SAN ANTONIO — The New York Knockout rode their dominant ground game to a 19-8 victory over the Carolina Stars in San Antonio in the Emerald Bowl on Saturday, July 25, capping a perfect 10-0 season in their first year in the American Women’s Football League.
“It’s surreal. I don’t know how to even explain that feeling,” said left guard Laura Clarke, an account executive for The Daily Star.
New York had a dominant postseason run to get to the championship game, but after Carolina zipped down the field for an opening-drive touchdown and an 8-0 lead, New York had to show it could handle adversity.
Trailing 8-6 at halftime, defensive lineman Shae Messemer said she knew exactly what to say to get her team back at their peak.
“It was something along the lines of — we came out, gave them a way better chance than we should’ve,” Messemer said. “It was a two-point game to be the AWFL champions. And two points isn’t a lot.
“Offense is clicking, we’re moving, train is going,” she continued. “Defense had to keep it up, and we just ran it down their throat the whole time.”
Even when the New York offense went stale for the first two quarters and turned it over twice in opponent territory, the Knockout players said they never lost their mantra.
“There’s one thing that we always say: When the other team scores, we say, ‘We answer back,’” Clarke said. “And every single time, I don’t think there’s not been a time that we haven’t answered back.”
The Knockout continued to persevere despite grieving the death of their former teammate and assistant general manager, Merry Alessi. Alessi died on June 5, at age 42, from breast cancer, just days before the playoffs began.
To honor her legacy, the Knockout started wearing a decal of Alessi’s former number, 24, on their helmets for every game. She still very much had a stake in the team, and it was easy to see.
When the Stars drove deep into Knockout territory with less than five minutes left in the game, holding an 11-point lead, New York needed one more stop.
That’s when a fan — who had been on her feet the entire game — shouted repeatedly from the bleachers:
“Who are you playing for? 24!”
It echoed.
“Who are you playing for? 24!”
Carolina turned the ball over on downs. The New York defense had answered the call, and the Stars never saw the ball again.
“I don’t even know if she would be able to say any words other than just screaming and crying and smiling bigger than everything in the entire world,” Messemer said. “She … I don’t even know. She would be absolutely out of her mind. She would have been elated beyond … beyond comprehension. She probably would have had to pinch herself just like the rest of us.”