log on to www.theiowabarnstormers.com for more information.
Prep classes will be offered for prospective participants leading up to the final tryouts. Classes will be held in the studio of the River Kings Front Office building. On the evening of the prep classes, participants can check-in at the River Kings office located at 240 33rd Ave SW, Suite D in Cedar Rapids.
The first two prep classes will be offered on Friday, November 9th from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. and Sunday, November 11th from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.
Participants are not required to attend prep classes but are highly encouraged. Classes are available at a cost of $15 per class or two for $20. Registration for the prep classes will be handled on-site the day of the classes at the River Kings Front Office.
Dance Team Tryouts will a two-day, closed event at the River Kings Front Office building with the first round being held on Friday, December 7th and call-backs and interviews taking place on Sunday, December 9th. All participants must be 18 or older at the time of the tryouts (December 7, 2018).
TRYOUT SCHEDULE AND DETAILS
First Round – Friday, December 7, 2018, at the River Kings Front Office building.
Registration opens at 5:00 p.m. There will be a $25 fee for participants, cash only. Participants will also be required to complete information and waiver forms and provide a 5” x 7” or larger head-shot, all photos are non-returnable. Registration forms are available online at GoRiverKings.com.
Instruction begins at 6:00 p.m. with the sessions lasting until approximately 8:30 p.m. Tryouts are led by Dance Team Director Jen Marks. They are a closed event and not open to public viewing.
Participants should wear form-fitting, two-piece dance outfits, and comfortable shoes. No jazz pants or baggy pants will be allowed. Please wear dance briefs or boy shorts. It is suggested that participants bring make-up, hair products, a towel, a bottle of water and a snack.
After instruction and warm-ups, participants will learn combinations including basic kicks and turns integrated into a few short, repeating sideline dance routines. Participants will perform in small groups and first cuts will be established after the completion of the first round.
Finalist Interviews – Sunday, December 9, 2018, at the River Kings Front Office building
Finalist Interviews will take place from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Each finalist will be scheduled for a private interview with a small panel of judges consisting of the Dance Team Director and River King Front Office Staff. Participants should dress business casual for their interview and look professional.
Finalist Callbacks – Sunday, December 9, 2018, at the River Kings Front Office building
Finalist callbacks will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Callbacks are mandatory for all tryout participants who are selected to advance after the first round. Finalists will be chosen based on scores compiled from their dance routines and interview scores. This round is also closed to public viewing. The 2019 River Kings Dance Team will be selected that evening.
CLICK HERE FOR application PACKET
For more information about prep classes and tryouts fill out the form on this page (to the right on desktops) or email River Kings Dance Team Director Jen Marks at jen@goriverkings.com.
