Panthers hunt Knights in Belfast – AFI Week Three Round Up
It was a jam packed weekend of action in the world of Irish American Football, with 7 games taking place in every corner of the country! So, let’s get stuck in. Here’s our American Football Ireland Week Three Round Up!
Cill Dara Crusaders 6 – Dublin Rhinos 8
The first game of the season for these Division One rivals was a typically tight affair. The hosts conceded first, as a high snap on a punt was chased down by Karl McGlynn for a safety. Defense was paramount in this low scoring fixture, as the Rhinos secondary didn’t yield a single point in the first half, picking up an interception along the way courtesy of Ryan Doherty. Niall McMahon also had a phenomenal game at Linebacker, racking up 3 sacks while Podge Lalor, John Lalor and Carmen Bucheanu provided constant pressure. The Crusaders pulled one back with 2 minutes left on the clock thanks to Ben Costello, but the Rhinos answered almost immediately as QB Ethan Foster drove the length of the field with catches by Davit Rubenia, Craig Usher, Eoin O’Donoghue and Paul Hosford, before Foster found Volodymyr Fedorov for the winner with just 8 seconds left. An exciting finish in Newbridge to start the year off, but both sides will require more firepower if they are to challenge for the title.
Causeway Giants 12 – Donegal/Derry Vipers 6
A 50 yard touchdown dash from Jig McCoy in the dying moments sealed victory for the Giants in their first Divison One appearance. The Vipers struck first with a Josh Reed 95 yard TD run to grab a 6-0 advantage in the 3rd quarter, but the home side battled back and drew even shortly after courtesy of a Tony McCloskey rushing score. The Giants QB delivered the deciding blow as time wound down to get his team off to a winning start, while the Vipers now find themselves in a 2 game hole with lots of work to do. These sides are constantly improving and the rest of the teams in the division will need to start watching their backs!
Craigavon Cowboys 15 – Louth Mavericks 15
The Mavs made the short trip across the border on Sunday to take on a Cowboys side that hung 40 plus points on the Vipers two weeks ago. This one was a much lower scoring outing. The visitors opened their account first with a 60 yard home run from Alan Minto on their first drive, taking an early 7-0 advantage. The home side struggled to move the ball initially, and Peter Loughran threw an untimely interception to hand possession back to his opponents. Andrew Herron finally hit paydirt in the second quarter and with a converted 2 point attempt, the Cowboys were back on top. The lead seemingly didn’t last for long as Brendan Simms ran back the ensuing kick off for an apparent score, but a questionable flag from the officials forced a re-kick. The Cowboys struck first in the second half, capping a long drive with a Peter Loughran TD pass to Matthew Walsh. Not to be out dueled, Nathan Hearty pulled off a beautiful 50 yard rushing touchdown, before tossing the 2 point conversion to tie things up with under 4 minutes to go. In the end, the Mavericks couldn’t do anything with their final possession, opting to punt as time wound down rather than attempting a 60 yard field goal (in their defense, there was some confusion on how long was left on the clock!). These two sides are likely to scrap for the top spot as the season progresses, but will need to steer clear of further miscues!
UL Vikings 0 – Dublin Rebels 45
The Vikings are in the middle of an extremely difficult opening stretch of games, and things went from bad to worse on Sunday afternoon as the reigning champions came to town and dropped 45 points. Ty Henry was on top form, connecting with both Johnson brothers for multiple scores, as well as Andrej Barlafa and Jack Cronin. Barlafa continues to be a key contributor for the Rebels as their number one back, and added another score on the ground while David King delivered a key interception. Things can only get better for this young UL side, but first they’ll need to weather one further storm in the shape of a surging UCD. “It was a long old day, but the boys fought until the end.” said Liam Ryan afterwards. Jack McClain, Adam Ward and Jack Price were some of the few bright spots for the Vikings in this drubbing, but it will be little consolation in what has really been a nightmare start to the season.
Belfast Knights 20 – South Dublin Panthers 33
The Panthers are back in 2019 form and are absolutely rolling. After handling the Minotaurs fairly easily in Week 1, they went on the road to take on the Knights. Finn Kearns was on fire, hooking up with his favourite target Sean “Goldie” Goldrick for a brace of touchdowns, while also connecting with Jamie Leonard. Kearns accounted for four scores in total, while Leonard rushed for a second one as well. Casey Nannery and Chris Madden made a nuisance of themselves on the defensive side of the ball, snagging an interception apiece. This talented Panthers side was simply too much for the Knights, and led the game from the outset. The Knights battled back bravely as the game went on, but alas fell short of any sort of comeback. Scores for the home side came via 2 Phil Henson touchdowns off dump off passes, and a Marty Caskey reception from Quarterback Liam Moore. The Panthers now sit at 2-0, and although it’s still early, could be primed to make a playoff push as the season progresses.
UCD 32 – Cork Admirals 18
UCD may have earned the dub at home, but the Leesiders didn’t make it easy on them. Young Quarterback Jake Kenndedy continued his excellent connection with Declan Maye for 2 receiving touchdowns, and added the third with his legs. Kennedy and Maye have now combined for 4 total touchdowns so far this season, with many more still likely to come. The Admirals defense had a monster day, as Liam O’Leary and Matthew Sibanyoni each had fumble recoveries, the latter coming on a ball he knocked out by himself. Martin Mulrey and Sean Dwyer made the total forced fumble count 3, and Adam Jere added an interception for good measure. Despite the numerous turnovers, UCD prevailed thanks to the stellar play of Quarterback Arun Mooney. The signal caller hit Peter Masterson twice for scores, and targeted Tom Donovan for a third, while Brandon Atwell continued his excellent run of form to punch in a rushing touchdown. The difference was in the extra points, as the hosts converted for 2 after all scoring drives. UCD continue their undefeated march, as Cork are still searching for their first victory of the year.
Wexford Eagles 28 – Razorbacks 14
After falling to the Mavericks at home in their season opener, the Eagles were out for retribution and found it in the shape of victory over a strong Razorback side. In what Coach Kevin Klatt described as a “rollercoaster from start to finish” the Wexford team relied on early scores from Liam McLaughlin and Luke Fitzpatrick to get things moving – McLaughlin’s topping off a 99 yard drive. Quarterback Kyle McLaughlin crossed the line on a QB sneak to get their third before sealing the victory with a 45 yard touchdown pass to Terry Carey. The Hogs didn’t make it easy on them, and this one was a lot closer than the final score let on. Ben Braniff got the scoring underway with a fumble recovery for a touchdown on defense, and Jamie McClean added a second on offense. The outcome could have been a lot different if the northerners didn’t have 2 scores called back, and will be left to ponder their misfortune. One thing is for sure, Division One is looking very, very interesting.