A smaller field, rougher playing surface and entirely unfamiliar surroundings greeted the Maranatha Baptist Bible College football team last Thursday. But the basic principles of the game, even 6,000 miles away, were exactly the same.
Players for Maranatha, a small Division III school in Watertown, Wis., had traveled to Israel, in part, to make history. On May 17, they competed against a group of Israeli all-stars in the first international American football game ever played in Israel.
The teams played in the middle of a baseball diamond in Petah Tikva, Israel, using space in the outfield that crept across the infield dirt. There are currently no full-length football fields in the country.
"There was pretty much a constant dust cloud hanging over the field," Maranatha co-captain Robert O'Brien said. "It was really a crazy experience. Once we got into the game and the game was rolling, it didn't feel any different. Leading up to the game it was kind of a neat feeling. We kind of felt like the Oakland Raiders for a while."
Though the field was 100 yards long, that included both end zones, making the actual playing field 80 yards. Maranatha, which led by just one point early in the game, defeated Israel 49-6.
Players on the Israeli team were much bigger than those on Maranatha's team, but the Crusaders used their speed and general knowledge of the game to pull away. Teams in Israel consist of men who live and work in their towns. And Maranatha assistant coach Terry Price said the level of football in Israel is the equivalent to a gathering of people in a parks and recreational league in America.
"Most of the teams are trying to practice at least twice a week," Price said. "Just by virtue of not practicing as much as we do, they're behind there. They've only had tackle football for five years."
The game came about because Jay Armstead, a former Maranatha football player, lives in Israel and is a coach for the Haifa Underdogs, one of 10 teams in the Israeli Football League. He spoke with Price about bringing Maranatha to Israel for a game, and it took little convincing from Armstead.
The IFL is transitioning from 8-man to 11-man football, and the game against Maranatha represented the first 11-on-11 game Israel had played. The league was founded in 2005, and league members didn't begin playing in full pads until the 2007-08 season.
Members of Maranatha's team chalked the yardage, hashmarks and team boxes before the game, which was attended by 500 people and covered by national media outlets.
"It was the first time they ever played on a field like that," Price said. "It was incredible. We got there, and here we are, just a real small Division III program. We've been struggling along with stuff and we get over there and we were like, ‘Man this thing is national news in Israel. It's really a big deal.' "
Maranatha brought a traveling party of 27 people, with 21 suiting up for the game. Because of the relatively low number of players — the team typically dresses about 55 — several team members had to play both offense and defense.
Crusaders quarterback Phil Littrell said the cost of the two-week trip was about $2,500 per person, which limited the number of players attending.
Maranatha spent the first week visiting sites of biblical significance in Israel. They visited Masada, the Dead Sea, the Wailing Wall and the Temple Mount, among other sites.
The second week was spent conducting football clinics for the locals, culminating with the May 17 game.
"It was a lot of fun to give them an idea of where they were as a program," O'Brien said. "We really prepared for it as well as we could because we knew they would kind of get a gauge as to how far along their football fundamentals were. That kind of gave us more inspiration. We wanted to do well for us, but we wanted to do well for them, too."
Maranatha scored on its first offensive possession but struggled to maintain control of the ball early. The Crusaders also surrendered a 76-yard touchdown pass and led just 7-6 during the first half.
"They had twice as many guys, and they were a lot bigger than what I suspected," Littrell said. "It was a little nerve racking at the beginning."
The Crusaders scored the final 42 points to remain undefeated in international competition. The Israel trip marked Maranatha's third international trip for competition. The program traveled to France in 1995 and Ireland in 1998 to play club teams and is now 4-0 all-time in international football games.
Crusaders co-captain Ethan Rosen said the outcome of the game was secondary to the experience.
"It was great to be over there and meet the people and get to know them and be able to build friendships," Rosen said. "I know I came back with six or seven different friends on Facebook now. We chat a little bit here and there. It's kind of cool to be able to do that."
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