By Jimmy English
Lads, where has the sun gone?! And what’s that wet stuff coming from the sky? Fair play to those with the dedication and passion to stand out in the pissing rain on a Saturday afternoon, supporting grassroots Irish American football. Keep up the great work! With only 6 weeks of regular season action left (madness by the way) every game counts from here on in. 5 fixtures were down for decision around the country over the weekend, none bigger perhaps than the Trojans and UCD clashing in South Dublin for a home semi final and to be the last undefeated team in the premier division! And let’s not forget about the three shutouts on Sunday either! Keep reading for our full round up of all the action!
Belfast Trojans 29 – UCD 12
All eyes were on Belfield on Saturday, with the last two remaining undefeated teams in the premier division going head to head in what was likely a sneak peek preview of this year’s Shamrock Bowl. The stakes couldn’t have been higher as whoever came out on top would earn a home semi final as well as the mental edge going into the playoffs. Belfast got off to a strong start and hit paydirt early in the first quarter with a Rayshawn Boswell touchdown to go 7-0 up. The former D3 athlete has been instrumental to the Trojans success this season, and they will be hoping to ride him the whole way to a title in Athlone later this summer.
It was all Trojans for the entire first half, as a Thomas Boyd interception and return gave the visitors excellent field position which Boswell capitalised on for a second score and Oran Wilson converted. Mo Ramadan rumbled over from close quarters late in the second quarter following a Brandon Falconer pick and it looked like curtains for UCD who found themselves in a 22-0 hole at the break.
The reigning champions did wake up a little bit in the third period of play, clawing back two scores in the form of a rushing TD from Tom McEniff, followed by a scoop and score fumble recovery by Hugh O’Connoroff a Dom Lynn error late in the quarter. It wouldn’t be enough to stem the green wave however, as Noach Ben Haim crossed the goal line in the fourth to strike a dagger to the heart of any comeback attempt and secure a crucial dub for the visitors.
The Trojans haven’t been to a Shamrock Bowl since their 2019 victory over the Panthers, but after this impressive performance in which they perfectly negated UCD’s game, there’s no doubt in my mind that they will be competing for a trophy in less than 2 months time. And their opponents? The boys in blue from UCD. These sides are just destined to be in the Shamrock Bowl this season.
Louth Mavericks 50 – Causeway Giants 0
By all accounts the Mavericks didn’t really need to get out of second gear to slay the sleeping Giants in Dundalk on Sunday. And with a home semi final already guaranteed, why overly exert yourself? The raging bulls were scoring for sport, and with a 36-0 advantage at half time were already out of reach of any comeback attempt. Grant Schutte ran riot with four touchdowns on the ground, and will be sorely missed when he heads back to the states. Ty Henry also had a rushing score to go along with 2 passing touchdowns; connecting with Fin O’Donovan and Brendan Simms.
The Mavs showed up on defense as well, with an Alex Simms interception coupled by a pair of sacks from Maeleek Abdul and Johnny Clements. The rest of the regular season is a formality now for the Louth men, who will be solely focused on winning the Harp Bowl and cementing their status as the best team in Division One.
Cork Admirals 33 – UL Vikings 0
Cork have enjoyed something of a mid season resurgence under first year Head Coach Brendan Kelleher, and this latest win is just another indication of the bright future that lies ahead. The Leesiders dispatched Limerick with relative ease in Maguires field on Sunday, scoring 33 unanswered points while holding their hosts to just one first down all day. Marty Mulrey, Jake Kennedy and Declan Maye all had rushing TD’s while Jake also connected with Jahn Dasini and Maye for scores through the air.
Ayo Mumuni, Matt Sibanyoni, Aaron Hogan and Timmy Peyton all got to the Vikings QB for sacks and forced fumbles/recoveries as the Cork defense dominated on thel day up front and didn’t allow any positive yardage all game long.
The Admirals might not be quite ready for another Shamrock Bowl run, but they are certainly worthy of being in the conversation and as I’ve said all season long are ones to watch for years to come.
Belfast Knights 49 – South Dublin Panthers 0
Only a week after the Panthers tossed aside rumours of their demise to defeat the Cowboys at home, it all came crashing down when the Belfast Knights came to town. Belfast was up and cruising early, taking a 21-0 halftime lead on scores from Bruce Deery and Harry Salt. Their fine form continued into the second half, as Zac McDowell connected with Daithi McShane and ZachTempleton (for his first ever TD) and Phil Henson ran one to make it 42 zip. McDowell capped off an impressive performance with a QB keeper in the fourth quarter and that was all she wrote.
The Knights defense did their part as well with picks from Jonny Hedley, Chris Muir, Aaron Black and Turlough McGowan while Daithi McShane hit 7 PAT kicks. This latest victory strengthens the Knights stock as we move towards the playoffs, while the Panthers seem to be on course for a three way relegation tie with the Cowboys and Vikings. It will be fascinating to see who gets to stay up in the top flight!
Westmeath Minotaurs 35 – Antrim Stags 0
Don’t count the Minotaurs out of title contention quite just yet! Westmeath bounced back after their recent defeat the the hands of the Mavericks with a resounding 35-0 victory over the visiting Antrim Stags. Head Coach Conor Brennan made a triumphant return to the field, tossing a pair of touchdowns – one to Jack Walsh, the other to Domas Vilys. Vilys fumbled a third TD reception but subsequently recovered it in the endzone for what is technically a rushing score. Rafa Monteiro and Niall Corcoran added points on the ground as well, as the Minotaurs didn’t have to try too hard to see of the Stags.
Photo: Charisse Mae Ducao
The purple people eaters are hot on the heels of the raging bull in the race for the Division One title and we could very well have a rematch on our hands down in Athlone in a few weeks time.
Source: Gaelic Gridiron. Reposted with permission.