Two Teams Still Undefeated in Portugal
With three weekends of play left in Portugal, two teams are undefeated and one is winless. The Porto Mutts top the North standings at 4-0 while the Lisboa Devils have the same record and lead the South. The Braga Black Knights have still not won a game after losing to the previously winless Maia Mustangs.
Maia Mustangs (1-3) 20 @ Braga Black Knights (0-4) 0
In a game between two teams still seeking their first win, the Mustangs took the lead on a pass from quarterback Tiago Santos to Renato Fernandes. This was a game where every mistake counted and the Mustangs made fewer. Santos delivered a big performance with two more rushing touchdowns and giving the win to his team who hadn’t won a game since 2014. The Black Knights still are looking for their first of the season.
Porto Mutts (4-0) 45 @ Paredes Lumberjacks (2-2) 6
A great performance by Mutts quarterback Alexandre Soares gave them a big win against the Lumberjacks. With five touchdowns passes and two field goals by kicker Helio Reis and one rushing touchdown by Joao Marques, the Mutts secured a big win and are now only one win away from ensuring a first place finish in the North group. The Lumberjacks fought hard but only managed to score a single touchdown on a run by Miguel Dias.
CFA Crusaders (2-3) 46 @ Lisboa Navigators (2-3) 42
In a game of great emotions, the Crusaders faced the Navigators with the win being very important for both teams. Both teams started strong on defense but both offenses come strong in the second half producing a shootout in another close game on the South group.
At halftime, the score was 17-14 for the Crusaders with two touchdowns and one field goal giving the upper hand against two touchdowns for the Navigators. In the second half, the Crusaders offense came out strong while the Navigators seemed lethargic. Running back Juzz Tiny had a great second half for the Crusaders carrying the load for the team.
The Navigators never quit though as defensive back Andre Monteiro returned a late interception 100 yards to close the gap and give the Navigators a last chance to win.
However, with only 12 seconds left and possessing the ball, the Navigators were not able to find the end zone, giving the Crusaders a crucial win and much needed two points to climb level with the Navigators in the South standings.
Photos: Alexandre de Sousa, PhotoSports.
