Japan: Panasonic Impulse pull away from Elecom Kobe Finies for fourth straight win
The Panasonic Impulse (4-2) rode five Akio Yokoi field goals, two Victor Mitchell touchdown runs and a turnover-hungry defense to a 36-15 win over the Elecom Kobe Finies (3-3) Thursday at MK Taxi Field Expo in Suita, extending their X League Premier winning streak to four games.
Panasonic didn’t find the end zone early, but Yokoi made sure promising drives still produced points. He drilled field goals from 22, 42 and 24 yards in the opening quarter as the Impulse built a 9-0 lead.
Turnovers give Panasonic the edge
The Finies hurt themselves almost immediately. Xeaiver Bullock fumbled on their opening possession, and Panasonic turned the short field into Yokoi’s second field goal. On the next Elecom Kobe snap, Taishi Seike intercepted Bullock.
The Impulse finally broke through for a touchdown in the second quarter. Mitchell finished a 72-yard drive by pounding in from seven yards, pushing the lead to 16-0. Yokoi added a 39-yarder on the final play of the half to send Panasonic into the break up 19-0.
Panasonic RB Victor Mitchell finds running room © X LEAGUE
Bullock brings Finies back
Elecom Kobe came out of halftime with its best drive of the night. Bullock kept the offense moving through a 15-play, 75-yard march before connecting with Daiki Uchida for a 10-yard touchdown.
Bullock gave the Finies another dimension on the ground, finishing with 74 yards on 16 carries. Through the air, he completed 15 of 38 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns, but the two interceptions and a lost fumble proved costly.
Impulse answer in the fourth
Mitchell restored Panasonic’s cushion early in the fourth, finishing another 75-yard drive with a six-yard touchdown run. He led the Impulse ground game with 72 yards and two scores on 14 carries.
Elecom Kobe QB Exevier Block avoiding pass rush © X LEAGUE
Bullock answered quickly, hitting Wataru Okuda for a 42-yard touchdown to cut the margin to 26-13.
Panasonic needed only two plays to respond. Yuya Araki connected with Kohei Naganuma for a 38-yard touchdown, stretching the lead back to 20 points.
Yokoi finishes a perfect night
Yokoi capped his night by drilling a 44-yard field goal, finishing 5-for-5 with makes from 22, 42, 24, 39 and 44 yards.
Keita Suda completed 14 of 22 passes for 186 yards, while Caleb Phillips led the Impulse receivers with four catches for 87 yards. Panasonic finished with 343 yards of offense to Elecom Kobe’s 313.
The Finies added a late safety, but the Impulse had already taken control, turning three Elecom Kobe turnovers into another victory and their fourth straight win.
