Document text
http://www.omniture.com --> Ashland, Oregon HOME Valley & State Sports Opinion/Editorial Classifieds Business Columnists Obituaries Weather Archive Revels Etcetera Backpage O-Zone Real Estate Guide Menu Guide Shakespeare Subscribe Contact Us Rate Card Place an Ad August 12, 2006 Europe's SOU connection By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Submitted photo Justin Despotakis sets up prior to throwing a touchdown pass to his brother, Brandon Despotakis, during a recent British American Football League game. The brothers have taken the league by storm a year after playing backup roles at Southern Oregon University, helping the Southern Sundevils go 6-3. Justin and Brandon Despotakis didn't have the breakout senior seasons they were hoping for at Southern Oregon University last year. Now, the twins are making up for lost playing time — in Europe. Justin is closing in on 2,000 yards passing and Brandon has 41 catches at tight end, as the two former SOU football players are taking the British American Football League by storm while playing for the Southern Sundevils. The two have led the Sundevils, based in Portsmouth, England, to a 6-3 record heading into their final game of the regular season. Southern can clinch a playoff spot with a win next week over the London Blitz. The brothers entered last season at SOU with high expectations for both themselves and the team, but it didn't work out that way. Justin, a 6-foot-6 quarterback, opened the season as the starter but was quickly benched and ended up completing just 44 of 81 passes for 319 yards and two touchdowns. Brandon, who stands at 6-3, was equally frustrated after finishing the season with one measly reception. After the season the boys' dad, Ken Despotakis, discovered the BAFL online and arranged for his sons to meet the Sundevils' head coach, Jim Roberson. The three clicked, and now are partly responsible for what has become one of the league's most potent offensive units. "He's just been terrific," Justin Despotakis said of Roberson, one of the few BAFL coaches who recruits overseas. "We went out right before Christmas to see him and everything he's promised he's done, and we couldn't be happier." Neither could Roberson. With the Despotakis twins taking turns torching opposing defenses, the Sundevils are averaging over 30 points per game, far and away the best mark in team history. The brothers hooked up recently on a 92-yard touchdown, the third-longest play in the league's 20-year history. The tandem's success hasn't come as a surprise to Roberson, who all but guaranteed the boys spots in the starting lineup upon seeing them work out for the first time. The coach has been particularly impressed with his new signal caller, who's size and arm strength alone has put him in a league of his own. "We've never had a quarterback like Justin — ever," said Roberson, who's led the Sundevils to three BritBowl championships over the past eight years. "He's had the opportunity to come over here and show he can play, and show he can play in big situations." Though the BAFL is considered a pro football league, players are not paid to play. Room and board is usually covered by the team, but Brandon and Justin must pay for everything else. That includes dues at a local gym the two use to stay in game shape. Roberson compares the quality of BAFL football to that of NCAA Division II. With experienced quarterbacks in short supply, most teams lean on the running game. Defenses are not as sophisticated either, according to Justin, who's had his way against secondaries that he says rarely switch gears regardless of how the game is going. "The first game of the season I pretty much called about 80 percent of the plays," he said. Crowds at games are sparse. According to Justin, the average game has more scouts than fans. Still, the boys from Ashland have been getting consistent support from their parents. Enduring the ten-and-a-half-hour plane flight, Ken Despotakis has attended each game. In all, he's crossed the pond 11 times over the past four months. The boys will wait until after the season to decide whether or not to return for another season. For now, Justin says, they're leaning toward an encore, but that all could change if they're offered a contract in another pro league. "We'll see how this season finishes up," Justin said. "No matter what we do, the experience was good." Leave a Comment: Advertisement: Advertisement: Paid Advertising Inkjet Printers Student Loans Water Filter Helzberg Diamonds Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Copyright © 2006 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers. All Rights Reserved.