Cowboys & UCD Claim National Championship Titles
The Irish American Football community descended on Athlone on Saturday for a national championship doubleheader affair. And what a tremendous day it was indeed. Four teams across two divisions were set to do battle, and we couldn’t have asked for a better setting. The field was immaculate, the atmosphere electric and the weather, well it was a typical Irish summer’s day with plenty of sun and rain! Thank you one and all for all the support over the past few months, and for the final time this season, I invite you to read our American Football Ireland Roundup – Bowl game edition!Â
Craigavon Cowboys 35 – West Dublin Rhinos 00
Almost everyone I asked had the Cowboys pegged to win this by a landslide. They were by far the best team in Division One throughout the season, and after the disappointment of last year, it almost felt inevitable they would return to the championship bout. Given their prowess and propensity to score that was previously on display, there was a surprising lack of offensive firepower on display for much of the first half. In fact it was quite a cagey affair, interjected only by takeaways from each team – Ryan Doherty and Mark McCauley doing the honors for the Rhinos and Cowboys respectively. The favorites finally broke the dam just before halftime with an Andy Herron rushing score. An Odhran O’Kane 2 point conversion gave them a slim 8-0 lead heading into the break, an advantage they would immediately extend on their first possession of the third period. This time it was Eoin Hughes who found the endzone, adding the extra point himself to make it 15 zip. So far it had been a relatively lackluster affair, with neither team really finding their groove. Peter Loughran finally connected with Sunshine O’Kane on their first possession of the 4th quarter – a 40 yard catch and run from one of the best tandems in the country. That was the spark Loughran needed, delivering two further knockout blows in the form of touchdown passes to Matthew Walsh and a second to Odhran O’Kane. In the end the Cowboys were comfortable winners, but you have to wonder if the Rhinos had held them scoreless at halftime and had any semblance of decent offensive performance could they have made this a closer affair. Ultimately the point is moot, as this was always going to be the Cowboys game to lose. A comprehensive victory in the end, and the Craigavon men reascend to the Premier Division for 2025.
University College Dublin 36 – Dublin Rebels 14
If the first match was almost a foregone conclusion, it was the complete opposite for the main event, as nobody was willing to declare a winner before kickoff. Both sides started well, with strong runs from UCD’s Brandon Atwell and big passing gains from Ty Henry to Dan Johnson. It would be the students who drew first blood though, as Pete Masterson ripped off a 78 yard rushing score direct to the endzone, capped off by a Tom Donovan 2 pointer to earn an early 8 – 0 lead. The Rebels failed to respond as Henry struggled to connect with his favourite targets thanks to excellent coverage from UCD. The Boys in Blue struck again a few drives later, game MVP Tom Donovan taking a handoff on his own 2 yard line and running the length of the field untouched. Then the floodgates opened, and it was all UCD for the rest of the half as they continued to score at will. If Donovan was the overall MVP then Pete Masterson was the MVP of the first half, contributing 4 total touchdowns – one of which came on the easiest pitch and catch score you will ever see. Quarterback Arun Mooney simply lobbed the ball into the endzone for number 18 to reel in, and there was nothing his opponents could do. The Rebels attempted to find some rhythm of their own but were foiled by big sacks from Atwell and Brian Broderick, before Mooney found Masterson again on an almost identical play to their first hookup a few drives previous. UCD struck once again before the break; Tom Donovan the passer in this instance to find who else but Pete Masterson. 36 – 0 was the scoreline at halftime, and the rout appeared to be on. A somewhat controversial call was made by the officials to commence the second half, with a running clock in operation for the remainder. Yes, the mercy rule is there for a reason, but this was a national championship game. Surely an exception could have been made? This perceived slight was perhaps the spark the Rebels needed to mount a comeback attempt and to wake them up a little. Henry finally found the endzone on a fade pass to Sam Doran, but a failed conversion limited the result to just six points. The Rebels would score again late in the 4th quarter, as Henry and Greg Johnson finally connected for a touchdown to claw back another 8 points. Despite holding UCD scoreless in the second half, it was too little too late from the defending champions. The much anticipated trilogy bout between the two best teams in the country didn’t quite live up to it’s billing this time around, as UCD cruised to a relatively easy Shamrock Bowl victory in Athlone. And while the students are clearly in the ascendancy, their opponents on the day seem to be at a bit of a crossroads. It will be very interesting to see if any challengers can emerge next season.
