The Bowl Games Are Set – AFI Playoff Recap
*Exhales deeply* Well, where do we even start? Another mental weekend of Irish American football is in the books, and it certainly did not disappoint! After some tense and surprising semi final games, we now know who the bowl game contestants will be! There’s lots to catch up on, so don’t dilly dally! Get reading our game round up below!
Craigavon Cowboys 45 – Wexford Eagles 06
After their transport to Craigavon fell through at the last minute, a brave soar of Eagles made the long trip up north for a much anticipated rematch with the Cowboys. However, despite their heroic efforts, it was the men in orange who once again came out on top. And once Odhran “Sunshine” O’Kane ran back the opening kickoff for a touchdown, the tone was set for the afternoon. Peter Loughran did what he’s been doing all season long, orchestrating his side’s high octane offense with 5 touchdown passes. O’Kane reeled in a hat-trick of scores to go with his opening TD, while Matthew Walsh was on the receiving end of two. The Eagles were not about to go down without a fight though, and scored on the opening drive of the third quarter to make it 18-6 – Kyle McLauhglin connecting with Luke Fitzpatrick. The Cowboys however kept kicking the door in, and by the end of regulation the visitors were left with 5 or 6 ironmen playing both sides of the ball. This outcome was almost guaranteed from the outset, but you really have to admire the guts on display from the Wexford lads. Craigavon may eventually be on their way back to the Shamrock Bowl Conference, but the future is definitely bright for the Eagles.
Louth Mavericks 14 – West Dublin Rhinos 16
A dramatic finish in Dundalk saw the Rhinos avenge their previous 30 – 0 defeat, proceeding to the Harp Bowl in the process.This game transpired to be much closer than many had anticipated, and after Alan Minto scored for the home side on their opening drive with a 50 yard touchdown run, you could have been forgiven for thinking this fixture was a foregone conclusion. The Rhinos were having none of it though, and promptly retorted with a touchdown of their own – Ethan Foster connecting with Davit Rubiana from less than 5 yards out for six points. Cillian Stynes added the afters, and it was all square. Not much separated the sides for the remainder of the half – a field goal from the visitors, the only other points in the first period to give them a 10-7 advantage by the break. Nathan Hearty gave the home side a slim lead deep into the third quarter, connecting with Brendan Simms for a touchdown, but this was quickly extinguished when Ethan Foster found Rubiana again in the endzone to make it 16-14, with not a lot of time left on the clock. This score came despite a tight defensive stand from the Mavericks, who would have fended off this comeback attempt if not for a costly penalty giving the Rhinos a fresh set of downs. Both sides had opportunities to ice the game for good in the dying minutes – the Mavericks recovered a fumble but could not convert the takeaway into points, while Karl McGlynn dropped an absolute sitter of an interception that would have been a guaranteed score. The Rhinos turned it over on downs for the final time, and secured their spot in the final with a kneel – a fitting conclusion to a fierce battle.
UCD 44 – Belfast Trojans 00
Well, we certainly expected the Trojans to put up a bit more of a fight, especially considering how close their last game in Belfast was. But UCD are just a different class, and earned their 3rd Shamrock Bowl in an emphatic victory at home on Sunday afternoon. The students absolutely pasted the northerners to a tune of 44-0 unanswered points, finding the endzone on multiple occasions on the ground and in the air. Arun Mooney had three passing touchdowns in total, connecting with Tom Donovan twice as well as Sean Douglas. Donovan also added a score with his legs, coupled with a pair of extra points for good measure. Once they went 30-0 up, UCD pulled Mooney in favour of QB2 Joseph Carrol, who proceeded to score and convert a touchdown of his own. The icing on the cake came at the death when Eddie Goggins Jr snagged a pick six, sealing the impressive victory with gusto. As a result, UCD will now face old rivals Dublin Rebels in the Shamrock Bowl for the 3rd year running. They are 1-1 against their neighbors on the year, and will need an even higher powered attack if they want to get the better of the men in black!
Dublin Rebels 34 – South Dublin Panthers 21
By all rights, this should have been a sure thing. But you never know with the Rebels – it really depends on what version of the team shows up. And the Panthers are renowned for always playing their hearts out. From the way it sounds, they truly went down swinging in this encounter with the reigning champions. It started out slow in Palmerston, as the Rebels only managed a single score in the first half; and were up by just 13 points by the 3rd quarter. Ty Henry relied heavily on his favourite targets to get the job done: connecting with brothers Dan and Greg Johnson, while Grant Schutte added a pair of scores on the ground as well. Sean Goldrick cracked things open a bit in the 3rd quarter, followed by Jamie Leonard, but by that stage the comeback attempt would be in vain as the Rebels were already up by 34 points. Matty O’Meara reduced the gap again to 13 points in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough to force an upset. The Rebels are heading to their 3rd consecutive Shamrock Bowl where they will face local rivals UCD in what promises to be a thrilling encounter!
Cork Admirals 54 – UL Vikings 16
After a win like this, you have to think the Ads were unlucky to not make the playoffs. For now though, they’ll have to be content with getting one more week of football as well as a shot at some silverware. UL were the unlucky sods who got in their way on Sunday, coming out on the wrong end of a 48 point deficit. The usual suspects were absolutely balling out; as Jake Kennedy and brother Ben combined for 7 touchdowns and almost 400 yards. That stat alone should indicate how dangerous this pair is going to be once they develop a bit more. Also crossing the whitewash were Jahn Dasini, Conor McCarthy and Aaron Hogan. The Vikings, despite the score line, gave a good account of themselves. After finding themselves in a massive hole early, Rookie QB Billy Leenane managed 2 passing touchdowns, the first to rookie receiver Aran O’Hanlon followed by a second to CB playing WR Evan Quigley [sic]. The Leesiders are on to the Shield final, and while the season might not have gone to plan for the other bunch of students, it certainly could have been much worse for their first year back in the premier division!