Bolzano Giants start strong against Torino Giaguari in Italy season opener

The Bolzano Giants, 2016 Italian finalists, opened the 2017 season in style with a convincing 28-7 win over the Torino Giaguari (Jaguars) from Turin.

The Giants broke open a 0-0 deadlock in the second quarter with two touchdowns and added one each in the third and fourth quarters to down the Jaguars.

Bolzano’s new quarterback Dustin Hawke Willingham was outstanding, throwing three touchdown passes and running another one in himself. Wide receiver Gregorio caught two touchdown passes and Marco Bonacci hauled in the other one for the win.

After a scoreless opening quarter, Bolzano’s offense came alive in the second with Willingham, who won a Norwegian championship in 2016 with the Oslo Vikings, finding a rhythm and connecting with his receivers. Time and again he found Gregario for big gains before hitting him for the game’s first score. With another scoring drive capped by a touchdown by Bonacci, the Giants took firm control of the game going into the break.

Bolzano maintained that control in the third quarter, recovering a Jaguars fumble and converting it with another Willingham to Gregario touchdown extending the lead to 21-0. Then Willingham guided the Giants on a fourth quarter march, eating up the clock, and finishedit himself with a one yard plunge to give Bolzano a 28-0 lead.

Torino finally got on the scoreboard as running back Cotrone bulled his way into the end zone with little time left on the clock to avoid the shut out.

Watch the game highlights here.

Other games

In other action, the Milano Seamen trounced the Roma Grizzlies 41-6, the Ancona Dolphins whipped the  Firenze Guelfi 43-19, the Parma Panthers eked out a 3-0 win over the newly promoted Pesaro UTA and the Lazio Marines edged the Bergamo Lions 14-6.

Source: Giovanni Ganci, IFL Magazine