Cork Admirals Earn First Win Of The Season – AFI Week 6 Round Up
What an absolute cracker of a weekend! It was perfect weather for football, and that was reflected in some of the scores and performances from around the country! Several teams are beginning to gain separation from the pack, and playoff contenders are starting to emerge. The Panthers are making their case for the postseason and have plenty of talented playmakers to go all the way, while in Division One the gun-slinging Peter Loughran and his band of rowdy Cowboys are looking more and more like the team to beat. Keep reading for a full round up of all the weekend’s Irish American football action!
Belfast Knights 13 – UCD 32
A week after laying the smack down on Limerick, UCD took their show on the road to Belfast for a joust with the Knights. And joust they did. The students jumped out to an early lead thanks to touchdowns from Jack Finngean, Peter Masterson and Tom McEniff, and were sitting pretty by halftime with a 24 – 0 point advantage. The hosts would not be deterred however – a decisively different second half saw Liam Moores connect twice with Daithi McShane for scores. A dominant display on defense from Defensive Lineman Robbie Alexander and Cornerback Thomas Wilson managed to slow UCD down considerably as well, as they only mustered a single touchdown from Tom Donovan. Overall, both sides represented themselves well today but it is becoming evident that the boys from Belfield are just built differently.
Antrim Jets 24 – Causeway Giants 64
You thought the blowouts were over? Guess again! A week to regroup numbers didn’t seem to be enough time for the Jets, as they gave up the first 60 point game of this season against their northerly neighbors. Giants QB Nate Wilson connected with three different receivers for scores as Ben Smith, Nathan Chapman and Ronan McCloskey all crossed the whitewash. On the ground, Tony McCloskey had a TD run of 25 yards, Dean Kerry hit one from 55 yards out and Jig McCoy had dashes of 2 and 7, both good for six. The Giants scored often and early, leading 42-12 at the break, but the Jets battled back bravely and even looked to be rallying with scores from Jay Burton, Joey Howe and Jason Beattie. It wasn’t enough in the end to mount much of a comeback, but this one sounds like it turned out to be an absolute thriller.
West Dublin Rhinos 3 – Craigavon Cowboys 46
Seriously, did no one get the memo about blowouts being last week’s thing? A little over a week after they dismantled the Eagles, Craigavon went on the road to Castleknock and hung 46 points on a tough Rhinos team. Peter Loughran continued his excellent run of form, throwing for 5 total touchdowns – 2 to Odhran O’Kane, 2 to Neil Maxwell and 1 to Matthew Walsh. Loughran went 14/21 passing on the day for 221 total yards, accounting for most of the overall yards as well. Andy Herron added a score on the ground as well, and the Cowboys are, for now, the clear leaders in Division One. Their defense was on fire as well, racking up 51 total tackles (12 for a loss) as well as a sack and an interception. Paul Hosford managed a field goal for the home team, but that was about all they could do. It was a complete performance from the men in orange. The question is now, can anyone stop them on their quest from making a championship game appearance?
South Dublin Panthers 39 – UL Vikings 14
Let me tell you one thing: The Panthers are well on their way to a playoff spot. Following an impressive win against the Knights in their previous outing, the boys in blue earned a convincing victory over a struggling Limerick side. Sean Goldrick opened their account on a touchdown reception from Finn Kearns, followed in quick succession by a rushing score from Luke Carey and another from Conor Hoskins to give the Panthers a three TD advantage in the first quarter. The visitors battled back and almost drew level in the second period, as Fin O’Donovan put his team on his shoulders to the tune of 2 rushing scores. Ultimately though, the Panthers just had too much firepower and scores from Lorenzo Bogni, Finn Kearns and Conor Hoskins again put this one to bed before the 4th quarter was over. The Vikings are still desperately searching for their first win of 2024 after yet another defeat, while the Panthers are building more and more momentum with every win!
Cork Admirals 28 – Westmeath Minotaurs 8
The Admirals have one of the best young teams in the country, and this was evidenced once again on Sunday with a resounding win against Westmeath. Jake Kennedy was on fire as usual, finding his favourite target Jahn Dasini for a brace of touchdowns while also connecting with Declan Maye for another. Kennedy capped off his performance with a rushing TD, and was instrumental in earning his team’s first victory of the season. The Admirals defense had a field day in their own right, and absolutely stifled the Minotaurs – holding them to a single touchdown from Rafa Monteiro. Matthew Sibayoni continued his imposing season and led the charge with 6.5 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 3 tackles for a loss. There were also sacks for Martin Mulrey, Aaron Hogan, Charles Washington and Sean Dwyer, while Adam Jere added an interception. This was an important result for the Leesiders, who now sit at 1-2-1 for the year so far. They’ll need to do more however if they want to make another run at the post season this summer.Â
