The Mexicas captured their first ever Liga de Futbol Americano (LFA) title by blanking the Raptors 17-0 in Tazón México III in front of more than 15,000 fans at the Sports City Stadium in Mexico City.
Relying on a stifling defense, head coach Rafael Duk’s team only needed one half of great offense, scoring all their points in the first two quarters of the game for the win.
Mexicas quarterback Ricardo Quintana threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns, both caught by wide receiver Guillermo Villalobos.
Mexicas WR Guillermo Villalobos evading a tackler Photo: LFA
The Mexicas reached the red zone on their very first offensive series but a bad exchange from center led to a fumble.
On the next drive, the Mexicas reached the Raptors 10 yard line but had to settle for a Carlos Soria field goal.
The Raptors finally got their offense moving in the second quarter but a couple of key penalties killed the drives.
Quintana made them pay, connecting with Villalobos for the game’s first touchdown, giving the red-clad Mexicas a 10-0 second quarter lead.
With his team’s defense doing an excellent job of keeping the Raptors in check, Quintana went back to work, marching his team down to the 10 yard line. He then found Villalobos again for a touchdown and the Mexicas went into the break holding a 17-0 lead.
In the second half, Quintana and the Mexicas played superb ball control, eating up the clock. While they only had three possessions for the entire second half, they kept the ball out of the hands of the Raptors offense.
The Raptors had a total four offensive series in the second half, two which ended in failed fourth down conversion and one which ended in an interception.
This was the first Tazón México win for the Mexicas and the first shutout in the championship game.