By Jimmy English
Things are heating up in the world of Irish American Football as we had three intriguing league fixtures taking place around the island last weekend. Each game more or less went off exactly as expected as the Trojans traveled down to face the Panthers, Cill Dara hosted the Stags and the Minotaurs took on the Rhinos. Want to know how all these games went down? Then you better keep reading!
Belfast Trojans 47 – South Dublin Panthers 7
I really thought this was going to be a good game, but when I pulled into Terenure College and saw the Trojans warming up, my instincts told me otherwise. Then, a pregame conversation predicted that whoever scored the first touchdown would emerge victorious in this clash, a premonition that proved to be entirely accurate. The travelling Trojans opened their account on the very first drive when newcomer Rayshawn Boswell broke free for a 50 yard touchdown run. The conversion made it 7 nil early on, and the hosts were in for a long day. Despite the advantage of a nice new home pitch, the Panthers struggled to move the ball much. Conor Hoskins was perhaps the lone bright spot, playing a key role in both the run and pass. Any momentum being developed early on was immediately wiped out when QB Conor Murphy threw an INT to Stephen Weir, giving the Trojans a possession which was swiftly converted into points on a Dom Lynn pass to Michael Ferris for a 14-0 lead.
Things got progressively worse for one of last year’s semi finalists when Maks Dimitrov, Adam McElwee and Oran Wilson all scored in quick succession, practically putting the game out of reach before the halftime whistle. Mo Ramadan punching it in with under a minute to go ensured the mercy rule (along with a running clock) would be in effect for the remainder of this lopsided encounter. Chris Madden gave the Panthers a little spark on the opening play of the second half, picking off Dom Lynn with a diving interception. Conor Hoskins and Luke Carey continued to run strong, but it was evident that this one was over. Conor Murphy capped off a strong offensive drive with a rushing TD to wind out the 3rd quarter, but this consolation score was all they could muster, and Dom Lynn put the game on ice on the ensuing Trojan drive with a deep pass TD to Michael Ferris.
Before the season started you would have possibly pegged the Panthers as one of the few teams to push UCD, but after watching what transpired on Saturday and despite a brave effort, they might be lucky to stay up in the premier division. As for the Trojans, they could be one of the most complete teams currently left in the league and at this very early stage certainly look poised for a big year.
Cill Dara Crusaders 41 – Antrim Stags 22
The newly formed Antrim Stags were also on the road down South on Saturday to face last year’s Division One plate participants in Newbridge College. The Stags actually took an early lead in this bout, much to the surprise of everyone watching the score updates on Instagram, before normal order was restored and the Crusaders began an onslaught. Jordan Farrell, under the direction of his father Ken, threw for 3 touchdowns and over 200 yards – connecting with Alan Sourke twice as well as Nathan Purcell. Wello also continued his fine form from last season, eclipsing 150 yards on the ground for a pair of rushing touchdowns. Wello added an INT on defense, as did Riain Murphy. The Stags, to their credit, seem to have given a good account of themselves with scores from Scott McClean, Duncan Maguire and Jay Burton. It’s never easy to compete as a newly formed team but with plenty of experienced players, the Stags should expect to make an impact on this division in their inaugural season. The Crusaders on the other hand might finally be able to get out of their own way and make a playoff push. They are definitely one to watch in Division One!
Westmeath Minotaurs 37 – West Dublin Rhinos 0
After reaching the Division One final last season, the Rhinos had to fancy their chances of a strong season opener down in Mullingar. The Minotaurs however, had other ideas. Stepping in for the injured Joe Kinahan was Sean McCormack, who deputised by throwing 5 total touchdown passes including a hat trick to Domas Vilys and one apiece to Rafa Monteiro and Cathal Dunne. Defensively the Minotaurs completely shut out the Rhinos, putting new QB Kevin Kelly under pressure and forcing multiple interceptions by Dylan Finnane and Peter Dempsey.
Photo: Vlad Vasilescu
A disappointing offensive performance from the visitors was somewhat negated by their defense, who netted three picks of their own by Matt Mays, along with 2 sacks from Carmen Becheanu. The Rhinos will have 2 weeks now to regroup before their next challenge, while the Minotaues continue their quest to return to the top flight with a clash against the Eagles next up this coming Sunday.
Cover photo: Ian Humes
Source: Gaelic Gridiron. Reposted with permission of author