Kragujevac Wild Boars capture 3rd straight title Serbian title

AFI | American Football | 07/10/2018

Photo: Igor Lazarevic

The Kragujevac Wild Boars won their third consecutive Serbian championship and eighth overall by beating SBB Vukovi Belgrade 54-36 in Serbian Bowl XIV at Čika Dača Stadium in Kragujevac.

With the win, Kragujevac remained undefeated in the Serbian League with a 9-0 overall record. In fact, the Wild Boars have not lost a game in Serbia since May, 2016 when they lost a regular season game to Vukovi.

Paced by a five-touchdown performance by running back Joshua Quezada, who earned MVP honors, and five touchdown passes from quarterback Dalton Oliver, Kragujevac took control of the game early on and never let up.

Oliver, threw touchdown passes to Strahinja Stepovic (2), Stefan Đurić (1) and Quezada (2) while Quezada ran three more in himself. Petar Goic kicked six extra points.

For Vukovi, quarterback Khari Vercher threw four touchdown passes with Mihailo Josović catching two and Cory Butler one. Josović added on rushing touchdown while Ognjen Vitorovic also caught a touchdown pass.

The Wild Boars opened the scoring as Oliver threw a 46 yard touchdown pass to Stepovic and increased the lead to 12-0, finding Đurić from four yards out.

Vukovi answered finally with Josovic scoring from the eight yard line to close the gap to 12-7 early in the second quarter.

Then the Wild Boars scored two more touchdowns in the second quarter with Oliver connecting with Quezada both times, from eight and 24 yards out, extending the lead to 26-7 at the half.

The Vukovi offense came alive in the second half as Vercher threw a nine yard touchdown pass to Josovic to narrow the lead to 26-14. But Quezada was on a roll as he found a gap and scampered 14 yards for increase the lead to 33-14.

Both offenses continued to pour it on in the second half trading touchdowns. Butler scored for Vukovi on a 40 yard touchdown pass from Vercher and Oliver responded hitting Stepovic for a 23 yard score to close out the third quarter with Kragujevac leading 40-21.

Vercher started the fourth quarter with an eight yard touchdown pass to Vitorovic to make it 40-28 in favor of the Wild Boars. But Quezada was having a career day, finding a gap and racing 24 yards to restore the Wild Boars 19 point lead, 47-28.

Josovic scored his third touchdown of the game, punching the ball in from the three yard line to reduce the lead again, and Vercher added a two-point conversion and Vukovi were within 11, 47-36.

Fittingly though, Quezada put the game away with a 16 yard run for a 54-36 win.

With the win, Kragujevac pulled away from Vukovi having now won eight titles, one more than the Belgrade team. This was the fifth time the Wild Boars have beaten Vukovi in the final.