Ireland: Louth Mavericks & UCD Make Moves

Gaelic Gridiron | American Football | 05/03/2023

By Jimmy English

Division One games in Ireland featured heavily this past Sunday as the Vikings and Mavericks attempted to stay perfect for the season, while up north UCD continued their winning ways with a dominant defeat of Craigavon. Keep reading for our full recap of all yesterday’s Irish American football action!

Featured Game: Louth Mavericks 34 – 0 Cill Dara Crusaders

An impressive victory at home from the Mavericks who move to 4 & 0 on the season and post their 3^rd defensive shutout of the year. An opening touchdown on the ground from Brendan Simms was the first of many scores for the Louth side; the versatile Simms accounting for another one through the air later on in the game. Louth Quarterback Nathan Hearty was moving well in the pocket to avoid pressure and found Oisin Finn deep in the endzone on a beautifully thrown ball in the 4^th Quarter. The Division One Offensive Player of the Year candidate added a rushing score on the ground soon thereafter, slicing through the Crusaders defense for 6. The Mavs defense had themselves a day as well, picking off Crusaders Quarterback Jordan Farrell on 4 separate occasions. Eamonn Ward returned one such interception from his own endzone, weaving his way 90 yards downfield for a pick 6. That was the defining moment of the game, in which the Crusaders struggled to get going or do much. The Mavs defense did their job against the run as well, adding 3 sacks to a strong performance. Special mention must be made to Mavs OG Declan Mulivihill who made 4 out of 4 extra points, and had a few missile like punts to pin the visitors deep into their own half. By securing a victory the Mavs stay within reach of UL at the top of the table, while for the Crusaders there will be disappointment after easily defeating the Jets a week ago.

UL Vikings 13 – 3 West Dublin Rhinos

The Vikings went on the road to Dublin and claimed this series in a sweep of the West Dublin Rhinos. The day got off to a disastrous start for the Vikings as their bus broke down in Tipperary, resulting in the team arriving just 25 minutes before kick off. It was another tight affair in Castleknock that was undoubtedly impacted by “biblical” levels of rain throughout. Scores for the students came from an Adam Ward pick 6 on a perfectly jumped route and a Fin O’ Donovan 40 yard pass to Danny Quilter, while college football hopeful Ross Bolger’s field goal was the lone bright spot for the home side. Much like the first matchup between these teams it was a defensive battle, but UL just had the edge in the end. After two back to back strong performances the Rhino’s will need to have a short memory about this one and hope to rebound against the Crusaders in a fortnight’s time.

NI Razorbacks 23 – 0 Donegal Derry Vipers

Both teams’ social media was on fire in the build up to this one as friendly jabs were exchanged but it was the Hogs who got it done where and when it mattered, claiming a 23-0 win and their second victory of the season. Alex Kusmirek made his first start at Running Back for the home side, while Tight End Stu Wylie was playing his first ever game at the QB spot. The Derry loss drops them to 6^th in the table, while the Razorbacks with 3 games to go can still make a push for a top 4 finish. After struggling in recent weeks, the Razorbacks will be happy to earn their second victory of the season and use the momentum to win a few more!

UCD 46 – 0 Craigavon Cowboys

A commanding performance on the road from the defending champions saw them dispatch the struggling Cowboys with ease. The students retain the 2^nd spot on the table for now by virtue of points difference and will be hoping the Admirals drop a few games in the near future. Their offense was back to it’s prolific ways as Sean Douglas, Sean McVeigh, Brandon Atwell, Gavin Quirke and Tom Donovan all crossed the whitewash for scores. The defense wasn’t going to be outdone, contributing heaps of sacks and tackles for losses. UCD are off now until May 27^th to account for a study break, but will have the much anticipated rematch with the Rebels to look forward to when they return.

Wexford Eagles 35 – 6 Causeway Giants

The Eagles may have only played two games this season, but they are almost certainly heading back to Division One at the end of the year. Their offense overpowered the Causeway Giants on Sunday, as Trevor Smith, Luke Fitzpatrick and Paddy Bisset all got the scoresheet. Their defensive counterparts wreaked havoc as well; Henry Foxton, Rob Farrell, Mick Doyle & Paddy Bissett each claiming a sack. The Offensive Line has a strong day as well, keeping their QB upright and not allowing a single sack. The Giants eventually got on the board courtesy of Peter McCaughan, but it was merely a consolation score.