Playoff Spots Up For Grabs in AFI Week 14
The first weekend of June brought us some crucial contests in the world of Irish American Football, as the race for playoff spots began to seriously heat up! 5 games in total took place around the country with everyone, including yours truly, eagerly refreshing their feeds for score updates! Some of the fixtures went exactly the way you’d expect, while others did not – so keep reading our American Football Ireland week 14 round up to find out how they all went down!
Westmeath Minotaurs 08 – Northwest Vipers 38
The Vipers must have taken their 29% chance to win prediction to heart on Saturday, descending from the hills of Donegal to unleash the venom on Westmeath and secure a spot in the semi finals. The encounter was quite close up until the break at 14-8, but an injury to Minotaurs Quarterback Conor Brennan significantly hampered their chances once the 3rd quarter began. A passing touchdown to Jack Walsh and a safety from a muffed punt was all the hosts could muster, while the Vipers on the other hand were on top form offensively. Single caller Mike Naulty played a pivotal role throughout – distributing the ball evenly to Mike Mallon, Ishy Ahmad and a bomb to Lewis Lecky while also rushing for two scores. Harry Burgess was on point with 4 PAT’s and Lorcan McCartney also returned a bad snap on a Minotaurs conversion attempt for a 2pt Conversion. The emphatic victory seals the number 2 seed for the Vipers, and they will surely be aiming to continue their strong run of form into the playoffs and beyond. Despite the loss and drop off from last weekends’ impressive win over the Panthers, Westmeath clinched the fourth and final playoff spot as a result of the Rhinos defeating the Giants at home – but more about that below! They’ll need to be at full strength though if they want to make it past the semi finals and back to the Harp Bowl!
West Dublin Rhinos 29 – Causeway Giants 14
For the second week running the Rhinos faced a travelling northern side intent on making their mark in Castleknock, and while the Giants very much put it up to their hosts – they didn’t quite have the firepower to finish the job. West Dublin pulled ahead by 23 points in the first half thanks to an Ethan Foster pass to Richard Grimes and a pair of rushing touchdowns from Wello Omorodion and Jakub Urbas, but could not put the Giants away. Jig McCoy connected with Finn Taylor for a score before the break, while Nathan Chapman followed up with a passing touchdown to Tony McCloskey late in the game to make this a close enough game in the end. A Cristobal Castro pick six ultimately proved to be the knockout blow, punching the Rhinos ticket to the playoffs in the process. Castro had a pair of interceptions in total, while an interception from Adam Skelly and a Matt Mays blocked punt also proved to be crucial. The Rhinos are playoff bound for the third straight season and will be hoping they can return to the Harp Bowl for the first time since 2024. And to be honest, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they got there and triumphed!
Belfast Knights 06 – Dublin Rebels 12
Hailed as the “game of the weekend” this bout certainly had the most on the line in terms of Shamrock Bowl playoff spots, and even though the scoreboard wasn’t lighting up it did end up being a very close affair. Inclement conditions in Belfast made ball control extremely difficult it seems, with both sides conceding and receiving multiple fumbles and interceptions. The Rebels got across the goal line first, as Joe Krause pushed the pile across the goal line, but couldn’t convert – leaving the door open for the Knights to answer back in the form of a Zach Templeton rushing touchdown. Both Templeton and Harry Salt had several big runs on the day, while an Isaac Searle catch and run fell agonisingly short of becoming a huge score after the Knights fumbled on the very next play. Jack Cronin got the visitors on the board again, but the Rebels 2 pointer fell short once more – a credit to the tenacity of this young Knights defense. Two interceptions from Turlough MacGowan and a Thomas Conlon fumble recovery kept them well in the game, but it just wasn’t meant to be on the day in Malone RFC. Victory for the Rebels secures them the 3rd seed overall, while Belfast must win their remaining fixtures and pray for a UCD loss or two if they want to have any chance of making the semi finals.
UL Vikings 14 – UCD 36
The way this season has gone for UCD, it wouldn’t have shocked me to see this result reversed on Sunday afternoon. The Dublin students went on the road seeking an emphatic victory, and achieved exactly that. Up by 14 early and cruising, there wasn’t much that UL could do to slow their opponents down, as Jefferson Freeman (x2) Tom Donovan (x2) and Sidney Pindi all found their way into the endzone. Even Sean McVeigh (remember him?!) got in on the action with a 2 point conversion. The other students didn’t go down too easily however, as Matthew Loughrey had a pair of receiving touchdowns and Brett Switzer nabbed himself an interception. UL are becoming more competitive every season, and although not completely out of playoff contention just yet, they should take great pride in the progress achieved this season. As for UCD, they now have sole possession of 4th place in the top flight but will need to win their remaining fixtures and hope for some favourable results if they want to make it past the conclusion of the regular season.
Craigavon Cowboys 00 – Louth Mavericks 52
A week after their drubbing at the hands of the Mavericks, Craigavon were back in Newry RFC for a rematch, but this time as the home team. The outcome however was almost identical to the previous encounter – the Cowboys completely overpowered by Louth’s offensive firepower. The usual suspects were all in on the scoring, with Fin O’Donovan, Alan Minto and Oisin Finn all playing starring roles. O’Donovan and Minto each earned a hattrick of scores, and will continue to play key roles as the Mavericks advance to the playoffs as the number 2 seed. Craigavon had a few lucky breaks throughout the game including an interception off a tipped pass, but other than that it was score after score. You actually have to admire them for even fulfilling this fixture, as it wouldn’t have come as much of a shock if they had pulled out. At 0-7 on the year and with one game remaining against the Knights, it’s safe to say they’ll be back in Division One next year, which is probably the best place for them in order to regroup. Louth are now set to welcome the Trojans next weekend in what could be a Shamrock Bowl preview, and both teams will be keen for a proper challenge after not facing a huge amount of competition so far this season.