As the 2016 edition of the Italian Football League comes close to its midpoint, the Milano Rhinos, the Ancona Dolphins, and the Lazio Marines still remain unbeaten.
Former Nevada head coach and pistol offense innovator Chris Ault has been at the forefront of the Rhinos turnaround while two-time NAIA Player of the Year Ryan Kasdorf has led the Dolphins, and the Marines continue to soar under the guidance of Stan Bedwell.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Parma Panthers (2-1) @ Milano Rhinos (4-0)
Photo TJ Pryor – AK photography
The IFL North leading Rhinos will host the 2nd place Parma Panthers on Saturday.
T.J. Pryor (Eastern Kentucky) leads the Milano squad with 596 yards passing with 7 TD/0 INT and 246 rushing yards with 3 TD. Joining him in the backfield is dual passport running back Nicholas Ricciardulli (Humboldt State) who has run for 368 yards and 6 TD in just three games.
Jonathan McNeal (Nevada) leads the IFL with 29.5 tackles.
National team starting quarterback Tommaso Monardi has run the show for the Panthers, leading all passers in the IFL with 271 yards per game. His #1 target has been Demetrius Wilson (Arkansas) who has hauled in 16 receptions for 413 yards and 4 TD’s. On the other side of the ball, the Panthers rely on linebacker Christian Nobile and safety Alan Turner (Arkansas), who have 16.5 and 15.5 tackles, respectively.
Kickoff: Saturday April 17, 6 PM CET (12:00 p.m. EDT/ 11:00 a.m. CST in US)
Bolzano Giants (0-3) @ Bergamo Lions (1-3)
Photos: Dario Fumagalli, Marco Michelini
The other IFL North battle has playoff (and possible play out) implications on the line as the much improved Bergamo Lions will host the Bolzano Giants, who are still searching for their first victory.
Bergamo’s offense runs through quarterback Jordan Moore (Texas State) who has passed for 769 yards with 7 TD/5 INT and rushed for 424 yards with 5 TD.
The import duo of Chris Little (California) and Vincent Romano (Pace) leads the defensive charge of the Lions. Little has racked up 16.5 tackles and is tops in the league in interceptions (3) and passes defended (7).
Romano’s 26.5 tackles is good for 3rd in the IFL and he leads the league with 8.5 tackles for loss.
Giants quarterback James Peterson (Concordia, St. Paul) has passed for 554 yards with 4 TD/1 INT in three games. Fellow imports Canadian/Italian running back Garrett Sanvido (Western) and defensive back Alex Germany (San Jose State) are both getting back into the swing of things after preseason injuries.
Ancona Dolphins (4-0) @ Bologna Warriors (0-3)
Photo: Lorenza Morbidoni
The IFL South-leading Ancona Dolphins will bring the IFL leading defense (13 points allowed per game) to Bologna to face the winless Warriors who are last in scoring with just 5 points per game.
Equally as impressive as the defense, the Dolphins offense has put up 35 points per game behind the exceptional play of quarterback Ryan Kasdorf (Morningside College). Kasdorf has thrown for 937 yards with 14 TD/2 INT and has 236 yards and 4 TD with his feet.
National team WR Michele Marchini is tops in the IFL, catching half of Kasdorf’s touchdown tosses. Linebacker Jacob Zilbar (Wisconsin Platteville) has been a nightmare for opponents with 24.5 tackles and 2 interceptions. 19-year-old Riccardo Petrilli has been a pleasant surprise for Ancona, as he is tied for the league lead with 3 interceptions.
Running back Ervis Cira (213 total yards) and linebacker Glauco Capece (15 tackles) have been the bright spots for the “all Italian” Warriors, who have continued their recent trend of not bringing imports to focus on the development of domestic players.
Roma Grizzlies (1-3) @ Lazio Marines (3-0)
Photo: Frederica Annoscia
The Eternal City showdown is always full of emotion and Sunday will be no different as the underdog Grizzlies will look to slow down the Marines Raid offense, who leads the IFL with 43 points per contest. The Marines limp into this game with injuries to upwards of ten starters, coming off a thrilling 52-49 win last week over the Aquile Ferrara.
Swedish quarterback Anders Hermodsson has been fascinating for the Marines, as he leads the IFL in total offense (353 yards per game) and yards per carry (9.0). He is 2nd in passing (261 yards per game), and 3rd in rushing (93 yards per game). He has accounted for a total of 1,059 yards and 14 TD in three games.
Linebacker Simone Cerini (13 tackles) leads the Marines in tackles while the versatile Quandon Christian (Clemson) who was the IFL Player of the Week after the season opener is questionable with a lower leg injury.
The Grizzlies have relied on quarterback Zach Hoffman (Lake Erie) and running back Thomas Alivernini to carry the load for them offensively. Hoffman has accounted for 563 yards of total offense and 5 TD, while Alivernini has accounted for 409 total yards on the season.
Giacomo Insom and Alessandro Lucariello are the IFL’s top tandem in the trenches. Insom has 14.5 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and a league leading 4 sacks. Lucariello has racked up 14 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and a sack this season.
Kickoff: Sunday April 17, 3:30 PMCET (9:30 a.m. EDT / 8:30 a.m. CST in US)
