In a battle of the only two unbeaten teams in the Polish Football League, the Bydgoszcz Archers (5-0) proved why they have yet to lose a game this season with a solid 28-14 win over the visiting Tychy Falcons (4-1).
With the victory, the Archers moved into sole possession of first place in the PFL standings with one game left for them in the regular season.
Bydgoszcz set the tone from the get go after receiving the opening kickoff. On the very first play from scrimmage, Mateusz Poneta (#3) took a screen 70 yards to the house to put the Archers on top 7 – 0.
Archers WR Mateusz Poneta #3 Photo: Jan Kupic
After a outstanding first-game performance from Falcons QB Gabriel Losada (#2) last week, much was expected from the young import QB, but the day would be marred by incompletions and three-and-outs forced by the Archers defense. However this did not run parallel to the Archers offensive performance which was able to move the ball up and down the field with relative ease, led by QB Jake Schimenz (#1). The Archers added a second TD in the first quarter via a 65-yard seam route to receiver Piotr Rudnicki (#8) taking the team two scores clear just halfway through the first quarter.
The second quarter saw movement from the Archers offense and even a couple of attempted field-goals but no change on the scoreboard. The Falcons on the other hand were unable to get anything going and at times even struggled to get a first down.
Archers QB Jake Schimenz #1 Photo: Jan Kupic
The second half started just as the first had finished for the Falcons, the team looking as if their offense may struggle to get anything on the board. But on the second Falcon drive of the third quarter, Losada delivered up a perfectly lofted ball down the sideline straight into the waiting arms of receiver Tomasz Nowak (#5) for a 42-yard touchdown. After a poor first half performance, Tychy was still somehow within one score of the Archers.
The next two Bydgoszcz drives would result in scores with one coming from Schimenz who would go the entire length of the field using both his arm and legs before going airborne from the five-yard line; and the other via a 25-yard high-point fade to receiver Jakub Kubacki (#13) to take the Archers up three scores before the end of the third quarter.
Photo: Jan Kupic
Losada would sustain what looked to be a wrist injury mid-way through the third quarter and fail to return for the remainder of the game making a bad game for the Falcons worse. The Tychy offense added a late score with back up quarterback Bartosz Woch #4 finding a streaking Grzegorz Kozub #13 for a 43 yard touchdown with just under three minutes left in the game to narrow the lead to 28-14.
That’s how the contest would end though as the Archers are now the league front runners with the playoffs looming.