Panthers Maul Stags & Admirals Sink Cowboys – AFI Week 11
After a brief hiatus last week due to yours truly being too busy, normal American Football Ireland round up service has resumed (at least for now). We are well and truly getting towards the business end of the season, with the playoff picture becoming clearer with every passing weekend of action. And while the top flight might be pretty cut and dry already – division one poses a much more intriguing scenario with 4 teams in the running for the final. Read on, if you dare, for all the details of Sunday’s Irish American football showdowns!
Wexford Eagles 00 – West Dublin Rhinos 41
This scoreline does not do the Eagles any sort of justice. After losing Head Coach and Quarterback Ross McCooey to a broken hand last time out, 16 brave men lined out to host the Rhinos in Gorey on Sunday afternoon and put in a hell of a shift. Almost all ended up playing iron man football. Alas they could not hold off the Rhino onslaught, as Ethan Foster found the endzone on a hattrick of rushing scores, while tossing a touchdown to Craig Usher as well. Jakub Urbas and Wello Omorodian also earned a score, while defensively Muhammit Sahin, Matt Mays and Vladimir Fedorov each had an interception and Kaan Akkaya earned a fumble recovery. Doran Taylor filled in at QB for the hosts until a concussion knocked him out, and then it was a shared duty for Terry Carey and Killian – This victory pushes the Rhinos to 4-2 and likely 3rd/4th seed in the playoffs but whether or not they can finally get back to the bowl still remains to be seen.
Causeway Giants 08 – Northwest Vipers 23
It’s been a tough season for the Armoy men, but at least they’re scoring points and making plays! The Vipers newly signed Ishmael Ahmad made his presence immediately noticed in Limepark on Sunday with two massive receiving touchdowns from Mike Naulty, including an 80 yard bomb, and will be a huge addition down the stretch. Josh Reed’s massive 70 yard strip sack return sealed the deal for the serpents, and with a 5 – 1 record, these Donegal/Derry lads are well on their way to the postseason. The Giants defense didn’t go down without a fight however, as Kai Hannaway, Tony McCloskey and Peter Phillips all nabbed interceptions (something the Vipers will need to clean up) and Kristyn White picked up 8 points on a touchdown and 2 point conversion. It’s worth noting as well that White started the game at centre before being forced to play QB due to injury, so kudos to him for that. I still believe the Giants can be competitive in this league, if they keep building and believing. As for the Vipers, will 2026 be the year they finally lift the Harp Bowl?
Cork Admirals 40 – Craigavon Cowboys 06
Let’s be honest, whoever lost this game was probably getting demoted to Division One. And in some ways, that wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, for either side. The Admirals weren’t letting it be them though, as they put on a show at home to stay alive for at least another week. Jahn Dasini was the man of the hour, rushing for a score while connecting with Adam Jere, Michael Halliday and Aaron Hogan through the air as well. Kieran Maye also rushed for 6 points while Timmy Peyton had a superb pick six. The Admirals defense played lights out with Sean O’Leary and Wiktor Mazur also coming up with interceptions. Conor Traynor ensured that it wasn’t a shutout, but his consolation score will do little to lift the Cowboys spirits. Cork are safe for now, but must win against Limerick next weekend and hope for a miracle against UCD if they want to live to fight for another year in the top flight.
Antrim Stags 00 – South Dublin Panthers 58
There was a time when a 50+ point game in the Irish American Football league would be almost unheard of. But the Panthers have been building up to this for a while now, after toying with their food (sorry, opponents) earlier in the season. Their unbeaten run continued up North on Sunday, as they dismembered a hapless Stags side, whose lone win came against Wexford back in March. The Panthers offense was perfectly balanced throughout, with four touchdowns through the air and four on the ground – as Conor Hoskins, Toby Keating, Ray Burke, Jamie Leonard, Shane Brady and Jacob Langille all found the endzone. At 7-0 with one game remaining – a rematch against Westmeath down in Mullingar, the South Dublin side are perfectly poised to secure at the very least a home semi final come July, and potentially punch their ticket back to the big leagues. The Minotaurs on May 30th may just be the ones to spoil their party, and that game is shaping up to be a classic.