Detroit Wolfetone player Joel Langdon is sandwiched by a pair of Pittsburgh Celtics. (photo by Ed Wright)

If you like rugged, fast-paced action, you'll love Gaelic football

BY ED WRIGHT
July 14, 2010, 1:35 p.m.

  First, grab a giant blender.

  Then pour in equal doses of hockey's physicality, lacrosse's lightning-quick pace, football's brutality, soccer's finesse and a couple gallons of Red Bull.

  Hit the "On" switch and what you'll get is Gaelic football - probably the coolest, most entertaining sport you've never seen before.

  While Spain and the Netherlands were squaring off in a yellow card-drenched World Cup final Sunday afternoon, the Detroit Wolfetones and Pittsburgh Celtics were matching skills in a Gaelic football game at Novi-Detroit Catholic Central High School.

  The showdown was jam-packed with crashing bodies, end-to-end ball movement and a few hard-earned goals.

  The players wore no pads, shared plenty of good-natured (for the most part) trash talk and pushed their bodies to the limit in the 90-degree heat.

  A couple fights were within a whisker of igniting, but that goes with the territory when you play the high-intensity game that has earned the right to be called Ireland's national sport.

  "People who don't want to get hit get weeded out pretty quickly," said Plymouth resident Brendan Murray, who has been around the sport as long as he can remember. "My grandpa played when he came over from Ireland. My dad and my uncle played; now myself, my brother and my cousins play. It's part of our family's history."

  Murray's passion for the sport is thicker than blood.

  "Basically, it's a mix of every good American sport that I love," the 20-year-old junior to be at Central Michigan University said. "It has the speed and contact of hockey, lacrosse, football and rugby; and it takes the skills of soccer and basketball.

  "You can't just walk out here the first day and pick it up right away. You have to put a lot of time and effort into it if you want to get good."

  The Detroit Wolfetones Gaelic Football Club, which includes several Plymouth and Canton residents, was formed in 1982 by a group of young friends, including Tom Murray, Brendan's dad and the current head coach. Murray, of Plymouth, still played until a few years ago when a knee injury forced him from the field to the sidelines.

  "What I like about the sport is that it's fast, there's contact, there's a lot of skill required - between soloing the ball and kicking goals - and there's constant movement; you never stop out there," the elder Murray said. "I've played soccer and Gaelic football and I like Gaelic football a lot more."

  There are two ways to score: Teams are credited with three points if they kick the soccer ball-sized ball into a  soccer net that is connected to the bottom of a football goalpost. They receive one point if they boot the ball through the goal posts.

  The ball can be advanced by kicking, throwing or running with it. The only restriction is that players can only carry the ball for a maximum of four steps before they have to either dribble, kick it to themselves or pass it to a teammate.

  To get an idea of how crazy it gets when players elevate for a 50/50 ball, imagine a sirloin steak being thrown into a den of hungry lions.

  Ball-seeking scrums often result in players falling like bowling pins, with one player emerging  - bruised but undeterred - with the sphere.

  "The best thing about it is the contact," said Canton resident Joel Langdon, smiling. "It's a great workout. You really have to push yourself so hard, but it's great. It's a great team game, too."

  For years, Brendan Murray tried to convince longtime friend Ryan Houska to give the sport a try. Houska, who plays collegiate football for Cornell, finally relented last year.

  He's happy he did.

  "Brendan's been begging me to play since we were little kids," said Houska. "I finally came out last year and I loved it. It's a lot of fun. There's a lot of running around and it takes a lot of skill to play it. The toughest things to get used to is giving up the ball after four steps.

  "I'm still getting used to it, but it's a great group of guys."

  The Wolfetones compete in the Midwest Division of the Gaelic Athletic Association. Their division also includes teams from Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Buffalo.

  The top two teams in each division qualify for the North American Men's Football Championships that will be held in Chicago during Labor Day Weekend.

  Following Sunday's 10-6 setback to Pittsburgh, the Wolftones are deadlocked in a three-way tie for first with Pittsburgh and Cleveland.

  Teams throughout North America are divided into three classifications: senior, junior and intermediate.

  "The senior teams are very, very good," said Murray. "They have a lot of players who come over for the summer from Ireland. We're classified as junior, but we have some players who are good enough to play senior. Actually, there's not a lot of difference between junior and intermediate."

  The Wolfetones captured the Midwest Division in 2009 before advancing to the title game in their flight at the National Championships in Boston.

  On Sunday, the Detroit contingent fell into an early hole to Pittsburgh before storming back to within 9-6 late in the contest. With under two minutes to play, Wolfetone Tony Vettraino struck a hard, rising shot that threatened to knot the score before rattling the goal post.

  The Celtics countered with a single point at the other end, clinching the hard-fought win.

  Once the game-ending whistle blew, both teams simmered their raging competitive fires and lined up in single-file lines.

  As they shook hands and exchanged pleasantries, the Wolfetones and Celtics displayed two more strong Gaelic football traits: camaraderie and mutual respect

  Ed Wright can be reached at (734) 453-1980 or info@plymouthcantonsports.com.

Brendan Murray dribbles the ball while a Pittsburgh player tries to impede his progress. (Ed Wright photo)

Bodies bang as players fight for possession of the ball. (Ed Wright photo)

Detroit's Tony Vettraino rips home a goal to bring the Wolfetones to within 9-6 late in the second half. (Ed Wright photo)

Plymouth resident Ted Barker goes high in an effort to pull down a long pass. (Ed Wright photo)

Tempers flared at times during the highly-competitive game, but no fighting ensued. (Ed Wright photo)

Soccer skills are an important part of the game. (Ed Wright photo)

A trio of Pittsburgh Celtics crash down like bowling pins during a collision with Vettraino. (Ed Wright photo)

Unlike soccer, contact is a big part of the sport of Gaelic football. (Ed Wright photo)

Ryan Houska prepares to advance the ball. (Ed Wright photo)