France: La Courneuve Flash dominate Saint-Ouen-L’Aumône Cougars to take over 2nd
The La Courneuve Flash scored on their first two possessions and went on to defeat the Saint-Ouen-L’Aumône Cougars 43-12 in a crucial game in the race for playoff spots in France’s FFFA – Fédération Française de Football Américain.
With the win, the Flash improve to 6-2 with two games left in the season and now sit in second in the standings behind the 7-1 Thonon Black Panthers. Saint-Ouen falls to 4-3-1 and in fifth place and in danger of missing the playoffs for the second year in a row. The Cougars won back-to-back French titles in 2015 and 2016.
Flash quarterback Paul Durand threw five touchdown passes, two each to Kevin Mwamba and Stéphane Fortes and one to Mickael Doukoure. A fumble recovery for a touchdown and a field goal by Matthieu Lamy accounted for the other points for la Courneuve.
Running back Brandon Crawford scored on a one yard run for Saint-Ouen-L’Aumône and Sofian Baghriche recovered a fumble in the end zone for the other Cougars touchdown.
Durand wasted no time finding Mwamba for a 93 yard touchdown to open the game. Following an Isaac Amoako fumble, Durand followed that up on the Flash’s next possession with a 64 yard scoring toss to Fortes and the Flash took a 14-0 lead into the second quarter.
With the Cougars offense finally beginning to move in the second quarter, Crawford found the end zone from a yard out reducing the lead to 14-6.
Then Lamy kicked a field goal making it 17-6 at the break.
The Cougars defense forced a fumble on the first series in the second half deep in Flash territory and Baghriche jumped on the loose ball to score a touchdown.
That was as close as Saint-Ouen would come.
Durand put a dagger in the hearts of the Cougars hopeful five plays later as he connected with Mwamba for his second touchdown of the game extending the lead to 24-12 late in the third quarter.
Then when an early fourth quarter Saint-Ouen drive was stalled on the Flash 33 yard line, Durand made them pay again, tossing a 67 yard touchdown pass to a streaking Fortes.
With the score 31-12 midway through the fourth quarter Durand was still not done. After another stalled drive by the Cougars, Durand connected with Doukoure on a 58 yard touchdown extending the lead to 37-12.
Then, like everything else in this game for the Cougars, a fumble by Thibault Mole after catching a pass was recovered by the Flash and returned for a touchdown.
In the tight race for the final three playoff spots, and with two games remaining, the Flash are second at 6-2, the Asnieres Molosses are third at 5-2-1, the Marseilles Blue Stars fourth with a 5-3 record and Saint-Ouen-L’Aumône fifth at 4-3-1.
Next up for the Flash is Asnieres Molosses on May 19 who have not lost a game since losing to the Flash in February. The Cougars take on the 1-7 Rouen Leopards on May 20.
